Last week, Des Moines‘ Gray’s Lake Park was named one of the Top 10 Great Public Spaces for 2011 by the American Planning Association. I, like many other Des Moines residents was excited and brimming with pride. Not only because we at Des Moines is NOT Boring love to brag about the beautiful features of our city but also because I love Gray’s Lake. I have long felt it is one of the greatest outdoor spaces in Des Moines because it offers beauty and a variety of activities for those who visit the park.
Des Moines continues to generate praise from across the nation.
After the honor from the American Planning Association, I started realizing that our home has been racking up the accolades and “best of” awards lately from several different organizations, magazines and websites. I decided to do a little investigating and find as many mentions I could of our city that showcase what a fantastic place we live in. I found quite an abundant list:
#2-Most Secure City in the U.S. with Population of 500,000 or more
February 2011, Farmer’s Insurance
#6-Ten Most Peaceful States in the U.S.
April 2011-The Institute for Economics and Peace
#18-One of the Coolest Places to Live in America
March 2011-Men’s Journal
#29-Top Cities for Men in the U.S.
March 2011-Men’s Health
#5-States with the Healthiest Housing Markets
April 2011-CNBC.com
#7-Top US Fairs and Festivals
February 2011-American Style Magazine
#1-Cities with the Highest Real Incomes
June 2011-US News and World Report
#1-Best Places for Young Professionals
July 2011-Forbes
This is just a sampling of the props Des Moines has received in recent months. If you go back a couple of years, there are at least a dozen more. So let’s give ourselves and all of the people who work diligently each day to make Des Moines the great city it is a pat on the back! It’s like we’ve been telling you for the past 3 years: Des Moines is NOT Boring!
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Great list, Amanda! This is interesting because just last week I was searching for a page that has ALL of DeMo’s national rankings in one place. It turns out that Business Record Mag just came out with an online publication that includes everything that you’ve listed…and more! Check it out here: http://tinyurl.com/3oysxt2
What a great list! I wish I would’ve found that-it would’ve saved me some time
It actually emphasizes my point even more though-there is so much in that publication that praises Des Moines!