Is it just me, or has been Des Moines been going downhill? (Urbandale: renting, insurance)

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

There is an IMAX theater in Des Moines. FYI.

Thanks. I had a little mini-heart attack there thinking maybe it had closed when I read the other post. I've only been to one movie there (Spiderman 3) and have no idea if I'll ever go to another, but it's nice to know it's there "just in case."

[pepe1]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

There is an IMAX theater in Des Moines. FYI.

I understand there is an IMAX screen at the Science Center that occasionally shows regular movies. However, in many other cities, there will be your standard suburban 20+ screen movie theater that has one dedicated IMAX theater always showing regular movies.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by pepe1

I understand there is an IMAX screen at the Science Center that occasionally shows regular movies. However, in many other cities, there will be your standard suburban 20+ screen movie theater that has one dedicated IMAX theater always showing regular movies.

I went to an IMAX movie once. Worst. Headache. Ever.

[Tek_Freek]

Movie theaters are not important to me. For the cost of a movie, something to eat and something to drink I'll have more fun playing Blackjack for a couple of hours.

And I don't have to listen to a bunch of morons on their cell phones or have some ill-mannered snot-nosed spoiled brat spend his time kicking the back of my seat.

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

That's untrue. Iowa is its own brand of fanatical, not far off religious cults (possibly surpassing because all faiths are united in their fanaticism). I've lived in several states. In the late 90's the governor of Minnesota before Ventura (Carlson) said Des Moines was "boring". So the State of Iowa legislature responds demanding he either publically apologize or step down as governor.

If you were from Iowa - you also got an automatic discount at the Mall of America.

That just wouldn't happen with most places, regardless of who called who boring.

Look at the Bloom article, there's no way the level of backlash including death threats on Bloom would happen to the extent they did in Iowa.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by pepe1

I understand there is an IMAX screen at the Science Center that occasionally shows regular movies. However, in many other cities, there will be your standard suburban 20+ screen movie theater that has one dedicated IMAX theater always showing regular movies.

IMAX screens at multiplex theaters are typically 3K-4K resolution. True IMAX theaters like the one at the Science Center run 18K. Huge difference.

And if by "regular" movies you mean Hollywood films as opposed to documentaries, I'm pretty sure they have at least one running at the Science Center all the time. When we saw Spiderman 3 they were also running Happy Feet at different times. Currently they're running Dark Knight.

[steel03]

Originally Posted by pepe1

I understand there is an IMAX screen at the Science Center that occasionally shows regular movies. However, in many other cities, there will be your standard suburban 20+ screen movie theater that has one dedicated IMAX theater always showing regular movies.

The screen at Merle Hay only shows regular movies and it's bigger (and waaaaaaaaaaaay cheaper) than a lot of IMAX screens.

[Craziaskowboi]

Yes, Des Moines is in danger. You can tell just by looking at a picture of the City Council.

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by nrogers1122

You are the one who is clueless, or ignorant - take your pick. See, if you had bothered to look outside Des Moines, as I have, you would see that other places are not taking this recession as badly as Des Moines is. The areas I mentioned were propped up by the housing boom in 03-07. Now that the boom is over, those places have no air left in their sails and are starting to decay. That is not the case in established places like the Twin Cities, for example.

I"m going to jump in here.

Again...I think you keep erring on the side of concentrating on a few areas that may have declined and ignored the rest of the good things going on. Also, I'm not sure where you come up with the conclusion that Des Moines was hit so hard by the recession? Comparitively speaking (when you "look outside of Des Moines" as you suggest the other poster do) , we are doing quite well in many national rankings:

Des Moines is the fourth best city for business and careers (June 27, Forbes)
Des Moines is #2 for strongest local economy (May 31, POLICOM)
Des Moines #2 City for Jobs (February, Forbes)
U.S. News Says Des Moines is Richest Metro Area (June 2, U.S. News & World Report)
Greater Des Moines ranks #2 in the Midwest and #16 nationwide for small business and population growth. (April 14, The Business Journals)
Iowa ranks 6th in the top ten for Top States for Business in 2010 (CNBC Special Report)
Des Moines is No. 2 on the economic performance list (June, Brookings Institution)

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by RonnieJonez

My personal opinion...some may not like it. Yet, worth thinking about.

Des Moines has the benefit of being the capitol city in a fanatical state. When I say fanatical, although Iowa has a better standard of living than many other states (there's also not the same level of poverty you'd find in Detroit for example) - it has several cult-like elements about it and this is magnified in Des Moines. Therefore, small-towners when they move to a city (especially college grads from the state or "Regents" schools as they are called in Iowa) will almost always move to the Des Moines metro. People from small towns (every corner of the state) who move away for a set time, move back to Iowa, and it's usually Des Moines. People from Des Moines metro originally rarely ever leave more than 3 or 4 years and it's usually Colorado at the farthest. Anyone from Des Moines who moves away to NYC or LA (but returns) is routinely profiled by local media to for some plug-in about how some Des Moines teahouse now offers a special flavor of black tea that was only found in NYC (they missed it so much when they were gone), and they are amazed how much Des Moines has changed the past 10 years, then something about Des Moines being smaller but just as trendy as NYC or LA, and this new brand-new fanaticism is born & reinforced in the process. Des Moines is a very fine community for it's size, there is no doubt about that - but I do think among locals there is a refusal to admit it can be a bit "tribal".

Essentially, the main draw of Des Moines is small-town people thinking they are in a big city (and truly believing it which is evident with their ultra-smug attitudes about it). You'll also meet people from northern Iowa closer to Minneapolis, eastern Iowa closer to Chicago, southwest Iowa closer to Kansas City, southeast Iowa closer to St. Louis...more of these people will choose Des Moines by default given it's in Iowa, and on a subconscious level - I don't think there is any place in the world where that may matter more. I'm convinced they could triple the already-high-as-is state income tax and it would make no difference on people leaving the state or moving to Des Moines from smaller towns and cities.

Almost everywhere else, it probably would have an effect. This statewide fanaticism is an overlooked reason the economy stays better than most places. You also have much lower numbers of minorities in Iowa overall. The Hispanic population is the only reason the state has grown. Almost all the growth in the larger cities by non-Hispanics is due to in-state migration, or return to Iowa after leaving to Colorado after college.

Ronnie, it is time to do a little soul searching, my friend.

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