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Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

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Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#51

Post by couchand »

wyclif wrote: post #21

If you're interested in alt-startup US cities, here's my list of places I would be interested in if I were a founder or early employee: 1. Boulder 2. Austin 3. Omaha 4. Des Moines 5. Reno (the real sleeper, but just look at the low, low business tax rate and proximity to SF). The above list isn't meant to be chiseled into stone—it's just a thought experiment on my part and I'm interested in what others think the pros…

Curious why you'd pick Omaha over Des Moines. There are some neat areas like Benson, but most of it is suburban wasteland in my experience. It's much easier to avoid those parts of the Des Moines area.

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#52

Post by r0m4n0 »

yitchelle wrote: post #8
etjossem wrote: post #6

Having moved from Des Moines to San Francisco, I can say with confidence that Iowa has its upsides. A flourishing community of startup founders, hilariously low rents (my perfectly nice studio ran for Lack of diversity is a serious problem; most people in Des Moines were born there. From a startup perspective, there's also not much of an investor ecosystem, and some companies struggle to find local funding. It's a sm…

It is interesting that not more satellite areas around SF are rising centres of startups. Even Sacramento, which is quite near, does not seem to much activity. Anyone know why?

I know everyone can boast their own city but I have found Sacramento to be the perfect combination of low cost, central location, and atmosphere. Within 2 miles from downtown, a 1 bedroom flat for $800 in a bike friendly midtown.

I've been a part of the startup community for the past few years and have witnessed the buzz. With large campuses for Intel, HP, Oracle in the suburb areas there is a large pool of talent that I grew up around and occupy the area. Recruiters and VC make regular appearances at collaborative work spaces and maker labs in the area.

Honestly, when I see these articles I'm a bit baffled. why would you move to Reno to save a couple hundred a month on rent?

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#53

Post by ritchiea »

rquantz wrote: post #34

The Social Club is now lodged in an old firehouse built in 1937, and has a theater, classrooms, bars, art gallery, and adjoining restaurant [...] Mannheimer created something that would have taken the rest his life and $300 million to complete if he'd stayed in New York. It took him seven years and $12 million. Ok, I haven't seen Mannheimer's place, but something that matches this description just opened up across th…

Really? The cost of real estate in Bushwick has gone through the roof over the last 10 yeas and particularly in the last 5. When I moved to Bushwick 6 years ago my the rent for my 3 bedroom apartment was 1800, there were other options in that range, as well as similarly priced apartments in Crown Heights. Look at the prices today and the rents in those areas have almost doubled. The New York real estate market is insane right now and people are already investing in areas like East New York hoping that the gentrification and rising rents keep moving eastward. Commercial rent is less expensive than residential and people do great things in NYC but a giant space in Bushwick is going to be very expensive right now and you're going to have to be good at turning a profit to keep the lights on.

That said I'm really curious what just opened up in Bushwick that matches the description of the social club in the article.

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#54

Post by jmervin »

wyclif wrote: post #21

If you're interested in alt-startup US cities, here's my list of places I would be interested in if I were a founder or early employee: 1. Boulder 2. Austin 3. Omaha 4. Des Moines 5. Reno (the real sleeper, but just look at the low, low business tax rate and proximity to SF). The above list isn't meant to be chiseled into stone—it's just a thought experiment on my part and I'm interested in what others think the pros…

Reno/Tahoe area resident here. Oh yeah, +1 for Reno :-)

While there has long been a surprisingly sizable population of engineering professionals living in and working OUT of the area, over the last few years an enthusiastic startup business culture has emerged.

There are multiple incubator / co-working facilities, a convenient airport, beautiful environment and as you note, a favorable tax structure.

Tesla, along with the gaming and defense industries, should really be just anchor businesses in a much deeper technology ecosystem. Reno very much has this potential.

As you say, a real sleeper.

[edit: mobile-typo]

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#55

Post by yitchelle »

Touche wrote: post #15
yitchelle wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is interesting that not more satellite areas around SF are rising centres of startups. Even Sacramento, which is quite near, does not seem to much activity. Anyone know why?

It's more interesting that physical location matters at all in 2014.

I don't think we, as humans, will ever work fully remotely. I know companies like 37signals and others have been successful in this working model, but personally, I must have some human contact with the person I have been working with. I would imagine that the majority of humans would also have the same attitude.

Humans are social creatures and we have an emotional need to connect. I can clearly see this as I contrast this human need when I compare my wife's needs and my needs. I am borderline Asperger's and my need to connect is not as high as that of my wife. Although this observation is in a family environment, I don't think it is too dissimilar in an office environment.

So from the perspective of connection, physical location matters.

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#56

Post by badmadrad »

badmadrad wrote: post #3

Godspeed Des Moines. Godspeed.

I can understand why the city wants to reinvent itself and I admire this campaign. I'm sure the people there are nice to but its is not going to have the draw of the bigger cities. There is also an inherent risk with moving to a smaller city. Cost of of living is directly related to opportunities a certain area provides. If cost of living is lower its because it has to be for many reasons. Not to mention if you are younger and you want to learn from the best in a certain technical field you will be harder pressed to find that in Des Moines. I am not saying that there aren't great people in Des Moines but proportionately that number may be less than larger cities. Either way godspeed.

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#57

Post by rquantz »

couchand wrote: post #49
rquantz wrote: post #34

The Social Club is now lodged in an old firehouse built in 1937, and has a theater, classrooms, bars, art gallery, and adjoining restaurant [...] Mannheimer created something that would have taken the rest his life and $300 million to complete if he'd stayed in New York. It took him seven years and $12 million. Ok, I haven't seen Mannheimer's place, but something that matches this description just opened up across th…

Clearly you haven't seen the Des Moines Social Club, or you're massively underestimating the cost of real estate in New York City. The DMSC is 37,000 square feet of finished gallery, restaurant, and theater space. Conservatively estimating a lease at $15 net-net for unfinished warehouse space in Bushwick you're looking at 6 million dollars a year to rent, plus the cost of renovations. The Des Moines Social Club owns…

please stop talking out of your ass about something you're so clearly uninformed on.

Nice. I did say I haven't seen it.

I certainly won't claim that exactly the same thing opened up across the street from me. They don't own the building. I'm sure they're not paying 6 million a year rent though. They have performance space, gallery space, yoga and other classes, and a restaurant/bar. Again, my point is not that you can't get cheaper real estate elsewhere, but the portrait of New York as a place where nothing can be accomplished unless you're super rich is not accurate. That's not coming out of my ass.

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#59

Post by couchand »

rquantz wrote: post #57
couchand wrote: post #49

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Clearly you haven't seen the Des Moines Social Club, or you're massively underestimating the cost of real estate in New York City. The DMSC is 37,000 square feet of finished gallery, restaurant, and theater space. Conservatively estimating a lease at $15 net-net for unfinished warehouse space in Bushwick you're looking at 6 million dollars a year to rent, plus the cost of renovations. The Des Moines Social Club owns…

please stop talking out of your ass about something you're so clearly uninformed on. Nice. I did say I haven't seen it. I certainly won't claim that exactly the same thing opened up across the street from me. They don't own the building. I'm sure they're not paying 6 million a year rent though. They have performance space, gallery space, yoga and other classes, and a restaurant/bar. Again, my point is not that you ca…

So you're making an apples-to-oranges comparison based on your intuition? Thanks for raising the bar of the conversation here.

Re: Do the Most Hipster Thing Possible – Move to Des Moines

#60

Post by Jemaclus »

Almost everyone commenting here falls into two camps: A) "NYC/SF is great" and B) "I've been to Des Moines, it's great."

But nobody here really seems to be comparing the two. If I live in SF/NYC and I want to move to Des Moines, what are the upsides? What are the downsides? Sure, Des Moines is a nice place with fun stuff -- but so are a hundred other cities in the US. What makes Des Moines different or a good enough draw to make me leave SF?

Lower rent? I can get that almost anywhere else. Hipsters? There are plenty of those here. Big social clubs, nice restaurants, a music scene? I have that here, too. Bike-friendly? So is the Bay Area (downtown SF notwithstanding) Nice weather most of the year? Same as the Bay Area.

What's the big draw to Des Moines? Or Portland? Or Austin? Why would I pick any of those places over SF or NYC or anywhere else?

I don't think it's enough to say "NYC/SF is expensive. You should move to Des Moines, because we're great." I think you have to really make a case that life in Des Moines is going to be better than where you live now, or else I have no reason to uproot my life and move, yeah?

(Genuinely curious -- I'm not gonna stay in SF forever, but I have no idea where I'd want to go next.)

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