Des Moines

Des Moines has built a real nightlife identity around its East Village and Court Avenue entertainment districts, former warehouse and historic-building areas that have been converted into a dense cluster of bars and clubs over the past couple of decades. BarFinder lists 227 venues across the city, led by classic bars and sports bars with a solid bench of cocktail bars, pubs, breweries, and lounges behind them - real local names like Lime Lounge, The Lumberyard, and The Garden Nightclub reflect that late-night, downtown-entertainment-district character. It's a Midwest capital-city scene that punches above its size, built as much around walkable entertainment districts as neighborhood bars.