What do you love and hate about living in Iowa? (Des Moines: earthquakes, pros and cons)

[Deep Woods]

I read alot on this site and it is the same old thing...Someone wants to move to a certain state and they want everyone in that state to change to fit their lifestyle, or way of life.
Get a grip people....not everybody wants to live where there is a mall, the "big box" stores and such....if thats what you like then stay in California or New York or wherever that stuff is.
The "rural, uneducated people" that you down so much are the very ones that grow the vegetables, beef, chickens, pigs and such that you eat every day! The "rural hick people" are protecting the way of life that sustains this country's population....and the unknowing, think they are so smart, city people want to come in and turn the rural areas into another "city", all the while they are continually ruining their own lives along with countless others out of their selfishness to "have it their way". Iowa along with some of the other great farming states across our great nation produce the food we eat every day and don't need any more "big cities" taking up anymore of the precious farmland than they already have. If you like the junk of the city then stay there but don't move to "rural America" and expect it to change to suit you. If you don't like this post then get over it because I did not post it to please you in the first place.
Have a great day!!

[NDak15]

I have not lived in Iowa for many years but I have enough family there and know a fair amount about it.

The Good:
Some of the friendliest, most down to earth, genuine people you will ever meet
Low cost of living (compared to mountain west at least)

The bad:
Many close-minded people
Extreme heat and extreme cold (humidity is awful)
Not many jobs outside of the major cities

I have lived out west too long to consider moving back, but I always enjoy visiting relatives and usually go every other year.

[capitalcityguy]

"many closed minded people"

What do you based this on and compared to where?

[todd00]

Originally Posted by ronncee

lets face it, iowas full of a bunch of **** talkin ******* who just got big mouths.cant get a pro team in any sport and only get natiional recognition when it comes to a prez election(which they dont deserve)if it wasnt for the college football team,their colleges wouldnt have half the prestigie,the only smart peopkle are the transplants from other states.You can call me wrong but why is it Most out of staters agree,and why do u people refuse to show a compasion and socilization the rest of the country can.its because u guys are IGNORANT HIPOCRATS....this post is just to knock iowans off their high horse, and i cant lie it feels good

Hey Einstein, you misspelled HYPOCRITES and a few other words. You did manage to spell ignorant right, perhaps that's because you define the word so very well.
And i can't lie it feels good to knock you off your hobby horse.

[sholomar]

I'm glad there are places that lack 'culture' .. too much 'culture' can get nauseating after awhile. Still lack of culture has it's minuses too.. everyone in this area is a perpetual addict to bars.. it's like it's the only thing they do in their lives is spend it in a bar, which is not my thing either.

I'm more of a family man, want to settle down have kids, but haven't found the right person yet.. this culture is kind of .. messed up.. for family types these days.. women don't want to settle down anymore, they want to spend their whole life partying.

Anywhoo, I'd enjoy extreme NE Iowa just fine.. more then I enjoy where I'm at now but a decent job and no state income taxes keep me here for now. I'm a homebody so the cold doesn't bother me, I'll just surf the net or game, or work out in the health club 2 blocks away. The cold is kind of refreshing, just that I don't vibe with a culture that spends it's life in bars and night clubs.

[Dreamin' man]

actually Des Moines has appeared in Forbes magazines Top 10 cities for businesses the last several years, including #1 in 2010

[ronncee]

Originally Posted by DMRyan

Holy sh*t, he just nailed it right out of the park. The reason why Iowa is a flyover state and the reason why Iowans are such HIPOCRATS is because our men aren't masculine enough!

Now that we're aware of the REAL problem with this state, we can get to work on acting hard in front of friends and co-workers, not snitching to the po-lice, and walking down the street with a limp.

lol..saying whats wrong with most Iowans not IOWA

[ronncee]

Originally Posted by El Rhino

Yeah, y'all iz ig'nant.





Pray tell, Ronncee, how much attention do you pay to the fields of agricultural science, engineering, astronomy, physics, creative writing, law and journalism? While the public universities of Iowa may be short on "prestigie", they have quite a bit of prestige in the above-mentioned fields, regardless of how their team of half-witted "students" majoring in chasing balls around are doing.

...as far as questioning the masculinity of Iowa's males, I know we have one of the highest rates of military service and one of the highest rates of people serving in actual combat-related positions. Myself, for instance, I'm a Marine Corps combat veteran, but don't let that stop you from regaling me with your tales of bumping chests with native Iowans outside Cedar Rapids bars.


Other than that, thanks for sharing your opinion. It's post like these that keep us coming back day after day.

I served in the Navy and I served with good men all ove the USA, but out socializing with civilians.... GOD, iowa men bark but dont bite,As for AG. Culture of course ur good at it your a state but you need to turn your heads to the East cost for the FINER education... knaw on that

[ronncee]

Originally Posted by todd00

Hey Einstein, you misspelled HYPOCRITES and a few other words. You did manage to spell ignorant right, perhaps that's because you define the word so very well.
And i can't lie it feels good to knock you off your hobby horse.

Hey RE-Todd, go take a Websters and rub it on your wifes chest,
That should lnock her off her wood

[Squeamish]

Originally Posted by Deep Woods

I read alot on this site and it is the same old thing...Someone wants to move to a certain state and they want everyone in that state to change to fit their lifestyle, or way of life.
Get a grip people....not everybody wants to live where there is a mall, the "big box" stores and such....if thats what you like then stay in California or New York or wherever that stuff is.
The "rural, uneducated people" that you down so much are the very ones that grow the vegetables, beef, chickens, pigs and such that you eat every day! The "rural hick people" are protecting the way of life that sustains this country's population....and the unknowing, think they are so smart, city people want to come in and turn the rural areas into another "city", all the while they are continually ruining their own lives along with countless others out of their selfishness to "have it their way". Iowa along with some of the other great farming states across our great nation produce the food we eat every day and don't need any more "big cities" taking up anymore of the precious farmland than they already have. If you like the junk of the city then stay there but don't move to "rural America" and expect it to change to suit you. If you don't like this post then get over it because I did not post it to please you in the first place.
Have a great day!!

Sorry but I had to comment on this one.

There are many great, respectable people living in the city. The city is NOT full of junk! There are also plenty of closed-minded must-have-it-my-way people living in the city. The city is diverse and full of many different kinds of people.

There are also many great, respectable people living in rural Iowa. Rural Iowa has a wonderful culture. There are also plenty of closed-minded must-have-it-my-way people living in rural Iowa.

For the sake of everybody else, this post is NOT representative of the opinions of most people living in rural Iowa. Most rural Iowans would be a lot more respectful than this. I feel that many people may be turned away and think less of Iowans after reading this individual's perspective. Please don't be. Admittedly, rural Iowa is far more homogenous than many other places, but it's also full of genuinely good people. Don't let one person's rant make you think otherwise.