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

[ic-epi]

Originally Posted by CertifiaBully

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!!)

Really Bully??

In my experience (been here more than 30 years, lived other places too ) Iowans are generally very warm to newcomers. I don't necessarily disagree with the posts on this thread, but I have read the responses to YOUR posts on other threads that makes me wonder if you aren't the most bigoted person posting on this forum, Bully. There must be better, more qualified people than you for this.

[summer grace]

I've always thought that it's important to realize there is no perfect place, and it's important to provide objective opinions/ advice about places so people will really know if it is for them or not. I think Iowa isn't as bad as some posters say , but that it isn't the place for some people either. Isn't that true of anywhere? In my opinion, Iowa is a quiet rural state that is very scenic in Northeast Iowa, and a cheap place to live. That's the good I can say, and perhaps I have already stated the bad.

[Lemastre]

I was born and reared in a small Iowa town, attended ISU, and moved away about 50 years ago. The perspective gained from living away from Iowa and visiting now and then makes it easier to understand why it is the way it is.

First, the state has a low population density, the rural areas historically comprising mostly northern Europeans (German, scandinavian, and Irish) with roots in farming.

It doesn't offer a great variety of career opportunities, although changes in agriculture have impelled small cities to work hard to attract and establish light industries of various sorts.

The "racism" and standoffishness visitors may sense stems from the fact that many native Iowans (rural midwesterners in general) are pretty insular and uneasy with strangers not obviously similar to themselves. This is because they've very likely lived all their lives on farms and in tiny communities among people just like themselves. In these small towns, it's possible to go days without meeting or even seeing someone you don't know. A great many haven't left home even long enough to attend a nearby college or work for any period of time in another town. If it weren't for this country's various wars forcing young people away from home and into a form of cultural exchange, this insularity would probably be even more pronounced.

With little firsthand experience of others, people's responses seem to rely on inherited prejudices, TV, and newspaper reports. There is some distortion in the picture imparted by these resources.

Despite that they aren't exactly worldly, Iowans are pretty resourceful and intelligent. They offer a helping hand where needed, and they are generally trustworthy and hardworking.

And today, even the smallest midwestern communities are receiving residents from across the Rio Grande, and this will no doubt result in rural America experiencing the sort of adjustments the border states have been undergoing for years. It's part of "globalization," I guess. Whether this is good or bad for Iowa remains to be seen

If nothing else draws you to Iowa, note that it has lovely, rolling land still offering pristine air and four distinct seasons.

[MMA Fightteam]

Im gonna reply to "Listen Up". I dont know what he's talking about, i've lived in Des Moines my whole life beside a couple years ago, i joined the military and was stationed down south in Savannah, GA. Des Moines is anything but racist anymore. A matter of fact, i bet there is more Mexican's on the southside than anyother race, i can almost guarentee that. Des Moines has become very multi-cultured these past couple years.

[trishinca]

Good observations (last few posts). I left Iowa in the 60's, and after 35 years went back for a visit. Family is everything, and, as in every state, there are many ways to raise them. But in Iowa, and other colder, rural states, there is a lot of isolation and unsophistication, which may come across as aloofness or unfriendliness. I was very shy when I left, and found other states and lifestyles almost overwhelming at first, so I've experienced both sides. If you want to read of my good memories of my Iowa childhood, look for the 'Decorah' thread further along, and maybe some of the posters will look deeper for the charm of a quiet Midwest life. Potlucks are still big back there, and if that is not exciting enough for some people, then they might prefer the $100 per person wine functions here is California! To each their own. I am starting to appreciate my home state more now that I am getting older. Please be patient and compassionate to those who live slower, different lives. I have heard that a high percentage of Iowans send their children to college, by the way. That says something for the culture, in my humble opinion.

[trishinca]

Sorry, the thread about my childhood memories is called 'How do you like living in Iowa' page 13. Decorah is where my mother grew up during the Depression, and there is not much on it yet. I'm trying to learn more. I did find a good realtor there, by the way.

[gatitosmommy]

I've been here for 5 years, & I've never lived in such a godawful place in my entire life.
be smart- go elsewhere, or stay where you are

[ic-epi]

Originally Posted by gatitosmommy

I've been here for 5 years, & I've never lived in such a godawful place in my entire life.
be smart- go elsewhere, or stay where you are

I've noticed that the people who post about Iowa being a "godawful" place to live, tend to be those who have come from other places and, I'm guessing, are used to other types of life experiences. The Iowa lifestyle is not for everyone, just like the NYC or California lifestyle is not for everyone. It all depends on what you want. Of course there will be people who hate living here, if their expectations were different and if they have different priorities about how to live their lives that don't correlate with the Iowa pace.

Iowa is laid-back with a slow pace of living. Stop and smell the flowers type of living. No one rushes anywhere. Traffic (in the smaller towns at least) is nonexistent. One of my friends from college recently moved to the small eastern Iowa town (of 6000 people) where I was born and raised, and she told me the other day that she still can't get used to the "commute" -- when she arrives at work, the same song is playing on the radio that was on when she left the house . She also commented on how great the neighbors are and how she loves having the community "feel" and the neighborly experience (and no, she wasn't from there originally). Now that she has two children, they aren't going anywhere else.

If you want big-city cultural events, museums, extensive shopping opportunities, a selection of organic grocery stores or ethnic restaurants, or expensive private schools, don't expect to find them in rural Iowa. (That should be a no-brainer). But if you want a slower pace of life, friendly people who care about their neighbors and get to know them, excellent public schools, and entertainment like picnics, potlucks, community fairs, local parks, and just sitting on your porch enjoying the evening breeze, then you will like Iowa. If you want a place where your kids can still hop on their bikes and ride across town to their friend's house or to the local swimming pool and you don't have to worry about them, then you will like Iowa. If you want small-town little league baseball games and local high school football games for Friday night entertainment, then you will like Iowa. If you want to drive downtown (three minute drive) and park right in front of the local mom and pop restaurant and have a home cooked meal, then you will like it here.

I have fabulous memories of a childhood being raised in a small Iowa town. I can still smell the fresh night air from the evenings when all the neighborhood kids would get together and play hide and seek or kick the can. I lived close enough to all my schools to walk to them. Our town had a yearly carnival and parade (they still do), and I'm sure it's very hokey by almost anyone's standards, comparing it to Six Flags or Disneyworld or whatever. The parade was just a bunch of local kids and adults riding through the town on floats they made by hand all the week before, throwing candy. Totally boring to most city people, I'm sure. But I can't tell you how much fun we had just being with other people in the community - we made our own good times. And it was (and still is) an awesome place to form childhood memories.

Oh, and education? It's a high priority in Iowa. I have eleven years of post-high school education and a fantastic career.

That's just my own personal opinion. There is good and bad to every place, and everyone has their own definitions of what that means. And that's great -- it's what makes the world go around.

[gatitosmommy]

ic-epi:

the first paragraph in your post says it all..
however, my distaste for this area isn't because of the extreme differences vs. what I'm familiar with, it's a matter my usual "live and let live" attitude toward differences is not taken well by the locals... some deeply resent the differences, & are extremely hostile about it...

would it be allowed for me to put a link here to a post I had in the local newspaper forum?

[gatitosmommy]

Originally Posted by CertifiaBully

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!!)

well I'm originally from NY, but came to Iowa after a couple of years in Texas...
kinda like "I left Texas for THIS?!" *kicks self*