moving to Waterloo/cedar falls area

[outtastate]

Thanks for the insight. My husbands job would actually be in cedar falls. He left this morning for Iowa, for an interview on Monday. Can't wait to hear from him and how he likes it down there. I know he wouldn't mind a small commute to work every day; that's why it is so helpful to hear from people regarding different areas around cedar falls. You mention the bustle of cedar rapids; -is it just bigger and faster there? I have to look look it up; not too familiar with cedar rapids. Is it still a fairly nice place to live though and raise a family. We are kind of leaning toward living in cedar falls (it just sounds quaint and small and safe and all those things); I guess I'll wait to hear what hubby has to report back from his trip. Thanks again for all the wonderful insight.

[Mrs.Woody]

I have lived in W/CF area for over 30 years. I was not born or raised here. W/CF is a great place to live, and not as bad as the posters here will have you believe. Waterloo has a wonderful old, small-town feel to the neighborhoods. Yes, there are some places that are not as nice as others, but what town doesn't have that? CF is a little wild around the college, but out in the 'real' neighborhoods, it is quaint and beautiful. Both cities have old homes that have been here for a hundred years or more. Both cities have new developments. Both cities have shopping centers, business districts, and quiet streets. Both cities have fantastic school systems. There are other wonderful cities in Iowa, and depending on what you are looking for, would be a great fit for any lifestyle.

If you're looking for a little out-of-town community, there are several to choose from that are less than a 20-minute commute. D-i-k-e is a small town just 15 minutes from CF that is slow and relaxed and laid-back. It is one of my favorite places to visit. Reinbeck (20 min) is also slow and relaxed. It has a little larger Main Street area and is great. Traer (20 min) is fresh and a little more lively, but a beautiful town. The exact same thing can be said for LaPorte City (15 min), Evansdale (5 min), Elk Run (5 min), Waverly (20 min), and others. Small town feel, laid-back atmosphere, and great people.

I've never lived in Cedar Rapids, Des Moines, Iowa City or Dubuque, so I can't really give an opinion of those towns. To be honest, if I go by the news, I can say the same negative things I've read here about W/CF. But, I also know Iowans and know that where ever someone lives, there are wonderful communities, great people and just-what-you're-looking-for business centers.

Welcome to Iowa! I think you'll love it here. And even if your stay is a shorter one, you'll make life-long friends here.

[janeb]

In all "fairness" to Waterloo, and I am very familiar with the area, when looking at crime rates and poverty, etc., it should be pointed out that Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Evansdale are basically one town of 110,000, Waterloo having the old "core" downtown. The statistics reported should be blended between the three towns, really. They share the same newpaper, the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Courier (WCFcourier.com is the Waterloo-Cedar Falls homepage for all local news, sports, entertainment and events happening in the Cedar Valley), common radio and TV stations, common roads and streets, etc. Also, look at the fact that, according to www.city-data.com, Waterloo gains a worker population of 13,000 daily, while Cedar Falls gains just 46, it looks like Waterloo would be the core of a larger geographic area, or is pulling in CF residents to work.

Waterloo proper does have a lot of nice areas to live, parks, etc. with the advantages of the Univ. of Northern Iowa. When deciding to live there (or not) please keep this in mind. Also, there are many options in the smaller towns surrounding W-CF that are connected by four-lane highways, such as Waverly, Janesville, Denver, ****, Hudson, Jesup, Independence, to name more than a few. I would say that most of the victims of Waterloo's "high crime" are NOT those who travel there for work.

[ogre]

Not from the area. Just surfing and ran across your post, Outtastate. Just wanted to say, God love ya. From your description of yourselves, sounds as if the world needs more people like you. Best of luck with your move.

[kevinatbridgeofhopechurch]

The descriptions you have received are very interesting, mostly accurate, but rather hard on Waterloo. The cities blur together. The south/west side of Waterloo is very similar to CF. As you move further North and East you will hit some lower income areas that deal with violence. Which is no different than the larger communities mentioned above.

There are lots of good people, even in the low income areas. My heart is to see the Church step up and make a difference for these people. That's why we started Bridge of Hope. There are many churches united in this desire and making a difference (see Love Cedar Valley).

Hope you enjoy the move.