Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hello, everyone. I just recently moved back to my parents' house in Southeast Iowa to be closer to my family. I experienced living in Denver, Colorado for the past 4 years, and I really enjoyed Denver for my first relocation. I found out a lot about myself. I came back to be closer to my family, but I don't want to live in rural Iowa! I want to be within a days drive from my family, and I'm hoping the knowledgeable members of city-data can help me make an informed decision about where to go next.
Things I really liked about Denver were: bike trails to commute around the metro area (I like to mountain bike as well), night life (I'll be 27 soon, and I'm a single male), public transit, the cheap rent before it exploded, microbrew scene, music scene (I'm a musician myself), and the mild weather (I know this is going to be hard to find in the Midwest). I have a bachelor's degree that I obtained in Denver, but it isn't in a specific skill. I'm working toward computer networking certificates while I'm staying with my parents, so a job market that leans toward IT would be great. Which place would be better to start a career in for a young professional?
I hope I have provided enough information about what I desire in a city. These are the two cities that I find myself leaning towards. I don't want to live in Illinois or Chicago. If I am leaving out a city that you think I've overlooked, please feel free to share with me. Thank you for your time, and I'm eager to read what everyone has to say!
I don't really know KC or Des Moines well enough to compare the two, but I thought I'd mention a few cities you may have overlooked since you asked.
Minneapolis is the first city that came to mind, but the winter weather is not what I would call mild. If you can overlook weather, I think that would be your best bet. They have great public transit and one of the best networks of bike trails in the country. In a lot of ways, Minneapolis actually reminds me of Denver.
Depending on how far you're willing to drive, Indianapolis and St. Louis could also be good options. They both have mild weather compared to what you'd see in the Upper Midwest, plus good microbrew scenes. Indianapolis has become one of the more bikeable cities in the Midwest (not anywhere close to Minneapolis), but has a terrible mass transit system. Indy also has an already strong and quickly growing tech scene, so IT jobs should be easy to come by.
Madison, if it's not too small, is fairly close to IA and hits a lot of your points (beyond warm weather, but it's the Midwest, so...) in a smaller package. Minny is probably closest to Denver, but it's the coldest option you can find.
It's really between KC and Minneapolis. KC is a big IT town, so you would have no problem getting a job and KC offers nearly everything you would want from a bigger city. Minneapolis is culturally more similar to Denver and for that reason, I would choose MSP over KC. It's just a more active place with a lot more transit and recreational infrastructure that is well used. People bike in MSP year round and they nave nice summers.
After living in a very active area (DC area), I'm not sure I could ever move back to KC. While there is a lot of attractions, it just seems like the only thing people seem to do there revolved around sports (college and pro). You can be a huge sports fan in Denver and MSP and it will still only be a small part of your lifestyle or interests. Not everybody in KC is like that, but it's a huge part of the culture there and the city just always feels empty to me. Even today. There is just no "bustle" in KC. It has a nice quiet downtown, but has no urban bustle what so ever except rare days and occasions (Saturdays in city market, first fridays etc). Plaza is always pretty busy though.
With all the bike trails, light rail, a large urban university and two vibrant and dynamic downtowns, downtwon sports venues etc, MSP is more my style. The urban areas of MSP are just more active and vibrant and there are more people out of their cars on bikes etc and there is not at much urban vs suburban nonsense. MSP feels more like a metropolitan region even though it has two major Central Business Districts. Denver is similar.
KC is a great alternative though, especially if you don't like winter weather and is one of the better cities of the midwest. It's also a good city if you want at little more "grit". MSP, Denver etc are so gentrified that they have lost some of the urban charm that KC has. I really like KC's grit (warehouse districts, 1930's era architecture etc), but it needs about 10 more years of urban infill development and more transit/recreation infrastructure before it can really compete with Denver or MSP.
KC definitely feels larger, but given its size, I'm not sure any city acquits itself as well as Des Moines does. I'd be happy living in either, but if I had to choose between the two I'd probably go with KC.
If you like KC and Des Moines, you should probably consider Omaha, as well. All 3 are very similar cities, with Omaha kind of being about "halfway bewteen" Des Moines and KC size wise.
For a more urban, bigger option, but still not on the Chicago level, St Louis is also about equidistant and is a great city, built in a different mold, but is probably the next level up from KC in terms of urban ammenities in the same way KC is edges out Omaha and Omaha edges out Des Moines.
Everyone has their own opinions. But I think the nicest cities in the Midwest (excluding Chicago) are in no particular order:
Minneapolis
Madison
Grand Rapids
Ann Arbor
St. Louis
Kansas City
Columbus
Cleveland
Cincinnati
You should visit each one and decide where you would fit in. I am not promoting Grand Rapids, nor telling you that it is better than the rest, but I can tell you that it has become a really vibrant place. The downtown is full of bars, clubs, restaurants, museums, breweries, etc. Just the other day, downtown was packed with thousands of people watching the Woman's Final Cup. It is a clean and safe area with a lot of civic pride. Plus, its suburbs consist of beautiful beach towns like Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon, and Saugatuck. Its economy is doing really well, but finding a place to rent in downtown will be difficult as the vacancy rate is the lowest in the USA.
You might consider Louisville. About a seven-hour drive and seems to have the vibe you're seeking.
Also would second the MSP recommendations, although the weather there aint mild.
I agree. Louisville has to be in the mix. It has the warmest weather of any city mentioned and some of the most and best growth and festivals, arts, food, and eclectic
I would think Omaha would be the obvious third option for you.
Between KC and Des Moines, KC undoubtedly feels bigger. As another poster mentioned, KC is a great place to go for IT, but you are not going to find many places with generally stronger economies than Des Moines.
Lots of people are mentioning Minneapolis, and while it makes some sense, is the objective to stay close to your parents? Because, as you may know, if they are in SE Iowa, Minneapolis is going to be a loooong haul.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
