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Working in Downtown Des Moines

Downtown Des Moines (DSM) not only offers opportunities for exploring, events and entertainment, it’s also a bustling place to work. Many of the region’s major employers have a presence in Downtown DSM, as does the startup and entrepreneur scene.

Find Jobs in Downtown DSM

Downtown: A Workforce Hub

Thousands of people currently work in Downtown DSM at corporations like Wellabe, Cognizant, Dotdash Meredith, EMC Insurance, Global Atlantic,  LOCALiQ Des Moines Register, Nationwide, Principal, Ruan Companies/Bankers Trust, Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield of Iowa, Wells Fargo & Co. and many others.

Working in Downtown Des Moines is easy to navigate and quick to traverse and plenty is packed into the city blocks.

Past Meets Present Meets Future

As the place where Des Moines got its start, Downtown DSM is rich in history. But it’s also the pulse of the region’s present and future. Alongside beautifully preserved historical buildings and regional icons, you’ll find forward-thinking companies, people and programs.

Downtown Amenities Make Life Easy

One of the perks of working Downtown is the nearby access to services. You can head to a doctor’s appointment or drop your car off for a tune-up and make it back to the office for your next meeting. Check out these Downtown DSM conveniences and services that make life a little easier. Plus, check out all the places where you can shop local in Downtown DSM

 
Healthcare
Business Name Business Website
MercyOne Des Moines Medical Center mercyone.org/desmoines
UnityPoint Health - Methodist Medical Center unitypoint.org/desmoines/iowa-methodist-medical-center.aspx
UnityPoint Health - Lutheran Hospital unitypoint.org/desmoines/iowa-lutheran-hospital.aspx
Optometry
Business Name Business Website
Westrum Optometry westrumoptometry.com
Dentists
Business Name Business Website
Dentistry 801 Grand dentistry801.com
Dentistry on 5th dentistryon5th.com
Downtown Dental Care downtowndentalcarepllc..com
Skywalk Dental Office skywalkdentaloffice.com
Chiropractors
Business Name Business Website
Active Care Chiropractic dsmactivecare.com
Central Health Chiropractic centralhealthdesmoines.com
East Village Chiropractic eastvillagechiro.com
Iowa Spine & Performance iowaspineandperformance.com/pages/contact-location
Skywalk Chiropractic skywalkchiro.com
Physical Therapy
Business Name Business Website
Athletico Physical Therapy athletico.com/locations/ingersoll/?location=ingersoll
Integrated Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine integratedptandsportsmed.com/
The Iowa Clinic at Methodist Medical Center iowaclinic.com/physical-therapy/locations/
MercyOne Des Moines Spine Physical Therapy mercyone.org/desmoines/location/mercyone-des-moines-spine-physical-therapy
Rock Valley Physical Therapy rockvalleypt.com/locations/des-moines-iowa-ingersoll
Select Physical Therapy selectphysicaltherapy.com/contact/find-a-location/ia/des-moines/downtown-7th-street/?ty=xt
UnityPoint Health Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy unitypoint.org/desmoines/outpatient-therapy-services.aspx
Mental Health
Business Name Business Website
Ampersand Holistic Wellness ampersandhw.com
Cognizant Counseling cognizantdsm.com
Insight Family Counseling insightcounseling.me
Modern Day Counseling moderndaycounselingdsm.com
Sampson Family Therapy sampsonfamilytherapy.com
Seva Counseling sevadsm.com
Government Services
Business Name Business Website
Polk County Offices polkcountyiowa.gov
City of Des Moines Offices dsm.city
Post Offices and Mailing Services
Business Name Business Location + Website
FedEx Onsite Walgreens at 606 Walnut St.
FedEx Print & Ship Center Des Moines Building at 405 6th Ave.
FedEx Ship Center 700 SW 9th St.
U.S. Postal Service Capital Square at 400 Locust St.
Note: Additionally, there are numerous drop-off locations for the U.S. Postal Service, FedEx and UPS throughout Downtown DSM.
Daycares and Preschools
Business Name Business Website
Childtime of Des Moines childtime.com/your-local-school/des-moines-ia-1701
Creative Center - Young Children creativecenterforyoungchildren.org
MercyOne Child Development Center - Bright Horizons child-care-preschool.brighthorizons.com/ia/desmoines/mcdc
New Horizon Academy newhorizonacademy.net/location/des-moines-ia-downtown
Oak Academy oakridgeneighborhood.org/oakridge-academy
Science Center of Iowa Preschool sciowa.org/education/sci-preschool
Pet Services
Business Name Business Website
All Dogs Unleashed Des Moines alldogsunleashed.com/desmoines
Downtown Doggy Daycare dmdoggy.com
Stylin' Paws Salon - Day Stay & Dog Boarding stylinpawssalon.com/contact-Ingersoll.php
Car Maintenance and Services
Business Name Business Website
Beckley's Automotive Services beckleyauto.com
Ford & Garland Auto Radio, Inc. fordandgarland.com
Hilltop Tire Service hilltoptireservice.com/locations/downtown
Midas midas.com/store/ia/des-moines
Scotty's Body Shop scottysbodyshop.com/about/504-se-6th-st
Williams Locksmith williamslocksmith247.com
Groceries
Business Name Business Website Pharmacy Services?
DGX dgxstore.com/pages/index.aspx No
East Village Pantry eastvillagedesmoines.com/listing/east-village-pantry No
Fourth + Court Hy-Vee hy-vee.com/stores/detail.aspx?s=1559 Yes
Gateway Market gatewaymarket.com No
Kum & Go kumandgo.com/stores/7701 No
New Oriental Food Store neworientalfoodstore.business.site No
The Marketplace themarketplaceia.com No
Walgreens walgreens.com/locator/walgreens-606+walnut+st-des+moines-ia-50309/id=3252 Yes
Note: There are several additional convenience stores in Downtown DSM, including additional Kum & Go locations, Get-N-Go and QuikTrip.
See a list of Downtown grocery stores here.

Socialize and Eat

There's no shortage of good food for every work occasion in Downtown Des Moines, whether you're looking for a quick lunch, after-dinner drinks, a mid-day coffee break or an impressive spot to take clients. Below is a sampling of Downtown restaurants, drinks venues and other eateries. Check out our full guide to Downtown Restaurants and Nightlife and the regional business directory for more options.

Lunch Spots
Business Name Business Website
Allora Café facebook.com/alloracafedsm
Basil Prosperi facebook.com/basilprosperi
Court Avenue Restaurant and Brewing Co. courtavebrew.com
Gateway Market gatewaymarket.com
La Mie Elevate lamiebakery.com/elevate
Local Bites Food Court eatlocalbites.com
Palmer's palmersdeliandmarket.com
Quinton's Bar & Deli quintonsbaranddeli.com
Smokey D's BBQ smokeydsbbq.com/pages/skywalk-location-menu
South Union Bread Café southunionbreadcafe.com
After-Work Drinks
Business Name Business Website
300 Craft & Rooftop 300craftandrooftop.com
Bellhop Tiki bellhoptikidsm.com
Big Grove Brewery & Taproom biggrove.com
The Continental continental-lounge.com
Hessen Haus hessenhaus.com
Juniper Moon junipermoondm.com
Peace Tree Brewing peacetreebrewing.com
Secret Admirer secretadmirerdsm.com
Coffee/Tea Spots
Business Name Business Website
Coffee Shop at West End Salvage westendsalvage.com/shop
Gong Fu Tea gongfu-tea.com
Horizon Line Coffee horizonlinecoffee.com
Mars Café mars.coffee
Plain Talk Books & Coffee raccoonforks.com/plaintalk
Ritual Café ritualcafedsmiowa.net
Scenic Route Bakery scenicroutebakerydsm.com
St. Kilda downtown.stkildadsm.com
Timbuktuu Coffee yelp.com/biz/timbucktuu-coffee-des-moines
Special Occasion Eateries
Business Name Business Website
801 Chophouse 801chophouse.com/des-moines
Alba albadsm.com
Americana americanadsm.com
Aposto at the Scala House apostodm.com
Centro centrodesmoines.com
Django djangodesmoines.com
Lucca luccadsm.com
Proudfoot & Bird facebook.com/proudfootbirdIA
The Republic on Grand therepublicongrand.com
Splash Seafood Bar & Grill splash-seafood.com

Recreation and Events

Stay active and have fun while working in Downtown Des Moines. Check out these options for recreation and special events you won't want to miss during the workday.

Recreation and Fitness
Business Name Business Website
Brenton Skating Plaza dsm.city/departments/parks_and_recreation-division/places/brenton_skating_plaza
Central Iowa Trails dmampo.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=c48776f60395490eb3029f5b29fc7b88
Climb Iowa East Village climbiowa.com/east-village
Des Moines B-cycle desmoines.bcycle.com
Des Moines Jiu-Jitsu Academy iowabjj.com
Fleet Feet Social Runs fleetfeet.com/s/desmoines/weekly-runs
Gray's Lake Park dsm.city/business_detail_T6_R58.php
John & Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park desmoinesartcenter.org/visit/pappajohn-sculpture-park
Lauridsen Skatepark dsmskatepark.com
Power Life Yoga Barre Fitness powerlife.com/locations/iowa
Principal Riverwalk dsm.city/business_detail_T6_R75.php
Wellmark YMCA dmymca.org/locations/wellmark-ymca
Water Works Park dsmwaterworkspark.com
Special Events

Skywalk Access

Stretching from the Iowa Events Center to the Historic Court District and the eastern edge of Western Gateway, the 4-mile Skywalk System provides a convenient way to get around Downtown Des Moines, no matter the weather. Signage throughout the Skywalk guides visitors and workers to and from their destinations.

Parking and Accessibility

Parking options are robust in Downtown DSM and many employers have dedicated company ramps or dedicated spots in public ramps for their employees.

Download the Park DSM app to pay for parking and use the City of Des Moines parking map to find parking locations near your destination. Plus, the City of Des Moines also has a map of current road closures and constructions spots and email alerts to help you plan your best route around Downtown.

I-235 connects to I-80/35 and runs the length of Downtown DSM, providing ready access and quick commutes to anywhere in the region.

Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) provides another way to commute and get around Downtown DSM. Many commuter lines service the suburbs and transport into Downtown. The D-Line route is a free shuttle that runs in a loop, every 15 minutes, from the Iowa State Capitol complex in the Historic East Village to the Western Gateway Park.

Operation Downtown - Keeping Downtown Clean, Safe, Beautiful and Welcoming

Operation Downtown plays a vital role in ensuring Downtown DSM is vibrant and welcoming. Operation Downtown's Ambassadors work behind the scenes to keep the city safe and clean, lending a helping hand to people throughout Downtown DSM.

Living Downtown is Great, Too

Skip the commute and make the move to Downtown DSM. Learn more about housing, amenities and other features that make living Downtown DSM vibrant and accessible.