Anyone's been to Fairfield, IA? (Des Moines, Ames: private school, college, organic)

[septemberbells]

Hi there,

I have lived in Fairfield, IA. In fact, I met my husband there, and we call it our home (though we both come from different cities). Here is a break down for you :

It is a very small city with about 10,000 people. There are 2 kinds of people in Fairfield (meditators and non-meditators). The people at M.U.M. are meditators, and most of the people in town are not.

The cost of living is very low, unless you want to buy a home built in accordance with natural law. Those babies cost a lot (new 1200 sq ft condo with no garage space was $235,000). I have seen single family homes costing upwards of $350,000, which is way too much for people in FF to be able to afford (unless they have an inheritance or come from elsewhere with lots of money).

Jobs are hard to find. There is not much you can do for entertainment. Most of the meditators spend about 2 hours every day in the meditation domes. It is extremely spiritual city, if that is what you are looking for.

There is a lot of organic produce, but nothing like napa valley, where every restaurant serves local and organic food! Vedic City is a few miles away. Everyone there is a meditator. There is an ayurvedic spa called "The Raj". It has a decent restaurant as well.

My recommendation: unless you are into TM and vedic way of life, Fairfield is not the place for you. If you still are curious, I recommend that you take a small trip up there, just to get a feel. The university also has visitors weekends. Here is a link: http://www.mum.edu/visitors/

[CPrime]

Many thanks, MastermindDSM, for the leads! Very kind of you, let's see how it works out.
septemberbells, thank you also for the input. We're not active meditators (learned it 20 years ago, then fell away), just looking for peace and quiet, a few REAL friends, space for our dogs to run, and a little fishing. Lived in the Big City for far too many years, no more excitement needed...

[noobish]

The people of fairfield are crazed, totally nuts. I work at an ISP and 98% of the people that call from fairfield are either TOTAL jerks, or are insane. We have one woman who calls in and claims she's been in danger for 15 to 24 years (it bounces back and forth every time she calls, and she has to mention this every time we talk to her) and her computers and phones are constantly being hacked and she's in terrible danger and her health is severe. She talks about how she needs to meditate on a daily basis, and how her modem's power cord will make her bones stiff if she leaves it plugged in over night. Oh, and did I mention she has "out of body experiences"? Whatever, lady. We've had various people call saying their spiritual advisors have told them that we need to help them.

Fairfield: Totally Nuts.

[ilovealissaleigh]

Originally Posted by noobish

The people of fairfield are crazed, totally nuts. I work at an ISP and 98% of the people that call from fairfield are either TOTAL jerks, or are insane. We have one woman who calls in and claims she's been in danger for 15 to 24 years (it bounces back and forth every time she calls, and she has to mention this every time we talk to her) and her computers and phones are constantly being hacked and she's in terrible danger and her health is severe. She talks about how she needs to meditate on a daily basis, and how her modem's power cord will make her bones stiff if she leaves it plugged in over night. Oh, and did I mention she has "out of body experiences"? Whatever, lady. We've had various people call saying their spiritual advisors have told them that we need to help them.

Fairfield: Totally Nuts.

You must be confused half my family is from there and me, and I know some other people there who are perfectly nice, yes there are some nuts and jerks, but that is how it is in almost all cities! -olivia pohren age 13, Ottumwa,ia

[majorcyfan]

Originally Posted by ilovealissaleigh

you must be confused Half my family is from there and me, and i know some other people there who are perfectly nice, yes there are some nuts and jerks, but that is how it is in almost all cities! -olivia pohren age 13, ottumwa,ia:d

having call on businesses in fairfield, it is a normal southern iowa town with common people. The social radicals of the goofy hoppers and their vedic city are something else.......ask about their attempt to print their own money and set up thier own nation.......they're just one brick short of a load

[earl shepard]

Fairfield has over 130 men who have completed the New Warrior Training Adventure and 6 men's support groups. These I-Groups are designed to help men become better fathers, husbands and partners by modeling integrity and accountability as we make new friends and enjoying the company of a circle of men. Men are helping Men grow into their power.
There are also over 800 men who have completed other mens work weekends, who come together to perform community service events. There are groups that help support boys who do not have a father in the home and tutor those who are having problems in school.

I am also in a couples group which has strengthed my marriage significantly.

Fairfield is a great community to raise a family, and there are a lot of caring helpers.

Feel free to call if you want to visit or get more info...there is no charge.

Earl 641-233-7437

[Alphie]

Fairfield is a friendly town, at least, for me and my wife Mary. It is unusual for a small town in Iowa to have a vibrant arts and "spiritual" community. The mayor is a TMer (someone who does Transcendental Meditation) but that has not stopped him from making decisions that support the whole of the population. This is both a farm town and a college town - Maharishi University of Management. We just had a heck of winter but Spring is on the way and with that the farmer's market will occupy one of the city parks. There are those who have an axe to grind one way or the other regarding meditation and that can be less than helpful. Mostly this is a great town with good people who want to live their lives without hurting people. Southside Shrek should come and visit but with an open mind.

[newecostyle]

I grew up in Fairfield in the Transcendental Meditation community. Things have changed quite a bit over the years, for the better. It is a very sweet town that attracts quite a sophisticated global crowd to the university and is working on being a leader in sustainability as a whole. Winter and summer weather are awful but bearable. It is, however, an isolated area, four hours from Chicago. If you are looking to live somewhere quiet, affordable, and safe with a general vibe that mixes California/Colorado with the cornfields go have a visit. If you are coming from California or somewhere equally sophisticated, you definitely want to connect with the university crowd and the meditating community when you visit.

[popak]

i will be moving to Iowa in 21 may to study in maharishi and will need help in finding a 1 bedroom apartment near the university can any one help?

[ZenChick]

I'm considering going to the school in Fairfield, although, I've always lived in the midwest (Illinois side of the Quad Cities). However, if you are looking for a welcoming, diverse, entrepreneurial, and artful town, Fairfield is for you. So far, I've only visited for about 4 days. Most of the people that I encountered think a bit out of the box. ( A good thing in my opinion.) Yes, many do practice transcendental meditation but it is not a religion of any kind or a cult. Nothing to be scared of! For such a small town, they have a lot of culture too! Lots of live music, art exhibits, exotic eateries, and of course, as you've heard...organic farms, food stores, and alternative health clinics. While there are not beaches, there are many nearby lakes, rivers, forests, biking/jogging trails...I'd love to move to the west coast eventually, but for now, fairfield will provide the open-minded alternative lifestyle I am seeking.