Need Iowan's Input (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, Davenport: low income, apartment, house)

[Tek_Freek]

Cumberland Plateau. Fairfield Glade or closer to Knoxville depending.

[ChefJessie81]

I think you'd love North Liberty, it's a smaller town, but right on the edge of Coralville/Iowa City, just 20 miles from Cedar Rapids. N.L. is also a growing community, a lot of people are moving out there, it's safe, it's quite, and it's in a great location to look for crafts-- I don't think there are any really nice cafes, though. If you do look into it, try to avoid apartments by the bar Drinks, (only 2 bars in town), that's the only place I've heard it can get a bit noisy.

[GayleAZ]

Originally Posted by ChefJessie81

I think you'd love North Liberty, it's a smaller town, but right on the edge of Coralville/Iowa City, just 20 miles from Cedar Rapids. N.L. is also a growing community, a lot of people are moving out there, it's safe, it's quite, and it's in a great location to look for crafts-- I don't think there are any really nice cafes, though. If you do look into it, try to avoid apartments by the bar Drinks, (only 2 bars in town), that's the only place I've heard it can get a bit noisy.

Pfewwwww.. is North Liberty anywhere near West Liberty? If so no thanks. I was just reading the front page of the Gazette and it was saying that 40% of West Liberty was hispanic and they were talking about officers who need to speak the language. I can stay here and have 1/2 the population be hispanic and not speak English.

However I will check it out online since you were kind enough to bring it to my attention and it does sound close to a lot of job posibilities!

[wingit]

Gayle,
North Liberty is probably 20 miles or more from West Liberty, so there shouldn't be any problem with the West Liberty population for you in North Liberty. Actually that area is growing rapidly (N.L.) that is. It is just north of the Iowa City/ Coralville area, whole different area than West Liberty.

West Liberty has a meat processing facility, hence the minority population being as high as it is. I don't blame you for not thinking twice about that town, I wouldn't live there either, but I do go to the stock car races there on occasion. The Muscatine county fairgrounds is in the city limits of West Liberty, stock car racing every Saturday evening all summer long, so noise would definately be noticeable on Saturday evenings.

Souix City, Marshaltown, and Columbus Junction, are three other towns I can think of that have meat packing plants in them also. Any of those areas seem to be higher in minority pop. since that seems important to you. My hometown is probably higher than average for hispanic population, and it doesn seem to have it's drawbacks.
I can't guarantee you that you would be perfectly happy in eastern Iowa, depends a lot on your priorities. My location puts me within 40 minutes of Iowa City, 1 hour to Cedar Rapids, 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. to Des Moines, 3 hours to Chicago. So with a little driving, I can be to any of the big cities in a reasonable amount of time, but still live in a small town without the big city headaches. There are plenty of small towns in this state. I'm sure you can find one that would make you happy.

I was surfing through the Missouri forum and see you may be contemplating Missouri as your future home also. I've often thought about living there myself, some pretty nice looking landscape in that state in my opinion. One problem I see that really sticks out to me is the lack of any major medical facilities in the northern areas I like. Southern Missouri is pretty nice to, but I haven't been around there enough to get a good feel for the area.

You know it's funny how much people differ on things, I have friends who moved to Surprise Az. two years ago and they love it there, but they do come back to visit pretty often though.

[ic-epi]

Originally Posted by wingit

Gayle,
North Liberty is probably 20 miles or more from West Liberty, so there shouldn't be any problem with the West Liberty population for you in North Liberty. Actually that area is growing rapidly (N.L.) that is. It is just north of the Iowa City/ Coralville area, whole different area than West Liberty.

West Liberty has a meat processing facility, hence the minority population being as high as it is. I don't blame you for not thinking twice about that town, I wouldn't live there either, but I do go to the stock car races there on occasion. The Muscatine county fairgrounds is in the city limits of West Liberty, stock car racing every Saturday evening all summer long, so noise would definately be noticeable on Saturday evenings.

Souix City, Marshaltown, and Columbus Junction, are three other towns I can think of that have meat packing plants in them also. Any of those areas seem to be higher in minority pop. since that seems important to you. My hometown is probably higher than average for hispanic population, and it doesn seem to have it's drawbacks.
I can't guarantee you that you would be perfectly happy in eastern Iowa, depends a lot on your priorities. My location puts me within 40 minutes of Iowa City, 1 hour to Cedar Rapids, 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. to Des Moines, 3 hours to Chicago. So with a little driving, I can be to any of the big cities in a reasonable amount of time, but still live in a small town without the big city headaches. There are plenty of small towns in this state. I'm sure you can find one that would make you happy.

I was surfing through the Missouri forum and see you may be contemplating Missouri as your future home also. I've often thought about living there myself, some pretty nice looking landscape in that state in my opinion. One problem I see that really sticks out to me is the lack of any major medical facilities in the northern areas I like. Southern Missouri is pretty nice to, but I haven't been around there enough to get a good feel for the area.

You know it's funny how much people differ on things, I have friends who moved to Surprise Az. two years ago and they love it there, but they do come back to visit pretty often though.

Gayle,

I lived in North Liberty for several years. It's a "sleeper" town for Iowa City and really does not offer much on its own. A lot of young families with children live there. Typically it's a great place to live for two-adult households where one commutes to CR and one to Iowa City. As far as I'm concerned North Liberty is not a typical small Iowa town with typical charm. I would not recommend it for what I think you are looking for.

I'm also very familiar with the small Iowa towns with relatively large Hispanic populations (I do community-based research and have worked with those towns). For what you are looking for, I would also not recommend those towns to you -- not that there's anything wrong with them at all, just not what you are looking for based on your post.

[gayleinAZ]

Originally Posted by wingit

Gayle,
North Liberty is probably 20 miles or more from West Liberty, so there shouldn't be any problem with the West Liberty population for you in North Liberty. Actually that area is growing rapidly (N.L.) that is. It is just north of the Iowa City/ Coralville area, whole different area than West Liberty.

West Liberty has a meat processing facility, hence the minority population being as high as it is. I don't blame you for not thinking twice about that town, I wouldn't live there either, but I do go to the stock car races there on occasion. The Muscatine county fairgrounds is in the city limits of West Liberty, stock car racing every Saturday evening all summer long, so noise would definately be noticeable on Saturday evenings.

Souix City, Marshaltown, and Columbus Junction, are three other towns I can think of that have meat packing plants in them also. Any of those areas seem to be higher in minority pop. since that seems important to you. My hometown is probably higher than average for hispanic population, and it doesn seem to have it's drawbacks.
I can't guarantee you that you would be perfectly happy in eastern Iowa, depends a lot on your priorities. My location puts me within 40 minutes of Iowa City, 1 hour to Cedar Rapids, 2 1/2 to 3 hrs. to Des Moines, 3 hours to Chicago. So with a little driving, I can be to any of the big cities in a reasonable amount of time, but still live in a small town without the big city headaches. There are plenty of small towns in this state. I'm sure you can find one that would make you happy.

I was surfing through the Missouri forum and see you may be contemplating Missouri as your future home also. I've often thought about living there myself, some pretty nice looking landscape in that state in my opinion. One problem I see that really sticks out to me is the lack of any major medical facilities in the northern areas I like. Southern Missouri is pretty nice to, but I haven't been around there enough to get a good feel for the area.

You know it's funny how much people differ on things, I have friends who moved to Surprise Az. two years ago and they love it there, but they do come back to visit pretty often though.

I have been contemplating Missouri.. even went to look at houses in Columbia with a realtor right after the ice storm they had there in January. I love MO, but they have more crime and more people than Iowa and when I was driving back to KC in Jan going the other way on the freeway was a high speed chase and a few dozen cop cars. I think it lost it's 'charm' just about then. A chase on icy freeways no less. I'm sure I'll still go to MO, but even Columbia (a college town) seems to be feeling some growth problems. They are starting to have drive by shooting etc. I really liked St Joe and have spent time there. It was cute, but I'm not sure I could get a good job there. Maybe I just wasn't in the right places, but they don't have a downtown and that was a disappointment. Columbia has a great down town....but home prices for a nice home is a bit out of my range.

But that's all OK - I love to explore. I have a job and a paid off house and nothing but time, so eventually my little 'nirvana' will appear on my travels and I'll settle in for retirement! The glass is ALWAYS HALF FULL! I'll get where I'm going. I just have to find where I'm going FIRST!

[GayleAZ]

Originally Posted by ic-epi

Gayle,

I lived in North Liberty for several years. It's a "sleeper" town for Iowa City and really does not offer much on its own. A lot of young families with children live there. Typically it's a great place to live for two-adult households where one commutes to CR and one to Iowa City. As far as I'm concerned North Liberty is not a typical small Iowa town with typical charm. I would not recommend it for what I think you are looking for.

I'm also very familiar with the small Iowa towns with relatively large Hispanic populations (I do community-based research and have worked with those towns). For what you are looking for, I would also not recommend those towns to you -- not that there's anything wrong with them at all, just not what you are looking for based on your post.

I'm hoping that you don't think that those towns for me because you think I'm the biggest bigot on the blog. Truly.. if you embrace a second culture that's not your own it's great.. when it's rammed down your throat and you are forced to accept it.. then people turn into bigots or at least resentful of the forced changes. Hopefully you'll see me as more frustated at our gov't lack of caring and actions than be me being a bad person. And I'm sure if the truth be told a lot of people are looking for the real middle class America we knew as kids not this forced intigration that we had no control over. I'm sure a bunch of California transplants feel the same way.

[ic-epi]

Originally Posted by GayleAZ

I'm hoping that you don't think that those towns for me because you think I'm the biggest bigot on the blog. Truly.. if you embrace a second culture that's not your own it's great.. when it's rammed down your throat and you are forced to accept it.. then people turn into bigots or at least resentful of the forced changes. Hopefully you'll see me as more frustated at our gov't lack of caring and actions than be me being a bad person. And I'm sure if the truth be told a lot of people are looking for the real middle class America we knew as kids not this forced intigration that we had no control over. I'm sure a bunch of California transplants feel the same way.

GayleAZ,

I don't think you're a mean person or a bigot and I understand where you're coming from. (And by the way, even if I did think you were a bigot, which I don't, you still have a right to live where you want to live, in the environment where you're comfortable, and you would still get a nonjudgemental response from me).

[Lannie]

Clear Lake, Iowa. A little slice of heaven! I'm here now visiting for a couple of weeks and I LOVE it! I may never return to Savannah :-)

[GayleAZ]

Originally Posted by ic-epi

GayleAZ,

I don't think you're a mean person or a bigot and I understand where you're coming from. (And by the way, even if I did think you were a bigot, which I don't, you still have a right to live where you want to live, in the environment where you're comfortable, and you would still get a nonjudgemental response from me).

Thank you. I just didn't want you to think I was a bad person who shunned a certain part of society. I just prefer to live and die (when the time comes) with my own kind. If that's wrong or bigoted - so be it. It's how I feel and will always feel.