live in Iowa?

July 5, 2009 4:29 PM

Do I want to live in Iowa?

I was brought up in NYC. I now live on Maui (20 years). I am a tenured faculty at a community college (librarian). I am a 51 year-old married tattooed straight woman. Would I want to move to Iowa? If yes, why? If no, why? My interests are in the arts. My husband is a writer. I do not want to live in a big city, but Maui is too remote. I like museums, galleries, crafts, fairs. I tend to prefer rural areas. I also want to live somewhere kind of affordable. Maui is not affordable (nor was NYC).

posted by fifilaru to society & culture (27 comments total)

Iowa where? It's a big state. I would say: Iowa City or nearby? Sure. Western Iowa? No, run.
posted by telegraph at 4:38 PM on July 5 [2 favorites]

I think we need more info about what you like and don't like. As far as art goes, Des Moines has a respectable art festival every year, a very cool art center, and a new sculpture garden in the works.
posted by starman at 4:41 PM on July 5

Iowa City, indeed. Lots of tattooed people, academics, and tattooed academics. We actually have the highest per capita amount of bus drivers with PhDs in the country, or at least we like to say that we do. We've got the Writers' Workshop, which brings in lots of literary-types, have a flourishing arts and music scene, and we're pretty much a town of professional appreciators. If you want to live downtownish, then housing prices can be a little pricey, but if you get 10 minutes outside of town, you're in the middle of farmland, with very affordable housing and still local enough to town to be able to take part in its activities.
posted by scarykarrey at 4:44 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

Unless you're living in the hardcore northwest of the state, you're not too far from Des Moines and Iowa City.

But I agree--we need more details on where in Iowa.
posted by j1950 at 4:47 PM on July 5

Yeah, agreeing with the above, it really depends on where. One thing I've learned about living in the south central US is that there's actually more variation between city vs. country than region vs. region. The nature of the economy also has a huge bearing on the aura and nature of the town and the types of people it attracts. For me, I find that small cities (population 50-100K) containing a university are the sweet spot. We don't know much about you though (political leanings, church preferences, etc) but the museum interest and dislike of cities would suggest a university town too.
posted by crapmatic at 4:49 PM on July 5

Also, really: How do you feel about the cold? Way, way colder than NYC cold?
posted by ch1x0r at 4:54 PM on July 5

Iowa City is actually in that sweet spot, crapmatic. The population is right around 67k and we've got the University of Iowa spread out around downtown. We're a very progressive, gay-friendly, foodie-friendly, accepting town. There's a certain contingent of drunken frat boys that invade the downtown bar scene regularly, but it's simple enough to avoid that if it's not your bag. We've got a large variety of ethnic food restaurants, a great interest in slow food, three different farmers markets in the area, and a wonderfully growing interest in bettering our ecological standing. The more I write about it, the prouder I get, actually.
posted by scarykarrey at 4:54 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

Well, I don't know anything about Iowa!! But for some reason I find it fascinating. I think because it is kind of in the middle of the country. And I have lived on both extremes of the country, way east and waaaaay west. I also want seasons. I miss seasons in Hawaii. I am liberal and non-religious, but not radical. I have two master's degrees. No children. I am not very community minded, but I might be in the right setting. I like arty little towns, but I don't have to live in one. Just being near this kind of town is good for me.
posted by fifilaru at 4:58 PM on July 5

I just moved back to Iowa City and I'm very pleased! All that stuff scarykarrey says is true. Plus, living here you get to meet all the presidential candidates.
posted by thirteenkiller at 4:58 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

NOT Audubon. Yeah, if you must go, go to the city. But I think you'd be happier in the research triangle area of NC.
posted by St. Alia of the Bunnies at 5:00 PM on July 5

Sounds like Iowa City or somewhere in that vicinity may fit the bill. Prarie Lights Books is nice and there's a big writing culture around the university and with the Writer's Workshop. It's a pretty liberal area where you'd have access to some city-style cultural things while learning the more rural culture of the surrounding area.

Des Moines would be an easy drive (although your concept of distance/time will be very different than it was in NYC or on Maui). The Des Moines art center is interesting, as are the botanical gardens. Another 45 minutes on is a cool arts and crafts hotel in Perry, the Hotel Pattee, that sort of spawned some increased interest in art in the area and houses a lot of works by Iowa artists.

And of course, Iowa has the BEST State Fair with some really good adjudicated photography exhibits, lots of crafts, and some art (although it's better known for corndogs and pork chops). Every county will have a fair, and most towns have some sort of annual festival.

The Council Bluffs/Omaha region has been growing some, too, if you're looking at the other side of the state, but I'm not as familiar with that area.

There's a culture of self-sufficiency which can lead to creativity (pragmatic creativity that fixes problems and more artistic creativity as well) that you and your husband may both enjoy. But Iowa's definitely a bigger place than it seems, so if you have more information to share about possible locations, I can try to give you more specifics.
posted by BlooPen at 5:03 PM on July 5

My partner and I lived in Iowa (Ames) for two years during grad school. The red flags for me per your situation are that while Iowa is relatively affordable to the rest of the country, and a few cities (like Iowa City, Des Moines, Dubuque, *maybe* Ames) have some of the things some of the time that you're interested in, Iowa is not very accessible to many of the kinds of things that, per your history, I think you would grow to miss. Mainly, I am thinking of geography and landscape--Iowa is very, very landlocked, and while the 'field of dreams' look of the rural hills off Iowa (mostly in the summer) has a kind of charm, you're not going to be within easy driving to a big water feature, or a big skyline, or just any kind of notable difference that makes one feel less hemmed in. Also the cities of Iowa's cultural charm is likewise limited--some great pockets of things, but we always felt as though we had to chase them, to look carefully for them--it was hard to get fed in this way and feel entirely connected in this way. It isn't that someplace like Iowa City doesn't have a lot of "culture" and things to do, it's just that the resources and opportunities aren't as expansive and, again, accessible.

A few other things that motivated me to answer: Iowa is very saturated, relative to other states with university towns, with degreed folks needing to work. Because the populations of its cities are lower, and the small towns small and quite spaced, and the number of graduate degree granting universities relatively high, you may find that your experience and degree don't have the same kind of cache as they should. We found that there were a lot of baristas with master's degrees, for example.

If you had said that you were ready to change the priorities of your life in such a way that you were willing to look hard for your culture, drive long distances fairly frequently to get some relief from the unending large-farm field cultivations, and compromise on the kind of work you do in a fairly dramatic way in addition to living in a rural area, I could recommend someplace like an acre outside Iowa City or Ames. The folks who were happy there were those who made their own culture within their family unit and traveled often, it seemed (our professors, for example--and a a few who stayed).

I think that there are other rural places in the country that are more accessible to truly big, world classes cities (and so you're situated to enjoy museums, fairs, culture on a regular and ongoing basis in much variety), have more geographical variety, better diversification among job seekers, and are still very affordable. I'm sure you went through a process to arrive at Iowa, but I might recommend, again, a closer look at the Carolinas, upper New England, western (or even central) Washington state, Minnesota, and even Ohio.

I really don't want to suggest Iowa is a terrible place to live, but I think it's a very particular group who are happy Iowans--and maybe you are an Iowan at heart. But I do think there are a few requirements in your questions that nudge me into thinking otherwise. Best of luck!
posted by rumposinc at 5:08 PM on July 5 [4 favorites]

How about Hanover, NH? Dartmouth is there and supposedly it's a really nice place to live.
posted by reddot at 5:14 PM on July 5

Check out Fairfield, Iowa. Small town, a little over an hour from Iowa City, with tons of liberals, bookstores, vegetarian restaurants, arts, etc.
posted by j1950 at 5:33 PM on July 5

For what it's worth, I have been all around the country, and I think the people in Iowa are among the nicest in the US--really genuinely sweet people for the most part.
posted by milarepa at 6:14 PM on July 5

Maybe Oneonta or Cooperstown. Or Andes.
posted by jgirl at 6:51 PM on July 5

What's the extreme temperature swing in Maui? I mean, the coldest to the warmest days of the year? Thirty degrees, maybe?

In Iowa, you're looking at 130 degree swings from the coldest days of winter to the hot, sultry, thunderstorm-and-tornado days of summer. About every other spring a river near you will flood, and the yahoos who keep building in the flood plain will, once again, be completely surprised. You want seasons? You'll have seasons.

A few years ago we were in the Omaha area in February to bury Grandma. (She had died; otherwise we would have had serious reservations). The week of the funeral the temperature was in the low minus twenties, reaching minus twenty-nine the day of the funeral. I'm not talking about that wind-chill nonsense…I mean the actual temperature. I seriously wondered if they could dig a grave in the frozen ground. For a while it looked like we were going to have to keep Grandma on the back porch for a few weeks.

If you choose Iowa, you will be choosing some of the most intelligent, caring neighbors in the world. You will be planting your garden in rich, black soil that you can turn with a spoon. You will be able to drive on long, straight road that disappear into a sea of corn, with almost no traffic to impede your journey. You will probably be a better person for living there.

But the weather sucks.
posted by dinger at 6:57 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

I grew up in Iowa. I must chime in to strongly recommend you avoid the western (and particularly northwestern) part of the state. Central Iowa if anything.
posted by thedaniel at 7:08 PM on July 5

rumposinc's reply is awesome.

I grew up in northwest Iowa and I can totally vouch for the fact that it's absolutely terrible. My entire family lives there and I absolutely refuse to waste my hard-earned vacation time on going back there to visit, that's how terrible it is. I did my undergrad in Iowa City. It's a cute place to live for about three years, by then you've exhausted every cultural/culinary/entertainment option the place has to offer. As others have already pointed out, Iowa is hundreds of miles from any sort of real city. And as far as it being affordable... well, the salaries are commensurate. Trust me.

Also yeah, the weather really sucks.
posted by makonan at 8:08 PM on July 5

But the weather sucks.

Dunno, today was about perfect :)

I'll take the good with the bad. At least there is variety with the weather.

Iowa is what you make of it. Love the lack of traffic, farmer's markets, election excitement every four years... but along with that it lacks things you'd find in large metro areas: diversity, (top level) pro sports teams, lots of culture, etc. But it sounds like you aren't necessarily looking for that.

One thing about Iowa is if you like little arty towns, you'll find them but they are few and fare between. You might be better off in New England where a two hour drive gets you to a lot of interesting destinations instead of just 1/2 way across the state.
posted by starman at 8:13 PM on July 5

I've lived here in Iowa for my entire life, and my girlfriend grew up in NYC and has lived here for about three years. I don't really have many problems with the state. I like the fresh air, and I like that here in Des Moines everything is about 15 minutes away or less. I'll admit that it's easy to get bored here, but the people who last here are the kind of people that can entertain themselves. And if you happen to be a disc golfer, Des Moines is a major destination. If you find that you're happiest taking on projects and creative work, you'll be just fine here. If your idea of a good time is always having a concert to go to, you'll find the place somewhat lacking.

My girlfriend's main problems with living in Iowa revolve around mobility (she misses the public transit) and the fact that, even in the largest city in the state, it feels like everybody knows your business.

I'll agree with the people above that Iowa City sounds like the best fit for you, and the Eastern part of the state in general is more tolerable than Western Iowa. You'll find beautiful scenery in the upper Mississippi valley. My hometown of Dubuque is worth a visit now and then.

I wouldn't rule out surrounding states, however. I think you would really enjoy Madison, WI. Incidentally, the New York Times had a story about the city today. Minneapolis/St. Paul, though much bigger, would also be worth a look.
posted by TrialByMedia at 8:34 PM on July 5

FWIW, they'll be bringing back passenger rail service between Iowa City and Chicago in the next few years.
posted by thirteenkiller at 8:56 PM on July 5

You might check out Grinnell. It's a very small city with a very good college. And it's half way between Des Moines and Iowa City.
posted by jaronson at 9:09 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

It's tough for me to answer this question in the sense that I am not a 51 year-old married tattooed straight woman. However, I spent most of my childhood and young adulthood in Iowa. I still have family that lives there. In general, I would say that Iowa has treated us all quite well.

Much of what has been said in this thread is spot on - the good, the bad and the neutral. I'd recommend you take a couple of weeks this Fall to tour Iowa before you commit to a big move. The trees will be changing and it will be a great time to see the scenery - and yes, Iowa does have something in the way of scenery.

My recommendations for your Big Iowa Trip (in no particular order):
- Iowa City (of course)
- Back Bone State Park (great in the Autumn)
- Cedar Falls (home to the lesser known UNI, but still a solid university town)
- Fairfield (home of the Mahrishi Institute)
- Des Moines (just because it's the capital and the most urban area in Iowa)
- Decorah (home to Luther College and a bit far afield)

And although it may not be relevant to the thread I take every opportunity I can to point out the Iowa gave Obama his first big push and it was the first heartland state to ok gay marriage. Thanks for thinking of Iowa as more than a "fly over" state.
posted by quadog at 11:17 PM on July 5 [1 favorite]

Not to make every thread about "you should move to Madison, Wisconsin" but if it's just the idea of living in the middle of the country with four distinct seasons that you like, and you want to be in a place with a lot of tattooed married couples and some galleries, this is kind of where it's at. And thirty minutes drive from here gets plenty rural, if that's what you want to see from your front door.

That said, I've spent chunks of time in Iowa City and Des Moines and both are pretty seriously underrated, for the reasons ably given by the natives in the thread. (But I thought I'd chime in to say that the appeal remains even if you're not from there.)
posted by escabeche at 6:52 AM on July 6

I went to school at Grinnell and quickly discovered that Iowa was not for me. (It's kind of in the "I'm nostalgic for it but don't actually want to live there ever again" category.) Which doesn't mean Iowa's not for everyone - a lot of my classmates loved it there.

Incidentally, the kind of people who love Iowa tend to be the kind of people who love the other places they move to - almost certainly an attitude thing, I think. (See this MeFi comment.) If you tend to burn out on the places you live, moving to Iowa might not be a good choice.

I have to nth the long long travel times if you want to get anywhere that isn't where you live (although driving through prairies and cornfields at night is gorgeous) and the extreme seasons - be sure you know how to drive in snow!

Plus, maybe it's just where I was, but the tap water tasted like hog ass, even after filtering.

I agree with the above comments that Iowa City is probably your best bet, plus some of the recommended alternatives (NC, New England, Madison WI) are definitely worth a look - though none of them feel like Iowa.
posted by Metroid Baby at 7:13 AM on July 6

1. One of the predominant themes from the comments to the OP is to choose a college town if you're going to live in Iowa (i.e., Iowa City, Des Moines (more on DSM later), Ames, Grinnell (my undergrad school), Fairfield, etc...). That advice is spot on.

2. Des Moines is a great place to live for many of the reasons listed above, although it's does not have the college town "feel" by any means, despite several schools being located here. It's a financial services town on a strong community/cultural comeback from the 70's-80's.

3. If you're into politics at all, there's really no other place to be every 4 years. It truly is handshake, local retail politics. You can easily meet up close-and-personal pretty much any presidential candidate you want to during the primary season long before they get swarms of media following them around.

4. Avoid NW and S Iowa if you are at all politically left-leaning. That's just how it is.

5. Writing as a longtime, but not native, Iowan (25+ year transplant from Chicago area), Iowa is a great place to live IF you have the time and financial resources to travel outside the state once you live here. I've settled on describing Iowa to others as a great travel base. I know that sounds strange, but I mean it not in the usual sense re. easy access to $99 flights from JFK/ORD/LAX to [insert destination], but in the sense that it's cheap to live here, schools tend to be above-average, crime's not an issue, it's centrally located, and so forth. So, if your work/family life will let you escape to Chicago, NYC, London, Paris, wherever, now and then, it's a great place to live and return home to.

But again, choose your city of residence carefully for all of the reasons others have listed above. That sounds ominous, but it's basically no different than pretty much any other city or state you might be thinking about as a relocation target.
posted by webhund at 9:46 AM on July 6