Where is it booming in Iowa?? (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids: best towns, real estate, houses)

[RonnieJonez]

Most cities in Iowa are the same, quiet, pleasant, good place to raise a family, overall lack of cultural opportunity and there is a lot of small-town mentality to go along with it.

For some reason, a lot of Iowans take grand offense to being called "small-town", even when they obviously are.

If you are looking for a slow change of pace, it's probably a good place to check out, then again, so is Utah, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, etc.

[Tek_Freek]

Moderator cut: personal - use pm

OP, I will tell you this again; with all I've said about Des Moines proper (I lived there for 44 years) the area is an excellent place to live, raise children, find a job, get an education, and enjoy life. I just am not a fan of Des Moines. It is a poorly run city and things aren't going to change anytime soon.

[Shaines103]

We moved to Iowa City about 2 years ago. My husband got a job offer he couldn't refuse! I'd lived on the East Coast for 35 years and I can't say enough about HOW HORRIBLE it is to live here. There is NOTHING to do. No shopping - lame stores like Younkers which is now owned by a chain that was back East that we NEVER would have even walked into! One food store to choose from. We had 4 food store chains within 10 minutes of where we lived before. Few decent restaurants. People aren't friendly - we're considered outsiders since the last 10 generations of our families haven't been from here. Cedar Rapids is known as the 'city of 5 smells'!

We miss professional sports, shopping, and having lots of things to do very close to home.

We're going to retire in the Tucson area. My advise to you would be to have your family come visit you in civilization.

[DSMGuy]

Sorry to hear you don't like Iowa City, I always thought the university gave it youthful energy.

But your points are well taken. This is why I recommend the Des Moines Metro highly to people considering Iowa, but want to have many of the same amenities of the large city they came from. Certainly DM does not have the same level of amenities as you spoke of in your post, but when someone does want to leave a large city and wants a slower pace, but are looking for some of the amenities and attractions they are used to, Des Moines is the best choice in Iowa.

- You mentioned shopping. Des Moines' shopping is the best in Iowa with its new Jordan Creek Town Center and the surrounding shopping areas. Does it compare to New York, Chicago? No but it is the best in Iowa and like everything, it is a trade off because you don't have to fight the traffic and crowds of these larger cities.

- You mentioned professional sports. Des Moines has AAA baseball and hockey, which are as close as it gets to pro sports in Iowa (granted it is minor league, but they are technically "professionals"). AAA is one level below the pros and all the other baseball teams in Iowa are A level. There is no other professional hockey team in Iowa, although Omaha's AAA team plays in Council Bluffs. While it is not the pros like you are used to, it is much better talent than you'll see at A level.

- Also, because it is the state capital, it "plays much bigger" than it really is. Meaning, DM is Iowa's main city and therefore the museums etc. here are built to serve the whole state. We have a great science center, state historical museum, outdoor agricultural museum, art center and a nice (but small) zoo. We also have our share of concerts at Wells Fargo Arena and Broadway productions at the Civic Center.

So, even though I have nothing bad to say about Iowa City, if you were looking for big city amenities (albeit on a smaller scale than major East Coast cities) Des Moines would probably have been a better choice for you.

Also, DM is a corporate town so you do get people moving in and out from outside Iowa. So you don't see the "outsider" behavior you might see in the rest of the state. There are people that have been transferred here and then been transferred out that still keep in touch with their friends here because they had developed great friendships.

[Shaines103]

Stay in AZ. It's unbelievable all the things you'll miss when you leave. Not only weather - but shopping and things to do - restaurants, professional sports teams, etc. etc. Only one lame food store chain here too. People are very friendly in AZ (lots of transplants) and they're sure not here. We're 'outsiders' because we have no ties to this area. Cedar Rapids has the reputation of the 'city of 5 smells' and I sure can see why.

[DSMGuy]

Have to agree with you on the Cedar Rapids thing. I was visiting there last year and went biking along their riverfront. I was annoyed by the fumes coming off the two processing plants I passed, but I almost fell off my bike gagging from the city dump that sits prominently along the route.

[bockslanding]

Just joined this forum to say Dubuque is going in all the right directions! The new additions to the riverfront and some of the new housing going in is what I belive, the tip of the iceberg. The entire upper mississippi with is low-cost realestate is going to be drawing retiring folks from everywhere. just compare the cost of Iowa lakefront prices with riverfront.

[star_gazer]

There is no other professional hockey team in Iowa, although Omaha's AAA team plays in Council Bluffs.

Just an FYI... the AAA Omaha Royals do not play in Council Bluffs (nor do the AHL Knights hockey team ... if that is what you meant). The USHL (high school kids) hockey team plays at Council Bluffs' Mid America Center.


By the way AZ.twinmom... as a big part of the Omaha metro, Council Bluffs is booming... and worth a look (visit the Omaha forum under the Nebraska section for more info).

[dubuqueaskme]

Like bockslading said "Dubuque is going in all the right directions" The newspaper the past few days, for the last week has been talking about how Dubuque got $8 mil. out of the $9mil. VisionIowa dollars, to renovate the all ready booming port into a large happening retail and condo subdivision featuring riverviews with unbeilievably low prices, and the casino has been SO successful, that they are doubling the size, they are adding the "rivermax" theater, and it will all look very urban, a concept new to Dubuque, Dubuque is also one of the only cities in Iowa that is fighting global warming, and "going green", there are so many new subdivisions, the population of the county has probably increased atleast 5,000 from the 92,000 population estimate in 2005. It is crazy. Retail and Residentail establishments ALL OVER. Check out Asbury "As-berry" the second fastest growing city in iowa, and peosta, the eighth fastest.... Pesota is doing VERY well, with a special 2006 census showing 1900 people living in the town, up from 650 in 2000.

[Yorkie_Mom]

So does anyone know anything about Des Moines, or Drake University?