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Old 02-11-2015, 09:12 AM
 
12 posts, read 16,471 times
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My husband got a new job in Coralville. We do not want to live there or in Iowa City. We did look at housing in North Liberty, but it just seems like you can get more value in Cedar Rapids. What are some good neighborhoods? I don't know much about the area... Is it safe? Are there fun things to do?
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Old 02-11-2015, 10:40 AM
 
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The commute from Coralville to Cedar Rapids won't be fun in the winter.

Why don't you want to live in Coralville or Iowa City? What specifically do you not like about the area (you said you didn't know anything about it?)?
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Old 02-13-2015, 08:41 AM
 
3,490 posts, read 6,075,307 times
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If you're wanting an area with a bigger city feel to it, the entire side of Iowa is missing that. If you just want more value, look for a way to work in Des Moines. Des Moines has much more affordable property and better wages. It's ironic, but that's the trap of the university city. Many people must live there for the university which drives up the cost of living, but there aren't many good jobs because college students will settle for whatever they can get. The landlord laws are incredibly landlord friendly (no renters rights), so rents go up even higher to capture the market.

There isn't really a great option for where to live when working in the Coralville area, but Cedar Rapids is much nicer than Coralville/Iowa City in my opinion.

If you wanted to find some nice housing, there are some nice areas above I-80 on the path between IC and North Liberty, but the house prices are insane. I'm assuming you're renting, so you'll probably want to focus on the rentals available in the south part of Cedar Rapids and near the free way in North Liberty.
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Old 02-16-2015, 09:29 AM
 
12 posts, read 16,471 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by lurtsman View Post
If you're wanting an area with a bigger city feel to it, the entire side of Iowa is missing that. If you just want more value, look for a way to work in Des Moines. Des Moines has much more affordable property and better wages. It's ironic, but that's the trap of the university city. Many people must live there for the university which drives up the cost of living, but there aren't many good jobs because college students will settle for whatever they can get. The landlord laws are incredibly landlord friendly (no renters rights), so rents go up even higher to capture the market.

There isn't really a great option for where to live when working in the Coralville area, but Cedar Rapids is much nicer than Coralville/Iowa City in my opinion.

If you wanted to find some nice housing, there are some nice areas above I-80 on the path between IC and North Liberty, but the house prices are insane. I'm assuming you're renting, so you'll probably want to focus on the rentals available in the south part of Cedar Rapids and near the free way in North Liberty.
Yeah, I'm living in Des Moines now and my husband and I were shocked about what you get for the money! That's why were were looking outside the Iowa City area and we don't want to deal with loud noise, ect. that comes from a college town. Thanks for the advice!
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Old 04-18-2015, 12:55 PM
 
Location: Iowa
16 posts, read 22,373 times
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Cedar Rapids is the armpit of Iowa and the slumlord capital of the country. The best neighborhood in Cedar Rapids is Hiawatha.
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Old 04-20-2015, 03:11 AM
 
6 posts, read 29,250 times
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Originally Posted by cpat View Post
Cedar Rapids is the armpit of Iowa and the slumlord capital of the country. The best neighborhood in Cedar Rapids is Hiawatha.
Wow. It sounds like Cedar Rapids is to Iowa as Bakersfield is to California. I hope you are not exaggerating. And I was thinking about moving there (to CR).
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Old 04-20-2015, 10:28 AM
 
Location: Southridge
452 posts, read 616,913 times
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Quote:
Cedar Rapids is the armpit of Iowa and the slumlord capital of the country. The best neighborhood in Cedar Rapids is Hiawatha
This guy has two posts and is from Missouri. I lived in CR 23 years and can tell you that his statement is completely false. Especially after the rebuilding from the Flood of 08, CR is completely revamped and different from what it was. It was no armpit before, but now is even better. The schools are top notch, housing is cheap, their is entertainment and it's Farmers Market is one of the largest and most renowned in the country, and many other things. Bak-o is the armpit of Cali, well I don't know at least it has oil and a booming economy, Stockton and Hemet are armpits too. But CR also has one of the best economies in the nation.

CR isn't a bad place at all. It's proximity to Iowa City and the college scene, stores, and sports helps too. The Iowa Hawkeyes are the "pro" teams (football and basketball) of the area and people go gaga over them.
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Old 04-20-2015, 11:22 AM
 
Location: Jonesboro
3,874 posts, read 4,667,630 times
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Ditto to the above as in I largely 2nd what 909er wrote this here afternoon.
I've seen some real urban & rural "armpits" across the country & Cedar Rapids is not even vaguely anywhere near the pit category.

Last edited by atler8; 04-20-2015 at 11:22 AM.. Reason: punctuation
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Old 04-20-2015, 04:32 PM
 
6 posts, read 29,250 times
Reputation: 16
Quote:
Originally Posted by 909er View Post
This guy has two posts and is from Missouri. I lived in CR 23 years and can tell you that his statement is completely false. Especially after the rebuilding from the Flood of 08, CR is completely revamped and different from what it was. It was no armpit before, but now is even better. The schools are top notch, housing is cheap, their is entertainment and it's Farmers Market is one of the largest and most renowned in the country, and many other things. Bak-o is the armpit of Cali, well I don't know at least it has oil and a booming economy, Stockton and Hemet are armpits too. But CR also has one of the best economies in the nation.

CR isn't a bad place at all. It's proximity to Iowa City and the college scene, stores, and sports helps too. The Iowa Hawkeyes are the "pro" teams (football and basketball) of the area and people go gaga over them.
Good, I had a hunch he was exaggerating a bit. I still think I'll give CR a try. We all have our preferences...I'm sure CR has it's high points as well (like you indicated). Even Bakersfield looks good to some people...FYI Stockton and Modesto are far worse.

"Gentlemen, you intrigue me. I think I'll give Iowa a try." --Prof. Harold Hill, aka. Music Man, aka. Robert Preston (actor).
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Old 04-21-2015, 08:53 AM
 
206 posts, read 380,489 times
Reputation: 423
I'll also second 909er about CR.

I will say that in most of IC I don't think you would normally run into the issue of college-town noise, just the neighborhoods right around the university. That's admittedly a big area, but in, say, Coralville you probably wouldn't know you were in a college town if not for all the black and yellow.

You could also look at some of the small communities surrounding Iowa City, if you think you might enjoy small town living. Some of these have commutes to IC similar to or shorter than from CR, with still excellent schools. Only to be considered if you really think you'd like living in a small town, though.
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