Des Moines Shopping and Districts

(Des Moines, Iowa - IA, USA)

With its population now exceeding 200,000 people, the state capital of Des Moines is called home by a particularly healthy shopping scene and a number of sizeable malls, such as the outlying Jordan Creek Town Center and the Merle Hay Mall. Sited to the northwest of the city center, the Merle Hay Mall opened in 1959 and comes with close to 100 stores and services, including a multiscreen cineplex.

Plenty of local specialty shops and larger department stores line the principal thoroughfares of downtown Des Moines, such as the streets around the Western Gateway Park. These include Grand Avenue, Locust Street and Walnut Street, the latter of which is where you will find the downtown shopping mall known as the Kaleidoscope at the Hub.

This small mall stands between 5th Avenue and 7th Street, where it comprises around 30 small specialty shops, eateries and services. Spread over three floors, the shops are connected to downtown office buildings by a series of enclosed skywalks, with the third floor featuring a food court with sit-down eateries.

Where to Shop

The central East Village provides an especially pleasant shopping experience in downtown Des Moines. Designed with pedestrians in mind, this historic area is both a commercial and residential area.

Here you will see old period buildings standing alongside trendy boutiques, jewelers, gift shops, antiques stores, funky galleries and attractions, such as the Brenton Skating Plaza and the Simon Estes Amphitheater. The Des Moines Street lies to the north of the East Village and Vine Street is to the south, while East 14th Street and the Des Moines River bound the eastern and western aspects respectively.

Head over to western Des Moines and further shopping opportunities present themselves around the Valley Junction. This collection of adjacent shops and businesses offers an appealing character, with wooden sidewalks and sympathetic redevelopment. Various events are staged at the Valley Junction during the summer, including live music, gallery nights and craft fairs.

Located within the far westerly suburb of West Des Moines is the Jordan Creek Town Center, which stands on the Jordan Creek Parkway and serves as the biggest shopping complex in Iowa state. In excess of 150 stores, eateries and services are based at this giant two-storey mall, including familiar chain stores such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Barnes and Noble, Dillard's, the Pottery Barn, Scheels All Sports and also Younkers.

Opened in the summer of 2004, the Jordan Creek Town Center is not only known in Des Moines for its superb and extensive shopping, but also for its plentiful restaurants and cafes. These eateries number around 25 in total and are perfect for shoppers needing to put down their heavy bags, take a break and have a snack. Also onsite is a cinema complex with multiple screens and some enticing outdoor spaces, including waterfront restaurants and boardwalks within the Lake District.

Another notable shopping mall based in West Des Moines is the somewhat older Valley West Mall, which began its life in the mid-1970s and also boasts in excess of 100 stores, such as JC Penny, Von Maur and Younkers. For something a little more intimate and interactive, consider buying your produce at the weekly Downtown Farmers' Market, held each Saturday within the Court Avenue District, just a block away from the Nollen Plaza.