Moving from Los Angeles to Cedar Rapids (Des Moines, Iowa City: get credit, relocate)

[debclark]

My husband and I are considering moving with our two preschool-age children from Southern California to Cedar Rapids because (1) he can get a good job there, (2) the schools have a good reputation, and (3) housing is affordable.

This is a big move and I have a major concern that I was hoping to get advice on. As political liberals (but not vocal about it) from California (born and raised), will we have a difficult time fitting in? I lived in central Missouri for a couple years and was dismayed by how many people dismissed me as a nut from California--and this was without knowing my political views or really anything about me other than where I was from. What about making friends? I've read several posts that mention that Iowans and polite but it's difficult to make friends if you have no prior ties to the community. I'd hate to move there and feel like a pariah.

Any advice is appreciated. Thank you very much!

A California nut

[Tek_Freek]

Read "An unbiased opinion" - a thread here.

[debclark]

Thank you, Tek_Freek, for alerting me to those two articles. If my experiences in Iowa could be anything like the authors'--the slower pace, the friendliness and politeness--I know I would be happy there.

[wearynomad]

Dear Debclark,

Please do as much research as you can on Cedar Rapids. We moved here 9 months ago and are leaving because of the "snake oil" that was sold to us by the person who recruited my wife for a job.

I regret that I don't have much time to write this, but here are answers to some of your questions...


"My husband and I are considering moving with our two preschool-age children from Southern California to Cedar Rapids because (1) he can get a good job there, (2) the schools have a good reputation, and (3) housing is affordable. "

When we did our research, we received the same information. Here's
what actually happened:


1. I got good ENTRY LEVEL jobs here. I am an experienced,
advanced level IT person, and found it ironic that even though
the area is proud of its "technology corridor", every company that

I applied to wanted me to start from the bottom, making only
half of what I earned in the state that I moved away from.


2. We were told that every school here is above the national
average, and that because the public schools are so good, there is
no need to put our child in private school.


WRONG! Although we are fortunate to have are child in a pretty
good public school, it's not the case every where you go.


3. Housing is, indeed affordable. That is something I did appreciate
about this city.


"As political liberals (but not vocal about it) from California (born and
raised), will we have a difficult time fitting in?"

YES! Cedar rapids is highly conservative, and the people here are
very closed minded and backwards on a number of issues. I've found
Iowa City to be a more liberal-friendly town.


"What about making friends? I've read several posts that mention that Iowans and polite but it's difficult to make friends if you have no prior ties to the community. I'd hate to move there and feel like a pariah."


Making friends here was a futile effort while we were here. There is a closed culture in Cedar Rapids and the people are not welcoming at all. If they put any type of effort in getting to know you, they will first nit-pick you with way too many personal questions and then will proceed to leave you alone. Unless you are (and I hate to put race into this) white, don't have a progressive view about things, are not very outgoing, and a Hawkeye fan, I will have to say that it will be a challenge to find real friends here.

Please really reconsider this move. I am normally a very optimistic person, and can usually find something positive about anything... but when I comapare living here to all of the other places I've lived (mostly on the East Coast and Southern states), I can say that I've never met people more rude, cold, and indifferent as I have while in Cedar Rapids. Think very seriously about this, because I would hate that you've wasted your time and money to move all the way from California only to relocate again because you've had experiences similar to those I've mentioned. We have talked to so many people who have moved out of Iowa ore are in the process of moving, and we are always amazed that they are moving for the same reasons that we are.

I could go into detail about our experiences, but unfortunately my time is up. I'll end by saying this... if you here anyone mention "diversity" and Cedar Rapids, raise an eyebrow...


Good luck, and I hope this helps...

weary

[Robarooney]

Iowa is great if you're interested in the presidential elections because of the Iowa Caucuses. Chances to meet all the candidates and talk to each of them. I remember 1987 or 1988 meeting Dukakis, Paul Simon, others.

[PrincessAnne]

Cedar Rapids is often used as a test market for new products as its demographics closely mirror the demographics of the US as a whole, which includes diversity statistics. Obviously, some people have bad experiences and some some people don't, just like everywhere else. Personally, I've had a great experience (and by the way I'm not white and I'm liberal, however I am a Hawkeye fan).

I moved to Cedar Rapids after spending a few years in Chicago. There are many good jobs with all the industry that Cedar Rapids boasts, and I had no trouble landing a great paying job. I did all my schooling in Iowa (was public schooled in Des Moines, went to college in Iowa City) and contend that the Iowa school system deserves its consistently high rankings. I think Cedar Rapids has some of the nicest people as well; I had no trouble meeting people and settling into my neighborhood. There's always community events going on such as Jazz in the Park on Fridays in the summer, where meeting people is a breeze. Drivers are even more polite!

While Iowa City is in fact more liberal, Cedar Rapids (25 minutes away) is by no means closed-minded. There are areas in Iowa that are fiercely conservative but are generally smaller farm communities, which Cedar Rapids most definitely is not. I wouldn't recommend moving to Iowa City since it is a college town to the core (the sprawling campus is smack in the middle of downtown), but Cedar Rapids would be a great place to raise a family.

I will finish by mentioning other great aspects of Cedar Rapids and generally Iowa too - the commute is extremely short to anywhere (work, stores, schools), crime and pollution are low, the different seasons are absolutely beautiful, and vegetables and beef are amazingly fresh. I'm an Iowan for life, and Cedar Rapids is where I intend to raise my kids.

[juttagirl]

Hi,
I read your message looking to meet nice people in Cedar Rapids, since my boyfriend and I are going to be there for a while, I am doing the same now. Actually he is already there, I am still in Vienna, Austria, wrapping up things. I lived in CA also, north of San Francisco though, and I know what you mean when you talk about fitting in.
Since your message was posted in 2006 - you are already settled there now, how did things go ?
Hope that things went well for you and your husband and your kids starting in a new school.

Many regards from Vienna

Jutta

[sunny1951]

I have to agree with weary nomad-some of the things they experienced we did as well, moving here from nebraska in 1992. Even though we have lived here for 15 yrs. now I am ready to throw in the towel and move back to a state that accepted me from Iowa in 1980 and helped me thru the birth of twins and a life threatening bout with cancer. Since moving back here in 1992 I have never been accepted and I have had to fight for any job that I got and had to fight to keep it. I managed to get credit for a car and house and now that I have physical and financial problems my car was repossessed and my house is going to be repossessed. when you ask for help people here in cedar rapids just turn their back and ignore you, even your own relatives. when I do move from here I won't regret it and I won't look back. Think very carefully-if you want to move to Iowa, try Iowa city-its much more friendlier and people are more than willing to help you there. No matter where you are from Iowa city accepts you.

[globetrotta]

Deb I have to agree with weary if you want lower housing cost an opportunity try Las Vegas,Phoenix,Dallas,Houston,ATL or Florida

[Cactus Sam]

I have to agree with the other posters who left California and other States to move to Iowa.

Think very carefully. Make sure you keep plenty of savings in the bank so that you will have enough money to go back to California.

And, don't be stupid like we were and buy property or a house.

It is much easier to give 30 days notice on a rental than it is to go through selling a house in a down market.

There are Californian's on this board trying to help you!

Now, I don't know a thing about Cedar Rapids specifically. Never really heard much about it when we lived in Iowa.

I just know what we went through when we moved to a different town in Iowa with the highest of hopes (like you) from California....

We had a hard time going back home because the housing values had shot up so much in California that our house now is 1/2 the size of the one we moved from. But, we are so glad to be in it!!

Think very carefully.....your entire future depends on it.