Moving To Downtown Des Moines
One thing that the people selling properties downtown really haven’t done is explain to the public what they are selling. For the most part people are told about the loft, condo, flat, brownstone, or even house that they are buying–but they aren’t told about the lifestyle.
The lifestyle is everything!
When people decide to move to the country, buy a ranch or a farm, and escape the city, there’s a reason. They want to live the laid-back, quiet, work with your hands type of life you get in the country. They want to see animals, watch the stars, get lost in the silence. The house they’ve purchased was not what they actually bought–they bought what I just described, which wasn’t anything about the house.
Downtown living is the same way. When someone decides to move downtown it isn’t the loft they are buying. It isn’t the view. It isn’t the population density. It isn’t the building their unit is in. They are buying a lifestyle.
So what is the urban lifestyle?
When you move downtown you want an active lifestyle. You are buying into spending more time walking. You can walk to work, if you live downtown of course! You can walk to eat, walk to get a cup of coffee, walk to see a ball game, hockey game, or use the nature trails around the city.
You want to know your neighbors. You’ll be seeing them a lot, in the elevator, workout center, patios, decks, restaurants–all over the place! You’re neighbors aren’t hidden behind privacy fences downtown! What’s awesome about living in the city though, you can also remain anonymous.
By moving downtown you want to be close to everything. You don’t want to have a 20 minute drive to do everything. You don’t want to deal with traffic. You don’t want to spend $4 for as much gas.
You also want to be part of a care-free lifestyle. If you have passions you’d rather pursue than maintenance on your house, mowing the yard, shoveling the snow, taking care of the pool (if you had one), and all the other crap that comes with the joy’s of homeownership–downtown you don’t do any of it. You have people that take care of it for you.
This week I’m going to run features about downtown living. I want to share some of the myths that keep people from moving downtown. I want to open your eyes to what downtown living really is, and what it is not.
Up next——Is moving downtown really more expensive than living in the suburbs?
Trina Braafhart Says:
For me - living downtown is more then the convenience of having everything from work, shopping to entertainment - all with in walking distance…that is so cool in itself…..BUT the diversity of human life! I prefer to be exposed to ALL walks of life ALL types of human beings regardless of age, nationality, ethnic origin, physical handicaps, poor, rich, sexual orientation, religion - we are ALL God’s children. I love living downtown because I choose to embrace all different types of cultures. I continually want to be enlightened and educated on lifestyles that are different from my own. That is how we grow as individuals and also how we learn tolerance and love. That - for me - you can not put a price tag on and that is whey I LOVE living downtown.
Great work with your blog site Josh - love it and keep it coming!
Posted on May 17th, 2007 at 10:16 am
Josh Says:
Trina-
This is true as well. I totally whiffed in bringing up the diversity. I’ll have to add this to the next parts of this feature.
Posted on May 17th, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Joe Says:
I just moved into whiteline. Things may appear more expensive because there was a push to develop condos for the “empty nester” and not neccessarily the average young professional. There are tons of opportunities though if you look hard enough, i found a fantastic place and a mortgage that is easy to hand. To put it into perspective I found a great place for the price of a 2 bedroom town home, with a 30 minute drive. I absolutely love downtown, I work for an architectural firm within a couple blocks from home. I have no commute and save on average about $100in gas a month compared to my previous residence in beaverdale. I have everything at my finger tips, a new grocery has opened that is on my walk home, i have more places to eat than any suburban development. Not to mention hitting up a ball game, an IMAX movie, or a quick jog around Grays Lake. There is this stigma of not having anything around, and having to travel to do things like picking up groceries, how do they get them now, dont they drive? On saturdays I have farmers market, not to mention the new market on MLK. Another large concern I see is the family issue. Des Moines is moving forward in the right direction, I recently attended the “whats next downtown” public meeting at the central library and they pointed to areas and understood the this concern. Poeple as questions like where is your green space, where are your parks, are your kids safe. Des Moines is one of the safest cities in the US. Children grown up in cities across the US everyday. If anything they have more opportunities downtown than most communities. There are big things coming with Grays Landing, and the River Walk. If there is a time to be excited about downtown, that time is now!
Posted on May 17th, 2007 at 3:40 pm
Trina Braafhart Says:
Josh - NO WORRIES! There is so much to talk about it is impossible to get it all in one blog! It will take several!
I didn’t even tap the surface of the amazing history and beautiful architecture we have downtown!
Joe - LOVE your comments! Thank you for sharing them! Comments on downtown green space: worth while concerns and yes there are plans for more. But let us not dismiss the absolutely beautiful green space we have in the western gateway neighborhood. I take my 18 month daughter to that space and let her run all over. She splashes in the little water fall area and runs free in the open green space on the corner of 13th and Locust. Then we walk over to the library and hang out or enjoy a cookie and milk at either Starbucks or Ritual Cafe. To me - this is a fantastic place to raise my daughter!
Posted on May 18th, 2007 at 10:12 am
Urban Living Downtown Des Moines Style » Moving To Downtown Des Moines Part 4 Says:
[...] If you missed any of the previous entries here are links just for you: Part 1–The Lifestyle is everything! [...]
Posted on June 15th, 2007 at 6:09 pm