Second BuckRoger's post, in general. I'm a native rural Iowan, who lived in Des Moines (DSM) part of my career, and am there often for family purposes. My rec

Second BuckRoger's post, in general. I'm a native rural Iowan, who lived in Des Moines (DSM) part of my career, and am there often for family purposes. My recommendation is simple: Unless you are a CPA, actuary, lawyer or some other bureaucrat, don't move to DSM. In fact, I've advised many people to move away. The reasons are simple. While there are both tech and brick/mortar startups in DSM, the scene isn't huge and it does have life-span issues. Startup City closed up shop this fall after 2-3 years. Gravitate--the co-working spot mentioned in the article--is the latest in a series of attempted co-working spots over the past several years. Regular employment options are a huge concern too. DSM is government, insurance, mortgages and banking, with a handful of ag and convenience-store companies thrown in the mix. The common refrain I hear from old colleagues and family working for insurance/financial services companies is how unsatisfied/miserable they are, and how they wish there was someplace better to go. The marketing, advertising and publishing companies shouldn't be forgotten either. (Hint: re-read that last sentence in context of the article.) Another huge thing people don't often consider is airfare costs. DSM International traditionally has had very high airfares--so high, many companies have sent their employees to Omaha or Kansas City to catch flights, because it's more cost effective--even with mileage and hotel bills. Ignore the hype. There are much better places to live and work than Des Moines. I now live and have my own business in the Minneapolis/St. Paul (Twin Cities) metro, and couldn't be happier. For everything the article states about Des Moines, MSP is several orders of magnitude better.