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This video documentation of the six-month installation process of the Pappajohn Sculpture Park was produced by Blur MediaWorks as a gift to the City of Des Moines and the Des Moines Art Center.
Thanks to my friend Bob, I now have a camera mount attached to my bike handlebars. I’m able to attach one of my cameras and shoot video as I ride. The two videos included in this post are a sample of a recent ride I did Sunday evening around downtown.
I started my ride from Liberty Condos and made my way east to the Principal Riverwalk, south to Principal Park (it’s funny that it still says Sec Taylor Stadium on Google Maps, even though they changed names a few years ago), and then west to the Scott Avenue Pedestrian Bridge and then back down 2nd Avenue to Court Avenue, west to 4th and I snaked my way back to 6th and Grand.
My plans are to explore the various downtown trails this fall (weather permitting) and next spring and shoot videos from each of the trails to share. This will give everyone a great look at how wonderful our bike trail system really is. I personally think that we have some of the best bike riding trails around and am thankful that are so easily accessible for downtown dwellers.
P.S. It was pretty windy out there at times Sunday evening so you may here a lot of that during the video playback.
Here’s a video tour of the Robert D Ray Asian Gardens that I took yesterday evening using the new iPhone 3GS. I hope you enjoy.
One of my favorite things to do is get out and explore downtown Des Moines, especially with a focus on all the great architecture that can be found here. The Iowa Architectural Foundation each summer presents the Architecture @ Hand Walking Tours. This year marks the Foundations’s 20th year anniversary. In the past they’ve offered three different tour paths, this year they have four. I’ve already taken one this year and will probably end up taking several more. Check them out!
This is a video that was recently published on YouTube. It appears to be shot in 2006, and the editing isn’t perfect, but it’s a good overview of the what Des Moines has to offer. It was originally part of a tourism infomercial for Greater Des Moines Convention & Visitors Bureau.
I recently ran across a YouTube Video that a guy named Adam put together back in October to provide a mini tour of downtown Des Moines.
Let me begin with saying that I always try to be as positive as a person as possible, but I think in order for us to grow as a community, sometimes criticism is necessary. I will try to keep this story to just the facts as best as I can.
I had been looking forward to the advertised Historic East Village Holiday Home Tour for a couple of weeks. I convinced my friend Brian to come along since neither of us had really toured the housing opportunities in the East Village. The flyer for the event promised “Experience contemporary urban living as residents decorate their lofts for the Holidays.” I printed the map from their website, and at 2pm, the starting time indicated on the flyer, Brian and I set out to tour the six locations indicated on the map.
We parked our car at the corner of East Locust and East 4th, bundled up to brave the low 20s temperatures and started our tour at the SOHO Lofts. When walking down Locust Street we were looking for some Open House signs for the SOHO Lofts, but didn’t see any, but we found the entrance to the SOHO right down the block from the Village Bean. We were greeted at the elevator by a nice gentleman that explained we would be looking at 3 lofts today, two from residents and one unoccupied. So far so good. The first loft we looked at was one of the smaller ones with a nice resident, but I don’t really recall the unit being decorated for the Holidays. Then we went up a floor to a larger unit, this one was nice and included a Christmas tree. Then the tour continued to an unfinished unit out in the courtyard. Honestly, neither of us were that impressed with the SOHO project, but that’s why there is variety downtown, something for everyone.
This weekend, ST Howard Development and the Historic East Village Association is hosting a a holiday home tour on Saturday and Sunday.
Saturday’s event runs from 4pm to 6pm and Sunday’s event runs from 2pm to 4pm.
By visiting participating lofts you can not only experience contemporary urban living all decorated up for the holidays, up also register to win gifts and specials from East Village shops and restaurants.
Participating in the Home Tour are:
As you may know, November 1st is generally recognized as All Saints Day, followed by All Soul’s Day on November 2nd. So in spirit of this holiday, I decided to venture into downtown’s cemetery, Woodland Cemetery and get some photos against the wonderful fall backdrop.
But before we get to the photo’s here’s a little history about Woodland Cemetery. First of all Woodland Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in Des Moines. It was founded in 1848, consists of over 65 acres and home to more than 85,000 graves. We saw gravestones dating back to the mid 1850s. Lot’s of Des Moines famous founders and leaders over the years can be found here.
If you are more interested in this cemetery, guided tours are available throughout the year, during good weather.
WHEN: The tours last about 1 hour 45 minutes and can be arranged by appointment. Call (515) 967-7708.
COST: $5
DONATIONS: Tax-deductible donations for restoration projects at Woodland Cemetery and its Catholic section, St. Ambrose Cemetery, can be sent to the office at 4909 University Ave., Des Moines, IA 50311.
Enjoy the photos!
This morning, me and couple of my friends took the 2008 Doors of the Past Walking Tour in Sherman Hill, 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. The pictures I took along the way show some really nice homes and others that are in of desperate attention. According to the neighborhood’s website: 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.
