Should I move to Iowa?

[TootsieWootsie]

If you take a look at the 77th Council of Mayors meeting that was held this January, 2009, and can be pulled up on the net, you will see that Iowa is about the ONLY State in the Union that will have low unemployment during this economic crisis. So, if working is important to you, Iowa is your State.
Safe, lots of work, clean, friendly people. If this appeals to you, then Iowa is a yes.
I live in the Quad Cities right now, and there are so many festivals and entertainment here put on by the area. Plus, the 3 gambling boats, of course. Lots to do, but one important thing nobody has mentioned is that it is so CHEAP to live here. Shows with, say, Bret Michaels or any other bigtime entertainment (you can check what is coming here on the net, but they get alot of big acts like Cirque de Soliel) charges much less here than Houston did or, certainly, Chicago. This area is low charge totally for everything.
I say yes..depending on who you are and what your needs are.

[todd00]

you need to do some research yourself on different cities. while pple can say crime is pretty much non-existent, i wouldnt say that. sioux city, for example, has a pretty high rate of crime for the size of the town. expect crime in cities, this isnt mayberry, and there is violent and property crimes in cities here. it may be less than some other locations, but certainly does happen. read the local papers, look at the crime stats. i also think you need a car, but again that would depend on your residence, job etc. best to know all you can about a place before taking the jump. best wishes.

[M3 Mitch]

I lived in Iowa for 2 years in the very late 1980s - agree, you would probably want access to a car, unless you lived downtown in Cedar Rapids or maybe Iowa City. Iowa is a *very* rural state. But you could just rent a car on weekends if that's what you want to do. IMHO since Iowa salts the roads heavily in winter, it's not an ideal place to *own* a car, at least not one you drive year round.

Crime. Look at the stats for the city/county you are considering. But in general it's one of the lowest-crime states.

Very good point brought up right away is the OP needs to be more specific on where in Iowa they might go. There are a few decent-sized cities, a lot of small towns.

I do remember the people being friendly, I liked the many small "ma and pa" restaurants and cafe's around Vinton, the many small-town taverns with their "taco tuesday" specials and those small draft beers for a buck or less - do they still do that? The Amana colonies are another thing I miss.

But I don't miss the hot, humid summers or the cold snowy winters.

Maybe I'll come visit in spring or fall...

[jenionthemove]

Iowa without a car- probably not. Iowa City and Des Moines are really the only places you could get around with the bus system.

I live in Cedar Falls- we have a bus system but they only stop twice an hour. (Not convenient)
Rent is about 900/3BR. There are places in Waterloo and Des Moines that I would not go at night. Other than that the state is reasonably safe. Right now you can buy a 3BR house for under $130,000 in my area.

[QuadCityImages]

You can get around the QC just fine with the bus system... and I'd imagine you could in many other Iowa metro areas too. Like I said before, it may not be as easy as living in downtown Chicago without a car, but its doable.

[mesasone]

Originally Posted by Northern Traveler

You obviously put a lot of effort into this, but it's all over exaggerated and pretty much a lie. Not to totally slap you in the face or anything, but I just find it important to be honest. 99.9% of people agree having no car in the state of Iowa would suck ... I can only think of one thing that would be worse, not having a car in North Dakota.

Also, who is going to want to stay in the small town of Iowa City all the time? And Cedar Rapids is not sprawling.

Maybe I'm in a mood today.. O well

Okay look, you may not agree with me but to call me a liar, which would suggest that I am intentionally deceiving the OP, is really uncalled for. I have no reason to lie. I have no axe to grind, nor do I own any property or have any reason to try to draw people to my area. If I am lying or exaggerating, please cite where and provide sources to back up your statement.

The Gazette: Staying on track: Passenger train route from past may have role in Corridor's future
CRANDIC Feasability Study
JCCoG: Multi-Modal Transportion Plan 2007-2035

KCRG:Amtrak Proposes Iowa City to Quad Cities Train
Iowa City Chamber of Commerce: Passenger rail reaches crossroads; will Chicago be at epicenter?
Iowa City-Chicago rail service on track
Iowa DOT: Midwest Regional Rail Passenger Initiative and Passenger Rail Service in Iowa Status Report
Amtrak study on Iowa City - Chicago rail service
Iowa lawmakers call for more rail funding in stimulus bill
A summary of passenger rail spending in the stimulus package

Okay, your turn to put up or shut up. Where did I lie or exaggerate?

[RonnieJonez]

Originally Posted by capitalcityguy

Open your minds people.

Yes, you can live without a car, but your choices will be limited. The college towns (Ames and Iowa City) have extensive bus routes. DSM has a decent bus system, but you'll need to locate in the right area of town to get good service. If you can afford to live downtown (and that is where you work?), that would be ideal. You'd still need to take a taxi (Or the bus) for major grocery shopping (or have it delivered).

You know, DSM has those Manhattan prices downtown.