ankeny (Des Moines, Clive, Johnston: homes, neighborhoods, high school)

[historybuffpj]

we're looking for homes in the des moines area. One of the towns I heard of was Ankeny. Someone told me it wasn't that nice of a place because it is a racist town and the people are cocky and arrogant there. They told me that you have a lot of pretty boys there that need to keep their attitude in check. I like sports just as much as the next person, but apparently these people are sports fanatics. If they lose a game they completely act like jerks. The schools are getting big but I heard they are splitting them up.

I was also told if you want a nicer older home in a more mature neighborhood with developed trees, they said to move to Beaverdale. Any of you guys heard of that place?

[WoodwardGirl]

LOL! That's an awful lot of "personality" that someone's been throwing at you, isn't it?

Okay, Ankeny... It has grown HUGELY in the last 35 years as a bedroom community for Des Moines. As a result, it doesn't really have an identity for itself, let alone something all homogenous like racism. Since most people work elsewhere, they also don't tend to be cocky and arrogant about living in Ankeny. Was your connection talking about sports in the schools with regard to "pretty boys" etc.? That sounds like sour grapes from a competing area school, if you ask me. I don't know the schools at all any more, but they don't have a "rep" for anything that has bubbled up to general knowledge level...

With regard to sports fanaticism... if you are not from Iowa, you will need to understand that we have NO professional sports teams here. Probably as a result, we tend to get pretty passionate about our college and high school sports. People from elsewhere find this incomprehensible -- how could anyone get excited about college or high school sports? We think it makes perfect sense -- we're giving our support to young people who are learning team skills and building physical fitness, instead of to adults that are being paid millions of dollars to... well, act like kids. So all I'm saying is that if someone who is a Philadelphia Eagles fan saw some ISU Cyclone fans after a loss to, for example, Nebraska, they might be astonished and disgusted because they wouldn't dream of getting so upset just because Penn State lost... but they might act exactly the same way if their beloved Eagles lost. See what I mean?

Beaverdale, on the other hand, is merely a neighborhood in Des Moines. Yes, the homes are generally older, with big lots and tall trees. However, you will find those things in other areas of Des Moines, too. There are lots of great places to live and you're going to need to see them for yourself and not believe everything we are telling you! ;-)

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by historybuffpj

we're looking for homes in the des moines area. One of the towns I heard of was Ankeny. Someone told me it wasn't that nice of a place because it is a racist town and the people are cocky and arrogant there. They told me that you have a lot of pretty boys there that need to keep their attitude in check. I like sports just as much as the next person, but apparently these people are sports fanatics. If they lose a game they completely act like jerks. The schools are getting big but I heard they are splitting them up.

Are you the adult of the family or one of the kids?

[El Rhino]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

Are you the adult of the family or one of the kids?

Yeah, I couldn't tell either.


Beaverdale and Ankeny are two totally different places. Ankeny is a typical suburb of mainly younger families, Beaverdale is an older neighborhood with older residents. Both places have pro's and con's.

[MTtraveler]

I left Ankeny recently. I am not a "native Ankenian" but worked there for 7 years. I can tell you that it is a snobby community. And it does have an identity of its own separate from Des Moines. There has been tremendous growth in the last 5 years. Many people from Ankeny think its a long way to drive to Des Moines and they really don't have to. Ankeny has all the shopping, healthcare, and activites they need. I know. I didn't even leave Ankeny to do my Christmas shopping the last two years! I didn't live there, only worked there and I never felt like part of group. I think I could have been there for the next 10 years and I would still be an outsider. I vote for Beaverdale, Clive, Johnston...come to think of it, now that I am in South Georgia, I don't think Ankeny has any trees

[metro223]

Keep the all of the trees MTtraveler - when I've been in Georgia and the SE I felt clostrophobic because of all of the trees!!!

The OP seems very petty - if these are the real concerns... I love Ankeny. It's really clean, you can tell everyone who lives there likes it by a positive attitude and I guess that's really important to me!

Also - back to Mttraveler's comment - I'm not so sure that ppl in Ankeny think Des Moines is far away ... Most people who live in Ankeny work in Des Moines- that is why it is so white collar. (I do realize there are business parks in Ankeny including Metro North) After all - it is just a suburb - most people say they are from Des Moines who live there. Not sure why Clive or Johnston would be much different... You have to leave all 3 neighborhoods to get to the areas 4 malls so not everyone does all of their shopping right there.