BEST PLACE TO LIVE IN THE METRO

Beaverdale

Bill Miller, the president of the Beaverdale Neighborhood Association, said it’s not unusual for a homeowner to get a few dozen calls the first day after putting the house up for sale. The neighborhood’s “strong character,” both in terms of its homes and residents, make it an appealing place to live, Miller said.

“I know that people love Beaverdale, both from the quality of the homes and the ability to be close to work and live in a place that is truly a neighborhood – friendly neighbors helping each other out,” Miller said.

Miller said Beaverdale residents take pride in their homes, many of which are the distinctive “Beaverdale bricks” built between the 1910s and the 1950s. He estimates that about 3,000 households, or 10,000 people, live within the neighborhood, which is bounded roughly by Douglas Avenue on the north, Franklin Avenue on the south, 30th Street on the east and 49th Street on the west.

Beaverdale also boasts a “strong business core,” Miller said, with low vacancy rates.

Runners-up: Country Club; Sherman Hill

BEST CHARITY TO SUPPORT

United Way of Central Iowa

By contributing through United Way of Central Iowa, business people know they’re supporting more than 100 community programs in a meaningful way. This year, the charity surpassed its goal of $18.5 million set in June, raising $18,550,603 to help the community address critical human care issues.

“I believe United Way of Central Iowa is one of the best charities to support because we deliver on our mission to improve lives by uniting the caring power of community,” said Shannon Cofield, the organization’s president. “Results matter, and United Way is focused on giving donors value by changing social conditions at the root cause.”

Additionally, leadership initiatives the charity has initiated within the past few years such as the Women’s Leadership Connection, Tocqueville and the Emerging Leaders Program, have fueled United Way of Central Iowa’s campaign growth, Cofield said.

“The reason is that these programs connect people of different backgrounds, both economically and socially, to collectively accelerate community change in a specific issue such as helping kids prepare for school or ensuring our youth are successful in school and graduate,” she said.

Runners-up: Variety – The Children’s Charity, Blank Festival of Trees

BEST CULTURAL ATTRACTION TO SUPPORT

Des Moines Arts Festival

Few cultural events that are less than 10 years old can boast of attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors, finding dozens of corporate supporters and bringing millions of dollars into the local economy, all while garnering national and international recognition. These facts, however, are all true of the Des Moines Arts Festival, which earlier this year was ranked fourth in the nation among 600 arts festivals by the ArtFair Sourcebook.

The three-day festival, held each year during the last weekend of June, began in 1998 and has since attracted more than 1.2 million visitors to its site on the downtown bridges. This year, 150 artists from 30 states, as well as England, Argentina and Canada, were chosen from the more than 1,000 artists who applied to showcase their works. Visitors to the free event can purchase works from among the festival’s 14 categories of artwork.

Approximately 75 corporate sponsors support the annual event. Additionally, a membership program begun last year, Festival Friends, has attracted more than 200 individual contributors.

Runners-up: Winefest Des Moines, Blank Park Zoo Brew

BEST HOSPITAL

Blank Children’s Hospital

Blank Children’s Hospital is just the right size to care for Greater Des Moines’ children while involving their families, which may be why Business Record readers have named it the area’s best hospital.

From medical equipment that’s specially designed for kids to the décor chosen to be soothing to children and their families, Blank provides an environment that embraces families as a critical factor in their children’s health, healing and recovery.

Among the hospital’s key features are private, spacious inpatient rooms that are large enough to accommodate overnight stays by a family member; the new Variety Club Intensive Care Nursery, the first Level III neonatal intensive nursery to offer private rooms; and a new pediatric intensive care unit that enables specialists to provide the latest in pediatric critical care technology and treatment. Blank also has private conference rooms in which families can meet with staff to make important care decisions, as well as a kitchenette, and a lounge and play area on each floor.

Runners-up: Iowa Methodist Medical Center, Mercy Medical Center

BEST GROCERY STORE

Hy-Vee

Throughout its seven-state territory in the Midwest, the Hy-Vee name is synonymous with quality products, low prices and superior customer service. Business Record readers seem to agree, having named the chain Des Moines’ best grocery store.

“We’re very pleased readers have again recognized us as the best grocery store,” said Ruth Comer, a company spokeswoman. “It’s particularly meaningful to us this year because it’s our 75th anniversary, and we realize we wouldn’t be in business unless customers came back week after week. Their support demonstrates we’re meeting their shopping needs and that the things that we have done to meet customers’ lifestyle needs are working, such as greater variety and one-stop shopping convenience.

With annual sales expected to exceed $4.6 billion this year, the employee-owned, West Des Moines-based company is among the 15 largest supermarket chains in the country. It operates 195 supermarkets and 26 drugstores and has more than 48,000 employees.

Runners-up: Dahl’s Food Marts; Target

BEST PLACE FOR AUTO REPAIRS

Betts Auto Campus

Changes in car manufacturing have put more responsibility into the hands of auto repair technicians as cars last longer and require more maintenance. By keeping that level of responsibility in mind, coupled with a focus on customer service, Betts Auto Campus dealer principal Rich Willis said the dealership is able to maintain its status as the best place for auto repairs in Des Moines.

“We have more units in operation, we’re selling more cars every year and cars don’t fail like they did years ago,” he said. “They run for hundreds of thousands of miles, which requires more repair and maintenance work overall.”

Betts has added the Jaguar, Volvo and Hummer product lines in recent years, which has required its employees to widen the scope of their knowledge. But the dealership continues to focus on customer service, from the people who answer the telephones to the service consultants to the people who wash the cars.

Runners-up: Jordan Motors; West Side Auto Body.

BEST PLACE TO PICK UP COFFEE ON A COMMUTE

Grounds for Celebration

With its first licensee planning to start business next month, Grounds for Celebration continues to expand its network of coffeehouses in Central Iowa. Also a winner in this category last year, the company owned by George and Jan Davis and Bryan Marker already operates five stores of its own in Des Moines and its suburbs.

“Our flagship store (at 2645 Beaver Ave.) has a very strong following,” said George Davis, “and the Windsor Heights store (6601 University Ave.), with its drive-through, and the West Des Moines store (4800 George M. Mills Civic Parkway), being so far out west, have strong commuter followings.”

At lunchtime, the Grounds for Celebration outlet at the State Historical Building has become a busy place, Davis said. Opened last year, it now draws about 100 noontime diners each workday, he said.

The first store licensed by Grounds for Celebration to an outside owner is slated to open downtown at Seventh Street and Grand Avenue on the ground level of a city parking ramp.

Runners-up: Starbucks; Zanzibar’s Coffee Adventure.

BEST RECYLING/WASTE

Artistic Waste Services Inc.

Artistic Waste Services Inc. claims to be the largest independent waste hauler in Iowa, and Central Iowans named it as the area’s best. There’s a lot more to Artistic’s business than picking up garbage; its list of services includes document shredding, organic waste collection, commercial recycling and the regulated collection of biohazardous medical waste.

In a partnership with Phoenix C&D Recycling, Artistic collects construction and demolition waste and takes it to the Phoenix facility at 4764 N.E. 22nd St. for recycling.

Central Iowa communities work with Artistic to organize cleanup days in the spring or fall. Companies can rent roll-off containers that hold 10, 20 or 40 cubic yards of waste.

Runners-up: Waste Management Inc.; Taylor Recycling Facility of Iowa

BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO BUSINESS THIS YEAR

Iowa Events Center

With seating for more than 17,000 people, the $99 million Wells Fargo Arena at the Iowa Events Center serves an “attention getter” to bring entertainment seekers to Greater Des Moines, with the potential for a boost for area businesses, according to Andy Long, general manager of the Iowa Events Center, a four-building complex that includes the arena.

Long said arena representatives are working closely with area restaurants and other businesses on cross-promotion, which he sees as an important step to spreading the message about Greater Des Moines as an entertainment destination.

“We have been trying to do everything we can to work with everyone because of the potential impact on everyone else,” Long said. “But we’re not the entire solution of bringing everybody here. We’ve got to have the support and continuity with the restaurants and entertainment establishments and businesses to make sure we’re getting them to these other places once they get here.”

Veterans Memorial Auditorium, Hy-Vee Hall and the Polk County Convention Complex are the other elements of the Iowa Events Center. National management firm Global Spectrum oversees the property management of the facilities.

Runners-up: Science Center of Iowa; Interstate 235 reconstruction work

BEST THING TO HAPPEN TO BUSINESS LAST YEAR

Jordan Creek Town Center

It’s been just over a year since Jordan Creek Town Center opened to the public with pomp and circumstance. But the celebration hasn’t died down, as the shopping center exceeded all expectations during its first year, making it the best thing to happen to business last year in Greater Des Moines, according to Business Record readers.

Rocell Viniard, Jordan Creek’s senior marketing manager, said the mall brought a much-needed retail selection to the market, especially considering that Greater Des Moines residents were spending about $87 million annually in other cities such as Kansas City and Chicago.

“By bringing those retailers to Des Moines, they were able to get what they were going out of town to shop for right in their back yards,” she said.

In addition, Viniard said, Jordan Creek has served as a recruiting tool for the community as it attracts companies looking to relocate to the area, as well as for companies recruiting top talent to come to the area.

“It’s helping the growth of the community as well,” Viniard said.

Jordan Creek had 16.8 million visitors its first year, exceeding the expected 12 million visitors. Twenty-two stores have opened since the grand opening on Aug. 4, 2004, and four more stores will open before the end of the year. In addition, a 51,000-square-foot strip center is under construction on the mall site, though no tenants have been announced.

Runners-up: Science Center of Iowa; I-235 reconstruction work