At the turn of the 21st century, Des Moines was still thought of by many as a dull, provincial town—a boring little midwestern burg upon the plains of America. Yet the city has acquired some cosmopolitan flair, due to both visionary local leaders who have spearheaded efforts to revive it, and a strong economy that has lured newcomers from all over as well as retained young natives, many of whom have found hidden treasures in this midsize, underappreciated city.
As the capital of the state perhaps most identified with agriculture (some 90 percent of Iowa’s land is under cultivation), Des Moines’s roots, metaphorically and literally, are in the cornfields, whose golden stalks stretch endlessly to the horizon as you drive into town. Companies such as Pioneer Hi-Bred still work on developing seed for farmers and there’s a large John Deere works nearby, but the city doesn’t feel like a cow town: Des Moines, which was ranked number one on Forbes magazine’s 2010 list of the Best Places for Businesses and Careers, is America’s second-largest insurance center, after Hartford, Connecticut, with thousands of white-collar workers heading to jobs in downtown steel-and-glass office buildings. Also downtown is publisher Meredith Inc., whose flagship publication, Better Homes and Gardens, is supplemented by such titles as Midwest Living and Successful Farming, as well as Ready Made, a hipper look at domestic life. On the east bank of the Des Moines River, at the foot of the State Capitol, is the East Village, a trendy little neighborhood where funky restaurants and shops have popped up along the main drags and side streets. Some 5,000 students hit the books at Drake University, an urban campus tucked into 150 acres just west of downtown. The west side is also home to neighborhoods like Beaverdale, known for its brick houses, and Ingersoll Avenue, which has a long row of shops and restaurants as well as Terrace Hill, the Iowa governor’s mansion. Just over the city limits in the suburb of West Des Moines is Valley Junction, where many locals go for unique shopping.
All those state government and insurance company employees don’t make for a staid, buttoned-down town: Des Moines has a vibrant cultural scene, with a first-rate symphony, good selections in theater, and an art museum designed by three world-class architects and hidden away in a residential neighborhood. The city’s art festival every June draws artists from around the country, who take over downtown streets to display their creations. The well-regarded Des Moines Metro Opera, founded in 1974, takes to the stage every summer at Simpson College in nearby Indianola. Des Moines’s science and history museums are good places to take kids, while Living History Farms in the western suburbs provides an in-depth look at the history of farming with exhibits and demonstrations.
Locals cheer on the Iowa Cubs, an affiliate of the Chicago team, at Principal Park south of downtown, where the golden dome of the Capitol looms over center field. Nearby is the Court Avenue Entertainment District, a former warehouse area reborn as a nightlife mecca, with several blocks of bars and music clubs as well as some of Des Moines’s better restaurants. Court Avenue is also home to the city’s wildly popular farmers’ market, held every Saturday from spring through fall. But the crown jewel of Des Moines’s (and Iowa’s) agricultural heritage comes every August at the Iowa State Fair, when one million visitors (in a metro area of 600,000) descend on the fairgrounds on the east side of the city. This is one time and place where Des Moines lives squarely up to its image: The food and carnival midways feel like a timeless dose of Americana, while the show barns positively overflow with farm boys and girls tending to their livestock, judges awarding prizes to the largest boar and bull, among other categories. Don’t forget the butter sculptures on display: Past creations have included Harry Potter, Elvis Presley, Iowa native John Wayne, and iconic Iowa artwork American Gothic as well as the fair’s butter cow mainstay, which celebrates its 100th anniversary at the fair in 2011.
Since the 1970s, Des Moines has welcomed a stream of refugees from such distant points of the globe as Southeast Asia, Somalia, and Bosnia, bringing welcome diversity as well as greater choices in restaurants. There are still plenty of steakhouses serving up Iowa’s signature hunks of beef, but Des Moines’s dining scene has matured, with many restaurants, including quite a few in the downtown area, offering fresh ingredients and innovative preparations. (You may still have to eat a pork tenderloin sandwich or pick up some sweet corn from a farmstand, just to prove you’ve been to Iowa.)
Yes, it’s cold in winter. And there’s a lot of snow. But Des Moines residents deal with it in some innovative ways: first of all, by moving above streets in the center of the city on the downtown skywalk, whose 3 miles of glass-walled elevated passageways connect offices, shops, and dining spots. Second, by embracing it: Winter sports are popular here, including ice-skating at an outdoor rink downtown, sledding at whatever hills residents can find amid the flat landscape, and cross-country skiing on the many trails that wind through the city and into the countryside. But the trails really come alive in the spring, when people hop onto their bikes and take advantage of the endless flat spaces to pedal for miles and miles. There are also designated bike lanes on several streets in the center of the city. Des Moines hosts an annual marathon and triathlon, each of which attracts more than 1,000 competitors, while every April Drake Stadium hosts the Drake Relays, a top track-and-field meet with athletes including Olympic contenders and medalists.
Presidential hopefuls and the national media descend on Iowa every four years for the state’s first-in-the-nation caucuses, putting Des Moines in the national spotlight. Many candidates make the city their Iowa headquarters, and it’s easy to find locals who have encountered them, or at least their entourages. Otherwise, Des Moines enjoys a fairly low-key, laid-back style and attitude: People are friendly here, and more than willing to let you know the best place to eat or shop. Bragging isn’t really Des Moines residents’ forte, but they have plenty to be proud of, including a school system consistently near the top of national rankings, highly affordable housing, and a relaxed, 20-minute average commute time.
So don’t think you’ll be bored in Des Moines. On the contrary—there is so much to see and do, you won’t have time to fit it all in on one visit! The city is alive, engaging, and fun. Everything is easy to get to, with friendly locals to help guide you there. You’ll always find something else to check out—the options here are as limitless as the horizon that stretches out into the cornfields, giving a sense of endless possibilities.