Des Moines: Better than Sex

Okay, I have to admit, I've been swept up in the "I love Des Moines" mania sweeping the city. It seems like every other day there's a news story about some study that shockingly puts Des Moines above other cities in just about every category you could imagine. Case in point: our recent ranking by Forbes Magazine as the #1 city for young professionals. Hooray Des Moines! These congratulatory studies make us Des Moinesians feel vindicated somehow, like the unpopular girl in a cheesy romantic high school comedy who after lots of struggle and drama with boys manages to become cool. "See Chicago, we can win prom queen, too."

Nice tiara, Des Moines. The popular boy who originally made a bet on how long he could live here, actually grew to like you. A lot. Whoa. Slow down, Des Moines. Let's not drop the love bomb just yet.

But I feel we need to be wary not to pat ourselves on the back too much. Downtown has come a long way, but it's still difficult to find anywhere downtown to eat between 2 p.m. and 5 p.m. on the weekend. (Or anywhere at any time on a Sunday). Late night food options are growing, but the city's ban on food carts after 1:30 a.m. is perplexing. There's no grocery store, no movie store, no Chinese restaurant, no ice cream shop, no bowling alley. (Come on. How sweet would that be?!) Anyway, the point is there's much more work to do. Don't get complacent, Des Moines!

What if we raised those expectations, yet continued to exceed them? Hmmmm....

Right now, I would say that Raygun's t-shirt above about sums up Des Moines: we will exceed your already low expectations. But what if Des Moines became a destination for young people. When I start hearing college kids or other friends from across the country say, "I really want to move to Des Moines. I hear that place is awesome," then we'll know that we've made it. Right now, we're simply not that city, no matter what Forbes says. But, and maybe I'm seeing the world with the rosy-colored glasses of a Des Moinesian, I honestly could see this happening in the relatively near future.

The arts scene and just the general "living" scene has grown a ton. The full court press bars impress locals and out-of-towners alike on a regular basis, and new restaurants like Americana and Open Sesame and Cuatro are really helping to round out the entertainment/dining arena. Big events like 80/35, Winefest, Art Fest, and even more routine events like Farmer's Market and Market Day make Des Moines, and especially downtown Des Moines feel so much more vibrant as a city.

Now we just need to keep growing and recruiting other young people to keep moving the city forward. Eventually, we'll take over! To get you inspired to think big about Des Moines, check out the new blog titled: What if Des Moines. As simple as it sounds, this is a great place to see others ideas and share your own. Like What if Des Moines really did have a downtown bowling alley? As a matter of fact, I might just add that to the blog right now.

Anyway, as we work toward making Des Moines a destination city, get out and support your local businesses and events. Come see Honeybadger at Market Day this Saturday, 9am - 2pm, at the new Des Moines Social Club location on 400 Walnut St. Hooray locally-run events downtown!

Cheers,
Dave Murrin-von Ebers
Chief Entertainment Officer
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