Ankeny Living

[Mtowncyclone13]

I think the people complaining that Ankeny has no identity just don't fit in with it's identity.

It's more than that, though. Ankeny, and all suburbs serve a purpose and that's just fine. The difference is its growth is based solely on the economic power of another separate city. It doesn't have an identity because there is none. It was built to house people and the shops those residents need on a daily basis. It was built solely on a profit/loss sheet with no regard to culture. Suburbs in general lack public space (not parks, but a complete and welcoming public street environment) that a city has. Businesses are in strip malls built by one owner and controlled by one owner. Because of that there is a very small chance something eclectic springs up. That's what people mean by identity. It is the same as Grimes and and west Omaha and north Austin and Irvine, CA. They're all built for cars. The only time to see someone is at predetermined meeting or in a store.

Again, Ankeny serves a purpose and that's great.

But let me ask you this: would you take a trip to Ankeny? Like a family vacation or weekend getaway? If not that probably mean it doesn't have culture. Everything has an identity. But in this case it just means bland and boring.

 

[Trice]

It's more than that, though. Ankeny, and all suburbs serve a purpose and that's just fine. The difference is its growth is based solely on the economic power of another separate city. It doesn't have an identity because there is none. It was built to house people and the shops those residents need on a daily basis. It was built solely on a profit/loss sheet with no regard to culture. Suburbs in general lack public space (not parks, but a complete and welcoming public street environment) that a city has. Businesses are in strip malls built by one owner and controlled by one owner. Because of that there is a very small chance something eclectic springs up. That's what people mean by identity. It is the same as Grimes and and west Omaha and north Austin and Irvine, CA. They're all built for cars. The only time to see someone is at predetermined meeting or in a store.

Again, Ankeny serves a purpose and that's great.

But let me ask you this: would you take a trip to Ankeny? Like a family vacation or weekend getaway? If not that probably mean it doesn't have culture. Everything has an identity. But in this case it just means bland and boring.

I think you're confusing "Ankeny" with "most of Iowa" or "most of anywhere in the United States." Let's be real here...how many places in Iowa would you take a weekend getaway to? Maybe a handful? That's a pretty silly measuring stick.

Ankeny isn't any more or less bland or boring than most other places in Iowa. I'm not going to sit here and pretend it's some cultural mecca, because it isn't. But there's a reason why it's the fastest-growing town in Iowa. Location, amenities, good schools, whatever it is.

Most towns in Iowa are bedroom/feeder communities for larger towns. Everywhere in Iowa is built for cars. But all of this could be said for virtually anywhere in America as well, with the exception of very densely populated and much larger cities.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

I think you're confusing "Ankeny" with "most of Iowa" or "most of anywhere in the United States." Let's be real here...how many places in Iowa would you take a weekend getaway to? Maybe a handful? That's a pretty silly measuring stick.

It's not a silly measuring stick. People don't drive to Omaha for the chain stores in west Omaha. They go to the Old Market, the zoo, baseball stadium, etc. People don't go to Chicago to hang out in Aurora. They go downtown. THat to me is what an identity/culture is. You're right - Ankeny does have an identity as a bedroom community for Des Moines. And again that's just fine.

 

[CyStalker]

It's not a silly measuring stick. People don't drive to Omaha for the chain stores in west Omaha. They go to the Old Market, the zoo, baseball stadium, etc. People don't go to Chicago to hang out in Aurora. They go downtown. THat to me is what an identity/culture is. You're right - Ankeny does have an identity as a bedroom community for Des Moines. And again that's just fine.

Although I agree that people do not go to Chicago to spend time in Aurora, I'm not sure people come to DM for DM either. I grew up in MN and came here for a job (begrudgingly) and said I would stay one year and leave. I didn't stay because of what DM had to offer, but what the suburbs had to offer. So I'm not sure there is any difference between the identity of WDM, Urbandale, Clive, Johnston or Ankeny. They are all feeders to DM, but DM isn't some hot bed. You say people don't talk about taking a weekend get away to Ankeny, they don't really do that with DM either.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

You say people don't talk about taking a weekend get away to Ankeny, they don't really do that with DM either.

I think the point got lost in translation so I'll restate it. Your friend comes into town from a city out of state for a weekend. He says "show me around." You're probably more apt to take him to DSM than anywhere in Ankeny. You're taking him somewhere with an independent identity.

 

[Trice]

I think the point got lost in translation so I'll restate it. Your friend comes into town from a city out of state for a weekend. He says "show me around." You're probably more apt to take him to DSM than anywhere in Ankeny. You're taking him somewhere with an independent identity.

Again, I'm not really sure what you're trying to compare here. Ankeny to Omaha? How many other places in Iowa have attractions that rival Omaha? Des Moines, that's it. So it's not really a fair comparison.

By your measuring stick, nowhere in Iowa outside of Des Moines city limits has an independent identity.

 

[CyStalker]

I think the point got lost in translation so I'll restate it. Your friend comes into town from a city out of state for a weekend. He says "show me around." You're probably more apt to take him to DSM than anywhere in Ankeny. You're taking him somewhere with an independent identity.

I understand what you're saying there, but my question to you is what identity does Johnston, Urbandale etc have over Ankeny? To me they all just feed DM.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

Again, I'm not really sure what you're trying to compare here. Ankeny to Omaha? How many other places in Iowa have attractions that rival Omaha? Des Moines, that's it. So it's not really a fair comparison.

By your measuring stick, nowhere in Iowa outside of Des Moines city limits has an independent identity.

Okay. None of what I was saying was bashing Ankeny. I was suggesting it is a bedroom community. Let's start over.

People travel to DBQ for the weekend because it's a historic city. They don't travel to Asbury. People travel to DSM when people are in town visiting. They don't travel to Ankeny. The point is not what Iowa offers compared to other places but rather once in Iowa, where do people go to see cultural amenities? Those amenities are what creates an identity in the common sense of the word.

I understand what you're saying there, but my question to you is what identity does Johnston, Urbandale etc have over Ankeny? To me they all just feed DM.

You're right. To me they are all suburbs. WDM has some corporate presence (which I wish was in downtown) but that's the main difference. At this point WDM could probably thrive on its own. Ankeny could not.

 

[JP4CY]

Okay. None of what I was saying was bashing Ankeny. I was suggesting it is a bedroom community. Let's start over.

People travel to DBQ for the weekend because it's a historic city. They don't travel to Asbury. People travel to DSM when people are in town visiting. They don't travel to Ankeny. The point is not what Iowa offers compared to other places but rather once in Iowa, where do people go to see cultural amenities? Those amenities are what creates an identity in the common sense of the word.



You're right. To me they are all suburbs. WDM has some corporate presence (which I wish was in downtown) but that's the main difference. At this point WDM could probably thrive on its own. Ankeny could not.

But why on earth does that matter? John Deere, Tones, Karls, Elwell, Soybean Association, Caseys, PDI, DMACC, etc are all solid companies.
The suburb debate is just so ******* stupid.

 

[tzjung]

I just moved to Ankeny last October from DSM, and the thing that I DESPISE about it is all the chain restaurants. Des Moines has so much more to offer in terms of bars / restaurants / Patios / places to hang out than Ankeny. Its why I'm REALLY glad I live in Prarie trail and can get downtown in 15 mins right down State Street / 2nd Ave!!

I do like our neighborhood though, and I live 2 houses up from Prarie Trail Elementary. My kids will get a great elementary education that they'll ALWAYS be able to walk to, be 1 block from the waterpark, and only about a mile from the middle school/ high school.

So...there is no doubt that the traffic situation on delaware is attrocious, and that if you are on Oralabor its a bear. You just have to avoid those locations like the plague. In all honestly Jethro's / Fongs / Leaning Tower, Wagonwheel / FireTrucker are (will be for fongs) the the best places to go and thank god they aren't on Delaware.

 

[JP4CY]

I just moved to Ankeny last October from DSM, and the thing that I DESPISE about it is all the chain restaurants. Des Moines has so much more to offer in terms of bars / restaurants / Patios / places to hang out than Ankeny. Its why I'm REALLY glad I live in Prarie trail and can get downtown in 15 mins right down State Street / 2nd Ave!!

100% agree with that. Hopefully Ankeny can improve in those areas, the old downtown is for the most part a dump. Old Morton type buildings need to be torn down. There is a chance for it to improve with the new pavilion and bike trail extension.

 

[Trice]

Okay. None of what I was saying was bashing Ankeny. I was suggesting it is a bedroom community. Let's start over.

People travel to DBQ for the weekend because it's a historic city. They don't travel to Asbury. People travel to DSM when people are in town visiting. They don't travel to Ankeny. The point is not what Iowa offers compared to other places but rather once in Iowa, where do people go to see cultural amenities? Those amenities are what creates an identity in the common sense of the word.



You're right. To me they are all suburbs. WDM has some corporate presence (which I wish was in downtown) but that's the main difference. At this point WDM could probably thrive on its own. Ankeny could not.

I'm not really defending Ankeny in particular here, it's just that you're not making sense. You were the one who dropped in to say Ankeny was bland, boring etc. in comparison to other places. But you keep holding it up to major destination cities like Des Moines or Omaha. Which it isn't - and which very, very few places are.

Yes, Des Moines has many amenities. But it's just as true that Des Moines' population alone can't support those amenities. The Iowa Cubs aren't sticking around to play in front of 2,500 people a night in a city of 200K. The Art Festival wouldn't do nearly as well if it only had 1/3 the potential visitors as it currently does. Yet Des Moines city limits couldn't hold all the people who want to live there. They have to go somewhere. And each of those suburbs aren't interested in creating Science Centers and Wells Fargo Arenas all for themselves.

It's a mutually beneficial relationship. Neither is what it is without the other. Not every town is going to be a Des Moines or Omaha. But no Des Moines or Omaha can offer everything that it does and survive without lots of Ankenys or Johnstons. And given that it's a 15 minute drive from my house to everything Des Moines has to offer, it really doesn't matter if I live in Des Moines or not.

 

[Trice]

100% agree with that. Hopefully Ankeny can improve in those areas, the old downtown is for the most part a dump. Old Morton type buildings need to be torn down. There is a chance for it to improve with the new pavilion and bike trail extension.

That seems to be a priority area. The new market pavilion space they're putting in should help kick start things there.

 

[isume6]

Do you mind me asking what the monthly dues are?

I don't remember exactly, but I think for me and my wife, plus paying for unlimited daycare for our kids (another great perk they have for a stay at home mom that wants to get out of the house once and a while :smile the monthly bill is just over $100, maybe $115?? They also have a joining fee which you need to factor in, and that was I think the first and last month of fees?

I think you get what you pay for though. There is a nice locker room that includes a sauna, a little cafe where you can buy protein shakes and healthy snacks for after your workouts, plus all brand new equipment. We were members at Anytime Fitness, and we were paying close to 3/4 of that and not getting any of the free classes or daycare, so i don't think it is that bad.

 

[CyStalker]

Thanks for the info!!

 

[jtdoyle1]

I don't understand why this thread turned into Ankeny not being a place of culture and a destination city. Who cares... It is like comparing a Toyota Camry to a Corvette.

The op's question was about living there. Unless you go out to eat every night or cultural events all the time, who cares. Ankeny has everything you need for day to day living for a family- that is why so many people live there. If you want entertainment and cultural it's pretty close to anything you would want to do for fun.

 

[CyStalker]

I don't understand why this thread turned into Ankeny not being a place of culture and a destination city. Who cares... It is like comparing a Toyota Camry to a Corvette.

The op's question was about living there. Unless you go out to eat every night or cultural events all the time, who cares. Ankeny has everything you need for day to day living for a family- that is why so many people live there. If you want entertainment and cultural it's pretty close to anything you would want to do for fun.

It's a slow time in sporting news. I guess everyone is a little bored...:spinny:

 

[Bader]

People travel to DBQ for the weekend because it's a historic city. They don't travel to Asbury. People travel to DSM when people are in town visiting.

People travel to Dubuque to drink, find crack, or check out the bluffs.

If someone came to town and wanted to spend time golfing or checking out bike trails, I'd take them to places around Ankeny.

 

[Trice]

I don't understand why this thread turned into Ankeny not being a place of culture and a destination city. Who cares... It is like comparing a Toyota Camry to a Corvette.

The op's question was about living there. Unless you go out to eat every night or cultural events all the time, who cares. Ankeny has everything you need for day to day living for a family- that is why so many people live there. If you want entertainment and cultural it's pretty close to anything you would want to do for fun.

I would have saved myself a lot of keystrokes had I just come up with that comparison a couple hours ago.

 

[Mtowncyclone13]

I would have saved myself a lot of keystrokes had I just come up with that comparison a couple hours ago.

hahaha