Moving to Des Moines from Glendale(phx), Arizona. Need some 'insider' info :) (Iowa City: apartment, to rent)

[amnesia623]

We've decided to move to Des Moines from Glendale, Arizona and are looking for some information on areas to live, schools (our son will be starting school in a few years), jobs, etc...

We aren't a stranger to Iowa as we lived in Ft. Dodge (moved from phx) for a year from 2005-2006. My fiance's family lives in and around the Ft Dodge area and I grew up in AZ. When we did live in Ft Dodge we traveled to Des Moines a few times and really liked the area. One time we were lucky enough to catch a laser show at the science center.

It's a bit crazy, but we want to be closer to her family but want to stay AWAY from Ft. Dodge. It's not the town for us.

Glendale has been good to us, but we want to move. There are several reasons we want to move. Some because of the weather, some because of the growth, but mainly to be closer to her family. I also think that having a kid makes you think more about your surroundings and the climate in which you'll be raising them.

We want to move to a quieter, smaller place that has the conveniences of a larger city. We came to the realization that we do most of our shopping at Wal-Mart and any things I need special I usually order online anyway. We go to the mall rarely and when we do it's so we can get 'exercise.'

I do graphic/web design and she does cosmetology. I haven't started a job search yet, but will soon. I'll also be looking to start a freelance business when I get there. I have been doing some salary comparison via careerbuilder/craigslist/etc... and it seems the pay for GD is about the same between phx and DM.

So my questions are this:
1 - If we choose not to live in downtown DM, what are some good, affordable, areas to look into. We are your typical middle of the road income family.

2 - How are DM area schools. I can't imagine them being worse than phx area schools, but you never know.

3 - How is the economy there? Jobs? etc...

4 - How is the traffic, rush hour, etc...?

5 - Is DM a family friend town? Is there family activities?

6 - How cold does DM get as compared to norther Iowa (ie...above Ft. Dodge). I remember days in Ft Dodge where the high temp didn't get above freezing and stayed close to 0f.

7 - Culture. Is there an active 'arts' scene for plays, live music, etc...?

That is all I can think of right now.

Any help would be appreciated!

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by amnesia623

So my questions are this:
1 - If we choose not to live in downtown DM, what are some good, affordable, areas to look into. We are your typical middle of the road income family.

2 - How are DM area schools. I can't imagine them being worse than phx area schools, but you never know.

3 - How is the economy there? Jobs? etc...

4 - How is the traffic, rush hour, etc...?

5 - Is DM a family friend town? Is there family activities?

6 - How cold does DM get as compared to norther Iowa (ie...above Ft. Dodge). I remember days in Ft Dodge where the high temp didn't get above freezing and stayed close to 0f.

7 - Culture. Is there an active 'arts' scene for plays, live music, etc...?

That is all I can think of right now.

Any help would be appreciated!

1. There are some nice neighborhoods on the South and East sides of Des Moines (and some not-so-nice ones too). "Middle Income" can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, so I don't know.

2. The school system is pretty good and probably better than PHX (I don't know this for sure, but it's a safe bet). Obviously there will be some schools to avoid.

3. Des Moines has a large finance/insurance sector. It's pretty easy to find a job in these fields.

4. Traffic is pretty good. I-235 can get backed up and we seem to really, really love road construction, but I imagine your commute time will be much shorter than in the Phoenix area.

5. Very. Yes.

6. There's not too much of a difference in climate between the Ft. Dodge area and Des Moines area. It's still really cold in the winter.

7. Depends what you're into. We get a lot of decent theater through the Civic Center and a few other spots around the area. As far as live music goes, we get a decent amount of underground music via Vaudeville Mews, House of Bricks and a few other places (RIP Hairy Mary's) and occasionally get bigger acts at the Val-Air. We lack in this department (doesn't bother me much though). Bigger concerts come to the Wells Fargo arena here and there. I'd suggest going to dmcityv (broken link)iew.com (if that's not the right link, do a search for cityview des moines) and look through that for a good idea of what the arts scene is like here.

[amnesia623]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

1. There are some nice neighborhoods on the South and East sides of Des Moines (and some not-so-nice ones too). "Middle Income" can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people, so I don't know.

I can't comment on how much income we have because we wonlt know unitl we get jobs. I can tell you that right now we pay $860 monthly for a 2bdr midsized average apartment.

Is this about the cost in des moines for a 2bdr apt. We would like to get into renting a house before we buy.

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by amnesia623

I can't comment on how much income we have because we wonlt know unitl we get jobs. I can tell you that right now we pay $860 monthly for a 2bdr midsized average apartment.

Is this about the cost in des moines for a 2bdr apt. We would like to get into renting a house before we buy.

You're going to pay less than that in Des Moines. I'm now sure how much less, but less than that.

There are some decent duplexes on the SW side of Des Moines, you might want to look into that. I rented a 2bdr one for about $650 a couple of years ago.

[Tek_Freek]

I'll get carp for this, but if she a Cosmetologist I would recommend the west side of Des Moines, Clive, Urbandale, Windsor Heights, West Des Moines. One reason: growth. Most of it is in this direction and she is more likely to find work to the west. Most big business is divided between Downtown Des Moines and West Des Moines. I think the majority is still downtown DSM, however.

West Des Moines schools rank very high (can you say M O N E Y ?) and DSM proper is also higher than average nationally.

If you're a graphic artist and are looking for employment B4 starting out on your own check with Meredith Publishing in DSM Meredith.

Good luck in your move and welcome to Des Moines!

[pepe1]

What sort of neighborhoods are you looking for? Newer suburban, established suburban, urban, small town?

Des Moines Area schools are outstanding.

Des Moines has a very robust economy and the job market reflects that.

Traffic will be a breeze compared to what you are used to in Phoenix. My commute in rush hour is typically 1/2 hour (I drive just over 20 miles).

Des Moines is VERY family oriented. Almost to a fault. I think a great example of this is the new Science Center - it is a beautiful facility with lots of kid activities but has almost nothing of interest for adults.

Des Moines and Ft Dodge are about 90 miles apart. The weather is, for all meaningful purposes, the same.

I think the civic center and the Temple for Performing Arts offer some great shows. We have a nice art museum and some great architecture around the city. Personally, I think live music scene has always lacked a bit in Des Moines.

[amnesia623]

Thank you all for this great information, we really appreciate it.

What sort of neighborhoods are you looking for? Newer suburban, established suburban, urban, small town?

We're hoping to get into a small town setting. I realize this will probably require a longer commute. Living in the city wouldn't be bad either.

Right now we are looking for a quiet place. We'll rent when we get there, and buy if we like it. We both liked DSM when we went there. To be honest, we can't tell if it was because we 'escaped' Ft. Dodge or... What I do remember is that DSM was clean. Phoenix is a dust ball. I'm not compaining, it's a desert city and to be expected.

Does anyone know about child care costs? On the average day care centers charge anywhere from $120-$140 a week for care. Is this the situation in DSM?

Also, are the people friendly? I know it's a broad question, but in general...are the people nice?

Tornadoes. I am deathly afraid of twisters. I even get the willies when I see a dust devil (small desert 'twister' that looks like, but is nothing compared to a full tornado). Is Des Moines bad for twisters?

thanks for the help!

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by amnesia623

Thank you all for this great information, we really appreciate it.



We're hoping to get into a small town setting. I realize this will probably require a longer commute. Living in the city wouldn't be bad either.

Right now we are looking for a quiet place. We'll rent when we get there, and buy if we like it. We both liked DSM when we went there. To be honest, we can't tell if it was because we 'escaped' Ft. Dodge or... What I do remember is that DSM was clean. Phoenix is a dust ball. I'm not compaining, it's a desert city and to be expected.

Does anyone know about child care costs? On the average day care centers charge anywhere from $120-$140 a week for care. Is this the situation in DSM?

Also, are the people friendly? I know it's a broad question, but in general...are the people nice?

Tornadoes. I am deathly afraid of twisters. I even get the willies when I see a dust devil (small desert 'twister' that looks like, but is nothing compared to a full tornado). Is Des Moines bad for twisters?

thanks for the help!

For a small town setting close to Des Moines, I'd suggest looking to Carlisle. I don't think it's technically a suburb, but it's pretty close. It has a nice small town feel to it with decent housing costs. It's only a 15 minute drive to shopping/restaurants in Des Moines and it's on hwy 5, which can take you to WDM fairly easily. Indianola is another place you might want to check out. It prides itself on not being a suburb of Des Moines, it's about a 15-20 minute drive south. The town has a private college, several nice areas and a decent (and fairly vibrant) town square area. Housing will be reasonable here and Indianola has pretty much everything one needs for day to day life.

People say we're nice, decent folks here.

Honestly, Des Moines isn't bad for tornadoes. It's possible for them to happen here, but they're rare. Iowa does get them, but I wouldn't be too worried.

[pepe1]

I would agree that Carlisle is a very nice small town. I also would highly reccomend Norwalk, it's a nice small town with great access to retail corridors in West Des Moines. Bondurnat is also worth chekcing out, it's a nice small town with low housing prices.

I know all too well what child care costs. You can find in-home day care for around $150 per week. The larger, more corporate type places are around $200 per week.

I think people are generally friendly. But, I've heard others say midwesterners are generally reserved, and I guees I can also see that quality in people around here.

I have lived in the upper midwest almost my entire life. I have never even seen a actual tornado. They are VERY rare.

[SharpHawkeye]

I'll try to briefly hit on all the questions you asked originally:

1. I would stay out of the south and east sides of the city. You can go there if you want, but coming in from out of the area I wouldn't recommend it.

Urban place to live: Urbandale. Good older suburb of Des Moines. Good schools, good neighborhoods. Fairly close to both downtown and WDM.

More rural place to live: Waukee/Van Meter/Norwalk-Cumming Good schools (some overcrowding issues in Waukee), closer to actual "rural Iowa". Much more suburban, longer commute though.

2. Fine schools. It's a big choice though if you want to put your kids in a bigger suburban school like WDM or a smaller suburban/rural school like Van Meter, Carlisle or Norwalk. Each have advantages and disadvantages.

3. Steady Growth Economy. The Des Moines economy has been growing steadily for more than a decade. The growth isn't insane like Phoenix or Vegas, but it's steady--and has so far been immune to the housing/credit slump.

4. Traffic? About usual for a town its size, I'd imagine--nothing like Phoenix, I'm sure. Construction is a pain sometimes, but it's a necessary evil.

5. Very family friendly. I agree with the other poster who said it was so much so that sometimes adults lose out! Des Moines really does a lot to draw and keep the young families that come in for the insurance/banking jobs.

6. Weather--Cold sometimes. You can expect snow a lot of the winter, with a few below zero days. And when it does snow, nothing stops like further south. Everyone still goes to work. Schools still go on. Only in blizzards and big snows are things really affected.

7. Culture--up and coming. Des Moines neglected this part of itself for many years--we were a "meat and potatoes" city. However, in the last 5 years, things have really taken off. More theater, more live music, more art galleries have all begun to take hold. The East Village is starting to come together and rival Iowa City as the creative capitol of the state. It's still a small scene, but it's growing--and it leans more to indie stuff and regional shows than the mega-concerts and first-run.

7 1/2. People. Friendly, but cautious. It might take some time for your neighbors to warm up to you and your family, but if you're good people--people will accept you with open arms.

7 3/4. Tornados. Rare, but do happen. For an actual tornado to hit is a rare event. However, it seems like you can expect 2-3 tornado scares each year. It's important to know what to do, and be prepared in any case.