Relocating Sioux City IA, Storm Lake IA, (Cherokee, Ida Grove: real estate, buying a house) - Iowa - City-Data Forum

sprayertech · 03-09-2010, 08:31 PM

I am looking at taking a job near the Sioux City area and was wondering about the towns around the area. I have a family 2 in school & 1 little one. I need to be near the cheeroke, storm lake, within 20 - 30 miles. Schools are important and nice neighborhoods. Shopping and dinning are my least worries.
Thank You
sprayertech

Omaha Rocks · 03-10-2010, 09:14 AM

So... Will you be living in or around Sioux City, or in the more general area of NW Iowa?

I grew up in NW Iowa - about half-hour north of Cherokee, to be exact. Unfortunately, my thoughts about the schools are not very relevant, because I graduated from high school 30 years ago. Since then, most of the school districts have consolidated.

This may or may not matter to you at all, but in towns where there is a packing plant, you will find a high percentage of the people in that town - and especially kids in that school district - are Hispanic. Storm Lake is one such town. Most of the residents don't care at all, but there are some old-timers who absolutely hate it.

North of Cherokee there is the South O'Brien School district - with kids from the areas around Sutherland, Paullina and Primghar. As far as I know, it's a nice little school district.

South of Cherokee there are the towns of Holstein & Ida Grove. I don't know what school district that is, but I'm guessing it's your typical smaller, rural Iowa type of school.

It may not be the case now, but it used to be that the small Iowa schools were considered some of the best schools in the nation. I think they're still probably pretty good.

The cost of Real Estate in and around these areas will be fairly low. But keep in mind that buying a house in a small town is a heckuva lot easier than selling that same house.

Good luck!

JMsioux · 03-10-2010, 05:14 PM

I grew up and went to school in Holstein and had what I consider a pretty good education. I believe they have merged with another district which has, in my opinion, spread the district out too far from east to west. Chereokee, I believe, has a decent school system and probably offers a more diverse range of extra-curricular activities based on it's larger size, although not a huge difference. Choosing between Storm Lake or Cherokee for schools, I would choose Cherokee.

P.S. After school, I moved to Storm Lake (before IBP / Tyson really turned it into a dump) and still worked in Holstein and the drive was 26 miles each way which I didn't consider overwhelming. Holstein does have a new high school and is building or has already finished a 400 seat performing arts theatre which has to be a rarity among small Iowa schools.

Omaha Rocks · 03-11-2010, 07:01 AM

^ Holstein - home of the biggest outdoor track meet (except for the state meet) in the State of Iowa. I hated the Holstein Relays. Open class. Huge. We sucked. It was painful.

JMsioux · 03-11-2010, 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaha Rocks

^ Holstein - home of the biggest outdoor track meet (except for the state meet) in the State of Iowa. I hated the Holstein Relays. Open class. Huge. We sucked. It was painful.

Unfortunately, the Holstein Relays as we knew it are gone. The demise was brought on mostly from the old cinder track and the fact that the larger-class schools had to qualify for state meets on time and the cinder track was just too slow. Some years the meet was cancelled or postponed because of rain or snow and you couldn't run on the cinder. They have had an asphalt track for about ten years now but the Relays are still only a shell of what they used to be. It was so cool to have Omaha Creighton Prep, the Sioux City schools and other schools from a total of four states -- IA, MN, SD, NE. I was fortunate to have been able to be a part of some of the last Relays.

sprayertech · 03-11-2010, 11:05 PM

Thank You I am also considering LaMars, Hinton, Lawton? Any Thoughts?

jmgg · 03-12-2010, 05:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Omaha Rocks

^ Holstein - home of the biggest outdoor track meet (except for the state meet) in the State of Iowa. I hated the Holstein Relays. Open class. Huge. We sucked. It was painful.

My first time in Holstein was for that track meet. It was very impressive. We came all the way from Dell Rapids SD and WON it. Sure wish I would have placed in something though.

Odds are slim when you're only a freshman.

Nice town. The school's combined name is now Galva-Holstein.

Of the smaller towns you mentioned, I would look seriously at LeMars.