Just for all you Ankeny bashers

[houjix]

Lived in Ankeny for 18 years and hard to disagree. The city just has a very reactive vs proactive mindset. Case in point, they'll build road to get you somewhere but you just know its not enough lanes and then a year later they'll shut that road down to add turning lanes...why not do it all at once? Waukee has done that with their new business district. Roads look massively huge for what's out there, but once buildings and businesses come in, it'll work perfect for them.

It's a town that has grown tremendously from a housing standpoint but hasn't really developed a true second commercial area to reduce the flow of everyone going to Oralabor and Delaware. There are restaurant clusters elsewhere in the city, but when you have basically every big box store all just north of the interstate exit, it's bound to be a disaster.

 

[Urbandale2013]

Ankeny named one of the best places to live in U.S.

Ankeny has been named one of the best places to live in America, climbing to No. 4 nationally in a new U.S. News and World Report ranking.

www.kcci.com

Ankeny is a pretty good place right now. My biggest complaints are traffic and future infrastructure costs.

 

[Nor'MidWester]

These "best places to live" lists are all just engagement farms.

The problem Ankeny had is that it's just suburb and big box stores but now that it has tried to revive it's little downtown area where Firetrucker is there is now some semblance of culture which is cool.
So Ankeny is a better than it was 10 years ago but it's still just a generic suburb, every metro in america has a few ankenys. It's fine for what it is and a lot of people enjoy that sort of thing!

 

[bluestarcyclone]

Could they have predicted normal growth for a Des Moines suburb? Absolutely. Should they have expected the incredible growth they've experienced? No.

I would still say that Ankeny's planning is rather poor. Those running the city often seem to still want to run it like it is a small town when it is pushing 80,000 people now.

 

[AgronAlum]

One of the first things I noticed after moving around a lot and ending up in Ankeny is how well maintained the city is. The little stuff like them reviving the sign and planting flowers coming into our 30 year old neighborhood a couple years ago. We hit most parks on a yearly basis and none of them are in disrepair. The ponds are well maintained. The fields and trails are well maintained. There are a lot of people outside all the time. I've lived in a few places where it was rare to see someone on a sidewalk that wasn't drunk or drugged out.

I haven't been much of a fan of the way the schools have been operating but that's a bigger issue. I do like that they converted one of the elementary buildings into a pre-k building.

All in all it's ok for Iowa.

 

[psycln11]

important question - does ankeny have a trader joes?

As a parent of a child with tree nut allergies, I could care less.

Literally everything Trader Joe's sells either "Has or may contain peanuts or other tree nuts"!

 

[Cyhig]

Here's another example where it's useful to consider the source when looking at reviews, and what they're based on.

For example, in 2023, according to the Des Moines Register, Ankeny was ranked second...
... in terms of car crashes.

One analysis of US News & World Report says that their college rankings include considering faculty pay rates. The rankers do not visit classes on campuses to determine what's really happening within.

So, caveat lector, as they say. (Let the reader beware)

Google AI summary of USN&WR's rankings:

Where It Falls Short

• Subjectivity: Because it balances the country's collective preferences, it may not align with your specific priorities (e.g., climate, nightlife, or outdoor recreation).
• Weighting Issues: Critics and communities often note that the ranking skews heavily toward factors that also make a place great for retirees, potentially undervaluing bustling urban hubs in favor of quieter, more affordable suburbs.
• Hyper-Local Blind Spots: A city might score high on regional safety and average income but have terrible local school districts or specific neighborhood safety issues. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

I would never choose to live in Ankeny again.

 

[canker2323]

important question - does ankeny have a trader joes?

I know this is a joke … I don’t get the obsession some people have with Trader Joe’s (my wife being one). It’s just a grocery store and usually with limited selection compared to Kroger or whole foods.

 

[coolerifyoudid]

It's no Ottumwa, but it's not bad.

 

[JEFF420]

boone's little brother

 

[ScottyP]

Meh, I prefer Fort Dodge.

 

[Carlisle Clone]

Could they have predicted normal growth for a Des Moines suburb? Absolutely. Should they have expected the incredible growth they've experienced? No.

Are you a paid employee of the city or just trying to get the Mayor to honor you with the Key to the city? Its ok for people to not like Ankeny. you dont have to argue half the posts.

 

[psycln11]

Meh, I prefer Fort Dodge.

I knew someone would beat me to this ^^^!! LOL

 

[Drew0311]

I only bash Ankeny for the Traffic. Otherwise it's a solid city. I like the Dmacc area though. That is a really nice spot.

 

[Pope]

I would never choose to live in Ankeny again.

Just curious, where do you live now?

 

[3TrueFans]

As you get older you'll realize that everyone hates every city.

 

[brokenloginagain]

As someone who lived in central Iowa 35-40 yrs ago, its stunning to see what Ankeny has become. It used to be a tiny 1A/2A school and they have, what, 3 high schools now??

If Ames weren't so anti-growth, Ames would have 200k residents and Ankeny wouldn't be what it is today.

(Have friends who live in Michigan at the little league regionals last year and they loved Ankeny - had a blast!).

 

[3TrueFans]

As someone who lived in central Iowa 35-40 yrs ago, its stunning to see what Ankeny has become. It used to be a tiny 1A/2A school and they have, what, 3 high schools now??

If Ames weren't so anti-growth, Ames would have 200k residents and Ankeny wouldn't be what it is today.

(Have friends who live in Michigan at the little league regionals last year and they loved Ankeny - had a blast!).

Small thinking, Ames would have 200 million residents if we just built that mall!

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

Just curious, where do you live now?

Johnston. My favorite area I've lived in Des Moines and I've lived in all but the Southside.