Southern tranplants to Iowa? (Des Moines, Cedar Rapids: home, job transfer, movies)

[RogueMom]

I am seeking opinions and personal experience feedback from people who have moved from the South to Iowa. We are currently where everyone apparently wants to be down here in North Carolina (the Charlotte area) but want a change, on several levels.

If you moved to Iowa from the Carolinas, Tennessee, Alabama, etc. to Iowa out of choice, what were you seeking, why did you want to leave the South, and what are the differences and similarities you have experienced?
Are there areas of Iowas you would have moved to instead of where you are?


Thanks for any feedback!

[Mercruiserdr]

Interesting.

I have an Aunt who lives in jacksonville North Carolina , she is retired Marine Corps. however she also has a summer home here in Iowa , one of my tasks is to keep an eye on it during the winter months.

Out of curiosity what has given you cause to consider the move from such a beautiful area of the globe to Iowa ?

I apologise for being unable to answer any of the questions you have beyond my own observations and experiences of both areas , however I have recently encountered several people from the east and west coasts who have moved here.
One of the reasons several of them have given me for making the move has caused me a bit of concern recently simply because of the frequency I have encountered it.

By any chance would your reasons to leave the area you now reside have anything to do with concerns for living so close to large population concentrations and the upcoming year 2012 ?

As freaky as that may sound I have over the past three months encountered 7 apparently normal and what I would consider intelligent people who I would guess were financially well off due to their vehicles they were driving who have stated it was a major factor in their move here from those type of areas.

Is something going on we dont know about ?

[chunn7]

This is an interesting thread. I would like to hear others replies. We are moving to Des Moines from Atlanta. We are moving because of my husband's job.

[Mercruiserdr]

Originally Posted by chunn7

This is an interesting thread. I would like to hear others replies. We are moving to Des Moines from Atlanta. We are moving because of my husband's job.

I have read several articles and seen a couple of news stories stating that the upper midwest has become the job mecca of sorts for the U.S. , I bet no one saw that coming.
Im hoping this has a trickle down effect in Iowa , as in many single females migrating this direction !

[mustang84]

A co-worker recently moved here from Texas, and others have come from the coasts in search of jobs. Iowa and the Midwest largely evaded the recession, which is probably why we're seeing an influx of new people from around the country.

As for people moving here due to 2012, that is ridiculous if true. Contrary to popular belief, the year 2012 had no significant importance to the Mayans other than it was the end of their calendar cycle. The prediction of apocalypse and chaos is a Christian invention and has been latched onto by those wanting to sell books, movies, and survival gear. It's a sham.

[chunn7]

Huh? What's the deal with 2012?

[Reynardine]

I grew up in the South (mainly Florida and Texas) and also lived in Kentucky for six years. My husband and I moved here in 1998 due to a job transfer. We lived in Des Moines for a couple of years and have been in Dubuque since 2001. My husband is originally from Des Moines.

The first big difference is the weather, particularly the harsh winters. Iowans are so used to it that they don't seem to take much notice, but it is very hard to get used to all the snow and bitter, bitter cold!

The rest of the year is pretty nice and the summers are nothing compared to Southern heat.

The culture is very different and it is almost like living in another country. People are cordial in a superficial way, but not friendly, and not polite in the Southern manner. But they will lend a hand if you are having trouble.

Religion is mainly Catholic and mainstream Protestant. Some Baptists and Evangelical churches, but they don't have anywhere near the influence that you find in the South. There is a good-sized community of Muslims in Cedar Rapids, a Maharishi Vedic (TM) community near Fairfield and there are some Amish living here as well.

There is a lot of interest in politics. The caucuses are interesting and all the Presidential candidates come to visit during election year, even to the smaller towns! Most people I've met here are moderate in their views. It isn't as conservative as the Bible Belt, but I wouldn't exactly call it liberal, either.

Lots and lots of white people here. It feels very odd. I've seen more open bigotry here than I've ever encountered down south.

Very little traffic, even in the bigger cities, and not much in the way of crime. A safe place to raise kids, although there isn't much in the way of culture. Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago and Minneapolis are fairly close, though, depending on what part of the state you live in.

Oh, and if you have a Southern accent, be prepared for people to comment about it!

Hope this helps!