Des Moines area raked in the rankings in 2014 Read more: http://businessrecord.com/Content/Culture/Culture/Article/Des-

[atler8]

I looked up "mediocrity" at a couple of sources since it was used as a descriptive term in this thread the other day.
It's all in the eye of the beholder I guess or based upon experiences, standards and expectations as to how one would lable, grade or peg Des Moines as a city or metro area.
When I left the city as a young man, the Des Moines area was truly entrenched in mediocrity & just treading water as far as going forward or backward and had been doing so for a few decades. There wasn't much zest or liveliness or push to make it more dynamic as a place in which to live or work.
Since the area seemed to wake up out of it's doldrums late in the 1980's farm crisis years, my own personal observations have caused me to drastically change how I view the city today. If Des Moines is considered to be mediocre now, then we have an awful lot of mediocrity evident in urban areas in every section of the country.
But, I personally could hardly find a descriptive adjective that I'd find to be less suitable for the city today than "mediocre".
Coming from the numbing crush of living elsewhere in the midst of 5.5 million people in one dysfunctional large metro area, I cannot emphasize enough what a clean & vibrant breath of fresh air the metro area is when I am fortunate enough to visit it. You who live there in the midst of a city & metro that actually works & functions well in my eyes are so fortunate & truly to be envied!

[Meemur]

Atler, I question a lot of the methodologies used for creating many of the lists.

In the end, it comes down to how well an area works for the individual/family, and that can change at different stages of life: for example, some places that are boring for a young, single person are great places to raise a family.

That's why visiting in person is so important, and the posts that have sentences like, "I/we can't afford to visit before we move" leave me shaking my head. There's just no substitute for boots on the ground research and such a visit can potentially save hundreds of dollars in moving and months of misery and feeling trapped.

That said, I personally would move anywhere in the Midwest, sight unseen, if I were down to my last dime and had a job waiting. Even Metro Detroit has some redeeming qualities when compared to places with endless 100+ temps and high humidity.

[BeauCharles]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

Better safe than sorry!



Read more: Residents Feel Least Safe in Fresno, Most Safe in Des Moines, Says Gallup - 24/7 Wall St. Residents Feel Least Safe in Fresno, Most Safe in Des Moines, Says Gallup - 24/7 Wall St.
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I've lived in both Fresno and Des Moines. I didn't feel particularly unsafe in Fresno (and never had any problems), but I was definitely more on my guard that in Des Moines.

[Omahahonors]

Sorry to chime in here..

I am very happy to hear of the continued high regards and very high growth in the des moines area. As a region we need this as much as possible, as all other regions do.

Omaha is better with a healthy Des Moines as Des Moines is better with a healthy Omaha. The same goes for the other cities, but almost no other city in Nebraska nor Iowa provide the opportunities than these two. We are not far off from having two 1 million+ metro areas a 100 miles apart.