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Neighborhood in Des Moines · Polk County

Drake

Drake’s older residential streets surround the university and the University Avenue business corridor.

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Photo 1 of 1

The brick tower and front of Old Main at Drake University, with a bulldog sculpture in the foreground.

Old Main and the Griff sculpture at Drake University, October 9, 2025 — Docccc, CC BY-SA 4.0. Campus landmark shown for neighborhood context.

Private apartments, student-only university rentals and University Avenue buses

About Drake

Drake’s older residential streets surround the university and the University Avenue business corridor. University-owned rentals are reserved for current Drake students; private apartment options have their own leasing arrangements. Route 3/3L connects the corridor with downtown and Windsor Heights, while Varsity Cinema adds an evening destination near campus.

Private apartments and student-only university rentals

The Drake neighborhood has early twentieth-century houses on residential streets around Drake University. The university manages some off-campus houses and apartments, but its real-estate office restricts those rentals to current Drake students. That university property list is therefore a different route from the wider private rental market.

Canary Lofts at 2530 University Avenue is privately managed by Real Property Management Express. Its published layouts include studios, alcove apartments with a partly separated sleeping area, and two-bedroom homes. The amenities page lists in-home washers and dryers, key-fob access, a fitness center and shared rooftop spaces.

The operator publishes a two-pet limit, a minimum animal age of 12 months, and a spay/neuter requirement. Listed charges are $60 monthly pet rent and a $480 one-time pet fee. Leasing questions and tours go to 515-383-8600.

Route 3/3L along University Avenue

DART identifies Drake University among the destinations on Route 3/3L. Both versions connect Central Station downtown with Windsor Heights Walmart; 3L continues farther into West Des Moines. The combined central section runs every 15 minutes in the operator’s published busy periods and every 30 minutes at other operating times.

The 15-minute periods are 7 a.m.–7 p.m. Monday–Friday and 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on weekends. A regular bus trip costs $1.75, with $4 day passes and $48 monthly passes. The route page carries current detours and direction-specific stops, including construction notices around University and Sixth/Seventh streets as checked October 20, 2026.

Varsity Cinema and evening parking

Varsity Cinema is at 1207 25th Street near University Avenue. The theater says patrons may use Drake Lot A and the Kinne Lot after 5 p.m. on weekdays and on weekends. That parking permission is for cinema visits.

The cinema also reports construction-related restrictions on some nearby street parking. Its box office opens half an hour before the first show; the program and parking FAQ provide the current visit details.

Forest Avenue Library east of the campus

Forest Avenue Library is east of the university at 1326 Forest Avenue. The branch has bookable meeting rooms, a foreign-language collection including Spanish, Arabic, Vietnamese and Karen, and Rosie’s Forest early-literacy area. Its published hours are 10 a.m.–8 p.m. Monday–Thursday, 10 a.m.–6 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.–5 p.m. Saturday; it is closed Sunday.

Check these on a visit

Try these in person before you commit to an address in Drake.

  1. Current Drake students can use the university rental list; other renters need a separate leasing option.
  2. For Canary Lofts tours, call 515-383-8600 and ask about the chosen layout’s full charges.
  3. The Varsity’s campus-lot parking periods are for theater patrons; resident parking needs a separate arrangement.

Neighborhoods and districts near Drake

The closest neighborhoods and districts in Des Moines, measured center to center.

All Des Moines neighborhoods and districts

Schools near Drake

The 6 closest schools within 5 miles, including any outside the city. Being nearby does not mean a home is zoned for a school: confirm attendance zones with the school or district.

All schools in Des Moines

Distances are approximate. They are straight lines from the centre of Drake, not travel distances, and a home at the edge of the area can be noticeably closer to or farther from a school.

Sources & data notesReferences, reporting periods, and how to use this information

Information on this page is compiled from multiple sources and provided for general information. It may be incomplete or out of date, and we do not guarantee its accuracy, completeness, or timeliness. Independently verify important details with the original source, relevant authority, or a qualified professional before making decisions.

Statistics keep their reporting periods. Survey estimates are not current asking prices or quotes for an individual property. Displayed values are rounded.

  • Early twentieth-century houses west of downtown around Drake University
    Catch Des Moines — Drake neighborhoodSource checked
  • Central Station–Windsor Heights and the longer West Des Moines branch; Drake University; frequency windows
    DART — Route 3 and 3L, University AvenueSource checked Reviewed in browser. Route page carried ongoing University/6th/7th construction detours on October 20; live alerts remain part of the route page.
  • Regular bus fares, day and monthly passes; exact-cash and MyDART payment
    DART — bus faresSource checked Reviewed in browser. On Demand and paratransit have separate prices; customer-service hours differ between page body and footer, so omitted.
  • University-managed houses and apartments are for current Drake students only
    Drake University — real-estate rental propertiesSource checked Current inventory is not reproduced.
  • Studio, alcove and two-bedroom layouts at 2530 University Avenue
    Canary Lofts — floor plansSource checked
  • In-home laundry, shared spaces and operator pet policy
    Canary Lofts — amenitiesSource checked Internet pricing and parking terms are not established by this page.
  • 1207 25th Street; theater-patron parking periods and construction restrictions
    Varsity Cinema — parking and visitor questionsSource checked Primary page confirmed in the normal browser after direct text fetch returned 403.
  • 1326 Forest Avenue branch east of the university; meeting rooms, language collection and early literacy facilities
    Des Moines Public Library — Forest AvenueSource checked
  • Exact image, creator, capture date and reuse license
    Docccc — neighborhood photographSource checked

Photo credits

  • Old Main and the Griff sculpture at Drake University, October 9, 2025 — Docccc, CC BY-SA 4.0. Campus landmark shown for neighborhood context.