Des Moines: DART + apartments near a farmer's market or co-op grocery (Iowa City: apartment complex, rentals)

[makhan]

I just got a job offer from the Iowa Health System and might be moving to Des Moines from Chapel Hill, NC in the new few weeks. I'll be honest - I'm not insanely excited about the prospect (I'm still waiting to hear back from hospitals I interviewed at in Cincinnati, OH and Long Beach, CA and would rather move there), but a job means a living and I'm happy to relocate wherever I get hired.

I'm a single Asian female, in my late 20s, recent grad school graduate, and not a nightlife person. I've looked over some of the relevant threads here so I have some idea of what to expect, but I have a few specific questions I was hoping some of you could help me with.

Is the DART reliable/extensive? I know some people are of the opinion that taking the bus anywhere is a nightmare, but I lived in Houston, TX without a car for two years and survived on the bus and the light rail. I'm not ruling out buying a car if I move to Des Moines, but if I do get one - it probably wouldn't happen until after the first 6 months. So I need to know if public transit is a decent choice for commuting to work and getting around town.

Here in Chapel Hill, my local co-op grocery store was a 5 minute walk from my apartment and the farmer's market was a 10 minute walk away. I'd ideally like to rent an apartment in Des Moines that's similarly situated. Or at least walkable to a good grocery store if nothing else. The hospital I'd be working at if I move to Des Moines is Iowa Methodist Medical Center. Are there any good neighborhoods that are walkable to a grocery store and are also a short bus ride from the hospital?

Close proximity to the hospital is not an absolute must. I'm sure I could always sign up for a vanpool at work, and anything up to a 30 minute commute to work is fine with me. If I can find a decent neighborhood that's walkable to a grocery store and to public transit, close to a farmer's market, near a park or somewhere I could go for walks, close to an eclectic mix of stores and bookstores - it's okay as long as it's not more than a 30 minute commute from the hospital. I'd consider a studio apartment or 1-bedroom upto $700 a month.

How big is Des Moines on international cuisine? Are there any decent ethnic food stores and/or eateries in the area?

Should I consider renting a place in Ames? It is home to Iowa State University and I just wonder if moving from one college town (Chapel Hill) to another might be a better option for me. I know Des Moines has a few private universities, but which city would have a larger, more diverse grad student population?

Thanks so much!

[DMRyan]

You might want to look at the Sherman Hill Neighborhood, which is immediately to the west of the Methodist Hospital campus. It's the most urban neighborhood in Des Moines and has plenty of rentals available. You will mostly see historical building apartments in this neighborhood, but there have been a few projects with new units. There is a great urban grocery store in this neighboorhood called the Gateway Market. This area is located adjacent to the western portion of downtown. You can also easily catch a bus to a larger brand spanking new supermarket in another nearby urban neighborhood, albeit a little further away from downtown.

I think you will love the downtown farmer's market, which has always received plenty of acclaim and is a major weekend event. I won't claim that Des Moines is a mecca for ethnic food, but we are blessed with some very strong choices for SE Asian restaurants and markets. There is a sizeable (for this size of city) Asian community here, which was boosted by an effort in the 1980's to bring Asian refugees here from Laos and Vietnam.

If you can afford higher rents, you might want to look into a brand new apartment complex on the edge of downtown, also very close to Methodist Hospital called the Gateway Lofts. I know several other Methodist employees that call this place home.

The bus system isn't the best and does have some service limitations, but if you look in the urban areas of the city, I think you'll find the bus service to be the most adequate when compared to other areas of the city. I suppose you could survive without a car, but I think you'll be somewhat hamstrung in a smaller midwest metro relying soley on the bus system.

I don't think you'll find that this metro is as dull or uncultured as you may expect though. We've come a long ways in a short period of time in recreating and rebranding the city.

[iowegian]

Originally Posted by makhan

Should I consider renting a place in Ames? It is home to Iowa State University and I just wonder if moving from one college town (Chapel Hill) to another might be a better option for me. I know Des Moines has a few private universities, but which city would have a larger, more diverse grad student population?

I wouldn't. There is little to no transportation between Ames and Des Moines (there is a Greyhound bus but I'm not sure how often it runs and it would probably be rather expensive) and commuting would likely take longer than 30 minutes. Also, Ames doesn't have as strong of a college vibe as many other college towns. I was raised in a college town (Iowa City) and definitely prefer Des Moines over Ames.

[makhan]

Thank you for your helpful posts DMRyan and iowegian.

I like the sound of Sherman Hill; it looks like a good location that would meet most of my needs, although its close proximity to the cemetery does concern me. I was hoping to find something more east in the downtown area - closer to Riverside Park. The Gateway Lofts look nice and swanky, but they cost a bit more than I'd want to spend for rent, and they're honestly a little too modern for my taste. But anyway, I now have an idea of where to look for an apartment.

Thanks again!

[DMRyan]

I wouldn't worry about the cemetery (which is a very cool historic cemetery with huge trees btw) is across a six lane roadway from Sherman Hill, so it really doesn't feel like part of the neighborhood. I wouldn't recommend the area east of downtown unless you're looking NE at the Union Park Neighborhood or in the East Village Neighborhood, which is really a up and coming extension of downtown. There are some pretty rough areas with a very declined housing stock east and immediately north of downtown, not that great finds and livable areas can't be found here and there, but you have to look much harder than on the west side or SW side of town. These areas you mention are plenty walkable, but there isn't always a viable set of necessary neighborhood amenities that you can walk to in comparsion to other parts of town.

I think you could find plenty of rental options downtown, including three new projects coming online with newly renovated or newly constructed apartments. As for downtown apartments, you might want to look at the AP Lofts, e300, Rumely Building or the Kirkwood Apartments as great choices that have all been recently constructed or overhauled. They can't seem to build these downtown apartment units fast enough with a 95-98% occupancy rate currently.

[SharpHawkeye]

Originally Posted by DMRyan

I wouldn't worry about the cemetary (which is a very cool historic cemetary with huge trees btw) is across a six lane roadway from Sherman Hill, so it really doesn't feel like part of the neighborhood. I wouldn't recommend the area east of downtown unless you're looking NE at the Union Park Neighborhood or in the East Village Neighborhood, which is really a up and coming extension of downtown. There are some pretty rough areas with a very declined housing stock east and immediately north of downtown, not that great finds and livable areas can't be found here and there, but you have to look much harder than on the west side or SW side of town. These areas you mention are plenty walkable, but there isn't always a viable set of necessary neighborhood amenities that you can walk to in comparsion to other parts of town.

Zombies, dude, zombies! Do you want to live across the street from the biggest cemetery in town when the dead rise?

[capitalcityguy]

Originally Posted by makhan

Thank you for your helpful posts DMRyan and iowegian.

I like the sound of Sherman Hill; it looks like a good location that would meet most of my needs, although its close proximity to the cemetery does concern me. I was hoping to find something more east in the downtown area - closer to Riverside Park. The Gateway Lofts look nice and swanky, but they cost a bit more than I'd want to spend for rent, and they're honestly a little too modern for my taste. But anyway, I now have an idea of where to look for an apartment.

Thanks again!

The cemetery doesn't even come close to feeling like a part of Sherman Hill. As DMRyan mentioned, there is a 6 lane parkway between the neighborhood and the cemetery...not to mention a 8 - 10 foot brick wall.

Here's the neighborhoods website: Historic Sherman Hill Neighborhood Association, Downtown, Des Moines, Iowa (http://www.historicshermanhill.com/index.html - broken link)