.floatimg-left-hort { float:left; } .floatimg-left-caption-hort { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:300px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatimg-left-vert { float:left; margin-top:10px; margin-right:15px; width:200px;} .floatimg-left-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; font-size: 12px; width:200px;} .floatimg-right-hort { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px;} .floatimg-right-caption-hort { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 300px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimg-right-vert { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px;} .floatimg-right-caption-vert { float:left; margin-right:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; font-size: 12px; } .floatimgright-sidebar { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 200px; border-top-style: double; border-top-color: black; border-bottom-style: double; border-bottom-color: black;} .floatimgright-sidebar p { line-height: 115%; text-indent: 10px; } .floatimgright-sidebar h4 { font-variant:small-caps; } .pullquote { float:right; margin-top:10px; margin-left:10px; margin-bottom:10px; width: 150px; background: url(http://www.dmbusinessdaily.com/DAILY/editorial/extras/closequote.gif) no-repeat bottom right !important ; line-height: 150%; font-size: 125%; border-top: 1px solid; border-bottom: 1px solid;} .floatvidleft { float:left; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;} .floatvidright { float:right; margin-bottom:10px; width:325px; margin-right:10px; clear:left;}
Des Moines is still glowing from last year’s positive notices, and now it has another reason to feel proud. Kiplinger’s Personal Finance magazine last week named it one of the 10 best American cities in which to live and work. Not one of the top places for this particular purpose or that narrow reason, but just straight-out one of the best.

Now that’s a good review.

The editors ranked Des Moines No. 9 on their “Best Cities of 2008” top 10 list, offering this description: “Des Moines’s hometown atmosphere, top public schooling, and affordable cost of living make it an ideal place to raise a family. It also offers big-city amenities such as art galleries, a symphony and a ballet and opera house.” Opera house? They must mean the Civic Center.

According to “Iowa Kids Count 2006,” it’s pretty easy to find places right here in Iowa with higher math and reading scores and better high school graduation rates than Polk County. Obviously, there are cities elsewhere with more impressive cultural amenities.

But it’s our mix of good attributes that won Kiplinger’s approval, and that mix is what most Central Iowans recognize as our strength. “Hometown atmosphere” sums it up as well as anything.

It doesn’t do you much good to live in a place with great amenities if you can’t afford to enjoy them or you don’t feel safe being out at night. It also helps if, when you go to an attraction or event, you find yourself surrounded by people who make the experience better, not worse.

Kiplinger’s list is a varied one. Big-city Houston ranks first, followed by Raleigh, N.C., Omaha, Boise, Idaho, Colorado Springs, Austin, Texas, Fayetteville, Ark., Sacramento, Calif., Des Moines and Provo, Utah.

The choices are carefully spread around, but sensible, and we’re glad Des Moines was among them.

Employers, order those reprints. Potential recruits who know nothing about this city need to be educated, and now they don’t have to just take our word.