What do you love and hate about living in Iowa? (Des Moines: transplants, real estate)

[summer grace]

Originally Posted by Busch71

Love being around my family. Hate pretty much everything else about the state.

The weather sucks most of the year. Except for a few weeks during spring and fall you can flush the rest. Not a lot to do here. Scenery is seriously lacking unless small towns and miles and miles of corn and soybean fields is your idea of "beautiful scenery." I never understood why so many people say Iowans are friendly. I lived here all of my life except for 6 years in Oregon and I have to say that, for the most part, people are friendlier in Oregon. I can't wait for 2011 to roll around so I can hightail it back to Oregon.

Northeast Iowa ( not the part you live in) is very beautiful. It's got bluffs and the Mississipi. Ever been to Decorah, IA? There is beautiful scenery along South 52 going to Dubuque, IA. You can't not call that pretty. I agree people aren't friendly though. But, the beauties of Northeast Iowa are real enough- Dubuque is a lovely city. Stereotypical IA is corn fields- but there is much more.

[Tritan]

My husband and I have lived in 9 states and 27 cities and I would have to say Iowa is very rude, judgmental, and lacks culture. However it is affordable and safe.

[txtoia]

I moved to Iowa from Texas, a military brat so lived in many cities, states and countries and living in Iowa is definitely one of the worst states I have ever lived in. I plan to move back to Texas this summer. Income tax is high in Iowa, the state nickels and dimes you to death, people totally lack social graces and I agree with "Tritan"...very rude, judgmental and totally lacks culture. Those born and bred here love it and can understand as most were born on a farm and then moved to the big city of Des Moines....just can't take the rural out of them though and a tuxedo and dungerees just don't go to the same event. If I see one more quilt hanging on a wall I think I will scream.

[QuadCityImages]

Yep, if there's one state known for culture and social skills its certainly Texas...

[DMRyan]

TXtoIA, what part of Iowa did you live in? It seems that many of the most frustrated people on this forum didn't live in the "Big City of Des Moines" or any of the other larger cities of Iowa offering more. I would hate life too if I were confined to rural Iowa or one of those small dumpy cities with less than 40,000 people, despite some people enjoying that lifestyle.

BTW, Texas has some of the most friendly people I've ever met before.

[SharpHawkeye]

Originally Posted by DMRyan

TXtoIA, what part of Iowa did you live in? It seems that many of the most frustrated people on this forum didn't live in the "Big City of Des Moines" or any of the other larger cities of Iowa offering more. I would hate life too if I were confined to rural Iowa or one of those small dumpy cities with less than 40,000 people, despite some people enjoying that lifestyle.

BTW, Texas has some of the most friendly people I've ever met before.

Iowa has nothing to apologize for.

I have found the people here to be at least as friendly and sociable as any other people in the country if not more so. We have several wonderful cities and many, many wonderful (not dumpy) towns more than and less than 40,000 people. If our state wasn't to your liking, that's unfortunate but no fault of our own.

[iowegian]

Yeah, I can't see anyone having that extreme of a reaction to Iowa if they had lived in a larger town. I've spent a lot of time in rural southern Iowa and I know that I would definitely be unhappy there, but I do like it here in Iowa City.

Things I like about Iowa are: safety, good schools, cost of living, weather (I realize many Iowans would list this as a negative but I love having four distinct seasons and I even like snow...gasp.), and right now I am appreciating the fact that we are faring pretty well in the economic crisis compared to many other states.

Things I don't like about Iowa are: a lack of events (Especially events for younger people, specifically concerts and stuff. We get a few here in IC but nothing compared to, say, Omaha.), distance to any major cities (4 1/2 hours in any direction), and sometimes I get frustrated by the more conservative nature of Iowans. There are many people here who resist change and it can hold cities back from carrying out big improvements that they want to make.

Overall, I am really glad that I had the chance to grow up here in Iowa and I will always carry a huge sense of Iowa pride wherever I go. However, I will probably move to an urban area after college, I like the idea of living in a big city. Maybe someday I'll move back, but I haven't thought that far ahead yet. I wouldn't mind living in Des Moines or Iowa City again at some point, I think both of these cities will improve greatly in the years to come.

[txtoia]

[quote=DMRyan;8034635]TXtoIA, what part of Iowa did you live in?

I live in Clive, a suburb of Des Moines.

[ehenningsen]

Originally Posted by SharpHawkeye

Iowa has nothing to apologize for.

I have found the people here to be at least as friendly and sociable as any other people in the country if not more so. We have several wonderful cities and many, many wonderful (not dumpy) towns more than and less than 40,000 people. If our state wasn't to your liking, that's unfortunate but no fault of our own.

no kidding! There sure are some drama queens on this thread

[Chicago60614]

Maybe living in Iowa City was different than the rest of the state. I knew it was "different", but I absolutely loved Iowa City for 20 years. Very friendly, beautiful, safe, no traffic, oriented on education and things that matter.

In the end it almost ALL comes down to your experiences, what you take away, and what you value. If you want fast paced, tons and tons of culture, etc, you know going in that there are other places that offer more of that than Iowa.

I'm not concerned about people who live somewhere for 5 years and just go on how they absolutely HATED that place. If you hate it - LEAVE! There are obviously more than enough people who love the place, and you're doing neither them nor yourself any good sitting there with a bad attitude.