Relocation to Sioux City from California (Davenport, Le Mars: rentals, crime, Home Depot)

[missikie]

My husband may be relocating to Sioux City (he was born in Davenport). We are hoping to buy a home with a bit of land for a little farming. And I would like to get involved in community support groups. However, I am worried about my son being ignored or ridiculed for moving there from California. He is shy, and at 10 years-old, it is really hard on him to think about giving up his friends here and making new ones.

I was born and raised in the Wine Country here in California and people seem to be too busy here to be friendly. It is expensive, crime is high and education is poor. I want a more laid back life for my son, like I had as a child...growing up on 11 acres that is now a Wal-Mart and Home Depot. I feel like there is no longer a sense of community here. Most people seem to volunteer for networking purposes rather than giving back to the community.

What are the better areas of Sioux City? What are the better schools?

Any advice before we take the leap and move to Sioux City?

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by missikie

My husband may be relocating to Sioux City (he was born in Davenport). We are hoping to buy a home with a bit of land for a little farming. And I would like to get involved in community support groups. However, I am worried about my son being ignored or ridiculed for moving there from California. He is shy, and at 10 years-old, it is really hard on him to think about giving up his friends here and making new ones.

I was born and raised in the Wine Country here in California and people seem to be too busy here to be friendly. It is expensive, crime is high and education is poor. I want a more laid back life for my son, like I had as a child...growing up on 11 acres that is now a Wal-Mart and Home Depot. I feel like there is no longer a sense of community here. Most people seem to volunteer for networking purposes rather than giving back to the community.

What are the better areas of Sioux City? What are the better schools?

Any advice before we take the leap and move to Sioux City?

With your concerns for your son's situation, I would look to the suburbs for smaller school districts outside of Sioux City. I can say with certainty that Elk Point-Jefferson South Dakota school system is very good and it's a fairly short commute. There are several other close school systems in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota (Dakota Valley Schools in N. Sioux City, SD). I don't know the quality of these other schools.

A little farther commute would be Vermillion SD at approx. 30 miles. They have a winery there to make you feel at home.

[Chicago60614]

I don't think anyone in his class is really going to care or treat him different just because he's from California. It's just another state. I think it would be much more awkward if he moved from a foreign country and had vastly different cultures or language.

Kids are kids - I wouldn't worry too much.

[missikie]

jmgg and Chicago60614 - Thank you for the information. I saw some properties on Hamilton Blvd just North of Sioux City. I also saw a few places I liked in the Morningside area and Hinton. I am thinking that staying North of Sioux City would be the most convenient. My husband will probably be working in Le Mars.

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by missikie

jmgg and Chicago60614 - Thank you for the information. I saw some properties on Hamilton Blvd just North of Sioux City. I also saw a few places I liked in the Morningside area and Hinton. I am thinking that staying North of Sioux City would be the most convenient. My husband will probably be working in Le Mars.

Look at buying in LeMars if that's where he's working. That's a very nice community. Just big enough to have anything you need shopping wise and small enough to easily become part of the community. This community also has both a public school and a private catholic school.

[missikie]

I think LeMars is a little too small for me. Plus, I am looking at transferring to Morningside College. (I am finishing a degree in Advertising). I didn't find a lot of properties with acreage in LeMars, and rentals are almost non-existant. My husband commutes 45 minutes in stop and go traffic now and says the drive to LeMars isn't half as bad as his current commute. (He's been out there a couple of times already).

Speaking of rentals, we will need a 3Bdrm home to rent for 6-12 months before we buy. Any ideas on the best place to look? Are there any relocation services in Sioux City that can help with that sort of thing?

[MJ1986]

Are you set on Sioux City?

Look into Sioux Falls, SD! Sioux City, locally, is known as "Sewer City".
Crime is higher there, and it's not progressive.

If he is planning on working at the Blue Bunny plant in Le Mars, it may take 45 minutes to get to Sioux City. Highway 75 between Le Mars and the northern part of Sioux City gets really congested.

[missikie]

Thank you MJ1986. I, personally am not set on anything. I need to finish my degree in Advertising, so a local college is important. My son is in the 4th grade and had special reading classes, so a good school for him is a must. I know my husband wouldn't mind commuting up to 45 minutes to work. Isn't Sioux Falls a bit farther out of the way? I will also need to work part-time. Not sure what the job market is like there.

[jmgg]

The job market is a heck of a lot better in Sioux Falls than Sioux City. Plus, since you mentioned that you want a larger city, Sioux Falls is approx. 70,000 people larger than Sioux City.

The commute from Sioux Falls to LeMars is nearly the same as from Sioux city to LeMars. Trust me, the comparison between the two towns isn't close. Sioux Falls is a much cleaner, safer, and more progressive community than our old river town to the south.

Take a drive around both. It won't take you long to understand what I'm posting.

I mentioned Vermillion kind of as a joke on my earlier post. However, that's the home of the University of South Dakota. The ONLY college in South Dakota with a nationally ranked business school offering a Bachelor of Science degree in business rather than a Bachelor of Arts. The commute to LeMars wouldn't be much different than from Sioux City.

[mofford]

Originally Posted by jmgg

The commute from Sioux Falls to LeMars is nearly the same as from Sioux city to LeMars. .

This statement almost makes me laugh. It's about 25 miles to Sioux City from LeMars, mostly on a 4 lane divided road. It's about 75 miles to Sioux Falls from LeMars, on 2 lane roads for half that distance to I-29, and would be an hour and a half commute one way. When you approach Sioux City from LeMars you enter the nice part of Sioux City on the east side of town. There's a mall and plenty of shopping there, with things to do downtown if you want to see a show or event at the Tyson Center. The bad parts of Sioux City are easily avoidable including the stink on the south side, when coming in from LeMars. And the weather might be a tad warmer in Sioux City than Sioux Falls. Either way, Im sure the winters would take some getting used to for someone from California. LeMars is OK, kind of small but probably a good pick for your son to go to school. I don't know much about the school system in Sioux City, but you might check into it further. Perhaps the school system might be better in some districts.