Welcome to Downtown Living Des Moines: A Love Letter to the City and Its People

By Sommer – artist, photographer, writer, and city enthusiast

Ever since I was a kid, while other kids dreamed of stethoscopes and safari hats, I dreamed of something else entirely: a brick wall.

Not just any brick wall—my brick wall. The kind that belonged in an open downtown loft with high ceilings, exposed pipes, and just enough city noise to keep me company at night. I didn’t dream of backyards or garden beds. I wanted concrete, character, and a view of streetlights instead of stars. And for a while, life took me far from that dream.

I found myself living the small-town life—complete with a lawn to mow, weeds to pull, and weekends that blurred into chores and obligations. Then one day, I paused and asked myself: Is this really it?

That question was the spark. I decided that life’s too short to be unhappy and weekends are too sacred to spend behind a vacuum. So I packed it all up—my old life, my doubts, and my dreams—and moved to downtown Des Moines in search of that brick wall.

And I found it.

Today, I live in the kind of space I used to sketch as a child. Exposed brick, soaring ceilings, light pouring in from oversized windows. But it’s not just the loft—it’s everything about this place. I park my car and forget about it. I walk to the gym. I run to the Capital. I grab sushi, coffee, or a glass of wine without getting behind the wheel. Saturday mornings start with the Farmers Market, afternoons might bring a festival in Gateway Park, and evenings sometimes end at the Civic Center or cheering on a team at Wells Fargo Arena.

But the real magic? The people.

Downtown Des Moines is a vibrant, gritty, soulful blend of humanity. In a single afternoon, I’ll see VIPs rolling up in blacked-out SUVs, unhoused neighbors swapping stories and supplies from their carts, marathoners pounding the pavement, fashionistas in heels navigating Court Ave, and dog walkers in bathrobes waving good morning. It’s messy and beautiful. It’s honest.

It’s alive—and so am I.

After a year of living downtown, I finally feel like myself again. For the first time in my adult life, I have the time and inspiration to paint, to photograph, to write—and to share it all. That’s what this space is for: to tell the stories of the people who live, work, and breathe life into downtown Des Moines. To celebrate its quirks, its charm, and its unmatched energy.

This isn’t just where I live. It’s where I’ve come alive.
And I want our city to thrive.