Omaha compared to Des Moines (Lake City: living, metro, cities)

[Steve_W]

Alright,
I was in West DSM last weekend and I couldn't help but notice it's turning into water tower land! Can't the metro set up a municipal shared water works system?

That’s probably very expense and not feasible but there are HUGE water towers everywhere now. It's kind of interesting though, I have never seen so many large water towers in such a close proximity anywhere else.

[WhiteSandsYucca]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

Yes, we are a little more civilized than our neighbors to the west.

I've never been to OKC (ok, I drove through it twice), but I imagine there are some similarities to Omaha. It seems like Omaha takes after Chicago in the fact that it's historically a meat packing town and more of a blue collar town. Compared to Des Moines, it's a little more "ethnic" like Chicago as well. There seems to be a KC influence as well. Omaha does have an interesting past though.

People say that Des Moines seems to take after Minneapolis. While I'm not saying that's wrong, I don't get it other than the clean-cut thing you're talking about it. I'd be willing to listen to some convincing here. I can't really think of any cities we take after, it's just like we're here and thats the end of the story.

With Chicago being midwestern, I can see what you mean, but personally, I find it hard to compare places like Minneapolis, Des Moines, and Omaha to Chicago. Chicago is just so big, and just seems a city to be compared with other "mega places" like New York.

I'm glad you reminded me of those stockyards, though, because that may be one of the subtle differences that set Omaha apart from Des Moines. In fact, I think they do. I somehow forgot about those stockyards. The historic presence of those do shape a city's mentality, and identity. Despite that, nowadays, I feel Omaha has emerged as more of a "white collar" town, a high-tech corrider, or center. It has been called the "Silicon Prairie."

When I say Des Moines feels more "Minneapolis", I think I'm meaning that I feel it probably was first-inspired by Minneapolis in making itself more sharp and refined, and design-conscience. Yet, suburban Des Moines reminds me more of suburban Chicago, having house styles (lighter-colored horizontal siding, balanced gables, shutters), and a certain overall suburban look, that reminds me of places straight east, like Naperville, Illinois (outside Chicago). Omaha and KC's suburbs have both contemporary influences from the west and traditional influences from the east, being in a more transitional region.

[WhiteSandsYucca]

Originally Posted by Steve_W

Alright,
I was in West DSM last weekend and I couldn't help but notice it's turning into water tower land! Can't the metro set up a municipal shared water works system?

That’s probably very expense and not feasible but there are HUGE water towers everywhere now. It's kind of interesting though, I have never seen so many large water towers in such a close proximity anywhere else.

I noticed that flying into Dallas-Fort Worth. With all the suburbs that make up that metroplex, and a water tower to represent each suburb, it literally looks like a bunch of mushrooms scattered around.

[pepe1]

Des Moines does have a shared water supply distribution system. All the communities in the Des Moines area purchase their water from the Des Moines Water Works. I do not know how ownership of the water storage facilities is set up, but I can tell you the geography of the Des Moines Metro area is largely flat - Having elevated storage is economically necessary to develop any sort of water pressure.

[Synopsis]

Both cities are attractive to me. I've never been to either one, but I have done a lot of reading (on this forum and off). If I were told that I had to relocate to Des Moines or Omaha, there wouldn't be any tears shed for sure. I would look forward to the new life in a new city; clean and vibrant cities at that.

[2005hawk]

This is an interesting conversation. I live near KC now and have lived in Nebraska in the past and have been to Des Moines several times. Let me say this, all three places are great cities. I dont think you can really compare Des Moines to Omaha very easily. Its half the size (or thereabouts) of Omaha. Omaha has stark similarities to Kansas City in terms of its history and built environment, and I agree with previous posters that Des Moines seems to have a built environment that is quite similar to that of suburban Chicago. If you've been to older western cities which had an industrial economy in the past, such as Denver, you can see shades of that in Kansas City and in Omaha and you can also see shades of older midwestern cities. I think that has a lot to do with Omaha's and KC's geography considering they are both on navigable rivers and were major railroad centers and meatpacking centers. From my understanding, Des Moines historically never had an economy on the basis of railroad, shipping and meatpacking. Des Moines is probably more "clean-cut" because its always been a white collar town - that is, the capital city...the seat of government. It doesnt appear that its economy ever relied as heavily on industry. Many state capital cities and state college towns often have this "clean-cut" image and appearance because their economy was built around education, government, information, etc. Thats my two cents from an outside observer.

[The Artman]

This is like comparing stubbed toes.What difference does it make?They're both painful while you're there.

[Tek_Freek]

Likes and dislikes aside (I simply don't care either way) Omaha is in the Top Ten List of cities with the worst tax bite in the US.

Ouch...

The criteria: $60k income/$225k home

Best: Anchorage, AK $1,022 (from list of ten best)
Omaha: $8,125 (from list of ten worst)
Worst: East Stroudsburg, PA: $11,630 (from list of ten worst)

PA has 4 in the worst ten.

Des Moines doesn't show on either list so it's somewhere in the middle of it all.

[JoeisSweet]

Personally, I hate Des Moines, as soon as I graduate I'm leaving this hell hole. The people here never travel, honestly people here think that Des Moines is a really big city, newsflash IOWA SUCKS!!! Have you people ever been to a REAL big city people in Iowa are clueless to the outside world.
Have you ever been to a big city like Chicago or Los Angeles. But I kind of liked Omaha, my cousins live there and the speed limits there are reasonable, in Iowa they're obsessed with speed limits and putt everything down 10 miles an hour from every other city in the nation.
In downtown Des Moines (which hasn't had a new BIG building in 10 years) it's the same as if you were in downtown Chicago (big difference between the two). And the police in Iowa have nothing to do but pick people up for going 4 miles an hour over the speed limit.


I hate Des Moines, it sucks, I want to leave. Never come here.

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by JoeisSweet

. The people here never travel

I'm going to Buenos Aires this summer. Let's hear about all the cool places you've been.

I always think it's funny when people say stuff like "A REAL big city", like they think everyone in Iowa should sit around in complete misery, yearning for a city like Chicago or Los Angeles so bad that it hurts and it's all you think about. Des Moines isn't Chicago. Thanks for the post, Captain Obvious.

Anyways, I wish you well in your journey, JoeisSweet. May you find a REAL big city that will allow you to "haul ass" through it with reasonable speed limits. Until then, I only hope you can be content doing sweet burn-outs in the K's Merchandise parking lot.