Skywalks connect many buildings through downtown Des Moines. People use them everyday, but what are their benefits? Without using them, one might not fully understand what all they have to offer but there are plenty of different businesses spread throughout them that make them helpful. There are restaurants, stores, and even a mall. The skywalk system links everything together and provides a sense of community.
Kaleidoscope at the Hub is a three-story mall that is connected by skywalks. It has a food court with many well known fast food restaurants such as Maid Rite and Subway. There are also privately owned restaurants such as Pho Vietnamese Cuisine, Sally’s Hamburger and Michelangelo’s. Michelangelo’s has been in the skywalk since 2013. Julie Taft and her husband have served some of the same people for all five years they have worked there.
“It really connects everyone downtown,” said Koua Ly of Taste Spuds. “I get the same people every day,” said Ashley McDonald of Friedrich’s Coffee. She has orders memorized for her regular customers. Going along with the coffee theme, there is also a Timbuktu coffee located in the skywalks. They have people that can stop by during their 10 minute break instead of traveling 20 minutes to a drive through.
“It is really convenient. Everything is connected.” Latsamy Luangdetmalay of JJ Jasmine Thai cuisine said. There is a variety of restaurants in the skywalks that are all very different in style. The mall is also made up of many stores such as A Little Bit Of Everything, Christopher and Banks, and The Stadium.
The Stadium sells a variety of sports team apparel, specializing in Iowa teams. I talked to Scott Eggleston, manager of The Stadium, and said “We’re really heavy on repeat business to the people who work in downtown Des Moines so we see the same people and build relationships with them.”
There are services such as Active Care Chiropractic, Ferg’s Barbershop, and DSMeye. Active Care Chiropractic has been in the skywalk location for around seven years. Ferg’s barbershop has been here since 1979. The owner, Bruce Fulton, bought it off the previous owner after he retired.
“We used to be out on the street level. We have been up here 26 years now… You have to be in the skywalk to be viable,” said Fulton.
DSMeye is an optometrist office and optical shop. This business started at 801 Grand Ave around 17 years ago. They needed more space so they moved in the skywalk about a year and a half ago. They said they deal a lot with dry eye which is becoming more of an issue because of how often people are on the computer. Since a lot of people downtown have office jobs and are staring at a computer screen all day long, this is the perfect place to go.
“We deal a lot more with working professionals than if you were in a mall. It is almost exclusively people working downtown,” said Megan Durhem, DSMeye employee.
Before you get walking around the many skywalks of downtown Des Moines, here are some tips that will help you. Download the DSM Skywalk app. This app will find your location and tell you what is near you and how to get there. It will also tell you if the store or restaurant you are heading to is open. It is a really good navigator overall. Also, the best time to come is during the week, since the skywalk is primarily for people working downtown on weekdays.
Although the skywalks of Des Moines are primarily for downtown workers, there is something for everyone here. Whether you need new glasses or just a bite to eat, the Des Moines skywalk is a great option for you.