Continuing our series on Des Moines Downtown Neighborhoods, today we will take a look at the Sherman Hills Neighborhood. Des Moines is currently made up of to six diverse and distinctive urban neighborhoods. Each of the neighborhood’s rough boundaries appear on this map below.

Sherman Hill Neighborhood

Located on the west side of the Downtown Des Moines, the Sherman Hill neighborhood begins at 15th Street on the east and extends to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway on the western edge. The northern edge of the neighborhood is I-235, and the southern border is Ingersoll Avenue.

The Sherman Hill Neighborhood of Des Moines, Iowa shall constitute the area whose boundaries are formed by I-235 on the North, Ingersoll Avenue to the South; 15th Street on the East; and, on the Western edge, Martin Luther King, Jr. Parkway.

Sherman Hill is Des Moines’ oldest neighborhood. From its beginnings in the 1870s until today, this neighborhood has maintained a prominent place in the city’s heritage and its architecture has earned distinction as Des Moines’ first local historical district in 1982.

Sherman Hill is a neighborhood that has seen a renaissance in the last ten years, but there is still more to do. There are numerous factors that draw people to Sherman Hill and have helped fuel the renaissance of the neighborhood. Sherman Hill is an “urban” neighborhood that offers a rare concentration of rich architecture and history that can be found few places in the Des Moines metropolitan area. The proximity of Sherman Hill to downtown, the Ingersoll and Cottage Grove Business Districts, and Iowa Methodist Medical Center all contribute to Sherman Hill’s desirability.

Sherman Hill became one of the City’s first recognized neighborhood associations in 1993. In recent years the Sherman Hill Association has succeeded in its efforts to enhance more aspects of quality of life in the neighborhood. That dedication has resulted in many improvements to the area. Among their more notable accomplishments are the addition of historic street lighting, the success of the annual Walking Tour, the preservation of homes slated for demolition in other parts of the city, and reduction in crime, increased property values and numerous rehabilitation projects spearheaded by the residents and the association.

Sherman Hill offers a unique mix of Victorian, Queen Anne, Italianate, Turn-of-the-Century Four Squares, Double Houses, Stick Style and Flemish architecture. This neighborhood appeals to families and younger couples who want to live in an historic neighborhood. The neighborhood is home to two historic attractions, Hoyt Sherman Place and The Wallace House Museum, as well as one of the only true grocery stores in downtown Des Moines, the Gateway Market.

Sherman Hill also received some recognition by This Old House Magazine as it named Sherman Hill as the place to live in several categories:

• Best Places to Get a Bargain on an Old House
• Best Places for First-Time Buyers to Get an Old House
• Best Places in the Midwest to Buy an Old House
• Best Places to Buy a Queen Anne
• Best Places for City Slickers to Buy an Old House
• Best Places for Families with Kids to Buy an Old House 

Sherman Hill Highlights: (click on an icon for more information)

Housing

Nightlife

Eating Out

Shopping

Attractions

For more information on this neighborhood visit the official Historic Sherman Hills website or visit the Sherman Hill News forum on AbsoluteDSM.com.

closeAuthor: MulderDSM Name: Larry Bradshaw
Email: admin@livingdowntowndesmoines.com
Site: http://www.larrybradshaw.net
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