Here we are back with part 8 of this great series. In case you need a review, I’ve linked the first 7 parts to this series for you.

• Best place to eat downtown
• Best cup of joe
• Best place to hang out at night
• Favorite yearly event
• The best thing to do downtown
• Favorite building downtown
• Favorite place to bring friends downtown

In the eighth part to this series we have finally got to what I think is the best question so far. We’ve dealt with things do to, see, places to eat or enjoy some coffee, but we haven’t dealt with the urban living experience that downtown offers.

We all know that every place on planet earth has some misconceptions about it, and downtown Des Moines is no different. There are lots of things that outsiders think about downtown Des Moines that is just flat wrong.

Do you want to know these misconceptions? Find out from the folks that already live downtown!

What is the biggest misconception about living downtown?

• That it’s not safe–untrue. It’s better patrolled than the suburbs. There’s a strong community-oriented police presence.
• There are only a few places to shop.
• It’s boring.
• Downtown is too expensive, and there’s no room for your stuff…….
• There’s no place to get groceries.
• It’s dangerous.
• Families with children won’t like living there.
• You’ll miss your car. =)
• Walking to work is overrated.
• You can run out of things to do.
• Too noisy.
• Taking the dog outside is a huge hassle.
• Not enough room.
• People aren’t friendly.
• Parking is too hard to find.

There you have it. Some of downtown Des Moines’ biggest misconceptions. So many people have told me that downtown is their favorite place they’ve EVER lived, which to me says a lot. People move from huge cities and love downtown Des Moines just as much as New York, Chicago and the like.

Do you have misconceptions about moving downtown? Challenge what you think about it, and whether your belief is real, or a little off. If we can help you here at all, please let us know!