Possible move to West Des Moines (Urbandale, Clive: estate, houses, rent)

[Sidekick78]

I am 29 and grew up in California. I met my boyfriend 3 years ago who is from Iowa. I have visited Iowa and other parts of the Midwest and loved it. We are now living in Az and I am trying to get him to move back to Iowa since finding out I will be getting laid off in 3 months. I think this would be a great opportunity for us. I know the lifestyle of living in Iowa is far differnet from that of California but I think that is what attracts me to Iowa. My question is what are things I should prepare for? He seems to think I won't be able to handle the winter. Is it really that terrible?

[Luke9686]

To sum it up: YES. Winters are very cold in Iowa. Spring and fall is nice, summer can be brutal with humidity, and winters are very cold. Some days the high may be 5 degrees, with a 15 mile an hour wind making the wind chill -10. It is all on what you want out of the move. If you want a simpler life, with great schools and a sense of community, while not paying a premium for it, Iowa is the place. I live in Cali now, and can't wait to get back to the midwest (born and raised in Des Moines).

[nofearfactor]

I moved from North California/Bay area to Des Moines in 01 with a car that had no heater(didnt need one in Cali...) and I survived just fine.Was cold yes,but different than I imagined.They are pro's there when it comes to winter.The roads never got where you couldnt drive on them.They were out all hours clearing the roads.30 below or 30 above,its still cold.And it snows from November to April sometimes.One thing is-you dont miss work due to snow there.You go to work.Its not an excuse not to come in.But.I loved Iowa and miss it.The State fair in Des Moines was awesome.The arts festivals.The summers are fun.Lots to do and see.It does get hot in the summer,and humid.Dont know much about the rest of the state,I was in Des Moines mostly,but there is a laid back vibe there and more liberal than you would think.Alot of tattooed and pierced people.Cool clubs with great bands.You arent judged there.Cost of living is low.Clean.Fairly low crime.

[Pearlbob]

I think the coldest I have felt in DSM, according to what they said on the radio when I was driving, was -29, with about a -60 degree wind chill. THAT'S COLD! But, seriously, anything under about 20 degrees all blends together. When it's that cold out (below zero) it's more painful than it is cold. It hurts your skin, your eyes, your nose... but agreed, nothing closes down because of snow like it does in more southern places. No worries, the roads are always fine.

DSM is very nice, safe, educated, liberal, etc. Wonderful place to raise a family. West DSM is the snotty new neighbor of DSM A suburban mess of wealthy people and shopping (not to be mean, but growing up in DSM we took pride in our history and age, and WDSM, well...isn't us). it's a great place to live, either way.

[Nicnatros]

Sometimes it's an over-generalization that West Des Moines is snooty. Just because they have nicer cars and houses than the east side doesn't mean they are not friendly. But no doubt some people from the West side think their poo don't stink. Don't forget that there are large areas of West Des Moines, especially around the Valley Junction area that you would assume is Des Moines territory but it's not. There's a large area of West Des Moines where less priveledged live. There are other areas that are safer parts but not as snotty, like the South side of DM, the North West side of DM, and parts of Urbandale.

What to prepare for? The weather variation! It varies from bone chilling cold in the winter to exhaustingly hot in the middle of summer. I can stand the heat more than the cold, so the winter is my least favorite. Every winter I start talking about how much I want to move to Florida. But when spring hits, everything is great again.

[CAELENSGRAM]

I hated to hear Pearlbob say that West Des Moines is a "snotty new neighbor of Des Moines". West Des Moines is actually over 100 years old and started life as "Valley Junction" which was settled by Mexican railroad workers. It is true that the newer portions of the city can be very elitist, but I think that's true anywhere that developers build gates commnunities or golfing estates. Valley junction is a charming area of older homes with some neighborhoods in disrepair. Anything west of 22nd street is generally well maintained, and anything west of 60th is more "snooty".

The main thing to remember is that people are people and most of the snooty behavior is exhibited by folks that think their high credit card bills make them better than others. I've lived in West Des Moines for over 25 years and I know my neighbors and we help each other out and get along just fine. Lots to do here too. That being said, Des Moines has a lot to offer young people and many wonderful neighborhoods also.

Good luck in your choices and I hope we stay on your list.

[sparksals]

We are being transferred to DM for my husband's job. When you say that you know your neighbours and you help each other out, is that a common thing in most areas? I find in Tucson, it's hard to get to know your neighbours. We wave, say hello, but that's about it. I would love to know my neighbours better, but they don't seem to want to get to know us.

[Tifosi24]

Originally Posted by sparksals

We are being transferred to DM for my husband's job. When you say that you know your neighbours and you help each other out, is that a common thing in most areas? I find in Tucson, it's hard to get to know your neighbours. We wave, say hello, but that's about it. I would love to know my neighbours better, but they don't seem to want to get to know us.

Judging by the use of 'u's I can tell you have been in Canada . But, neighbors helping out is the truth. I grew up in the eastern part of Urbandale, a good and inexpensive part of town, and the only people that have big fences are those with pools, so you can't hide from your neighbors. When I was back in town about a year ago I was changing the oil and noticed I was low on coolant. My neighbor noticed I was working on my car and we got to talking and I said I was going to have to get some anti-freeze, to which he replied forget about it, and gave me an extra jug he had in his garage.

The negative connotation associated with West Des Moines seems fairly well entrenched among many. Growing up, I never cared for WDSM that much because I had bad experiences with some folks, but it is the same kind of attitude people in the Twin Cities have toward some of those who live in Woodbury or Eden Prairie. It is true that Valley Junction and its immediate area are part of West Des Moines, but the average Des Moines native will refer to that area as Valley Junction, and not West Des Moines, because from an urban place perspective the two entities are completely separate. The sad thing about Valley Junction is that, in my opinion, the city of West Des Moines doesn't treat it as well as it deserves (the same is true for the old part of Johnston). These perceptions are also true of the new parts of Clive, Urbandale, or Johnston because they are noticeably different than the established parts of town.

[jkay29]

If you are thinking of moving to West Des Moines but scared of midwest winters, you will be happy to hear that, compared to some other nearby communities, West Des Moines is good about plowing the streets in the winter and also puts down a solution on the roads before it snows, so there is less chance of icing. It doesn't snow as much in Iowa as it does in some places you hear of on the news, such as states around the Great Lakes.

[SharpHawkeye]

Well, here's my $.02 about everything that's been said so far.

On West Des Moines:

West Des Moines can really be looked at as two seperate cities; the Valley Junction area and the Jordan Creek area. The Valley Junction area is more esablished, more urban, less pretentious and much more frendly. The Jordan Creek area is part of town that gives WDM a bad reputation in many people's eyes. It's more vapid and elitist, more of a stereotypical country-club, "white flight", McMansion area. People there are less likely to be welcoming to a new neighbor, especially one different then they are. I've found that that shift in attitudes really hits once you go west of I-35.

It's a shame that WDM hasn't done more for Valley Junction and the older parts of town. Just look at how easy they've made it to get to Jordan Creek compared to how hard it is to find Valley Junction. But maybe someday minds will change...

On neighbors:

Everyone is right on when they say that Iowa neighbors are the best neighbors. We had the best neighbors I've ever known when we lived on S.E. 5th St. in Des Moines. As long as you treat your neighbors with kindness and respect, you will get the same back.

On winter:

Winter is not that bad, don't let anyone scare you into thinking it is. Get good tires for your car and a sturdy winter coat and you'll be fine. Plus, you'll get used to all our little weather quirks--like how we all mob the grocery store at the first rumor of a snowstorm or the way everyone will gather outside to watch funnel clouds go by in spring.