Another moving to Des Moines thread (Please answer) (apartment, house)

[BrianMack]

Ok, so here's the deal. I was born in Upstate New York, but have lived in Chicago, West Texas, a smattering of other random places and currently, in Omaha, Nebraska.

I am taking a position with a company that is expanding into the Des Moines metro market, and I should be bringing home between 32k-38k per year to start.

Here is some general info:

I am a white, 32 year old, single, straight male with no kids (Yes, I am still looking for my soul mate), and I am easy to get a long with. I am not too big into the outdoorsy stuff except for the occasional camping or fishing excursion.

I am college educated, and I enjoy having a good time. Not a huge drinker/partier, but night life is a must on some level since I am still single and relatively young.

I like diversity, and mixed neighborhoods are fine with me if they are safe.

I am hoping at first to find a decent apartment or small house either in or near the city proper. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg, but hope to find a fairly decent place in a fairly decent neighborhood. Probably in the $500-$700/per month price range.

I will be working in Des Moines and it's surrounding areas, and it will require a bit of driving. Is the traffic situation decent? Is the area easy to navigate?

I will also have to hire 3-4 people to work under me. How is the labor pool? Would it be hard to find quality people who want to work for $400-$600 a week entry level at a job that requires very little physical labor? (Mostly driving with some minor lifting and walking when making deliveries.)

I thank you all in advance! I tried to be specific about me to elicit specific responses. I look forward to hearing from you all, and I hope I can contribute to the boards as well, having lived in 6 states and many more cities and towns...

[runewell]

Des Moines fits the bill.

[capitalcityguy]

I would look at and around Ingersoll Avenue in Des Moines. Sounds a lot like the neighborhood you are describing.

DM hasn’t been hit as hard as many cities with the recession, but it still was affected by it. I have to assume you shouldn’t have too much trouble finding available labor.

[Omahahonors]

You will find Des Moines to be very similar to Omaha. While Omaha's downtown entertainment scene is more developed, you will find the concentration of downtown employers in Des Moines to be astonishingly high.

Like Omaha, Des Moines (bit smaller, not too much) is a rapidly growing community. Both communities are excellent for persons representing all classes of wealth.

You are going to find Des Moines a first rate community.