So is it really as bad as some posters say? (Des Moines: agriculture, military)

[lionandlamb]

Greetings.\,

The truth of the QCA is the gangs run the area, not the police. The gangs have no fear of the police and the city is dirty...


I'd say look at other areas..

[summer grace]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaBound

My sign on name states "CaliforniaBound" but a turn of events has us considering Iowa. We lived in Iowa in the mid to late 90's in Fort Madison and really enjoyed our time there and found the parts of Iowa we were able to visit very beautiful. We have the opportunity due to my husband's job to return to the area of the quad-cities. I have read some of the postings on this forum and becoming concerned because of the negative comments such as not being accepting of newbies, etc. We have desired to find a laid back area to raise our boys ages 11, 6 and 5 and have most recently lived in Salt Lake City Utah although we are originally from Texas. I am not sure you could find a more unaccepting area as Utah and we have fit in just fine but since my family has moved around a great deal typically reach out ourselves and meet new friends easily. I know you hear good and bad about each and every state but if Iowa has grown into an area we should avoid we would like to know before we make a big mistake. I am really disappointed because I have such fond memories of our time spent in Fort Madison and Keokuk. Any thoughts?

If you have happy memories of Iowa, you will like it. I know you will. Iowa is for some people not others. I am not familiar with the area you lived in, but the late '90s wasn't that long ago. I live in Iowa, and have a divided opinion on the place, but there are other things than just the people. I haven't had all good experiences to be honest, although some of that was also in southeastern Minnesota, very close to Iowa.

It is all who you are, and you sound like you already fit in. That is a gift, you have a great attitude. I certainly think IA much better than Utah, never been there, but I have Mormon Ancestry in Utah. If you fit in Utah, trust me you will fit in Iowa. I have never heard good about Utah, but that is a different subject. Cities can be different than small towns. With how you are, you should not have a problem. I only go on what I have heard and experienced and it is in rural areas.

[ehenningsen]

Dont listen to Listenup he is on the nebraska boards flaming away with not facts... There are some Iowa cities that are booming, that are very low cost of living, above average pay with lots of things to do... Two in particular is DesMoines and Iowa City... Des Moines is by far larger and has just about everything a major city has except major league sports and is growing at probably twice the rate the average US metro is growing, Iowa City is a great college town if thats what your into...

I know cause I live in OMaha (another boom town on the Nebraska-Iowa border) and travel into Iowa at times, not because there isn't things to do here... but these towns have their own atmospheres and things to do and I tell you what... You would be smart if you checked some of these cities, especially Des Moines....

[Tek_Freek]

Have you noticed that some posters are simply ignored. Cool, huh?

[tallsally]

I think Fort Madison and keokuk are beautiful little towns but I think you would be very disappointed with the quad cities. There is a lot of crime and it is a lot more expensive. There is a lot more to do and a lot more shopping areas. I lived there for five years and left because of the crime. I now live in Fort Madison and like it better although I would like to go west where the air is dry. I've lived in both places and I will go out west eventually.
There aren't any jobs to amount to much here but the living is simple and a lot cheaper

[ic-epi]

Several of the above posts are ridiculously narrow minded.

I've lived in Iowa most of my life, and for the last 25 years. Iowa hasn't changed since you lived there (I'm talking to the original poster). Your memories won't fail you. The very small, rural towns (where farmers have lived in the same house for their entire life, and there are virtually no non-whites in residence) can be extremely conservative and racist. The bigger towns are fine though, and actually some of them are quite liberal. Iowa City, for instance, is a great university town, very liberal and accepting, friendly people, no crime, highly educated community, excellent schools, relatively low cost of living... what more could you want?

[cinder26]

I was raised in Keokuk, Iowa and lived there for 18 years until I moved away for college. It is important to mention that the city is much different now than even 10-15 years ago. To an outsider the surrounding areas may appear pretty, but the city itself could hardly be considered attractive to anyone. The city has taken a large hit in the past decade or so. It is now a Wal-Mart town. Almost the entire downtown (Main Street) has been been shut down as they cannot compete with large business. This has created several problems. Firstly, Wal-Mart is the only place to by, for example, a CD in the entire city (not one exception as of now). The family outing may be to take a trip to Wal-Mart for the evening. In addition, "downtown" Keokuk has changed into a hangout for the poor which roam the streets shirtless and drunk from time to time. Poverty is everywhere in this city and is visable by driving down residential neighborhoods and looking into the yards of homes.

There are some positives however. The school systems are decent. There are several good teachers, and relative to its size, Keokuk has pleanty to offer in the way of activities such as sports and academic clubs. However, the pure boredom of the students especially the older ones does tend to drive them into small town shenanigans... hey they have to do something for fun.

The city police and fire system is pretty well run. Although there are a couple bad apples. Overall, they are pretty quick and reliable.

I did not set out to simply put the city down, however Keokuk and Southeast Iowa in general would not be, in my opinion, nice places to relocate. Look at the trends in population in the area, they are constantly decreasing. Those that do remain are either too poor to relocate, or are so deeply rooted in the city and are too old to move away from family. I am not saying all children or people are unhappy there, but compare them to the rest of the country. As they are thrown into college for example, often times they are so uncultured and often isolated that they have a hard time adjusting. I would suggest somewhere more culturally aware to give them a fair chance. Children and adults alike often feel sufficated in Southeast Iowa.

There are other parts of the country to consider. Personally, I like the Quadcities and Des Moines and surrounding areas. As mentioned earlier, there is much more offered here. Keep in mind that will surround yourself mostly with simply people, though they are everywhere. Discussions will often take place regarding the St. Louis Cardinals and simplified politics. It is hard to meet people there they will be internationally aware. However, there is much, much more to do in the way of activities, shopping, restaurants, etc. Some of the surrounding areas of Des Moines, such as Ankeny is a very nice place to raise children. But it all depends on your mentality and who you are as a person. If you are looking for something simple, than that is for you. However, do not move there with hopes of meeting many people that think outside the box. Of course they exist and I am speaking generally. Of course I am not saying that people are less intelligent there, they are simply not experienced with much beyond their home territory, as in Iowa there are many people orignally from Iowa, not many people move to Iowa from other parts of the World. The large growth in Des Moines population is greatly due to people moving from smaller towns (such as Keokuk) after attending the University of Iowa and taking jobs with companies like Principal Financial Group and Wells Fargo; 9-5 jobs.

Again, I say consider what you are looking for in a city. I do not think that people from Iowa are close minded, just simple minded. They will not reject you for where you are from, but by how you think. If you come into the State with an inhanced viewpoint on the world, politics, etc. they will often reject and cower under the defense of having homefield advantage. People tell you to accept their viewpoints more and you will be accepted. But if your viewpoints are simply wider and encompass more experiences and ideas, than you will never find mutual acceptance- because doing so would require you to lie to yourself and shorten your beliefs.

Again, I am from Iowa. I am not putting people there down either. Simply, it is simple. If that is what you are looking for than move at least to Des Moines or the Quadcities. And of course keep in mind that things have changed in the smaller cities as well, as they are not the same as they were. Good luck.

[idontknow]

California bound,

I have lived and grown up in the QC area. I have also lived in many other areas within the state of Iowa such as: Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Ankeny, Altoona, Fort Dodge and Humboldt. The QC is a great place with many opportunities and wonderful people. You will love it there. However, keep in mind that every city has it's good and bad points. In the QC the Northwest and Northeast areas are growing by leaps and bounds. Stay away from the downtown area or what most natives say down over the hill. The Bettendorf area is also very nice. It is located east of Davenport. If you have any other questions let me know.....I will be more than happy to try and help.

[CertifiaBully]

Originally Posted by CaliforniaBound

My sign on name states "CaliforniaBound" but a turn of events has us considering Iowa. We lived in Iowa in the mid to late 90's in Fort Madison and really enjoyed our time there and found the parts of Iowa we were able to visit very beautiful. We have the opportunity due to my husband's job to return to the area of the quad-cities. I have read some of the postings on this forum and becoming concerned because of the negative comments such as not being accepting of newbies, etc. We have desired to find a laid back area to raise our boys ages 11, 6 and 5 and have most recently lived in Salt Lake City Utah although we are originally from Texas. I am not sure you could find a more unaccepting area as Utah and we have fit in just fine but since my family has moved around a great deal typically reach out ourselves and meet new friends easily. I know you hear good and bad about each and every state but if Iowa has grown into an area we should avoid we would like to know before we make a big mistake. I am really disappointed because I have such fond memories of our time spent in Fort Madison and Keokuk. Any thoughts?

Speaking as a native Iowan of 30+ years who has been in Texas 4 years...COME BACK TO TEXAS! You will have a miserable time trying to 'fit in'...Iowans generally are not real warm to newcomers. You have to prove something to them first. Point the truck south and don't settle for anything north of the Red River!! LOL (The food is better down here anyway!!)

[summer grace]

Originally Posted by cinder26

I was raised in Keokuk, Iowa and lived there for 18 years until I moved away for college. It is important to mention that the city is much different now than even 10-15 years ago. To an outsider the surrounding areas may appear pretty, but the city itself could hardly be considered attractive to anyone. The city has taken a large hit in the past decade or so. It is now a Wal-Mart town. Almost the entire downtown (Main Street) has been been shut down as they cannot compete with large business. This has created several problems. Firstly, Wal-Mart is the only place to by, for example, a CD in the entire city (not one exception as of now). The family outing may be to take a trip to Wal-Mart for the evening. In addition, "downtown" Keokuk has changed into a hangout for the poor which roam the streets shirtless and drunk from time to time. Poverty is everywhere in this city and is visable by driving down residential neighborhoods and looking into the yards of homes.

There are some positives however. The school systems are decent. There are several good teachers, and relative to its size, Keokuk has pleanty to offer in the way of activities such as sports and academic clubs. However, the pure boredom of the students especially the older ones does tend to drive them into small town shenanigans... hey they have to do something for fun.

The city police and fire system is pretty well run. Although there are a couple bad apples. Overall, they are pretty quick and reliable.

I did not set out to simply put the city down, however Keokuk and Southeast Iowa in general would not be, in my opinion, nice places to relocate. Look at the trends in population in the area, they are constantly decreasing. Those that do remain are either too poor to relocate, or are so deeply rooted in the city and are too old to move away from family. I am not saying all children or people are unhappy there, but compare them to the rest of the country. As they are thrown into college for example, often times they are so uncultured and often isolated that they have a hard time adjusting. I would suggest somewhere more culturally aware to give them a fair chance. Children and adults alike often feel sufficated in Southeast Iowa.

There are other parts of the country to consider. Personally, I like the Quadcities and Des Moines and surrounding areas. As mentioned earlier, there is much more offered here. Keep in mind that will surround yourself mostly with simply people, though they are everywhere. Discussions will often take place regarding the St. Louis Cardinals and simplified politics. It is hard to meet people there they will be internationally aware. However, there is much, much more to do in the way of activities, shopping, restaurants, etc. Some of the surrounding areas of Des Moines, such as Ankeny is a very nice place to raise children. But it all depends on your mentality and who you are as a person. If you are looking for something simple, than that is for you. However, do not move there with hopes of meeting many people that think outside the box. Of course they exist and I am speaking generally. Of course I am not saying that people are less intelligent there, they are simply not experienced with much beyond their home territory, as in Iowa there are many people orignally from Iowa, not many people move to Iowa from other parts of the World. The large growth in Des Moines population is greatly due to people moving from smaller towns (such as Keokuk) after attending the University of Iowa and taking jobs with companies like Principal Financial Group and Wells Fargo; 9-5 jobs.

Again, I say consider what you are looking for in a city. I do not think that people from Iowa are close minded, just simple minded. They will not reject you for where you are from, but by how you think. If you come into the State with an inhanced viewpoint on the world, politics, etc. they will often reject and cower under the defense of having homefield advantage. People tell you to accept their viewpoints more and you will be accepted. But if your viewpoints are simply wider and encompass more experiences and ideas, than you will never find mutual acceptance- because doing so would require you to lie to yourself and shorten your beliefs.

Again, I am from Iowa. I am not putting people there down either. Simply, it is simple. If that is what you are looking for than move at least to Des Moines or the Quadcities. And of course keep in mind that things have changed in the smaller cities as well, as they are not the same as they were. Good luck.

I could not put it better about close minded/simple minded. I agree entirely with what you've said.