The United State’s View of New York

Inverting the mindset captured by the iconic New Yorker cover, “A New Yorker’s View of the United States,” Des Moines has christened a newly revitalized neighborhood in the shadow of the state capitol the “East Village.” I’m sitting in a coffee shop in the “Soho” building, which houses a sprinkling of small stores. The form part of a few-block island of attempted cuteness in what looks like an area that’s still pretty industrial.

Des Moines commitment to the New York theme is limited, however–the Machine Shed is a farm-themed restaurant, not the leather bar a New Yorker might expect. (They do, however, serve a yummy apple-stuffed pork chop.)