clinton,ia (Davenport, Bettendorf, De Witt: rentals, insurance, home)

[mnmo]

I would really appreciate if I could get some answers from this forum.
I am considering a prospective employment in clinton ,Ia, and I have school going kids.

From what I see the schools are not great in Clinton,for this reason,I am also considering living in quad cities and driving to clinton every day,now is this practically possible in terms of weather, traffic, and road conditions,and how long would be the commute.

Among quad cities my choices are either Bettendorf or Davenport, How would u compare quality of life in terms of good schools/education and entertainment for kids,house rentals(3BR),people in general with clinton.

Is there any pollution due to the industries ,and any harm/ healthhazard for kids long term.how do you compare clinton, davenport and bettendorf on this.
What is the peculiar smell issue mentioned.
I would appreciate if some one can answer my questions.thanks

[decidingwheretolive]

I'm in IL about a half hour east of Clinton. I can sometimes smell it over hear on a windy day. I would look at Bettendorf and commute. Bettendorf has by far the best schools. Housing costs quite a bit more in Bettenorf too though. It looks like it's about 35 miles to Clinton from Bettendorf. I guess the commute depends on how great the job is, if it's worth it to you to make the move. There are some nice neighborhoods in Clinton, we looked at moving there at one time, but couldn't get past the smell. There are also a lot of dumpy, run down areas. We do go to Clinton for Lumberkings Minor League baseball games though and enjoy that. Morrison, on the Illinois side, but not far from Clinton, has excellent schools, and it would be a much shorter commute. However, Morrison is a pretty small town and there isn't a lot going on there as far as things to do. You pretty much have to go to the Quad Cities to find much in that respect.

As for what the smell is it's ADM - corn processing plant and also I think there is a rendering plant in town too. It's mostly the south west side that stinks, but really you can smell it all over. If you must live there, go as far north as possible.

[LookKXLight]

Deciding is right. Clinton Corn (as I believe it is known) is in the south and really foul. You have other options though. I would look rural in all directions. You may find very good schools, though smaller communities. The west side of Clinton seems better to me. My wife is from De Witt, about 20 minutes West on highway 20. It is a very nice, safe, little town, albeit a bit boring. I believe schools are quite good (my wife's stepmother is a high school teacher there). You can pretty much ride your bike from one end of town to another in about 3 to 4 miles on interior streets with little traffic. They do have several parks and a decent swimming pool. You'll do most of your major shopping in Quad or Clinton. I agree that as to the QC suburbs, Bettendorf has always been my favorite as well. Good luck.

[LookKXLight]

By the way, in choosing a home be very mindful of streams and rivers. There are some (the "Wapsi" is one I believe) that tend to flood nearly every year. Certainly an aggravation you don't need, particularly as homeowner's insurance doesn't cover flood. Good luck.