A day in the life: 3 downtown residents offer a glimpse into a lifestyle like no other in Sioux Falls

This piece is sponsored by Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

As a new college graduate, Tessa Sanchez loved the idea of living in downtown Sioux Falls — but wasn’t sure if her budget would too.

“I wanted a place with a lot of charm, and I love downtown, but a lot of places were too expensive to live on my own,” said Sanchez, who graduated two years ago from South Dakota State University.

It turned out, downtown not only was budget-friendly enough for her first apartment — a brownstone on Phillips Avenue — but her next one, too, as she and new husband Esteban moved to the Third Avenue Lofts last year.

“We love the location,” said Sanchez, a business development coordinator at Lemonly.

“I live three minutes from my work, and his job is a five-minute commute, so it was really convenient, and we love being able to walk and easily be at a restaurant or coffee shop.”

That begins to capture the lifestyle that sets downtown apart, said Brandon Hanson, CEO of Downtown Sioux Falls Inc.

“When you live downtown, you just live differently,” he said. “Places like Jacobson Plaza and Falls Park become your backyard. Your favorite restaurant becomes your dinner table. You become the one people want to visi,t and you find your time is more your own — because long drives or even home maintenance often become a thing of the past.”

Every experience is unique, but these three offer a firsthand look at what’s waiting with a downtown move.

Complete convenience

While weekdays generally start with a fast drive to work, Sanchez sometimes begins her day with a stop at a favorite coffee shop before heading to the office.

“My job is right by Queen City, and we live right by Fernson and The Breaks, so we make our rounds,” she said.

For lunch, she and her co-workers often walk to nearby Sanaa’s Gourmet Mediterranean or Remedy Brewing Co., especially in nicer weather.

“I like going for walks,” she added. “After work or on weekends, a lot of times I’ll walk to McKennan Park or Falls Park. We also like to play pickleball, and Riverdale Park is just a few minutes away.”

If they’re feeling like a drink after work, there are many options, she added.

“Our favorite date-night spot is Maribella Ristorante, and we also love R Wine Bar,” she said. “My husband likes Stogeez, and we can walk a block or two and be there.”

While they typically grocery shop at a wholesale club, “if we just need a few things, we’ll walk across the street to Sunshine,” Sanchez said. “It’s just really nice and convenient to live so close to everywhere.”

Otherwise, you’ll find them grilling out on their deck or walking to a movie at the State Theatre.

“We love attending DTSF events and shows like the Art & Wine Walks, Riverfest and Levitt at the Falls. It is so nice to be able to walk right over to these events and participate,” Sanchez said.

“There are so many opportunities downtown and a good community you can find. There are enough different areas of downtown that there’s something for everyone to do.”

From Miami Beach to downtown Sioux Falls

A 2018 road trip introduced Luisa Escudero to South Dakota, and she and her mother, Luz Benitez, fell in love with it.

“We said: ‘This is the place. When I get older, this is the place I want to live,'” Escudero said. “Well, one day, I said I wanted to explore other options, and it would be a good decision for me to explore in South Dakota.”

While they initially were drawn to the beauty of the Badlands, Escudero decided Sioux Falls made the most sense for a long-term move.

“Sioux Falls has its own charm,” she said. “We come from Miami Beach, so it’s very hectic. Florida is busy. So we need a good transition where it’s still big enough and has movement and is close to everything. Living downtown made the perfect fit.”

She was drawn to Shriver Square for its historic charm and convenient location in the heart of Phillips Avenue.

“What I’m paying now is half of what I used to pay on the beach, and that wasn’t modern,” she said. “This is like new. An apartment in Miami with this kind of setup would probably be $5,000 per month, so this is nothing.”

After she moved early this year, “I took videos of the landscape from the airplane, I landed, and my mom said, ‘You know what, Luisa? I think I’m going to move in two weeks.'”

Now, she’s starting off her days with a walk for coffee near Shriver Square and time outside.

“I went to the Phillips Avenue Diner for breakfast the other day, and it was really nice,” she said. “I like walking to The Steel District, and I’ve been going to the Falls and coming back along the river, which is really nice. There are lounge chairs nearby and it’s nice and sunny, and I’ve done some meditation.”

She and her mother have lunch together, then take an evening walk downtown. They’re keeping an eye on movie times at the State Theatre, which is steps from their building.

“And I’m so impressed with the food here,” she added. “In Miami, it’s easily $300 for a nice meal for two people, and here my mom and I split a steak for $55 or $65, and the food taste is out of this world. It’s absolutely different. It’s fresh and tastes real without as many chemicals.”

Escudero most recently worked as an executive assistant in Sioux Falls but has a background in everything from production work in California to raising Paso Fino horses. A native of Colombia, her father was a horse breeder, which led the family to the United States. For 15 years, she had her own company offering equine therapy.

“I’d like to work with people and am a good communicator,” she said. “I like administration and can do logistics, I’ve worked in production and really love it, so I’m just figuring out what direction I’m going to go.”

Benitez is retired and would like to find volunteer opportunities or other ways to get involved in the community.

“Everybody is so nice. It’s just amazing,” Escudero said. “You ask one question and if they don’t know, they will figure it out. I’m not going back to Miami. This is it. We’re really happy here.”

New move, new building 

Keith Krajnik just marked three weeks with a downtown address and already is feeling like he made the right move.

Krajnik relocated to Sioux Falls from Wyoming more than a year ago with his employer, Big Lost Meadery & Brewery. He originally lived near his job at Lake Lorraine.

“My lease was coming up, and by late last year, I had my mind set I was ready to move on from the west side,” he said.

In addition to bartending and hosting trivia at Big Lost Meadery, he now also bartends at WoodGrain Brewing Co. and The Orion Pub downtown.

“Once I started working downtown and getting a feel for the different bars and restaurants and shopping, plus the people I met that lived down here, I knew I would end up down here eventually,” Krajnik said.

He moved a few weeks ago into The One2, a new apartment building on the south end of downtown where his parking is included in the rent and his Wi-Fi is free.

“I like being very close to work and all the different bars right on Phillips,” he said.

As a hospitality worker, his schedule can vary. Some days he goes in earlier; others he works until close. That also means his downtown lifestyle provides flexibility for how to spend his spare time.

“I’ve recently been doing a morning walk from my apartment down Phillips as far as The Cascade, checking out the Levitt and hanging out a minute and walking back across the Eighth Street bridge to explore a little,” he said. “I’ve lived here a year and barely done that.”

If he’s working downtown, he typically walks, and often when he’s done at Big Lost, he can end his day at a downtown bar.

“There are several right on my way home,” he said. “I also want to continue to explore. I’ve been checking out restaurants I would have never thought to check out during the day and have seen shops I want to look around like Great Outdoor Store and Urban Archaeology, which looks awesome.”

As someone who has lived in cities such as Austin, Texas, and Denver, “I love Sioux Falls,” Krajnik said. “I’ve lived in bigger cities and never had this much convenience. It gives a big-city feel with a small-town vibe. It’s been excellent so far.”

See it for yourself

Tour several available downtown apartments in one day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 25, as part of the Spring Parade of Apartments from Lloyd Cos.

Guided and self-show tours are available, as well as virtual tours.

To learn more, visit here.