The Kirkwood, completed by INVISION is 2005 was recently featured in the July Edition of the Downtown Des Moines Newsletter. Resident Dave Steppat talks about his positive experience living in the renovated Kirkwood Hotel. Read on for more information -
URBAN PIONEER The simple life. That’s what Dave Steppat was seeking when he decided to move from his Johnston townhome to The Kirkwood in downtown Des Moines in January 2007. “I was looking to simplify my life”, said Dave, “and downtown is really coming alive”. Steppat, 58, is an executive with Allied Nationwide and now enjoys a healthy five-minute walk through the skywalks to get to work each day instead of his previous 30-minute commute in rush hour traffic. “I realized that my job and most of the things I enjoy doing are located downtown”, adds Dave, who counts Principal Park and the Civic Center as two of his favorite downtown venues. So why did Steppat choose The Kirkwood as his new home? He says he looked at most of the options downtown and found it difficult to choose between many of them. He decided on The Kirkwood mainly because of it’s history, excellent management and skywalk access. He also liked the fact that he can rent his apartment while he decides if The Kirkwood or one of the other developments will suit his lifestyle best. But what really attracted Steppat to downtown Des Moines was the increasing variety of entertainment options. “There’s somewhere different to go every night,” said Dave, “and they are all so close.” He enjoys brew pubs and lists Legends on Court, Lucca, Martinis, Hessen Haus and Court Avenue Brewing Company as a few of his favorite haunts. Dave also enjoys all of the opportunities to hear live music and catching events at Wells Fargo Arena. “I have more time to do the things I like to do”, declared Steppat, who enjoys walking to Gray’s Lake and the Riverwalk. What he doesn’t enjoy, and doesn’t have to worry about anymore, is mowing the lawn and shoveling snow. He does most of his grocery shopping at the River Bend Trading Company, which he lauds for their wonderful wine cellar, and The Village Market in the East Village. During the summer, the Downtown Farmers’ Market provides Steppat with an outstanding selection of fresh foods. So with all of this simplicity, when was the last time Dave put gas in his car? “I honestly can’t remember,” he said, “It had to be at least seven or eight weeks ago”. Steppat plans on living downtown for years to come and taking full advantage of the entertainment explosion the area is experiencing. Dave Steppat is very happy he decided to make the move to living downtown. Even though he has a long list of the reason he loves living downtown so much, he makes it all sound so simple. http://www.downtowndesmoines.com/