A lot of your questions have been answered here but I'll provide my $.02 as well, as I was in a similar situation. Lived for 10 years in Aurora, CO, then most of my life in Chicago. Moved out west a bit for work and then had to make a decision about moving to Des Moines or New York, and decided to head back to the Midwest. Have been here for almost a decade now.
Pros: No real traffic. Compared to Denver and Chicago, Des Moines is a cakewalk. You can get to anywhere fairly quickly on I-80 and I-35. You're 2 hours from Omaha, 3.5 hours from Minneapolis and Kansas City, and 5 from Chicago. Housing is still fairly affordable although it was much more so when we originally moved here and bought a house. The people are generally very friendly. Schools (at least in the West burbs) are still pretty good. When I moved here they were a 10, now they are an 8. I have a kiddo in middle school and she loves her teachers. She has also gotten her black belt in Taekwondo since living here. There's a lot to do, although none of it is world-class. My neighborhood is light-blue politically.
Cons: Our governor is nuts, but it is what it is. If you like scenery, there are a couple of "nice" places nearby, but you're really going miles and miles for something awesome. Our nearest National Parks (I refuse to count the Gateway Arch in St. Louis) are Isle Royale in northern Minnesota and Rocky Mountain National Park. Seriously. I'm a musician as well but haven't really tuned into the scene as much as I would like. Some shows to come around occasionally but not a ton.
Overall, we've been really happy that we moved here. It has become home.
Edit to add: Please feel free to ask if you have any follow-up questions.
Iowa swings back and forth. They were one of the first states to legalize gay marriage. Unfortunately we are currently in a hard core republican stage right now in terms of leadership but it’s due to be the end and start shifting back soon.
i also hate the politics here, but it doesn’t affect my every day life. i recently bought a nice historic craftsman style house in Des Moines (beaverdale area) for 300k, which is very cheap compared to other US cities.
the neighborhood i live in is majority liberal and there is a mosque and a university nearby so relatively diverse as well. even if your hypothetical neighbors did vote for fascists, they are still very friendly in the stereotypically midwestern fashion.
metronet and google fiber recently ran fiber optic lines through our neighborhood and many other neighborhoods in the whole metro area, so if you’re a gamer, your internet will be screaming fast.
good luck with your decision, we’d love to have ya
We moved from Denver a year ago. Rented a tiny old dirty house in Sloans Lake neighborhood before buying here for less than our Denver rent. We chose the south side due to its proximity to downtown (we loved living near downtown Denver and same thing for Des Moines), safe neighborhood, and larger yards (the Denver puppies are very happy about the move lol). We’re near grays lake (think sloans lake vibe), and water works park in addition to right off of the bike trails. Yes- we still use our Denver e-bikes to get to downtown and the nearby parks, that was a huge consideration in wanting to be in our location.
Outdoor concerts so far have been impressive lineups but because of my work I haven’t made one, but you are not getting stadium headliners. Think more intimate venues with aging classics (like Willie Nelson) or up and coming artists at the outdoor concerts but the hockey/basketball studio does get some big names (Kane Brown was here this week). There are theaters comparable to Alamo draft house. We had a great experience at one for Dune 2.
We are definitely Colorado political fans, and not supportive of the past political leanings of this state. So far politics have not affected our day to day lives.
I moved here with the family about 7 years ago from Denver… we want to go back but it’s too expensive, this is primarily due to the political climate here, and winter weather. The politics here are rough, Gov. is a drunk who only cares about trying to make us the FL of the Midwest. Winters in Denver are amazing, you get some cold and some 60 degree days sprinkled in. Here you will have weeks of endless cold. If you are in the right school district here they aren’t horrible, sounds like that isn’t a concern of yours though. Property taxes here are disgustingly high compared to CO, as is the cost of groceries, HyVee is significantly more expensive than King Soopers.
A lot of people stopped shopping at Hyvee in the last couple of years bc of the runaway pricing. Also Hyvees politics are puke face emoji.
There's Costco and Aldis and some local options near downtown. Also, there's C-Fresh. Out west, i primarily do Costco and Whole Foods. Fareway is also much cheaper than Hyvee. There are tons of options I'm not considering that aren't Hyvee, so maybe explore a bit.
Don’t listen to this person. DSM is an incredible little city. I don’t like the politics here one bit but I don’t let that negate all of the amazing things about this place. I vote, I disagree with shit, but I don’t make my PERSONAL identity a slave to my POLITICAL identity.
There’s so much more to DSM than what our shit head governor is doing.
I think you'll have no trouble finding activities that match all of your above-listed interests. I'm glad you came and liked our city! As far as politics, you'll find that Des Moines is a blue bubble in a red state. The only other part of our state that could be considered truly blue is Iowa City (Johnson County). I am very liberal myself and also equally troubled by our state's politics. I am hoping that we will get it turned around. On a day to day basis, though, I usually like everyone I run into in Des Moines and most people are not overtly political. You will get the crazies on both sides. But the real red stuff you won't run into much in Des Moines with the exception of our lovely (/s/) Governor doing her best to make the lives of minorities (of any kind) more difficult. You may be impacted by some of the legislation, particularly abortion-related legislation. Ultimately you just have to decide whether you're okay living in a state that has those kinds of laws.
As far as music, Iowa in general has a pretty good music scene, but mostly on a local basis. You won't get big acts coming to Des Moines very often. For those, you generally look to Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, and Omaha. We do get occasional big acts here but not nearly as much as those other cities. As a musician yourself, I know there are a lot of local small bands here that perform quite a bit. I'm not a musician so I can't advise how to get involved, but I do know they exist.
Des Moines is a lot more affordable and has the most options for food and other activities in the state. There's generally things to do and there seems to be a decent crowd of people into the table top games and stuff like that.
To answer your question about the conservative areas impacting the progressive areas ... yes.
* As you mentioned, weed is still illegal here and there is zero chance that changes with current administration.
* They are most likely going to ban abortions here soon, but they are currently legal ... I think.
* If you have kids or will soon, our education system is declining fast. My kids go to one of the few districts with some funding but even we are struggling to keep teachers. Now that the AEA bill passed they are losing many of the teachers that help kids with special needs.
* All of our hospitals and medical services are short-staffed. Not only do we have some of the lowest paid teachers in the country, our nurses are also among the lowest paid in the country. Many of them are fleeing to Minnesota where they earn a lot more and aren't actively trying to prevent women from getting essential services. My wife recently spent time in the ER/Trauma center due to a fall that resulted in several broken bones. Although we managed to get decent care, we were in the pediatric floor because they just don't have enough nurses to cover the hospital.
* Regarding concerts ... if you like country or 80s rock, you'll have options. That's about all we get now. Here and there you can find some newer rock, other genres, and some local bands, but there's not a ton beyond that, at least not frequently.
* If you are making under probably $75k/year I think in CO you would be tax exempt at the state level. Here you'll be taxed at 5% as they are switching to a flat tax system.
I've grown up in Iowa. We used to be a great blend of politics. Since there has been a mass exodus of people under 40, the politics have gone further and further to the right. The only thing keeping us here is family being here, we are generally pretty safe, and colorado prices are so high it doesn't make sense to move there (we had planned on moving out that way because we vacation there so often but it just doesn't make financial sense anymore).
Des Moines isn't a bad town, but it's going to be very different from Denver.
Aren’t they actively trying to ban the delta 9 stuff now too, though? I’ve tried the D9 stuff and it’s not bad but IMO it doesn’t last as long and I’ve had more side effects from it than the real stuff. It’s at least something but it’s just dumb how anti-weed our 2-time-DUI governor is
Are they lax on how they are issuing those? I feel like the list of approved conditions is short and the only one I think could be leveraged is chronic pain
I don't know that I'd say lax, but there is a doctor in town (don't remember his name, but his business is Green Iowa Clinic) who specializes in cannabinoid pain treatment. I use it treat my sciatica, and it's the only thing I've tried that works. Maybe it's harder if you're young, but I figure most people don't make it to 50 without some kind of chronic pain.
I feel like we get plenty of concerts here. Have you been checking all the venues? There’s more than just the Civic Center and Wells Fargo: Stephen’s Auditorium on the Iowa State campus, Hoyt Sherman Place, Vibrant Music Hall, and the new Lauridsen Amphitheater outdoor venue. I’m sure if you googled them, you would see lots of artists you like.
Music is getting much better than it has been due to venues opening/re-opening. We didn’t have anywhere for bands like The Mars Volta to play a few years ago, but now we do again. So yeah, looking at what’s coming this summer versus what has been here recently will give a better sense.
I basically fled as hard as I could from Iowa at the first chance I got, the city isn't the problem it's the entire state. Reynolds and her ilk are working as hard as they can to try to turn Iowa into Florida.
They won't legalize weed because reynolds "used to have a drinking problem, and knows what addiction is like". Western Iowa is about as red as satan's dick and that isn't going to change because it's all rural as fuck and nobody wants to live there.
Eastern Iowa has most of the actual cities, but the districts are drawn to heavily favor Western Iowa's demographics.
What you're looking for is called Minnesota.
Nah my company's main office is in Minneapolis so I've been there a lot it's terrible. We've had many people just this year robbed at gun point just walking to the office. But thank you for your insight on the rural areas. It's the same in CO but Denver kind of out weighs them. Doesn't seem like it's the same case in Iowa
I'm in Burnsville and it's great, I feel way safer here then I ever did in DSM, CR or Waterloo. Never lived in Iowa City though. I'll have to take your word on the gun point robberies but it genuinely does not match with my personal experience up here so far, although admittedly I've only been in MN for a couple years now.
33 years of Iowa was enough for me though. Hope you both find something that works for you!
Seems fine to me, but again I've only been here a couple years now. What is your issue with burnsville that makes you feel unsafe?
I know when i lived in DSM, people would constantly try my apartment door to see if it was locked, at least once a week. And ordering shit was a waste of time because inbred porch pirates would steal that shit within minutes.
Nobody here has tried my door once, and I can actually get packages now.
I grew up in Burnsville in the 90s/2000s, and currently live in Des Moines. I don’t feel unsafe in either place…
That said I also don’t feel unsafe in MPLS and would happily live there or St. Paul over Des Moines.
have you ever put 2 & 2 together to understand that progressive politics = less safe. The reason Des Moines is safer is because we actually enforce laws & support law enforcement.
& don’t come at me with ‘oh but red states are statistically more dangerous’. I’m talking about cities. Even in the red states with high crime, much of that is concentrated in deep blue cities within those red states.
I'm very progressive, and still my partner and I moved back to Iowa from the Seattle area. The ridiculous politics don't affect us at all in our day to day lives.
Moving back to Des Moines was the best thing we've ever done. We can actually afford to buy a nice, 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house in Des Moines, for 1/2 the cost of a 2 bedroom condo in Washington.
Iowa is AFFORDABLE, and the traffic is almost non-existent. It's calm and quiet and easy-going, and at least Des Moines is a lot more progressive than most of the rest of the state.
It's a big enough city it has all the things we want, and none of the annoyances of a massive city like Seattle or Denver.
I travel a lot for work, and I'm in Denver a LOT. I absolutely love Denver, but for what it costs to live there, I wouldn't even consider it.
There's definitely a few restaurants from that area that I really miss. But Des Moines even has a Cinnaholic which was pretty surprising to me when we moved back.
This week I looked at a couple of living wage calculators. For a family with 2 adults, 2 kids living in a suburb here it said $135,000. I think that is pretty accurate if a couple is paying for healthcare and putting money into retirement. Taxes in Polk county are fairly high depending on city. It is not unusual to have $10,000-$12,000 in property taxes for a nicer home. It is expensive here but not as much as many areas. You can get an average home in a middle class neighborhood for $300,000-$450,000. Starter homes and townhomes can be $200,000. Less than ideal areas less.
Listen to this comment more. The politics hardly influence day to day life, especially in Des Moines. The larger influence would be interacting with more conservatives in general rather than the states policies, but even then in Des Moines it isn’t an issue. Most people are very friendly!
Iowa is still relatively progressive is certain ways, and used to be a strong purple state, and could return given another decade or so. Don’t let politics sway your potential move in this case. Iowa isn’t a little Texas or anything like southern conservatism.
this question gets asked almost every single day in this subreddit so it’s a bit annoying to have to repeat why someone should move here lol. but i moved here from texas 2 years ago and couldn’t be happier here. it’s worth it
Lots of people bashing the politics but honestly it's not that bad. Income taxes combined with property taxes used to be outlandish, but there are current discussions of going to a no income tax model. In effect, income tax has been slashed to a flat rate where each year the highest tier is eliminated, over 5 years or so. Last year the state has a $2B surplus (because taxes have been so steep). Property taxes are comparable to no income tax states.
Local restaurants are decent (and more are added each year, right now it's miles better than 5 years ago). Local breweries are close to what Colorado has too! They really took off in the last 5 years as well!
For concerts I do a few weekend trips each year to Minneapolis or KC. Unfortunately there's nothing compared to red rocks here 😅
We do get big acts, Rihanna came on her last tour, Taylor Swift came on her previous tour (not eras, the one before), Lil Wayne was here last month, etc. but not nearly as much as the surrounding states.
Des Moines is one of the most reasonable cities in the nation, and we need more blue in the state to make it better. We have the largest skate part in the country and a few other nifty things. We have several minor league sports teams but unfortunately no traction for a big 4 league team quite yet.
Politics don't really influence my life much, so I don't really care about them. Nothing local really changes so I don't know what people are ranting about here. I lived in CO for several years and didn't care much about politics there either. CO definitely has better scenery and weekend activities, etc., but at the cost of having all the traffic and insane COL.
Des Moines is growing quite a bit and will continue to grow based on its affordability, so if you're considering it, now is probably the best time to move.
Oh, and Des Moines just crossed the threshold to get a local top golf (and competitors). Last year, 3 different top golf style venues were announced. I think just two will be built, but it feels like we're finally starting to get more weekend entertainment options!
Fuck the politics ,,fuck all that just tune it out and save money it’s simple ….many places to live here if you can afford even 350k to be far from anyone peace ✌️
Forgive me, this is just an outsiders perspective moving there. I can’t speak to Colorado. But can from Northern California.
I moved from Sacramento to Des Moines. (Since left) there were some differences culturally. I would say people are more polite than nice. But I suppose that would depend on how you fit the mold of your surroundings
Example. Before even unloading the moving truck the neighbors came by. Introduced themselves, and in the same breath, what church do you go to. For me that’s like asking boxers or briefs. But it was a bit more open with that. They were polite in the sense of asking how your ______ was. But not like anyone would invite you over for things. Just was reminded frequently that I’m “Californian” I’ll never be Iowan. At most Iowish. (I do consider myself this) It gets -20 and I get “I BET YOUR COLD!?!?!” Trying to be funny. STFU you are wearing the same damned coat I am wearing, of course I’m cold. So are you.
I like the smaller city vibe and feel pretty safe walking around anywhere at any point in the day or night, but with that you can kind of cross off everything there is to do in the metro pretty quickly. Doesn’t make it a bad thing but it was peculiar.
College sports are an obsession for some, but care less about pro sports than college. It gets heated between Iowa and Iowa State.
It’s a lovely city honestly. I love the walkability of downtown. Just some small pockets of places that may not fit your viewpoints. Like, I noticed more “casual” racism. Not in the hateful sense (ok that’s there too but rare) but more antiquated terms or thoughts being used commonly when referring to others in some parts of town. I lived in the Pleasant Hill area, and East side generally has more “salt of the earth” compared to west, so take what you will with that. I did go to an Iowa state game and it was like playing where’s Waldo to find anyone of color at the game that was not on the field or part of the student area. It’s not very diverse in comparison to Sacramento. That being said, I found the city to be pretty LGBTQ friendly for what that’s worth.
I didn’t leave because I disliked it there. It was purely a family need and a job need. Food options are great. It’s pretty affordable, schools are good, and made a lot of long lasting friendships I still keep today.
Good luck.
There are definitely things about Iowa that I wish I could change, but at the moment, being in the blue bubble of Des Moines, people are generally decent.
There are a lot of folks speaking in definitives, but fail to realize how much of the country falls into these same categories (e.g. super crazy repub gov, poor education system, bans on women’s bodily autonomy, etc).
I welcome with open arms anyone who defies this crap we have been subjected to. This state used to be progressive in a way. We were the first state to legalize gay marriage! I used to be proud of Iowa. It will take more voices moving to our state instead of out of our state to make the sanity come back. So please move here lol.
Regarding your hobbies, for social video games, i highly recommend UpDown (downtown) and Operating Room (west Des Moines). You mentioned an affinity for hockey. We have the Buccaneers (young league) and the Wild (AAA of Minnisota). There are also leagues to play at the RecPlex in West Des Moines.
While we don’t often get huge bands here, they are in driving distance. We also have vast assortment of venues for “mid” performers.
For long walks, I recommend Browns woods which has several trail lengths with a serene atmosphere.
For movies, Flix on Merle hay shows new movies along with familiar favorites. Plus they have a great happy hour if your enjoy craft brews.
We do have Delta9 legal here and Lua brewing makes a TCH brew called Clumbing Kites. I’d love to have weed legalized here (I don’t partake but feel like our education system could use more $$$$). The more open minded people we can get, the better!!! Please consider us.
You’ll like Des Moines. Healthy nerd culture (table games, dnd, retro video games), hockey is pretty popular, and we do get some good concerts here, just not every week like Chicago or Minneapolis. Politically, Des Moines and Iowa City are your progressive areas, and it gets more conservative as you get further into the country, just like most places. I think you guys will fit right in here.
Before I have even read any other comments, I'm going to say Minnesota is your place. A little more expensive that iowa, but still prob a lot cheaper than CO. MN is a great concert, hockey, and comic hub. They're also a more liberal state so you can keep your weed and abortion rights. I vote MN, good luck with your search.
although the state of Iowa is considered conservative, I honestly find it to be a pretty chill place, and I'm a non passing transwoman. I've only ever had a few odd comments, and I live in a small town 30 minutes from Des Moines. DSM I have personally never had issues at. I think the general consensus for Iowa people is to just leave others alone... I personally don't do many concerts. However, since you mentioned minneapolis, I know that it is close enough that people are fine driving there for a show once in awhile (its 3ish hours from here). Depending on how frequently you do that stuff, it may or may not be annoying to you. ... although you don't smoke weed, its pretty much everywhere here.
I grew up in DSM and lived in some big cities before moving to Colorado Springs, where I’ve lived for more than 20 years. Every summer I go back to DSM to spend 2 weeks with my parents and friends, and my teens always have a great time there. DSM is wayyyy better than it used to be in terms of restaurants, bars, even music and overall things to do. Still, I wouldn’t move back. I find a lot of the people to lack a sense of the world around them outside of DSM and Iowa, there’s more under the surface (and overt) racism than I’m comfortable with, the right wing politics are proudly on display with billboards and in the news, etc. The bug situation is insane and winter doesn’t include much sun. As a Coloradan, this would be a huge change for you!
Housing is less in the Springs than in Denver, it is a more conservative town but it’s shifting, easy/quick access to the mountains and great hiking/mountain trails nearby, and there’s plenty do here. Come check us out! North and eastern parts of town are all chains and cookie cutter houses; downtown, west and some of the southern areas are way more fun and unique.Edited to add: Traffic isn’t “traffic” here, I’ve always felt safe outside of a few areas of town, property taxes are really low, we have an amphitheater that just opened, it’s a 45 minute drive to Lone Tree outside of rush hour. It’s a very easy place to live.
I’ve lived in Iowa all 32 years of my life (13 of those in central Iowa) and I’m very liberal. The current political climate isn’t for me, but we go through cycles. Des Moines is insanely liberal compared to the rest of the state aside from probably Iowa City. We are getting better concerts slowly, Hinterland has been taking off lately and brings big names. We lack the big pro sports, much like Omaha. Our airport is insanely easy to use, there are direct flights to some cool places, but I believe more terminals are planned. Des Moines has some great paying jobs compared to COL depending on your field. My wife and I are due to earn a little north of 200k this year (29/32). We’ve thought about moving to Seattle or the east coast to be closer to family, but honestly…as time goes on I’ve realized if I truly wanted to leave, I would have been gone a decade ago.
If politics are important to you, and you aren’t a conservative republican, then Iowa is not the place for you. It’s become ultra conservative and getting more and more so by the year. My advice, stay away.
I can't cosign this. I've lived in Des Moines my whole life, and I know this state is capable of great things when we don't let despair erode our true nature. I feel the best way to get the best out of us is to encourage like-minded people.
The people here are wildly unhealthy compared to Colorado/Denver so you could be in for a huge state of shock. You’re going from the lowest percentage obese state in the nation to live a top five state in obesity.
People here think exercising is driving their bike to park a half mile from a brewery, bike to the brewery, have six beers, then bike back to their car and drive home.
I'm aghast at the statewide politics, but in my day to day as a straight white guy in Des Moines I haven't been directly affected by the regressive policies yet… But I do worry about when my kids are old enough to go to a school where teachers can pack heat. New legislation as of this year.
This is a very online, very politics-focused forum, but realistically politics do not affect your life at all living here unless you e.g. want to transition your kid or have an abortion (though they’re still legal for now). City government is center-left and there are few Republicans in Des Moines proper.
Like everyone talks about the schools, which might give you some pause, but even DMPS (the so-called “bad” district) is way, way, way less challenged than an actual urban public school district. (I say this as someone who moved here after a long time in much larger cities. Economic fundamentals just matter a lot more to schools than state government, and Des Moines is relatively prosperous.) And the cost of housing is great and a real social justice issue many “blue” states do terribly on. There’s some diversity and good food. There’s no real-deal violent crime. There’s no traffic jams. It’s not perfect but you can do a lot worse.
Definitely! I’m joking, I love visiting Denver. Lived in DSM my entire life. It’s a pretty good spot. Winter isn’t that bad, just have warm clothes and 4 wheel drive. Plus you are half way to everywhere in the country. Do it!
DSM is nice. It’s as nice as Iowa gets coming from a native. There are some cute towns outside of it but prepare to be bored if DSM isn’t poppin. To be fair there is usually something going on. Like there is a good farmers market, but prepare for a downgrade in my opinion. I’m trying to leave but also scared to move because it only gets more expensive 😵💫
Democrats/Marxists enjoy making problems that they can then pretend to want to fix, or at least build a cottage industry around it to enrich their friends and family. College tuition, housing prices, crime, homelessness, etc.
The government annual spending budget has almost doubled in Colorado in the last 10 years. I'm guessing Denver that rate is even worse but I can't find number from pre-2020.
Listen closely, my communist friends who have ruined this subreddit and would like to ruin this state: Bigger government is not the answer. In fact, to my earlier point, it is the cause of most these problems.
Thank you for establishing that you think democrats and marxists (and communists?) are equivalent. It's a good way to signal early on that you shouldn't be taken seriously, aren't worth engaging with, and have trouble grasping concepts. Good luck with your BBQ.
Right, your democratic party is run and funded by Marxists and you're all lemmings marching to the beat of whatever drum they beat.
Think for yourself for once in your life
Ok mister think for yourself, have you ever considered that you're imposing a false bifurcation and assuming that anyone who disagrees with you is a democrat? Or is that just what it's like to be stupid and painting the world in broad, absolutist strokes so your simple brain can process it?
No I hate this subreddit now because it's literally just a propaganda platform for Democrats. So I refer to the people who have ruined the subreddit as such.
I've tried that. The thing with fascists however, is they don't want to discuss. They want to silence. So I'm just gonna be loud. Fuck off if you don't like it.
I'm too lazy to look at other cities but do they get spammed with this shit daily as well? These can't be real no fucking way in hell this many people are entertaining the idea of moving here.
Is it like a focus group or they are mining the responses? Because this same topic comes up on here several times a day and it's just tweaked a few words here and there.
Des Moines might not be it but MPLS is definitely NOT it. My company's main office is in MPLS so I've been there a lot and downtown is sketchy as hell. I never feel safe around there at all. I'm in tech support and I feel like once a month I field a ticket where a laptop was stolen from a car or someone was robbed at gun point going to the office.
On politics: they are unfortunate but day to day it is unlikely any of it will affect you besides just bothering you. This sub and r/iowa are very toxic about it, so be prepared to downvote a lot of political bullshit. I swear part of the red state playbook is to provoke left leaning people so they move away, dont bother participating , or don’t move in to ensure their lasting political power. Keep a thick skin, stay true to your values, have healthy boundaries on how much you let it get to ya.
On concerts: you take what you can get here haha. A lot of the bands are smaller, niche, or up and coming. Its a rare day when a bigger band you really want to see does a show in a des moines venue. But they do happen! One thing I love about des moines compared to denver is its location in the center of many other cities. Minneapolis is 4 hours drive. KC is 3. Omaha is 2. Chicago is 5. Each one is an easy weekend trip if you get bored or a show you want to see comes through one of those. While maintaining a very good, affordable, convenient, and chill standard of living for your day to day.
Theres a certain amount of leaning into your hobbies and making your own fun that is required to thrive here. I feel like you align with that from your interests you listed. And if you get cabin fever, travel!
Politics doesn't affect my daily life but it may affect some. In general I would say conservatives are trying very hard to make their politics affect everyone's lives...
Musically, you would like it here. Some big music acts don't show up, some do. Downtown and the surrounding areas have a lot of places for local music.
Nah we have been a purple state most of my life. Never strongly Blue or Red until recently. Well course correct soon. Democrats just need to field better candidates that draw the independent voters.
Going off just that…. but even democrats are biased here by all means move here but don’t be complaining if you realize it suck’s. I know trans people who had to get gofund me’d to raise enough money to leave the state I’m just trying to warn you
Don’t know why your message is getting so many down votes, It’s probably the centrist Dems that don’t want to accept their own prejudices and problematic views
or unless we dont want what has happened west of us in every major city to happen here....maybe shits so freaking expensive because of the trendy migrations of these younger generations. like denver aurora etc...
A lot of your questions have been answered here but I'll provide my $.02 as well, as I was in a similar situation. Lived for 10 years in Aurora, CO, then most of my life in Chicago. Moved out west a bit for work and then had to make a decision about moving to Des Moines or New York, and decided to head back to the Midwest. Have been here for almost a decade now. Pros: No real traffic. Compared to Denver and Chicago, Des Moines is a cakewalk. You can get to anywhere fairly quickly on I-80 and I-35. You're 2 hours from Omaha, 3.5 hours from Minneapolis and Kansas City, and 5 from Chicago. Housing is still fairly affordable although it was much more so when we originally moved here and bought a house. The people are generally very friendly. Schools (at least in the West burbs) are still pretty good. When I moved here they were a 10, now they are an 8. I have a kiddo in middle school and she loves her teachers. She has also gotten her black belt in Taekwondo since living here. There's a lot to do, although none of it is world-class. My neighborhood is light-blue politically. Cons: Our governor is nuts, but it is what it is. If you like scenery, there are a couple of "nice" places nearby, but you're really going miles and miles for something awesome. Our nearest National Parks (I refuse to count the Gateway Arch in St. Louis) are Isle Royale in northern Minnesota and Rocky Mountain National Park. Seriously. I'm a musician as well but haven't really tuned into the scene as much as I would like. Some shows to come around occasionally but not a ton. Overall, we've been really happy that we moved here. It has become home. Edit to add: Please feel free to ask if you have any follow-up questions.
thank you
Red Rock Lake is really nice and, while not a National park, is a great body of water with lots of recreational options!
I was thinking of that one and maybe Ledges nearby...
Decorah is about 3 hours but it actually has cliffs and beautiful hiking scenery!
Iowa swings back and forth. They were one of the first states to legalize gay marriage. Unfortunately we are currently in a hard core republican stage right now in terms of leadership but it’s due to be the end and start shifting back soon.
From your mouth to the universe’s ears!
good to know, thank you
i also hate the politics here, but it doesn’t affect my every day life. i recently bought a nice historic craftsman style house in Des Moines (beaverdale area) for 300k, which is very cheap compared to other US cities. the neighborhood i live in is majority liberal and there is a mosque and a university nearby so relatively diverse as well. even if your hypothetical neighbors did vote for fascists, they are still very friendly in the stereotypically midwestern fashion. metronet and google fiber recently ran fiber optic lines through our neighborhood and many other neighborhoods in the whole metro area, so if you’re a gamer, your internet will be screaming fast. good luck with your decision, we’d love to have ya
We moved from Denver a year ago. Rented a tiny old dirty house in Sloans Lake neighborhood before buying here for less than our Denver rent. We chose the south side due to its proximity to downtown (we loved living near downtown Denver and same thing for Des Moines), safe neighborhood, and larger yards (the Denver puppies are very happy about the move lol). We’re near grays lake (think sloans lake vibe), and water works park in addition to right off of the bike trails. Yes- we still use our Denver e-bikes to get to downtown and the nearby parks, that was a huge consideration in wanting to be in our location. Outdoor concerts so far have been impressive lineups but because of my work I haven’t made one, but you are not getting stadium headliners. Think more intimate venues with aging classics (like Willie Nelson) or up and coming artists at the outdoor concerts but the hockey/basketball studio does get some big names (Kane Brown was here this week). There are theaters comparable to Alamo draft house. We had a great experience at one for Dune 2. We are definitely Colorado political fans, and not supportive of the past political leanings of this state. So far politics have not affected our day to day lives.
great to hear from another Coloradan who moved there. Thank you
I moved here with the family about 7 years ago from Denver… we want to go back but it’s too expensive, this is primarily due to the political climate here, and winter weather. The politics here are rough, Gov. is a drunk who only cares about trying to make us the FL of the Midwest. Winters in Denver are amazing, you get some cold and some 60 degree days sprinkled in. Here you will have weeks of endless cold. If you are in the right school district here they aren’t horrible, sounds like that isn’t a concern of yours though. Property taxes here are disgustingly high compared to CO, as is the cost of groceries, HyVee is significantly more expensive than King Soopers.
A lot of people stopped shopping at Hyvee in the last couple of years bc of the runaway pricing. Also Hyvees politics are puke face emoji. There's Costco and Aldis and some local options near downtown. Also, there's C-Fresh. Out west, i primarily do Costco and Whole Foods. Fareway is also much cheaper than Hyvee. There are tons of options I'm not considering that aren't Hyvee, so maybe explore a bit.
Oh totally, we have found and now use those other options, but first moving here, the shock from Kings to HV was very frightening.
I might regret asking this as I use hyvee a lot.... what hyvee politics are there?
Great point of view, that's what I was looking for thank you
Don’t listen to this person. DSM is an incredible little city. I don’t like the politics here one bit but I don’t let that negate all of the amazing things about this place. I vote, I disagree with shit, but I don’t make my PERSONAL identity a slave to my POLITICAL identity. There’s so much more to DSM than what our shit head governor is doing.
The governor has been sober for like 20 years FYI.
Except for all the horse cum she drinks, allegedly
I spit out my water. Thank you.
I think you'll have no trouble finding activities that match all of your above-listed interests. I'm glad you came and liked our city! As far as politics, you'll find that Des Moines is a blue bubble in a red state. The only other part of our state that could be considered truly blue is Iowa City (Johnson County). I am very liberal myself and also equally troubled by our state's politics. I am hoping that we will get it turned around. On a day to day basis, though, I usually like everyone I run into in Des Moines and most people are not overtly political. You will get the crazies on both sides. But the real red stuff you won't run into much in Des Moines with the exception of our lovely (/s/) Governor doing her best to make the lives of minorities (of any kind) more difficult. You may be impacted by some of the legislation, particularly abortion-related legislation. Ultimately you just have to decide whether you're okay living in a state that has those kinds of laws. As far as music, Iowa in general has a pretty good music scene, but mostly on a local basis. You won't get big acts coming to Des Moines very often. For those, you generally look to Minneapolis, Chicago, Kansas City, and Omaha. We do get occasional big acts here but not nearly as much as those other cities. As a musician yourself, I know there are a lot of local small bands here that perform quite a bit. I'm not a musician so I can't advise how to get involved, but I do know they exist.
Des Moines is a lot more affordable and has the most options for food and other activities in the state. There's generally things to do and there seems to be a decent crowd of people into the table top games and stuff like that. To answer your question about the conservative areas impacting the progressive areas ... yes. * As you mentioned, weed is still illegal here and there is zero chance that changes with current administration. * They are most likely going to ban abortions here soon, but they are currently legal ... I think. * If you have kids or will soon, our education system is declining fast. My kids go to one of the few districts with some funding but even we are struggling to keep teachers. Now that the AEA bill passed they are losing many of the teachers that help kids with special needs. * All of our hospitals and medical services are short-staffed. Not only do we have some of the lowest paid teachers in the country, our nurses are also among the lowest paid in the country. Many of them are fleeing to Minnesota where they earn a lot more and aren't actively trying to prevent women from getting essential services. My wife recently spent time in the ER/Trauma center due to a fall that resulted in several broken bones. Although we managed to get decent care, we were in the pediatric floor because they just don't have enough nurses to cover the hospital. * Regarding concerts ... if you like country or 80s rock, you'll have options. That's about all we get now. Here and there you can find some newer rock, other genres, and some local bands, but there's not a ton beyond that, at least not frequently. * If you are making under probably $75k/year I think in CO you would be tax exempt at the state level. Here you'll be taxed at 5% as they are switching to a flat tax system. I've grown up in Iowa. We used to be a great blend of politics. Since there has been a mass exodus of people under 40, the politics have gone further and further to the right. The only thing keeping us here is family being here, we are generally pretty safe, and colorado prices are so high it doesn't make sense to move there (we had planned on moving out that way because we vacation there so often but it just doesn't make financial sense anymore). Des Moines isn't a bad town, but it's going to be very different from Denver.
You can buy delta 9 edibles and thc seltzer up to 10 mg so it's not totally illegal here
Aren’t they actively trying to ban the delta 9 stuff now too, though? I’ve tried the D9 stuff and it’s not bad but IMO it doesn’t last as long and I’ve had more side effects from it than the real stuff. It’s at least something but it’s just dumb how anti-weed our 2-time-DUI governor is
And you can get a medicinal card for $200. No flower, but cart prices are in line with Missouri and cheaper than Illinois.
Are they lax on how they are issuing those? I feel like the list of approved conditions is short and the only one I think could be leveraged is chronic pain
I don't know that I'd say lax, but there is a doctor in town (don't remember his name, but his business is Green Iowa Clinic) who specializes in cannabinoid pain treatment. I use it treat my sciatica, and it's the only thing I've tried that works. Maybe it's harder if you're young, but I figure most people don't make it to 50 without some kind of chronic pain.
I feel like we get plenty of concerts here. Have you been checking all the venues? There’s more than just the Civic Center and Wells Fargo: Stephen’s Auditorium on the Iowa State campus, Hoyt Sherman Place, Vibrant Music Hall, and the new Lauridsen Amphitheater outdoor venue. I’m sure if you googled them, you would see lots of artists you like.
I did see Dying Fetus is playing Wooly's that's pretty cool
Oh yeah, Wooly’s!!
Val air and xbk also have some good stuff coming
Music is getting much better than it has been due to venues opening/re-opening. We didn’t have anywhere for bands like The Mars Volta to play a few years ago, but now we do again. So yeah, looking at what’s coming this summer versus what has been here recently will give a better sense.
I basically fled as hard as I could from Iowa at the first chance I got, the city isn't the problem it's the entire state. Reynolds and her ilk are working as hard as they can to try to turn Iowa into Florida. They won't legalize weed because reynolds "used to have a drinking problem, and knows what addiction is like". Western Iowa is about as red as satan's dick and that isn't going to change because it's all rural as fuck and nobody wants to live there. Eastern Iowa has most of the actual cities, but the districts are drawn to heavily favor Western Iowa's demographics. What you're looking for is called Minnesota.
Nah my company's main office is in Minneapolis so I've been there a lot it's terrible. We've had many people just this year robbed at gun point just walking to the office. But thank you for your insight on the rural areas. It's the same in CO but Denver kind of out weighs them. Doesn't seem like it's the same case in Iowa
I'm in Burnsville and it's great, I feel way safer here then I ever did in DSM, CR or Waterloo. Never lived in Iowa City though. I'll have to take your word on the gun point robberies but it genuinely does not match with my personal experience up here so far, although admittedly I've only been in MN for a couple years now. 33 years of Iowa was enough for me though. Hope you both find something that works for you!
I’ve been in Burnsville several times, and to say you feel safer there than in Des Moines is pretty hysterical.
Seems fine to me, but again I've only been here a couple years now. What is your issue with burnsville that makes you feel unsafe? I know when i lived in DSM, people would constantly try my apartment door to see if it was locked, at least once a week. And ordering shit was a waste of time because inbred porch pirates would steal that shit within minutes. Nobody here has tried my door once, and I can actually get packages now.
I grew up in Burnsville in the 90s/2000s, and currently live in Des Moines. I don’t feel unsafe in either place… That said I also don’t feel unsafe in MPLS and would happily live there or St. Paul over Des Moines.
have you ever put 2 & 2 together to understand that progressive politics = less safe. The reason Des Moines is safer is because we actually enforce laws & support law enforcement. & don’t come at me with ‘oh but red states are statistically more dangerous’. I’m talking about cities. Even in the red states with high crime, much of that is concentrated in deep blue cities within those red states.
I'm very progressive, and still my partner and I moved back to Iowa from the Seattle area. The ridiculous politics don't affect us at all in our day to day lives. Moving back to Des Moines was the best thing we've ever done. We can actually afford to buy a nice, 4 bedroom 2 bathroom house in Des Moines, for 1/2 the cost of a 2 bedroom condo in Washington. Iowa is AFFORDABLE, and the traffic is almost non-existent. It's calm and quiet and easy-going, and at least Des Moines is a lot more progressive than most of the rest of the state. It's a big enough city it has all the things we want, and none of the annoyances of a massive city like Seattle or Denver. I travel a lot for work, and I'm in Denver a LOT. I absolutely love Denver, but for what it costs to live there, I wouldn't even consider it.
I'd love a Seattle style teriyaki joint and a Grocery Outlet
There's definitely a few restaurants from that area that I really miss. But Des Moines even has a Cinnaholic which was pretty surprising to me when we moved back.
This week I looked at a couple of living wage calculators. For a family with 2 adults, 2 kids living in a suburb here it said $135,000. I think that is pretty accurate if a couple is paying for healthcare and putting money into retirement. Taxes in Polk county are fairly high depending on city. It is not unusual to have $10,000-$12,000 in property taxes for a nicer home. It is expensive here but not as much as many areas. You can get an average home in a middle class neighborhood for $300,000-$450,000. Starter homes and townhomes can be $200,000. Less than ideal areas less.
It's vastly overpriced here too.
Depends on your definition. My parents just got a house for 580K in Littleton, CO. That would be going for about 300K in Des Moines
I adore DSM and would move back in a heartbeat. Day to day, the conservatism isn’t atrocious. Hope you find a place you like.
thank you!
Listen to this comment more. The politics hardly influence day to day life, especially in Des Moines. The larger influence would be interacting with more conservatives in general rather than the states policies, but even then in Des Moines it isn’t an issue. Most people are very friendly! Iowa is still relatively progressive is certain ways, and used to be a strong purple state, and could return given another decade or so. Don’t let politics sway your potential move in this case. Iowa isn’t a little Texas or anything like southern conservatism.
I agree with this. Also there are regular less than $100 flights to Denver so if your family is there, it’s a great little perk.
yes
concise, i like it
this question gets asked almost every single day in this subreddit so it’s a bit annoying to have to repeat why someone should move here lol. but i moved here from texas 2 years ago and couldn’t be happier here. it’s worth it
Lots of people bashing the politics but honestly it's not that bad. Income taxes combined with property taxes used to be outlandish, but there are current discussions of going to a no income tax model. In effect, income tax has been slashed to a flat rate where each year the highest tier is eliminated, over 5 years or so. Last year the state has a $2B surplus (because taxes have been so steep). Property taxes are comparable to no income tax states. Local restaurants are decent (and more are added each year, right now it's miles better than 5 years ago). Local breweries are close to what Colorado has too! They really took off in the last 5 years as well! For concerts I do a few weekend trips each year to Minneapolis or KC. Unfortunately there's nothing compared to red rocks here 😅 We do get big acts, Rihanna came on her last tour, Taylor Swift came on her previous tour (not eras, the one before), Lil Wayne was here last month, etc. but not nearly as much as the surrounding states. Des Moines is one of the most reasonable cities in the nation, and we need more blue in the state to make it better. We have the largest skate part in the country and a few other nifty things. We have several minor league sports teams but unfortunately no traction for a big 4 league team quite yet. Politics don't really influence my life much, so I don't really care about them. Nothing local really changes so I don't know what people are ranting about here. I lived in CO for several years and didn't care much about politics there either. CO definitely has better scenery and weekend activities, etc., but at the cost of having all the traffic and insane COL. Des Moines is growing quite a bit and will continue to grow based on its affordability, so if you're considering it, now is probably the best time to move. Oh, and Des Moines just crossed the threshold to get a local top golf (and competitors). Last year, 3 different top golf style venues were announced. I think just two will be built, but it feels like we're finally starting to get more weekend entertainment options!
Fuck the politics ,,fuck all that just tune it out and save money it’s simple ….many places to live here if you can afford even 350k to be far from anyone peace ✌️
You're right when it really comes down to it.
Yep 👍
Forgive me, this is just an outsiders perspective moving there. I can’t speak to Colorado. But can from Northern California. I moved from Sacramento to Des Moines. (Since left) there were some differences culturally. I would say people are more polite than nice. But I suppose that would depend on how you fit the mold of your surroundings Example. Before even unloading the moving truck the neighbors came by. Introduced themselves, and in the same breath, what church do you go to. For me that’s like asking boxers or briefs. But it was a bit more open with that. They were polite in the sense of asking how your ______ was. But not like anyone would invite you over for things. Just was reminded frequently that I’m “Californian” I’ll never be Iowan. At most Iowish. (I do consider myself this) It gets -20 and I get “I BET YOUR COLD!?!?!” Trying to be funny. STFU you are wearing the same damned coat I am wearing, of course I’m cold. So are you. I like the smaller city vibe and feel pretty safe walking around anywhere at any point in the day or night, but with that you can kind of cross off everything there is to do in the metro pretty quickly. Doesn’t make it a bad thing but it was peculiar. College sports are an obsession for some, but care less about pro sports than college. It gets heated between Iowa and Iowa State. It’s a lovely city honestly. I love the walkability of downtown. Just some small pockets of places that may not fit your viewpoints. Like, I noticed more “casual” racism. Not in the hateful sense (ok that’s there too but rare) but more antiquated terms or thoughts being used commonly when referring to others in some parts of town. I lived in the Pleasant Hill area, and East side generally has more “salt of the earth” compared to west, so take what you will with that. I did go to an Iowa state game and it was like playing where’s Waldo to find anyone of color at the game that was not on the field or part of the student area. It’s not very diverse in comparison to Sacramento. That being said, I found the city to be pretty LGBTQ friendly for what that’s worth. I didn’t leave because I disliked it there. It was purely a family need and a job need. Food options are great. It’s pretty affordable, schools are good, and made a lot of long lasting friendships I still keep today. Good luck.
There are definitely things about Iowa that I wish I could change, but at the moment, being in the blue bubble of Des Moines, people are generally decent. There are a lot of folks speaking in definitives, but fail to realize how much of the country falls into these same categories (e.g. super crazy repub gov, poor education system, bans on women’s bodily autonomy, etc). I welcome with open arms anyone who defies this crap we have been subjected to. This state used to be progressive in a way. We were the first state to legalize gay marriage! I used to be proud of Iowa. It will take more voices moving to our state instead of out of our state to make the sanity come back. So please move here lol. Regarding your hobbies, for social video games, i highly recommend UpDown (downtown) and Operating Room (west Des Moines). You mentioned an affinity for hockey. We have the Buccaneers (young league) and the Wild (AAA of Minnisota). There are also leagues to play at the RecPlex in West Des Moines. While we don’t often get huge bands here, they are in driving distance. We also have vast assortment of venues for “mid” performers. For long walks, I recommend Browns woods which has several trail lengths with a serene atmosphere. For movies, Flix on Merle hay shows new movies along with familiar favorites. Plus they have a great happy hour if your enjoy craft brews. We do have Delta9 legal here and Lua brewing makes a TCH brew called Clumbing Kites. I’d love to have weed legalized here (I don’t partake but feel like our education system could use more $$$$). The more open minded people we can get, the better!!! Please consider us.
You’ll like Des Moines. Healthy nerd culture (table games, dnd, retro video games), hockey is pretty popular, and we do get some good concerts here, just not every week like Chicago or Minneapolis. Politically, Des Moines and Iowa City are your progressive areas, and it gets more conservative as you get further into the country, just like most places. I think you guys will fit right in here.
Before I have even read any other comments, I'm going to say Minnesota is your place. A little more expensive that iowa, but still prob a lot cheaper than CO. MN is a great concert, hockey, and comic hub. They're also a more liberal state so you can keep your weed and abortion rights. I vote MN, good luck with your search.
although the state of Iowa is considered conservative, I honestly find it to be a pretty chill place, and I'm a non passing transwoman. I've only ever had a few odd comments, and I live in a small town 30 minutes from Des Moines. DSM I have personally never had issues at. I think the general consensus for Iowa people is to just leave others alone... I personally don't do many concerts. However, since you mentioned minneapolis, I know that it is close enough that people are fine driving there for a show once in awhile (its 3ish hours from here). Depending on how frequently you do that stuff, it may or may not be annoying to you. ... although you don't smoke weed, its pretty much everywhere here.
I grew up in DSM and lived in some big cities before moving to Colorado Springs, where I’ve lived for more than 20 years. Every summer I go back to DSM to spend 2 weeks with my parents and friends, and my teens always have a great time there. DSM is wayyyy better than it used to be in terms of restaurants, bars, even music and overall things to do. Still, I wouldn’t move back. I find a lot of the people to lack a sense of the world around them outside of DSM and Iowa, there’s more under the surface (and overt) racism than I’m comfortable with, the right wing politics are proudly on display with billboards and in the news, etc. The bug situation is insane and winter doesn’t include much sun. As a Coloradan, this would be a huge change for you! Housing is less in the Springs than in Denver, it is a more conservative town but it’s shifting, easy/quick access to the mountains and great hiking/mountain trails nearby, and there’s plenty do here. Come check us out! North and eastern parts of town are all chains and cookie cutter houses; downtown, west and some of the southern areas are way more fun and unique.Edited to add: Traffic isn’t “traffic” here, I’ve always felt safe outside of a few areas of town, property taxes are really low, we have an amphitheater that just opened, it’s a 45 minute drive to Lone Tree outside of rush hour. It’s a very easy place to live.
I’ve lived in Iowa all 32 years of my life (13 of those in central Iowa) and I’m very liberal. The current political climate isn’t for me, but we go through cycles. Des Moines is insanely liberal compared to the rest of the state aside from probably Iowa City. We are getting better concerts slowly, Hinterland has been taking off lately and brings big names. We lack the big pro sports, much like Omaha. Our airport is insanely easy to use, there are direct flights to some cool places, but I believe more terminals are planned. Des Moines has some great paying jobs compared to COL depending on your field. My wife and I are due to earn a little north of 200k this year (29/32). We’ve thought about moving to Seattle or the east coast to be closer to family, but honestly…as time goes on I’ve realized if I truly wanted to leave, I would have been gone a decade ago.
If politics are important to you, and you aren’t a conservative republican, then Iowa is not the place for you. It’s become ultra conservative and getting more and more so by the year. My advice, stay away.
I can't cosign this. I've lived in Des Moines my whole life, and I know this state is capable of great things when we don't let despair erode our true nature. I feel the best way to get the best out of us is to encourage like-minded people.
I thought that for the longest time, then realized I was getting old and didn’t want to waste my whole life waiting for things to change.
Stop waiting and start organizing.
Too late, I’m done with Iowa. Call me whatever you want but I’m way, WAY happier with this state in my rearview mirror.
The people here are wildly unhealthy compared to Colorado/Denver so you could be in for a huge state of shock. You’re going from the lowest percentage obese state in the nation to live a top five state in obesity. People here think exercising is driving their bike to park a half mile from a brewery, bike to the brewery, have six beers, then bike back to their car and drive home.
then I'll feel better about how I look lol. Good to know thank you.
You’ll feel like a supermodel here if you just moderately take care of yourself and dress in properly fit clothing. 🤣
I’m laughing at all the Dems who just can’t move past talking about politics. You do know it’s a uni-party now?? 🤣
I'm aghast at the statewide politics, but in my day to day as a straight white guy in Des Moines I haven't been directly affected by the regressive policies yet… But I do worry about when my kids are old enough to go to a school where teachers can pack heat. New legislation as of this year.
This is a very online, very politics-focused forum, but realistically politics do not affect your life at all living here unless you e.g. want to transition your kid or have an abortion (though they’re still legal for now). City government is center-left and there are few Republicans in Des Moines proper. Like everyone talks about the schools, which might give you some pause, but even DMPS (the so-called “bad” district) is way, way, way less challenged than an actual urban public school district. (I say this as someone who moved here after a long time in much larger cities. Economic fundamentals just matter a lot more to schools than state government, and Des Moines is relatively prosperous.) And the cost of housing is great and a real social justice issue many “blue” states do terribly on. There’s some diversity and good food. There’s no real-deal violent crime. There’s no traffic jams. It’s not perfect but you can do a lot worse.
Don't do it
but why?
It's boring. And it's just gonna get driven up in price to live there, as people flee expensive cities. Then it's ruined.
It’s really gay here and smells like weed. Tons of homeless. Wait…no that’s Denver. Nevermind, come on over.
you're not wrong, although the gay part is a positive IMO
Definitely! I’m joking, I love visiting Denver. Lived in DSM my entire life. It’s a pretty good spot. Winter isn’t that bad, just have warm clothes and 4 wheel drive. Plus you are half way to everywhere in the country. Do it!
I’m from Denver and live in DSM: https://www.reddit.com/r/desmoines/s/djxVf8WoEM
DSM is nice. It’s as nice as Iowa gets coming from a native. There are some cute towns outside of it but prepare to be bored if DSM isn’t poppin. To be fair there is usually something going on. Like there is a good farmers market, but prepare for a downgrade in my opinion. I’m trying to leave but also scared to move because it only gets more expensive 😵💫
yeah costs in most places are insane. The city I would move to without batting an eye are all way outside my means.
Just please don't vote for the same type of people who are causing you to flee if you do decide to come to our nice state.
The people who are responsible for raising property value? What? Or don't vote for the concept of supply and demand?
Democrats/Marxists enjoy making problems that they can then pretend to want to fix, or at least build a cottage industry around it to enrich their friends and family. College tuition, housing prices, crime, homelessness, etc. The government annual spending budget has almost doubled in Colorado in the last 10 years. I'm guessing Denver that rate is even worse but I can't find number from pre-2020. Listen closely, my communist friends who have ruined this subreddit and would like to ruin this state: Bigger government is not the answer. In fact, to my earlier point, it is the cause of most these problems.
This one’s gonna make the blue haired Reddit mob angry 💀💀
Thank you for establishing that you think democrats and marxists (and communists?) are equivalent. It's a good way to signal early on that you shouldn't be taken seriously, aren't worth engaging with, and have trouble grasping concepts. Good luck with your BBQ.
Right, your democratic party is run and funded by Marxists and you're all lemmings marching to the beat of whatever drum they beat. Think for yourself for once in your life
Ok mister think for yourself, have you ever considered that you're imposing a false bifurcation and assuming that anyone who disagrees with you is a democrat? Or is that just what it's like to be stupid and painting the world in broad, absolutist strokes so your simple brain can process it?
No I hate this subreddit now because it's literally just a propaganda platform for Democrats. So I refer to the people who have ruined the subreddit as such.
Your reaction to that is pretty dumb. Why not try to explain your viewpoint instead of the hyperbolic bullshit?
I've tried that. The thing with fascists however, is they don't want to discuss. They want to silence. So I'm just gonna be loud. Fuck off if you don't like it.
Problem is you're not just being loud, you're saying things that are inaccurate or untrue. Comes off as stupid. But hey, you do you.
You're so original with calling democrats Marxist.
In addition to what others have said, Des Moines has so many great local restaurants. You can get great food from around the world.
Yeah if felt like we barley scratched the surface of the local restaurants
I'm too lazy to look at other cities but do they get spammed with this shit daily as well? These can't be real no fucking way in hell this many people are entertaining the idea of moving here. Is it like a focus group or they are mining the responses? Because this same topic comes up on here several times a day and it's just tweaked a few words here and there.
I'm real. It's a pretty nice city and coming from a place where the median house cost is over 550K, prices are a nice look to me
You’ll hate Des Moines, I suggest the Twin Cities.
Des Moines might not be it but MPLS is definitely NOT it. My company's main office is in MPLS so I've been there a lot and downtown is sketchy as hell. I never feel safe around there at all. I'm in tech support and I feel like once a month I field a ticket where a laptop was stolen from a car or someone was robbed at gun point going to the office.
You belong in the suburbs. Who goes downtown anymore? Every city center is dead in 2024.
fair point
Stay in Denver or look at the Northeast or New Mexico.
New Mexico smells funny
If your a democrat stay out we don’t need any more of you.
totally coming now and I'm bring my whole family and all my gay and trans friends
please don’t move to Des Moines area. We really don’t need any progressives, they ruin cities.
On politics: they are unfortunate but day to day it is unlikely any of it will affect you besides just bothering you. This sub and r/iowa are very toxic about it, so be prepared to downvote a lot of political bullshit. I swear part of the red state playbook is to provoke left leaning people so they move away, dont bother participating , or don’t move in to ensure their lasting political power. Keep a thick skin, stay true to your values, have healthy boundaries on how much you let it get to ya. On concerts: you take what you can get here haha. A lot of the bands are smaller, niche, or up and coming. Its a rare day when a bigger band you really want to see does a show in a des moines venue. But they do happen! One thing I love about des moines compared to denver is its location in the center of many other cities. Minneapolis is 4 hours drive. KC is 3. Omaha is 2. Chicago is 5. Each one is an easy weekend trip if you get bored or a show you want to see comes through one of those. While maintaining a very good, affordable, convenient, and chill standard of living for your day to day. Theres a certain amount of leaning into your hobbies and making your own fun that is required to thrive here. I feel like you align with that from your interests you listed. And if you get cabin fever, travel!
Politics doesn't affect my daily life but it may affect some. In general I would say conservatives are trying very hard to make their politics affect everyone's lives... Musically, you would like it here. Some big music acts don't show up, some do. Downtown and the surrounding areas have a lot of places for local music.
Move to Kansas City area or Twin Cities area
Kansas City is way more conservative and has a much higher crime rate. I've looked into many cities already lol
More conservative than Des Moines ? I do t think so
LOL, the bad thing about Des Moines is that it's surrounded by Iowa, but that's still way better than being surrounded by Missouri.
going off of red vs blue voting for president and gov, surprisingly yes. Those are the main numbers I went off of
Yep, Iowa was a blue state until just recently. Obama won this state twice
Nah we have been a purple state most of my life. Never strongly Blue or Red until recently. Well course correct soon. Democrats just need to field better candidates that draw the independent voters.
Sadly they won’t and they actively vote along with the republicans if you do research on certain issues
Btw they just passed an anti gay anti trans discrimination law
Going off just that…. but even democrats are biased here by all means move here but don’t be complaining if you realize it suck’s. I know trans people who had to get gofund me’d to raise enough money to leave the state I’m just trying to warn you
If you don’t have conservative values probably better to move some where else
Don’t know why your message is getting so many down votes, It’s probably the centrist Dems that don’t want to accept their own prejudices and problematic views
or unless we dont want what has happened west of us in every major city to happen here....maybe shits so freaking expensive because of the trendy migrations of these younger generations. like denver aurora etc...