Here Nice and cool…read more Quiet Easy to focus on work. Hood helpers and staff. Will be back

I went to the Johnston Public Library for the first time for a free quarterly cooking class. The…read morelibrary is newish and well maintained. They have a conference room equipped with full kitchen and a display mirror. It was the perfect location to host this class. We learned how to make 10 quick and easy holiday appetizers in less that an hour plus we were lucky enough to taste them all too. We were lucky enough to also go home with all of the recipes. The instructor was a good editor for Greydog Media. The library offers a lot of free classes for adults and children. Each class is very professional and a great use of your time. The bathrooms were exceptionally clean too.

amazing small town library. lots of toys and things for littles to do. a nice food pantry. the…read morestaff is all amazing. great selection of books. lots of programs for kids and adults.

I stopped in here because a friend recommended it. It's a small library that makes up for it's size…read moreand age with the enthusiastic and helpful librarians. They offer tons of classes and resources, enough to match the bigger libraries in the metro. The librarians are helpful, knowledgeable and ardent supporters of this little library.

The grimes library is not big or fancy but they have a great selection of books and the staff are…read moreextremely helpful and accomodating. This library also has a multitude of community programs for toddlers - adults. Definately check out their programs. My 9 year old signed up to read to a therapy dog and it was an amazing experience. The therapy dog and owner were sweetest as can be! My son loved reading to the dog and I loved that he was excited to read. While there the staff also helped us find some sport books for my son and were just really great about chatting and answering questions. This is going to be a go to place for us when looking for something to do.

When I first moved to the Des Moines metro I lived in the Sherman Hill area and then pretty much…read moremoved to the West side of town. But Des Moines is a pretty small city so I've spent my share of time on the North, South, and East sides too... I had a friend who needed notary services and we were trying to figure out a good place to meet up along with another party. The East Side Library came up as a possible spot. We agreed on a time. I grabbed my ledger, stamp, and a couple of pens and headed in that direction. I'd never been here before. The parking area is pretty good. It's a decent sized lot right off of Hubbell. Not near as big as West Des Moines or Urbandale... But suitable for this facility. The library itself didn't seem near as busy as some of the others in the metro. We quietly grabbed a table. I had a few minutes to look around and check things out as we were waiting for the last of our group to arrive. The East Side Library has that typical library feel to it. It reaks of organization which is unusual to me... I normally live my life in a slightly organized chaos... Lol It looked like they had a pretty good selection of books. Rosie's Ocean...their themed children's area. A fireplace nook for quiet casual reading. Computers and wifi. They appeared to have several meeting rooms available for use. After a few minutes with everyone at the table... Our business was conducted. Notarizations were completed etc. And we were on our way home. While not exactly the biggest libary in the metro... I was impressed by what I saw here! If you live in this area or are just passing through... Stop in and check the East Side Library out!

Beautiful outdoor park that you spend a good 30+ minutes walking around to admire the art. It was a…read moregreat place to walk through between locations on a hot Saturday.

Whenever I travel I make it a habit to visit sculpture parks and public art installations…read morethroughout the area I'm in. Overall I really enjoy our local parks here in the Des Moines metro including the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. I think it ranks right up there with parks in some of the major metropolitan areas throughout the United States. That being said... I have to take issue with one piece... Gymnast III. Can we stop pretending that it doesn't look like what it really looks like? Lol It's described as it "captures the basic strength of a bending and stretching athlete..." I was on a school trip with my young daughter when the guide steered our kids away from a nearby nude female bust that used to stand near the Gymnast III statue. We passed by that statue...and headed right over to this one. I whispered to one of the other chaperones... "Really? Away from that one to this one...?" She quietly asked me what I meant. I told her "Just wait... As we walk around it... Let me know when you see it." A few seconds later she grabbed my arm tightly... "Oh my God!" she said in a hushed voice. But with enough emphasis I knew she was seeing it too... We both had a good laugh as the tour guide went on with her explanation of the piece to the children in the group. Both hoping none of the kids would see "it"... I didn't need those questions that day. I'm all about art. And I'm a big fan of the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park. It's a bright spot in the middle of downtown! But I can't help but feel like this piece is part of a HUGE inside joke... I wonder if the sculptor (William Tucker) said... I'm going to create this huge bronze phallic piece! I'm not going to call it what it is though. I'm going to call it Gymnast III and attach a PC interpretation explaining it... And sell it for A LOT of money! Then after the money is in the account...I'm going to sit back and laugh my butt off... Because I know what it really is!" And maybe it's not. Could just be my imagination or my inner 13 year old... BUT from the side it sure looks like one... Tucker also described some of his works as a "prolonged anatomy lesson." Again...really? I think he knew what it looked like too. Lol A popular spot for tourists and photographers. A showpiece many festivals are centered around. Opened in 2009 the John and Mary Pappajohn Sculpture Park sits on 4.4 acres. It contains around 30 installations. The parking around it is metered. You will find the Gymnast III statue on the North side of the park. About halfway down right along Grand Ave. Circle around it... Look at it from every angle. Take it all in... And then you tell me what you think...!

I heard about Imagination Playschool through the mommy grapevine. I took my daughter there this…read moremorning. I was pleasantly surprised to see how close it is to The Grateful Chef. That's where we stopped for lunch :) Imagination Playschool is Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 9A-2P November through March. The cost is $1.50 for children 1 year and up. They have lots of room to run and play. Also cars, bikes, and trikes. There's a little play house and a swing set. For such a reasonable price it's a great place to let the kiddos run, play, and burn off energy during the colder months. I noticed there is a weight room and some workout equipment at this community center also. There is also a nice playground out front, basketball court, and a little kiddie pool/ splash pad.

Watching news..., Individuals say they are going to represent themselves. I've found, dumbest thing…read morea person can choose. I did the same one time in DSM/Polk. The judge was a total attacking Clown. Told me; You're No lawyer..., You're No lawyer. You don't know what you're doing! Etc. Just a HUGE, BIASED MOUTH. Terrible. Suffice to say, even with all my evidence..., judge yelled, No no, I choose the other side, cuz they Are a lawyer! Huh... ! So, careful going to court around here. They'll Steamroll yuh. Have a Good attorney & money !!! In my opinion, don't go to court. Tomi, Iowa.

Being a native of Iowa. Yet moving away 12 yrs ago. I have to say…read more The Midwest has many pockets where you would least expect. The high level of customer service & genuine level of kindness. The building is honestly still absolutely beautiful In it's design. People were very helpful & friendly. Now the- Clerk of Court employees. Debbie, Marsha & Albert. These 3 are God sent Angel's. I have been dealing with a matter over the phone. Via from Las Vegas, NV. From day one. I believe starting July. I have had the pleasure speaking & working with all 3 of these lovely individuals. They all listened to me. Went above and beyond their required job duties. I couldn't thank them enough. So if you are ever needing assistance from the Clerk of Court. Make sure you get one of the mentioned 3 individuals. You are definitely in good hands. I highly recommend this court house. Even if it's just to stop by & check out nothing more then all of its beauty. From the people. To its wondrous Architectural design.

My sister moved to Des Moines over a year ago and wanted to finally check out The Capitol on my…read morevisit. We were both very pleased. Absolutely beautiful garden area out in front with plenty of great photo ops. Inside, we did a guided tour and were in awe of the exquisite detail of the building and learning about its history. I recommend checking it out when in town and when the weather is nice because there are plenty of places within walking distance to grab a bite or a cup of coffee/tea.

WOW! The Law Library looks straight out of a fairytale. I swear it looks like the inspiration for…read moreBelle's library in Beauty and the Beast. The gorgeous murals and senate chambers were also impressive. We stopped here on a whim during a recent road trip and were pleasantly surprised by its grandeur and beauty. They offered a free tour, but we opted for a self guided tour instead so we could go on our own pace. We came on a Friday afternoon and someone who worked there told us it's the best day to visit since the place is so busy Mon-Thurs when legislators are in session, that it's often difficult to find a parking spot. But on this quiet Friday morning, we parked in the front row and had no line in front of us as we went through the security metal detector.