Des Moines is finished with phase one

[bret15]

the science center of Iowa opened this past saturday, and it blowed the oldone to the past picture:

and the Iowa Events Center opens in June Picture:

and library:

by the way, sorry for not posting in awhile.

[sleepy]

Des Moines's always had a nice downtown, and it's good to see that it's getting better.

Anything going on with downtown residential? Conversions, new construction, etc.?

[Ingersoll1978]

Des Moines's always had a nice downtown, and it's good to see that it's getting better.

Anything going on with downtown residential?  Conversions, new construction, etc.?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

There are numerous residential projects happening in Des Moines. One conversion is the nineteen story Equitable Building. That building will have condos that are priced up to $2 million.

Check out the list at absolutedsm.com:

Downtown Des Moines Projects Page

[Snowguy716]

I just drove through Des Moines a couple of weeks ago on my way from San Diego, CA to northern Minnesota.

Besides all the normal scoffs and insults that Minnesotans throw at our southerly neighbors (Idiots Out Wandering Around ), I must say I was impressed.

The state looks rather prosperous compared to the west. When you drive through the likes of Colorado you see a very disturbing trend. Sprawl is the only growth and the smaller, traditional cities are being sabatoged by businesses that are sucking the quality of life out of their towns as fast as the city council can say "Wal-Mart"

You see shabby trailer park "cities" near these cities. And by trailer park cities I mean 1960s style trailers crammed together in a sad fashion, delapitated, some without doors.. all to accomodate the underpaid workforce at the local manufacturing plants and picking crops on teh local fields. Minnesota and Iowa have trailer parks. But I've never seen one as pitiful as the ones I saw out west.

This transformation in small town life is coming to Iowa. I hope the state's more liberal stance on issues like these will keep it from getting any further than it already has. When I drove through, I saw prosperous looking farms and 'urban' housing developments with row housing surrounding public green spaces. This is great!

Things I noticed in Iowa compared to other farming areas (Nebraska, eastern Colorado).

1. Wind farms. Big ones. All over.

2. Prosperous farms with well kept equipment. This is more common of Pennsylvania now days, not Nebraska.

3. More sustainable housing projects. This included row housing over a garage surrounding public green spaces.

4. 9 cops within 10 miles of the border with Nebraska. This is compared to 2 cops in Nebraska, 1 in Colorado, and 1 in Utah. I don't say this is a good thing for a driver anxious to get home, but it shows that Iowa cares a LOT about public safety.

5. Finally, it wasn't so flippin' HOT! But Minnesota still beat Iowa in that department. 74 degrees at home compared to 90 in Iowa and 100+ in Nebraska with high humidity. It makes Mississippi seem like a walk in the freezer.

[Ih8thecold]

4.  9 cops within 10 miles of the border with Nebraska.  This is compared to 2 cops in Nebraska, 1 in Colorado, and 1 in Utah.  I don't say this is a good thing for a driver anxious to get home, but it shows that Iowa cares a LOT about public safety.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't know if they care about public safety as much as fee generation. That's gotta be like shooting fish in a barrell...you're driving through Nebraska at 100mph, never see a cop and then WHAM! Iowa border and half of the state patrol. Ticket city baby!

[Snowguy716]

Ah well..

Minnesota just passed a law that says cops may not give out tickets based on quotas.. FINALLY! I knew it all along. But now they can't do it.

[IluvMpls]

I just drove through Des Moines a couple of weeks ago on my way from San Diego, CA to northern Minnesota.

Besides all the normal scoffs and insults that Minnesotans throw at our southerly neighbors (Idiots Out Wandering Around ), I must say I was impressed.

The state looks rather prosperous compared to the west.  When you drive through the likes of Colorado you see a very disturbing trend.  Sprawl is the only growth and the smaller, traditional cities are being sabatoged by businesses that are sucking the quality of life out of their towns as fast as the city council can say "Wal-Mart"

You see shabby trailer park "cities" near these cities.  And by trailer park cities I mean 1960s style trailers crammed together in a sad fashion, delapitated, some without doors.. all to accomodate the underpaid workforce at the local manufacturing plants and picking crops on teh local fields.  Minnesota and Iowa have trailer parks.  But I've never seen one as pitiful as the ones I saw out west.

This transformation in small town life is coming to Iowa.  I hope the state's more liberal stance on issues like these will keep it from getting any further than it already has.  When I drove through, I saw prosperous looking farms and 'urban' housing developments with row housing surrounding public green spaces.  This is great! 

Things I noticed in Iowa compared to other farming areas (Nebraska, eastern Colorado).

1.  Wind farms.  Big ones.  All over.

2.  Prosperous farms with well kept equipment.  This is more common of Pennsylvania now days, not Nebraska.

3.  More sustainable housing projects.  This included row housing over a garage surrounding public green spaces.

4.  9 cops within 10 miles of the border with Nebraska.  This is compared to 2 cops in Nebraska, 1 in Colorado, and 1 in Utah.  I don't say this is a good thing for a driver anxious to get home, but it shows that Iowa cares a LOT about public safety.

5.  Finally, it wasn't so flippin' HOT!    But Minnesota still beat Iowa in that department.  74 degrees at home compared to 90 in Iowa and 100+ in Nebraska with high humidity.  It makes Mississippi seem like a walk in the freezer.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Things must have really changed in DM...when I grew up there I remember dirt streets...trashy strip malls, run down apartment buildings, and misery...needless to say I haven't been back since I made the move to MSP as a young adult.