Oakwood Village/Coral Ridge Mall

[SharpHawkeye]

According to 2006 estimates (since now I am really looking things up ) Coralville and IC together are up around 80k, North Liberty is now around 10k. Add in to that the little towns around both counties, plus the un-incorporated areas (such as, say, all around Lake MacBride) and Washington with another 10k-ish...

I was surprised too, but it all adds up!

Gazette Online: Iowa Census Data: Search By County, City, Population Size

[DBQer]

Washington Co. is ~20K, so take that out, and you're down to 120,000 for Johnson Co. At the 2000 census, Johnson was officially at 111,000. Minus the 77,000, and you're at 34,000, which is plausible. Dubuque County (where I live) had 89,000+ at census time. The city was 57,000, and the rest of the county was 32,000. Many rural Iowa counties have between 20-30,000 people. Its just IC & Coralville that push it up, plus developed areas that are not within city limits. We have many such unincorporated, yet developed, places here.

[M TYPE X]

Wikipedia has a strange conception of metro areas. The figures for the cities of midstate Illinois are all inflated.

I've been to all the Big Ten university campuses except Minnesota, and can't figure out why people want to live out on the bus line near the cornfield.
College town bus systems aren't a thrill or anything.

[Pearlbob]

M Type X...what cornfields? I don't recall big corn fields in IC or Coralville by the mall I remember that one gas station off Dubuque St right before it stopped at the ped mall area, and they had a few stalks of corn in the parking lot that everyone got a kick out of. That about sums up the "farmness" of IC.

And I must say, I don't know about the regular city bus system, but the UI bus system (the Cambus) was phenomenal. I don't know what I would have done for years without it. I can't imagine the city bus system is scary or horrible compared to the Cambus.

[M TYPE X]

Cornfields for Illinois, weeds for most other states in the Upper Midwest. You know what I mean ... wild bush!

Are houses/apartments in downtown Iowa City really all that bad?
I suppose if I was a family man, I would consider some of that sprawl out near the western beltway (Avenue of the Saints?) that all looks very new. As a student, something more central and not dependent on bus service is more appealing, both of which were key selling points for the university where I went to undergrad, and where I am now at grad school.

If I wanted to 'commute,' I would have kept my job in suburban Akron!

[Pearlbob]

No, houses in downtown IC are not bad. yes, some of the actual houses might be a little rundown, just from students not taking care of them well (surprise). You wouldn't want a wife and kids in the places. But they aren't unsafe or dangerous. The main problem right around campus is the noise; when you cram 5,000 students into a 3 block radius, it can get a little loud at night But there are plenty of homes/duplexes and apts that are 5 or more blocks away from campus that are quieter, house more of the grad student type, and would be my preferred place to live instead of say, Johnson St.

[violynn19]

Originally Posted by Katarand

Hi,

I will be a student at UI in the fall and I am considering living in the Oakwood Village a few blocks from the Coral Ridge Mall. This means that I will probably be taking the bus since parking is so expensive. I wanted to know how safe catching the bus is in the morning and returing in the evening would be in that area. I am a single female afraid of harrassment at bus stops, etc. and not from Iowa.

Any input would be very helpful, thanks.

I actually live in Oakwood Village and am also a single female. I work at the U and so I take the bus to and from work everyday and I can say I have NEVER fealt threatened on the bus before. The morning buses are full of other University people going to work or school and one can count on seeing the same people everyday on those various buses. The afternoon buses seem to be full this time of year of kids trying to get to the mall, although loud and obnoxious at times, they are harmless as well. I ride home usually around 5:30 and there again, between about 3:30-7:00 you get more of the University people going home and I can count on seeing the same people once again on those buses from day to day. My friend, another female who lives in Oakwood Village often comes home the later buses and she said they are very benign, though there is a noticable difference in the people riding later in the evenings, but they don't mess with you. The bus drivers are very nice and very helpful as well.