Downtown
Downtown Des Moines is the one neighborhood where a date doesn't require a car key as a prop. Court Avenue handles the loud nights; the East Village handles the ones you want to remember. The skywalk system is either charming or dystopian depending on the weather and your tolerance for fluorescent lighting. Rents lean higher than the metro average, and the residential mix skews young-professional and recently divorced, which is its own kind of dating pool. Weekends thin out as the office crowd retreats to the suburbs, but that quiet is the point. If you want a first date without logistics, start here.
Downtown by the numbers
Downtown is roughly balanced, about 52% men to 48% women.
Median individual income in Downtown is about $51,600.
Iowa registers voters by party, and Polk County is about 37% Democratic to 30% Republican, with a 32% No Party bloc.
The median renter in Downtown pays about $1,220 a month.
About 6,400 Downtown residents ages 22 to 50 are single.
Local date spots
- DowntownDining
Hessen Haus
- DowntownCafés
Smokey Row Coffee
- DowntownDining
Centro
- DowntownDrinks
The Royal Mile
- DowntownDrinks
The High Life Lounge
- DowntownDining
801 Chophouse
- DowntownDining
Tupelo Honey Southern Kitchen & Bar
- DowntownDining
The Stuffed Olive Des Moines
- DowntownDining
Court Avenue Restaurant & Brewing Company
- DowntownCafés
Horizon Line Coffee
- DowntownDrinks
Hello, Marjorie
- DowntownActivity
Science Center of Iowa
Wheelchair access - DowntownDrinks
Tipsy Crow Tavern
Outdoor seatingLGBTQ+ friendly - DowntownActivity
World Food Prize Hall of Laureates
Wheelchair access - DowntownActivity
Temple Theater
Wheelchair access - DowntownActivity
Escape Chambers Des Moines
Wheelchair access - DowntownDrinks
300 Craft & Rooftop
Outdoor seatingGood for groups - DowntownDrinks
Pints Bar Rooftop - PBR Country
Outdoor seatingGood for groups - DowntownDrinks
the LiFT
LGBTQ+ friendlyGood for groups - DowntownCafés
Daisy Chain Coffee
- DowntownActivity
The Fat Putter Des Moines
Wheelchair access