Ankeny

Encapsulating 30 square miles of suburban land, Ankeny is the single largest suburb in the Des Moines metropolitan area, consisting of four distinct areas. In the area of Northwest Ankeny, residents have access to a number of highly rated schools, state-of-the-art public parks, and a large selection of single-family homes in planned housing developments. To the west of the neighborhood, locals can find public beaches and campgrounds situated on the Saylorville Lake waterfront. Students here can attend schools within the Ankeny Community School District, which receives an A rating from Niche and is ranked No. 1 on Niche’s “Best School Districts in Des Moines Area” list. Those who live in this area are only minutes away from Prairie Trail restaurants, Saylorville Lake and state parks; Joan Axtell, a real estate associate at RE/MAX Concepts, says, “It’s the best of both worlds.” Single-family homes sit in neat rows, lining the windy roads and cul-de-sacs of planned residential communities and housing developments. Residents can find handfuls of townhomes and condominiums in this area, as well. “The turnover in home ownership here is slower, and neighbors are often long-term friends,” Axtell says, adding that many properties in this area sit on large, shaded lots with mature trees and a quiet, peaceful atmosphere. New build residences, ranch-style homes and traditional-style architecture are all common home styles here. Properties often feature stone foundations and detailing, gabled roofs, and vinyl or brick exteriors. Street parking is minimal because a majority of the residences here have paved driveways and attached garages. Homes range in price from $270,000 to $480,000, with a median price of approximately $340,000. Schools in the Ankeny Community School District receive high ratings and praise from the community and educators; since the mid-2000s, the district has seen an increase in enrollment and has since built a number of new schools to accommodate. Rock Creek Elementary, built in 2014, receives an A rating and serves students from kindergarten through fifth grade. Rock Creek feeds into Prairie Ridge Middle School, another A-rated institution that was named No. 5 on Niche’s “Best Public Middle Schools in Iowa” list. Students in the eighth and ninth grades can attend Northview Middle School, which is rated A and named the No. 1 Best Public Middle School in the Des Moines Area by Niche. Finally, for secondary school, the A-rated Ankeny Centennial High School, built in 2013, serves students in grades ten through 12 and sits at No. 5 on Niche’s “Best Public High Schools in Iowa” rankings. Northwest Ankeny is a hub for outdoor recreation and state-of-the-art parks; from Oak Grove Beach on the Saylorville Lake waterfront to the Prairie Ridge Sports Complex at the heart of the neighborhood, there’s plenty for residents to explore. At the sports complex, residents can find baseball diamonds, tennis courts, fishing ponds and the nearby Prairie Ridge Skate Park. At Oak Grove Beach, residents can enjoy a waterfront picnic area, lake swimming and nearby hiking through a densely wooded oak tree forest. There are also a number of smaller neighborhood parks throughout the area that feature green space and playground equipment, including Boulder Brook, Village Park, Ashley Meadows and Watercrest Park. U.S. Highway 69, also known as Ankeny Boulevard, runs along the neighborhood’s eastern border and is home to several local restaurants and shopping plazas. Residents can find groceries at a number of nearby grocery stores, including Fareway Supermarket and Aldi. Locals can become immersed in a Japanese environment at Mizu Sushi Bar and Japanese Grill. Featuring an eastern-themed dining area, Mizu Sushi is known for its hibachi and its excellent service. Just up the street, on the corner of 18th Street and Ankeny Boulevard, Nonna’s Pizza and Pasta serves up fresh pizza by the slice alongside hearty pasta dishes in an Italian setting. Ankeny Boulevard runs north-south along the neighborhood’s eastern border, connecting residents to the rest of Ankeny, the city of Marquisville, Downtown Des Moines and more. The western part of the neighborhood runs along the Saylorville Lake waterfront and is home to Iowa Highway 415, which travels north toward Polk City. Running north-south adjacent to the area is Interstate 35, which runs past the Ankeny Regional International Airport and connects to Downtown Des Moines, a 13-mile drive south of Ankeny. Residents can also use the I-35 to drive approximately 18 miles to Des Moines International Airport. The city of Ankeny hosts a number of community events for everyone to enjoy; on Thursday nights in the summertime, residents can venture to the Ankeny Market and Pavilion (AMP) for Beats & Eats, which features food trucks, live entertainment and games. Each year, locals are invited to attend the All-City Play Day hosted at Hawkeye and Wagner Parks, a free celebration where attendees can find foam parties, face painting and bike rodeos for the Ankeny Police. During the warmer months, Ankeny also hosts weekly Yoga in the Park and Movies Under the Stars community events.

Featuring parks, schools and shopping within minutes of housing developments, Northeast Ankeny is known for its calm, suburban setting. In the northeastern portion of Des Moines’ largest suburb, residents benefit from amenities throughout the city of Ankeny without the need to leave the neighborhood for everyday needs. While Ankeny has existed since 1907, this part of the city has seen a ton of recent growth over the last few decades. “Ankeny is not landlocked, there’s still an extraordinary amount of room to grow,” says Nancy Shrader, a Realtor with Keller Williams Ankeny Metro, who lives in Ankeny and has been selling homes here for nearly five years. The neighborhood homes are arranged along traditional suburban gridded streets with cul-de-sacs. Northeast Ankeny suburbs have sidewalks, streetlights and manicured lawns with mature walnut and oak trees lining the roadways. Residents can choose between a variety of standalone and condominium properties, with many newly constructed homes boasting contemporary designs, and others adopting ranch colonial elements. Smaller ranch styles and cape cods are available on the neighborhood’s south side. “You can find houses built before 1970, but there’s also been a lot of new construction,” says Shrader. Homes throughout Northeast Ankey tend to stay on the market for about a month and typically sell for between $250,000 to $500,000. The Ankeny Community School District serves the neighborhood’s students with highly-rated schools, each earning an A grade from Niche. Kids may start at Northeast Elementary School, before transitioning to Northview Middle School. Students may then attend Ankeny Centennial High School, which is ranked in the top five best public high schools in the state. Small, community-oriented parks are found throughout Northeast Ankeny, with Crestbruck Park hosting a large lawn space, as well as an onsite playground. Nearby, Michael Park offers its own playground and lawn space in a more intimate setting. On the neighborhood’s north side, Briarwood Park offers an outdoor space that is especially convenient for residents in the nearby condominium properties. Otter Creek Park is a large green space with a playground and a paved walking path. The Otter Creek Golf Course is a full 18-hole course with a pro shop and an on-site restaurant. For bulk shopping needs, there’s a Costco Wholesale on the north side of the neighborhood. Along the city’s main artery of Ankeny Boulevard, residents can shop for everyday groceries at Fareway Meat and Grocery, or check out ALDI for discount shopping. Restaurants are also abundant along Ankeny Boulevard, with spots like Fiesta Jalapenos known for its colorful bar and strong margaritas, as well as its fun atmosphere. There’s also JJ’s Tavern + Grill, a locally-owned restaurant serving pints and pub dishes. Ankeny SummerFest is an annual event held each July at Prairie Trail. The festival features carnival rides, food vendors, fireworks and live music throughout the weekend. There’s also the Iowa State Fair, which takes place in nearby Des Moines every August. The fair, which has been a staple in the area since 1854, is the largest event in Iowa, bringing in over 1 million visitors during the 11 days it operates. There’s a ton of entertainment and shopping on the 445 acres the fair sits on, including amusement rides, livestock shows, nearly 200 food stands and live music every night. “The fair is very popular with Ankeny residents too,” adds Shrader. Because of Northeast Ankeny’s suburban layout, the neighborhood is somewhat bikeable but still car-dependent. Take Interstate 35 and Highway 69 just 10 miles south to get to job opportunities and entertainment in downtown Des Moines.

Located just east of Saylorville Lake, Southwest Ankeny has come a long way in recent years since its earliest days as a sleepy little suburb. "Ankeny has definitely seen more commercial and residential growth," says Ryan Rohlf, Realtor with the dsmSOLD Team at Keller Williams Legacy Group. "It has much more room to grow to the north." Known for its suburban charm, Southwest Ankeny is a just a small piece of the region's largest suburb. Many residents who work in Des Moines tend to settle in Ankeny, taking advantage of the top-rated Ankeny Community School District, ample shopping opportunities and wide variety of restaurants. With well-maintained sidewalks and neat thickets of trees and light foliage, the residential areas of Southwest Ankeny evoke an atmosphere of true suburbia, with many schools and businesses within walking distance of some developments. With an average build year of 2004, homes tend to be newer, with modern designs and developments to match. Ranch-style homes and Craftsman are the most common styles found. Prices start in the low $200,000s for midcentury houses, rising into the low $400,000s for modestly-sized homes built in the past decade. The largest homes, often with acreage, start in the low-$600,000s and can go well past the $1 million mark. Students can begin their education at Prairie Trail Elementary before heading to Parkview Middle School, both of which have an A rating on Niche. Older students will attend A-rated Ankeny High School, which has over 1,300 students and is rated in Iowa's top ten best high schools for athletes. Downtown Des Moines is 10 miles south, with the Des Moines International Airport 18 miles south. Residents can reach both by hopping on and off Interstate 235. Southwest Ankeny's town square, known locally as The District, is a hub of local retail stores and restaurants, including everything from vintages of vino at WineStyles Tasting Station to a full-day spa experience at Valor & Violet Salon. The Main Street Café and Bakery features lunch selections alongside fresh baked goods in a stylish atmosphere. For everyday errands, the nearest Walmart is right around the corner on Delaware Avenue, along with Target, Menards and Home Depot. An easy walk from most houses, Dean Park features a pavilion alongside personal grill sets and playground equipment. The Prairie Ridge Sports Complex includes several soccer, baseball, and softball fields, alongside a small playground, tennis courts and enough parking to accommodate the occasional youth soccer game or little league match. On a rainy day, residents can access indoor entertainment, such as B&B Theatres and Bowling Alley, and the Ankeny Art Center, featuring contemporary work from local artists. When the sun shines, locals flock to the Prairie Ridge Aquatic Center for its waterslide, pool and splash park. All-City Play Day at Hawkeye and Wagner Parks is a summer field day for all ages, including face painting, team sports, a dunk tank and canoeing. Throughout the summer, Ankeny offers "Movies Under the Stars," Friday night children's movie viewings at the Wagner Park Bandshell. The Ankeny Market & Pavilion hosts the weekend Uptown Farmer's Market, where locals can find in-season produce, baked goods and meats procured from local farms.

As a portion of Des Moines' largest suburb, the quadrant of Southeast Ankeny represents some of the area's newest construction, with a vibrant commercial district to match. "The southeastern corridor has everything you could want," says Sarah Kavalier, Realtor at Coldwell Banker Mid-America, who's served the area for over 18 years. "It's got lots of parks, beautiful homes and plenty of shopping. All without ever leaving Ankeny itself." Proximity to Des Moines also makes the area appealing to commuters looking to come home to the charm of suburbia after a long day in the big city. In the neighborhood's northern portion, intimate housing communities feature a wide selection of midcentury ranch-style homes, split-levels, and condominium options from the 1980s along Delaware Avenue. Manufactured homes built in the 1990s and 2000s are located north of Oralabor Road. Newer residential areas are constantly being constructed thanks to a concentrated push east. "There's plenty of room to build going east," says Kavalier. "Going west? Not so much." In many of the neighborhood's residential areas, deciduous trees line the streets, offering a scenic natural environment within the area's otherwise urban setting. Prices typically range from the mid-$100,000s for townhouses and condos, growing into the low $300,000s for updated midcentury homes. Prices peak in the mid-$400,000s for some of the newest construction, including Contemporary Craftsman designs. Local students can begin their education at Southeast Elementary School, which receives an A-minus grade on Niche. From there, they can move on to Southview Middle School with an A rating. A-rated Ankeny High School is the final stop for many students and has more than 100 years of history. The school offers over forty courses for dual high school and college credit. Bisected by Interstate 35, the neighborhood allows straightforward access to downtown Des Moines, some 10 miles south. Ankeny Regional Airport is inside the neighborhood and only 2 miles away from many local homes. Broadlawns Medical Center is about 10 miles away in the downtown area for medical care. Well known by the surrounding area for its shopping corridors, local retail and restaurant options continue growing to match the population. "The restaurant scene has expanded quite a bit in the past few years," says Dakotah Reed, sales manager at Iowa Realty. The Leaning Tower of Pizza has offered various specialty pizzas for over 50 years. Jethro's BBQ Lakehouse has barbecue and Cajun favorites with a laid-back atmosphere for a night out. Target, Sam's Club and Walmart Supercenter are all found in the southern part of the neighborhood. "So many of the homes are within walking distance of parks," Reed says. Sunrise Park has a sprayground and playset that are popular when the weather gets hot. Summerbrook Park offers a winding path through the trees and more colorful playsets. Cascade Falls Aquatic Center is just west of the area, featuring multiple pools, waterslides, and a lazy river. Perhaps Ankeny's biggest annual event is Summerfest, a three-day celebration the week after the Fourth of July that has been going on for over 58 years. The event features bands, fireworks, parades and carnival rides. For a quieter way to spend a weekend, the Ankeny Farmers Market is open on Saturdays during the spring, summer and fall, offering fresh produce and homemade treats to enjoy with friends and family. With all the convenience and popularity of Southeast Ankeny, the area is also prone to a great deal of noise. This is mainly due to the airport and Interstate 35 running alongside each other on the neighborhood's eastern side.