Denison (Des Moines, Carroll, Storm Lake: crime, new home, neighborhoods)

[oreo2003]

My husband and I may be moving to Denison for his job. Can anyone tell me about the town of Denison...housing, people, things to do, closest cities, etc.
We'd appreciate it!Thanks!

[stuckiniowa]

Most of family is from Denison and still live there. I spent most of my summers there with my Grandparents. It's a town that has changed over the years. The Hispanic population has boomed over the years. Downtown has been renovated and has a 'It's a Wonderful Life' theme. The Donna Reed part is a little overkill. The closet city is Omaha, Nebraska which is a short drive. Des Moines is only an hour and half away. I was there over the Christmas Holiday and it appears there's a good share of new homes going in, so the town appears to be thriving.

[TommyG]

Denison is truly "in the middle of nowhere". The meatpacking industry is huge there, as is farming, so it's a pretty down to Earth, meat & potatoes kind of place. There are a lot of huge older homes in the area that have been converted into bed & breakfasts, and they play heavily off the annual Donna Reed festival (late June).

There's a book out about Denison you may want to look for - it's called "Denison Iowa - Searching for the Soul of America Through the Secrets of a Midwest Town", by Dale Maharidge. It was published in Sept 2005.

[Katherineirene]

I have lived in Denison for over 40 years. If you are looking for a great school for your children Denison is the place to be. If you are looking for jobs and opportunity Denison is not the place to be. True about the hispanic population and everyone has their opinion on whether it was positive or negative. Our plants have brought some negative to the community and it is not the community that it once was when I was a child. I am still hopeful that things will improve!

We don't play off the Donna Reed but there is one week out of the year that is nothing but Donna Reed. You will see "It's a Wonderful Life" as we have adopted that theme into the community and try best to make it so!

I love the schools here and for that reason I stay in Denison.

Kat

[jen.hartwig]

Originally Posted by oreo2003

My husband and I may be moving to Denison for his job. Can anyone tell me about the town of Denison...housing, people, things to do, closest cities, etc.
We'd appreciate it!Thanks!

the denison schools are ok, but not the best. with the growth of the mexican population has also come racial problems. it's simply impossible for a young person to find a good job. the only good things about denison is that it is a small town that is comfortable. you're safe and you know everyone.

[DHSMonarch]

I was born and raised here. Denison was a wonderful town to grow up in, in the 1950s, 60s, and 70s. Lots of good people back then. People had pride in their town. But times have changed, and so has this community. According to census reports, in the last 15 years or so, about 1,500 locals have fled Denison as 2,000 to 3,000 illegal aliens (mostly from Mexico) have moved into town, welcomed by the local packing plants and their stock holders, for cheap, expendable labor. This change has had a devastating impact on our city.

Some things that the local politically correct loons won't tell you, and try hard to keep hushed up, are that the illegal aliens have brought with them an increase in crime (like spousal abuse), drugs, and gang activity. Mexican graffiti is being sprayed all over town, and it's becoming harder to control. Once nice looking neighborhoods have become slums with run down, over crowded houses with yards full of garbage, filth, and junk cars. The two most recent murders in our area have been hispanics killing hispanics. I, for one, would NOT feel safe walking through town at night, and doors that for many decades were left unlocked at night, are now locked.

If someone is considering moving to Denison, Iowa, go ahead and listen to all the wonderful things that some people tell you about our community, but pay attention to what they DON'T tell you, as well.

[head_nut]

If my husband were having to move his job to Dennison I would live in Carroll or Storm Lake and have him commute

[mustang84]

I'm originally from Harlan...your husband could always commute the half hour drive north to Denison from there. Harlan has a population of about 5,200 and a very good school district with state-recognized athletic and music programs. Crime is basically non-existent and the streets and neighborhoods are kept up very well. They don't have a Wal-Mart (there is a Pamida store though), but it has allowed Harlan to maintain a thriving downtown square with a lot of family-owned businesses and restaurants. There are a number of parks, an aquatic center, a community center, regional hospital, and a wellness/fitness center is currently under construction. They are also building a new Iowa Western Community College satellite campus / technology center right off Highway 59 on the SW side of town. Omaha is a 45 minute drive away, and Des Moines is about an hour and a half.

City of Harlan, Iowa

http://www.exploreshelbycounty.com/

[scimitar12]

Denison is a nubbs town. Live in Harlan and commute.

[tornadoalleylover]

Denison is close to .... Denison, far from everything else.