South Park Area of Des Moines (West Des Moines, Urbandale: crime, houses, neighborhoods)

[MetalFreak]

Hello, my family and I have relocated to Iowa from Guam. Over the past week we've been looking at starter homes in the $110,000 to $130,000 range. We've found a few possibilities in the West Des Moines, Urbandale, and South Park area. We are really close to making a choice, but I wanted to get more information about the South Park area. I do know that a shooting occurred back in June. Based on varied news reports it was an isolated event and the neighborhood is generally safe. I do like some of the houses we saw in West Des Moines and in Urbandale, but you don't get as much bang for your buck there as you do in in South Park or in the better areas I saw of the 50315 zip code. Also, Guam has terrible public schools. A private school is Guam is similar to a public school in the United States as far as quality. My son is an infant now, but he'll be ready for school in a few years. I am not one that thinks schools necessarily mold better individuals with strong educational backgrounds, but I'd like to know he's going to school in a nice district.

I've been getting opinions from my buyers agent and through my own research so I'd appreciate some perspective from local residents too. Oh, and people in Des Moines are incredibly nice. My family and I love it and we've only been here a week.

Thank you all for the help.

[Tek_Freek]

Good schools: West Des Moines.

[ElleTea]

Where is South Park on the south side? I've never heard of it.

[atler8]

I was wondering the same thing so I looked it up & a neighborhood map showing dilineated margins for South Park is found here at city-data.
On the north the area is bordered by Park Avenue SE, by SE. 14th on the east border, by Army Post Rd. on the south end & SE. 5th on the west side.

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by atler8

I was wondering the same thing so I looked it up & a neighborhood map showing dilineated margins for South Park is found here at city-data.
On the north the area is bordered by Park Avenue SE, by SE. 14th on the east border, by Army Post Rd. on the south end & SE. 5th on the west side.

So it is basically just the main portion of the south side then

[atler8]

So what is the name of the larger geographic region to the west of the South Park neightborhood; i.e. the area that lies between the north to south corridors of SW 9th & on over to Fleur Drive?
I had a friend that lived far to the west of that area for years in the 4200 block of SW Park Avenue & know that north of her was the pricey Southern Hills neighborhood but that was west of Fleur.
I'm sure that there are a lot of sub districts or names for areas in the south side that I never knew of when I lived in Des Moines long ago.
If you think about the city limits of Des Moines proper, in recent years the largest expansion of them has occurred on the south side, in particular through the annexation of land into Warren County across Army Post Road. That effort was resisted by tooth & nail but came to a successful conclusion for Des Moines after it prevailed in a court case.
Unless Des Moines makes a real push on annexation efforts in other directions, in the not-too-distant future the south side will be just about the only area available in the city proper where large scale new neighborhoods of single family homes can be developed.
I for one would encourage a bold annexation effort by Des Moines up to the north/northeast/east before Ankeny, Altoona, Bondurant & Pleasant Hill make their own annexations & completely seal off the city from taking in more area in those directions. Those suburbs have made huge annexations in the last 20 years that have grabbed large areas and a wall is about to close & seal Des Moines permanently within it's borders there.

[ElleTea]

I dont know a lot about the south side, I spend as little time as possible there! But I am sure there are names for areas just as there are "park" areas in the north side. (Union Park, Highland park, etc)

[atler8]

LOL! I just looked back at the entire thread & realized that it's pretty much "crickets" here so far in regard to the op's original questions.
It's still a new thread so perhaps long time Des Moines residents can fill in what they know for his benefit.
When I lived in Des Moines, I never picked up on major negative vibes out of that side of town & I worked at the airport then too. It still doesn't seem as though the area has a bad crime problem so I am puzzled as to whether or not it has an image problem?
The rich Italian heritage of some distinct areas there was a source of cultural & culinary variation when I lived in Des Moines & Lincoln High School had a great reputation.
Perhaps the long history of the poor performance of South Ridge Mall has impacted or colored people's perceptions of the entire south side.
One thing is for sure, approaching the city center from the south side on any number of south to north through streets certainly offers a beautiful vista!

[ElleTea]

Originally Posted by atler8

LOL! I just looked back at the entire thread & realized that it's pretty much "crickets" here so far in regard to the op's original questions.
It's still a new thread so perhaps long time Des Moines residents can fill in what they know for his benefit.
When I lived in Des Moines, I never picked up on major negative vibes out of that side of town & I worked at the airport then too. It still doesn't seem as though the area has a bad crime problem so I am puzzled as to whether or not it has an image problem?
The rich Italian heritage of some distinct areas there was a source of cultural & culinary variation when I lived in Des Moines & Lincoln High School had a great reputation.
Perhaps the long history of the poor performance of South Ridge Mall has impacted or colored people's perceptions of the entire south side.
One thing is for sure, approaching the city center from the south side on any number of south to north through streets certainly offers a beautiful vista!

I don't care for the south side. I get that "bad vibe" every time I am down there, so I don't go. YMMV

[Tek_Freek]

Originally Posted by ElleTea

So it is basically just the main portion of the south side then

Actually it's a minor portion. It's missing from S.E 5th to west of Fleur, and Bell avenue to County line road, and everything south of Army Post or north of Park Avenue, as well as Easter Lake.

Originally Posted by atler8

One thing is for sure, approaching the city center from the south side on any number of south to north through streets certainly offers a beautiful vista!

Having been a south-sider for a number of years I agree with the vista. And you have plenty of time to appreciate it during rush hour as you move slowly to work. That was 30 years ago for me. I can't imagine what the traffic is like now..

There are few areas I'd live in on the south side now.