Meet the Residents

Tom Tarbox & Jessica Rowe

“Why would anyone want to live downtown?” Jessica Rowe recently overheard that inquiry in a nearby conversation and couldn't help but politely interrupt. To the contrary, Rowe asks, “Why would you not want to live downtown?”

Jessica, a self-employed consultant, resides at 418 Liberty with her husband, attorney Tom Tarbox, and their two cats, Eloise and Oliver. Their teenage son, Wilson, also lives in the downtown condo during breaks from the school he attends in Virginia.

With Wilson gone to school most of the year, Tom and Jessica decided to make the move to downtown in order to streamline their lives and focus more on their careers and less on their backyard garden. While Tom says he enjoyed the hours spent working in his garden, he had become somewhat of a ‘yard slave’ and was ready to give it up and embrace the urban lifestyle downtown Des Moines offers.

Tom and Jessica studied the downtown market for more than a year before deciding on 418 Liberty. Since they purchased their condo early in the development process, they were able to work with the developers to make modifications befitting their lifestyle. “Nelson Construction was great and they worked with us on the modifications we wanted,” says Tom. It’s a wonderful perk of investing in downtown in the early development stage of any condo or loft building.

The family moved into their condo in August 2006 and immediately fell in love with their ninth-floor view which features spectacular sunrises and many Des Moines landmarks such as the nearby Traveler’s Insurance umbrella. They were pleasantly surprised at how close they were to the incredible fireworks display on the 4th of July.

Tom and Jessica love the look of the Liberty Building and the clean design of their condo. The high ceilings, large windows and convenient skywalk access were big selling points for the family. “It’s such a great building,” says Jessica. “They have such a wonderful palette to work from.”

The 10-year tax abatement was a huge factor in Tom and Jessica’s decision. “It really allowed us to buy more condo than we could have if property taxes were a factor.” Tom also likes that the tax abatement means that their mortgage payments are comparable to that of their former house, but they are building equity much faster. He added that he is comfortable that the condo will not only maintain its value, but will turn out to be a great investment as the downtown area continues its renaissance over the next decade.

Tom walks to his Court Avenue office each day and Jessica works nearby as well, so walking to work is truly a breeze. For business purposes, the couple still owns two cars, but say the miles they drive have decreased dramatically. The skywalk keeps them within easy reach of most of life’s necessities and they can walk to favorite venues such as Lucca, Zen Noodle & Sushi Bar, the Gateway Market and Saturday breakfast at Centro.

“Wilson loves being here when he’s home”, says Jessica, “and his friends enjoy hanging out here, too.” One place the whole family enjoys is Gym F/X located on the first floor of the Liberty Building. “Wilson absolutely loves working out there and riding his bike on the trails around Grey’s Lake,” adds Jessica, who says she and Tom used their bikes more this past summer than at any other time. They are also happy about the amount of green space nearby when they want to be outdoors.

Tom and Jessica like being referred to as Des Moines’ urban pioneers in the revitalized downtown housing market, even as they realize some residents have called downtown Des Moines home for many years. But the question still lingers…why would anyone want to live downtown? Tom and Jessica know the answer and they’re sure that more and more people will soon find that living in downtown Des Moines offers more of the advantages and convenience many have been searching for.