How I Convinced My Family to Move to DSM

A joke among my friends is how I’m always trying to convince my friends and family to move closer to me. It all started somewhat facetiously when I wanted to have more friends nearby without requiring a long drive or weekend trip. But when my parents were seriously looking at relocating, I started planting the seeds for them to choose Greater Des Moines (DSM). 

Some background: I went to school at Drake University and have been living in DSM since 2010. Originally from a rural community in northwest Iowa, I’ve always found DSM to be the perfect size for me. It’s big enough to have all the amenities that I want and small enough to feel the sense of community I was used to. I love our many annual festivals — the Des Moines Arts Festival and World Food and Music Festival are favorites! — as well as the myriad of options for a fun weekend outing with my kids, visitors or friends, such as the Blank Park Zoo, Greater Des Moines Botanical Gardens, the Principal Riverwalk, John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park, shopping in the Historic East Village and eating out at countless delicious restaurants.

Benefits of DSM

When my parents began talking about what they’d like in a community and looking at areas they would consider moving, DSM was not originally on their short list. They had quite the checklist of “requirements” for where they wanted to be, such as: 

• An international airport
• Good hospitals and medical systems
• Culture and entertainment (arts, music, theater, sports, etc.)
• Outdoor recreation options (parks, trails, golf, etc.) 

With the other locations they were considering being out of state, of course DSM’s added bonus was that it had one of their children here (me), a shorter drive to child #2 and easy access to an airport for visits to and from child #3. What else was there to think about?!

In the end, my parents did choose DSM and have been happy residents for nearly three years now. They’ve gotten the chance to enjoy various aspects of their requirements list many times, including regular walks at our plethora of parks and trails, visits to First Fridays at Mainframe Studios, attendance at Des Moines Symphony performances and other Des Moines Civic Center events and (my personal favorite) regular use of my family’s zoo membership for quality time with the grandkids.

After years of making not-so-subtle suggestions for my sister to also call DSM home, she and her husband made the move earlier this year. After college in Omaha, NE, they moved to St. Paul, MN, only to realize they could experience many similar benefits of the Twin Cities here while eliminating the hassle of travel to regularly see family. And enjoy milder winters!

I have some more family members and a few college friends to start working on now that my work is complete with my parents and sister. And with all the fun events and activities picking back up in DSM, I’ll have no shortage of opportunities and experiences to show off!

Are you interested in moving to Greater Des Moines (DSM)? Relocation Packets offer information on everything from neighborhoods and shopping to parks and local attractions. Or, kick start your career by checking out the DSM USA Career Center. It has over 10,000 jobs listed!

Named the #1 Best Place to Live in the Midwest and #2 Safest Place to Live, Greater Des Moines (DSM) is a city where you can have it all. Learn more about what it’s like to live here.