east village

CyMom

Great variety of shopping and dining. Very clean area and only a short distance from our hotel and event.

GailCheryl

Gong Fu tea, Ray Gun, Art Gallery, All Spice (oils, spices, etc), Capitol building, and much more if you are going to the theater, walking along the river, just passing through or want to wander in a funky and relaxed area of Des Moines!

oduselexr

An area that covers about 10 blocks just below the state capital loaded with charming store fronts and restaurants to visit. They even have a store front called Alasaudras' Italian Cooking where you can join in and get your hands on experience in an Italian cooking class to learn how to cook authentic Italian food.

PerseidGirl

East Village is a fun area to visit. A wide variety of shops. I'd like a few more places that appeal to a broader range of people and smaller pocketbooks. I fear it could become too smug. Favorite spots are Ray Gun, Eden, Kitchen Collage, and Plain Talk Books. I really miss Seed, the garden shop!!

uespilot

Loved all the quaint little shops and the painted murals on the sides of buildings - I got so many great photos! I would plan 3 hours here in the hops and then an amazing burger at the Zombie Burger Bar! Enjoy!

RTR24

Unique shops, trendy bars and restaurants. Nice revitalization area. The spiked milk shakes at Zombie Bar are yummy!

itraveleverywhere

We loved what we saw in the up and coming East Village- and we cant wait for more. There are several new stores and shops being built right now and the area will eventually fill out with more options for local art and specialty shops. Don' t miss Raygun- it a great store- very unique. Several restaurants around the Village as well.Park west of the Village and walk through on your way to a state capitol tour- nice way to spend an afternoon

hdingeman

Absolutely love east village. There is so much to do and see here! I love all the little shops, stopping at gong fu tea shop, and getting sushi from myabi 9!!

RickM215

If you trying to find a gift for someone that you just can find in the usual malls, try taking an afternoon and wondering around East Village! The unique shops along with excellent dining will have you wanting to come back. I always start my holiday shopping in the East Village. As this area has become more busy, the only negative is the parking. On a weekend, parking does become a little more challenging, however, it is worth the challenge!

JohnTerry13

East Village just gets better and better with the addition of unique restaurants and fun, funky shopping. Ray Gun is a cool t-shirt shop stocked with other Des Moines souvenirs, all very unique and fun. Sticks is a fun boutique. Zombie Burger has something unique for every burger lover. Alba is a neat lunch spot in an old Ford dealership. The East Village is highlighted by the Iowa State Capitol building high on a hill overlooking the district and downtown Des Moines. It is a gorgeous building and well worth a tour. East Village parking is primarily on-street metered parking. It's fun to park the car and walk through the district enjoying the unique shops, on-street art, restaurants and bars.

JulianGreene

East village was great. Got there late and didn't have a lot of time to shop (most things close at 5, at least on Sundays), but what I did visit was wonderful. Love Acanthus Apparel's unique print designs. Allspice Culinarium was a cook's delight--if I was local, I'd shop there all the time! Sticks was fascinating; I had never seen anything quite like it anywhere. I'm sorry to have missed Ephemera. I hope to have another chance to stay at the Des Lux and shop the East Village from one end to the other.

224kent

Couldn't determine what is historic about this district just west of the State Capital. There are art shops and some restaurants, and the old City Hall building, but found more shops and restaurants closed than opened for a Saturday. If it wasn't for the Latino Festival crowd on the streets, I wouldn't have hung around. Many restaurants were not open, so I ended up eating at Jimmy Johns as the other place Zombies was overcrowded and the other places happened to be two gay bars that didn't serve food on 5th street. Maybe this is a happening place in the summer time before Labor Day.

SusanF112014

The coolest part of Des Moines, apart from Sherman Hill. To me, if it doesn't have history, it isn't interesting! My favorite antique store in the world, Found Things, is located in the East Village. My only complaint is the lack of a free parking lot. Other than that, it is fabulous place to walk around and shop.

AimeeinTX

I thought the area was great with the restaurants and shops. Some of the boutiques were pricey while others for fun and priced well. I got a few fun things in Raygun to take home with me. I didn't get some of the midwest jokes but my bf was happy to explain them. I also like the spice store, Allspice. Great blends and Olive Oil for a really great price. Definitely a great place to spend a couple of hours.

Mrreview2000

I really think the shops in the East Village are some of the best any city has to offer! All of them had such helpful employees and great products. Liberty Gifts was really cool!