After living anywhere for a while, it’s easy to find yourself caught up in a rut. You find your favorite restaurants, activities and places in general to visit, and it gets quite easy to forget about all the other opportunities for entertainment where you live.  Yesterday’s Groupon deal reminded me of yet another event around Des Moines that I know is there in the back of my mind, but when bored and sitting around the house, it just never seems to pop into my head at those opportune moments.  The specific deal for today was for tickets to go see our very own Iowa Energy play at Wells Fargo Arena this Saturday, December 17, at 7 p.m..  It’s a pretty good deal to go see last years champions take on the Reno Bighorns.  I mean, these are last years champions!  Their games have been going on since late November and quite frankly the idea of attending a game hasn’t even registered yet.  It’s one of those events that you don’t realize is there until you randomly happen across it one day.

This then got me thinking on what other venues are in town with shows/performances/games on a consistent basis that I’d been to before, knew I had a good time, and quite simply haven’t made it back yet.  The first one that popped up in my mind was another sports team, our very own Des Moines Buccaneers hockey team.  As with most things, watching sports live is a completely different experience than watching them on the TV.  Going and seeing it live makes you really get more involved with the game.  The ambiance, the excitement, and the enthusiasm of the crowd all really make you feel apart of what’s happening.   There’s just something about going to a hockey game with a group of friends that is inherently fun and social.

The last place I recalled was the Funny Bone comedy club.  A place where you get something different every time you go.  With different comedians coming throughout the year you can plan ahead if you see your favorite comedian coming to town, or you can just go to whoever is playing that particular weekend.  Either way you’re bound to have a gut busting good time. Depending on who’s playing some of the shows can get a bit pricey, but since there’s a new comedian every week you can just wait till you find the show you’re looking for at the Funny Bone.

Our blog is all about why we love Des Moines and Iowa and so we’ve decided to do something special.

Over the next few weeks we’re going to do a weekly blog on different neighborhoods of Des Moines. Talking about what they offer, what living is like etc.

We hope you enjoy.

If you’re looking for a nice place to live. Somewhere that has options. Whether it’s a duplex, a town home or an apartment. Somewhere that’s quiet.

A place that people of all ages can enjoy; whether they’re 60 and retired, 23 and a recent college graduate, or someone raising a family.

A place that offers the lifestyle of a suburb, but has the excitement of downtown only minutes away. A place like this does exist. In fact, it was also named one of the “Best places to Live” by CNNmoney magazine and a best place to start a business by Business Record.

This place, is West Des Moines.

Located just 15 minutes outside of Downtown Des Moines, West Des Moines offers the calm peace of a suburb, with the excitement of downtown living just moments away.

Jordan Creek town center is just one example. With all sorts of restaurants, a movie theatre and fantastic stores, J-Creek is a great place to visit.

Local grocery stores are also conveniently located in West Des Moines, whether you like Dahls, Trader Joe’s, Hy-Vee or Fareway, we have them all.

The City of West Des Moines also has options for those who like to be outdoors. With over 1200 acres of Park’s and open space and 35 miles of bike trails, there’s something for everyone in West Des Moines.

West Des Moines is home to a superb education program as well. With 8 elementary schools, 2 junior high schools and one high school; and an average student-teacher ratio of 16-1 children in West Des Moines are sure to get a quality education.

Exciting nightlife is close at hand too. In West Glen alone patrons can check out Blue Moon dueling piano bar, Funny Bone Comedy Club or Cabaret West Glen.

There’s plenty more of West Des Moines to see and check out, but we can’t include all of it here. So, come out and check us out. Whether it’s going to a game at Valley Stadium, shopping at Jordan Creek or a simple stroll in the park. West Des Moines is a great place to visit and live.