Moving to Iowa blindly & soon.. (Des Moines, Glenwood: crime, neighborhoods, university)

[absentofgrace7]

I'm moving to Des Moines, Iowa to go to DMACC and live with my boyfriend and though I couldn't be more excited about the new experience as I have lived in Mesa, Arizona my entire life, I'm not sure what to expect? I have never been to Iowa at all. Can someone please tell me about it? The weather, people, anything that might be majorly different for me? Thanks :]

[Dport7476]

Feels like 105 degrees in the summer with the humidity... and feels like 20 below zero in the winter with the wind chill. Welcome!

If you're in town before the 4th of July, check out the 80/35 fest in downtown Des Moines

[IL60544]

I currently live in the Chicago area. After traveling through Iowa often (and falling in love with the rolling farmlands) I'm relocating there myself this summer. My brother lives in Glenwood, which is near the Nebraska border. He's been there for years and loves it. I'm still searching for the right area, but in my experience the people in Iowa are friendlier (I've been in IL for years and though I've run into a few friendly natives, many of the people are reserved and somewhat standoffish). Iowa will be a lot different from what you're used to (I've spent much time in the southwest since I have family there), but this may be a refreshing change. Depends on how you feel about the major change in scenery. The winters can be harsh, and it seems like Des Moines takes the brunt of bad weather often (I've hit some torrential rainstorms out there, and have seen I-80 turn into a skating rink with cars in the ditches. Get good snow tires!), but overall I consider Iowa a breath of fresh air. Best of luck to you!

[zz4guy]

People are nice, taxes are high, and the weather sucks. Enjoy!!

[Chicago60614]

Originally Posted by Dport7476

Feels like 105 degrees in the summer with the humidity... and feels like 20 below zero in the winter with the wind chill. Welcome!

If you're in town before the 4th of July, check out the 80/35 fest in downtown Des Moines

Well....it might feel like that once or twice a year, but feeling like 105 with high humidity is quite unusual.

When was the last time it was above 100?

[absentofgrace7]

Thanks everyone, that's really helpful. The weather is slightly concerning to me, I was convinced until I was 12 years old that the temperature was incapable of dipping below 60 degrees. ha. Any suggestions on fitting in with people there?

[mustang84]

The temperatures rarely get over 100 in the summer. They usually are in the lower 80s in June, and creep up into the upper 80s to mid 90s in July and August, with a spattering of 95+ degree days here and there. The humidity will be a change at first, but you'll get used to it after a while, and if it's a windy day it won't feel too bad.

Winters are usually pretty cold, although we have had mild ones before where the temperatures stay in the 30s and 40s and not much snow accumulates. The last few winters have been very snowy and frigid though. You'll probably be freezing the first part of winter, but after a month or so your blood will adjust to the cold temps and suddenly zero degrees won't feel quite as bad! Just remember to layer your clothing and you'll be fine.

As for fitting in, if you're living in Des Moines you shouldn't need to worry...it's a decent sized city with people moving there from all over the country. I have a friend from college who was originally from California and now lives in Des Moines, and she's done fine there as far as meeting people. Some Iowans tend to be reserved and may act a little standoffish at first, even though they may not realize it. Don't sweat it. They usually mean well and will open up after you get to know them a little better.

As for Des Moines, I lived there for a couple summers while I was interning and it's a clean city that has experienced a lot of growth the last few years. Traffic usually flows smoothly. I used to commute from a suburb called Waukee to downtown Des Moines and it took me about 25-30 minutes with traffic, and Waukee is way on the fringe. Crime is fairly low, although there are a few bad neighborhoods like any city its size (mostly concentrated to the area east of Drake University, north of I-235).

Iowa's scenery will be completely different than what you are used to, but there are some pretty areas throughout the state. Contrary to popular belief, most of Iowa is rolling hills instead of flat terrain, although central and north-central Iowa are flat enough that you can see for miles around. The eastern and western parts along the rivers have wooded bluffs, historic river towns, and winding roads that follow the river. There are also quite a few state parks and some lakes if you're ever looking for a day trip out of the city.

Hope this helps!

[QuadCityImages]

Winter here is like summer in the Phoenix area. You generally stay inside. The difference is there are 6 months where it can be over 100 in Mesa, and only 4 or 5 where its likely to be below freezing here.

[zz4guy]

Winter here is definitely worse than summer. There's only a few weeks that I am uncomfortable in summer, usually early-mid August. But winter is pretty brutal from December to early March.

[Tia 914]

Originally Posted by absentofgrace7

I'm moving to Des Moines, Iowa to go to DMACC and live with my boyfriend and though I couldn't be more excited about the new experience as I have lived in Mesa, Arizona my entire life, I'm not sure what to expect? I have never been to Iowa at all. Can someone please tell me about it? The weather, people, anything that might be majorly different for me? Thanks :]

the term "culture-shock" comes to mind