Columbus or Des Moines?

[atler8]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

To be fair, you have plenty of options for that in Des Moines metro but you are limiting your opportunities to find such neighborhoods if you are focusing on newer suburbs where neighborhoods where built upon flatlands that were previously cornfields.

I’m a big fan of mature trees and do not like wide open wind whipped neighborhoods. Because of that, many of the neighborhoods in the cities you’ve listed, e.g….Waukee or Ankeny…I’d personally rule out because of that. We spend a lot of time on our patio and deck and grilling out so I enjoy the protection our neighborhood (in Des Moines proper) gives us because we are surrounded by large mature Oak trees and sitting a bit lower in a small river valley.

My point: The lack of trees/greenery doesn’t have to be a knock on Iowa…but yes, it will be an issue if you focus solely on much of suburban Iowa.

Exactly! I couldn't agree more wholeheartedly with your points here! That's probably why I love the older, established west side neighborhoods in the city proper of Des Moines that are near the up and down contours of the Racoon River valley and it's assorted feeder creeks.
In my own suburban Atlanta yard, which is already 80% or more shaded at the height of the noonday sun, I'm making like Johnny Appleseed with tree, shrub & flower plantings each & every year round.
At this point in my life, I don't think that I have the patience to wait for shade to grow out of nothingness, which is a major personal downside of the brand new developments I saw in Ankeny & Waukee, Grimes, Altoona, etc.
In it's defense, Ankeny which now has 49,000 residents, had only 10,000 residents in 1970. If you look in older subdivisions there that date from the 1960's & 1970's, you are more likely to find more substantial green cover than in the newer fringe areas.
By the way, you all in Iowa have no idea how lucky you are if you plant trees & garden there. I often curse the horrible, clay-laden crap that passes for soil here in Georgia as I dig in it. Much of the rest of the U.S. suffers poorly by comparison to Iowa in that regard. My close & extended family members & friends that live in California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, Tennessee, Vermont & Florida all agree with me on that point.

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by atler8

I often curse the horrible, clay-laden crap that passes for soil here in Georgia as I dig in it. Much of the rest of the U.S. suffers poorly by comparison to Iowa in that regard.

*** Quick Drift ***

Raised beds are your friends!

How to Build a Raised Garden Bed - Sunset

/Drift

And as for the tree discussion, "Boots on the ground" research would show that there are areas in Cols devoid of trees, as well as those with plenty of old growth. Ditto: Des Moines.

Personally, you couldn't pay me to live in Powell, Ohio. Yes, it's pretty, but the traffic in and out is a horrible nightmare because of urban sprawl. I would live farther to the SE, near Smokey Row Rd if I wanted that area of town, or move up to Delaware if I had a job on the north side (and was interviewing in Delaware!).

Had I stayed in the Columbus, I would've moved north to Lewis Center, off Rt. 23, somewhat near the Meijer. That's the Olentangy School District, although I don't care because I don't have children. That area is within 2 miles of the outer belt (I-270). If I ever moved back, I would want to be within 2 - 3 miles of either the outer belt OR Rt. 315. Otherwise, it takes forever and a day to get anywhere on surface streets.

I laugh when people complain about traffic in Des Moines. I can still cross the city in 20 minutes at rush hour. (:

[fezzador]

Originally Posted by Midwestforme

So quick summary based on my personal analysis based on powell, ohio vs waukee or ankeny, iowa.

Income tax: Winner ohio based purely on income tax rates but I am still confused on this one based in meemurs comments on huge tax penalties for living and working in different areas. So winner= ?
Social security tAxes: winner both Probably.
Medical premiums: Winner ohio Why not.
Medical Access to top facilities: winner Ohio I suppose
People/culture: winner iowa Ehh, that one's debatable. It's probably more personal preference than anything.
Property taxes: winner iowa If both could lose, I would say that. They're both considerably higher than average. Probably a push.
Housing cost: winner iowa Yeah, but probably not by much.
Weather: winner- it's a draw Probably.
Schools: winner ohio For K-12, it's Iowa. For secondary education, it's Ohio.
Crime: winner ohio I don't think so.
Sales tax: winner iowa Sure, but the average difference is only about .25%.
Gas tax: winner iowa Again, pretty close, but Ohio averages about 5 or 6 cents more a gallon.
Trees/greenery: winner ohio Probably six of one, half a dozen of the other, but Ohio probably has slightly milder weather so I guess they get the edge

My heart tells me iowa but my mind tells me ohio.

Other than the fact that Ohio is a bit more urban (therefore offering large-city amenities that medium-sized cities like DSM just don't offer) there really isn't too much separating the two.

[Meemur]

Originally Posted by fezzador

there really isn't too much separating the two.

On paper, that's true.

I stand by what I wrote earlier about the Cols Metro having a more progressive/liberal culture overall. Yes, there are conservatives there, but they tend to live outside of the outer belt (I-270 rings Columbus).

This is why I strongly encourage the OP (and anyone else) to spend at least a long weekend in the city, doing "resident" type things: grocery shopping, etc. Drive! Go where people are. Listen! Observe.

How do I explain the Friday night discussions in the lines at Meijer? They can get wonderfully weird. It's not a "people of Walmart" sort of thing at all. There is no parallel in Des Moines. However, there's no parallel to the HyVee "restaurant" where I've met some memorable characters, especially out in Clive . . .

Or walking down through the Short North and running into a guy I knew from farther north who had come down to Cols, come out, and was now sporting three inches of blue hair and a nose ring? When I last saw him, he had a military cut and looked like a police officer recruit . . .

Or biking in Altoona and meeting up with a woman I knew from Westerville who was going to join the convent and is now out here, living in Ames, and studying -- gulp -- mechanical engineering?

You're right, Fez, it is the Midwest. But I can still think of a number of Cols folks who wouldn't be comfortable in Des Moines and vice-versa. And then again, there are people like me who are just at home anywhere in the Midwest. (;

[Kluch]

I can only comment on Columbus having lived there for a couple of years (OSU student) and having grown up about 45mins north of there (Delaware/Powell area). I will say that I would gladly move back to columbus. The arts scene has grown a great deal and the short north has really helped the city with an urban/younger feeling, plus there's OSU which, granted it's like a "city" within a city, there are still some really pretty areas (mirror lake, the oval, etc.). Living in columbus, I really liked clintonville and had friends that lived/live there. Powell is a real nice suburb and I had friends that grew up there. Overall I would highly recommend columbus. Getting around was never too tough with the outerbelt and all and winters could be bad but I never had much of a problem with the roads. Overall I think CBUS has a lot of pros that can often get overlooked. That's my .02 cents. Oh and generally I felt that most people in Ohio were very friendly growing up. Having OSU as well as many other large company headquarters nearby helps bring in a lot of different people.

[westcoast_CA]

Originally Posted by Kluch

I can only comment on Columbus having lived there for a couple of years (OSU student) and having grown up about 45mins north of there (Delaware/Powell area). I will say that I would gladly move back to columbus. The arts scene has grown a great deal and the short north has really helped the city with an urban/younger feeling, plus there's OSU which, granted it's like a "city" within a city, there are still some really pretty areas (mirror lake, the oval, etc.). Living in columbus, I really liked clintonville and had friends that lived/live there. Powell is a real nice suburb and I had friends that grew up there. Overall I would highly recommend columbus. Getting around was never too tough with the outerbelt and all and winters could be bad but I never had much of a problem with the roads. Overall I think CBUS has a lot of pros that can often get overlooked. That's my .02 cents. Oh and generally I felt that most people in Ohio were very friendly growing up. Having OSU as well as many other large company headquarters nearby helps bring in a lot of different people.

Couldn't agree more with you. Great post.