I really, really love Des Moines. It's the largest city in Iowa, but it's not nearly as dangerous as the larger cities in the country. You can get practically anywhere in the metro or the suburbs within 20 minutes. We could use more reliable public transit, but the bus system has worked for me so far.
Crime is very low, making it family-friendly. There's a wealth of jobs here. People are moving here from both coasts because of that, and because the cost of living is so cheap. Rent, gas, groceries -- everything is way less expensive than most anywhere else. The state income tax is kind of high (in my opinion), and you get mauled for federal income tax, but who doesn't?
I LOVE downtown. I would live there if I made more money. It's very pedestrian/bicycle friendly, there are LOADS of restaurants, clubs, bars, and live music venues.
Arts and culture are great here, too. We have a phenomenal Civic Center where La Cage au Follies just made a tour stop. For community theater, it doesn't get much better than the Des Moines Playhouse, StageWest, and the Repertory Theater. I was just in a production of "The Producers" at the Playhouse, and it was by far one of the best shows I've ever been a part of. We got some rave reviews. There's also plenty of museums and even a botanical center.
Lots of parks and recreation, too. Lots of places to go walking, jogging, cycling, rollerblading, etc. Gray's Lake is my favorite. It's a two-mile loop around a man-made lake with a 1/4 mile bridge going over it. The bridge lights up at night and it's one of the most brilliant sights.
The weather does get very extreme here at times, though. Winter can be very treacherous. The Winter of 2009 was particularly harsh. Summer can also be dreadfully hot and humid. This summer was pretty darned rough on our crops. Des Moines, being centered around a river, is also pretty prone to flooding. But we definitely have four distinct seasons, if you enjoy that sort of thing.
All in all, I really love it here. There's a great sense of community. I might end up moving to be with my Navy boyfriend, and if I do, I will miss this city very, very much.
Sorry for the lengthy reply.
