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Next CF Bracket Best Iowa Towns/Cities Nomination Thread

cytor said:
Everybody loves Cumming!
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Paternal grandmother's family is from there and I have copious relatives in the immediate area. Including my folks.

Even as a young adult I can remember what an impoverished town it was, now a bedroom community.
 
1UNI2ISU said:
Grundy Center and Jesup are both really nice bedroom communities.
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I think in general the Waterloo/CF bedrooms communities are doing well. Waverly is really nice and seems to be thriving economically - obviously having a college that's not really dying out is a huge boon for a small town. Dike and Hudson both seem to be doing well too.

The townsfolk don't have the greatest reputation for being very nice though.
 
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Cyinthenorth said:
As far as nominees, tough to think of one I am familiar with that hasn't been mentioned. I live near Peosta which is growing somewhat rapidly, some say the lines between it and Dubuque could be almost negligible in 10-15 years time. Probably mostly just a bedroom community for now, it doesn't have much of a city center or remarkable main street or anything.

I am originally from Charles City, and while growing up there it seemed great, it has definitely been on a steady decline over the last 20 years or more. A lot of poverty etc. A bit surprising that they struggle while nearby cities of similar size seem to have the right recipe for success. Waverly, Decorah etc. Even Osage while having a lower population has for a long time felt like the better town.

I'll throw noms out for Waverly and Osage.
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Didn't see this when I mentioned Waverly. Totally agree there.

Osage is a fairly nice small town, with some cool things going on. I think 20 years ago it might have outpaced some of the other north central/northeast Iowa county seats towns, but it's all kind of leveled out now - mostly. It's definitely a step ahead of Charles City in overall quality of life and state of community, even if Charles City has a few more options in terms of amenities. If I was choosing between the two I'd take Osage every day (and could totally live in Osage).

I think in terms of how well kept the homes are and general prosperousness, St Ansgar and Lake Mills are really nice towns in Osage's area that I think might be a shade nicer, but have less options due to the smaller size.
 
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Couple people from last committee don't have a ton experience for this topic so new committee blood or people pming me their list 1-64 is much needed.
 
Al_4_State said:
Didn't see this when I mentioned Waverly. Totally agree there.

Osage is a fairly nice small town, with some cool things going on. I think 20 years ago it might have outpaced some of the other north central/northeast Iowa county seats towns, but it's all kind of leveled out now - mostly. It's definitely a step ahead of Charles City in overall quality of life and state of community, even if Charles City has a few more options in terms of amenities. If I was choosing between the two I'd take Osage every day (and could totally live in Osage).

I think in terms of how well kept the homes are and general prosperousness, St Ansgar and Lake Mills are really nice towns in Osage's area that I think might be a shade nicer, but have less options due to the smaller size.
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I don't have a ton of experience in lake mills, but I second you on St Ansgar. Nice town that I often forget about, but the family would drive thru there on the way up to Mpls sometimes growing up. We'd stop at a nice little pizza place called Paradise Pizza. It was some of my grandpa's favorite pizza so always felt like a special occasion to go to St Ansgar.
 
Cyinthenorth said:
As far as nominees, tough to think of one I am familiar with that hasn't been mentioned. I live near Peosta which is growing somewhat rapidly, some say the lines between it and Dubuque could be almost negligible in 10-15 years time. Probably mostly just a bedroom community for now, it doesn't have much of a city center or remarkable main street or anything.

I am originally from Charles City, and while growing up there it seemed great, it has definitely been on a steady decline over the last 20 years or more. A lot of poverty etc. A bit surprising that they struggle while nearby cities of similar size seem to have the right recipe for success. Waverly, Decorah etc. Even Osage while having a lower population has for a long time felt like the better town.

I'll throw noms out for Waverly and Osage.
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The Charles City museum looks really cool from the outside never have been in it.
 
Al_4_State said:
Didn't see this when I mentioned Waverly. Totally agree there.

Osage is a fairly nice small town, with some cool things going on. I think 20 years ago it might have outpaced some of the other north central/northeast Iowa county seats towns, but it's all kind of leveled out now - mostly. It's definitely a step ahead of Charles City in overall quality of life and state of community, even if Charles City has a few more options in terms of amenities. If I was choosing between the two I'd take Osage every day (and could totally live in Osage).

I think in terms of how well kept the homes are and general prosperousness, St Ansgar and Lake Mills are really nice towns in Osage's area that I think might be a shade nicer, but have less options due to the smaller size.
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Chucktown is a crap hole
 
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1SEIACLONE said:
Very true, and you do not notice the southern twang until you get away from that region for a year or two. I grew up in the area of the state you mentioned, and when we moved to Sac Co. the kids would ask me to say those funny words? I would ask what are you talking about, and just common words sounded like I was from the Southern US not southern Iowa. When I would travel home, I also began to notice the difference myself. The people for some reason speak in a southern twang.
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I notice the twang when I first moved here annd like you anaid you get used to it and also many use southern verbiage like soda instead of pop.
 
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ISUTex said:
Southern Iowa was settled by a lot of people from Missouri, Tennessee, Kentucky and Virginia.
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Newton also has a strong Kentucky heritage. When Maytag started growing too fast to use local labor, Maytag went to the Kentucky coal mines and brought up a lot of people to work there. I grew up in that area but didn’t notice the distinct features until I went camping at Rock Creek a few years ago.
 
Decorah
Algona
Mt Vernon
Pella
Okoboji/Spirit Lake/Arnolds Park
Carroll
Fairfield
Clear Lake
Knoxville
Maquoketa
Winterset
Dyersville
Beaver
Spencer
Nevada
Story City
Polk City
Iowa Falls
Ida Grove
McGregor
Marquette
Elkader
St. Olaf
Le Claire
Polk City
Guttenberg
Ft Madison
Keokuk
Mt Pleasant
Burlington
Washington
Ottumwa
Strawberry Point
Waukon
Keosauqua
Centerville
St Ansgar
Cumming
Le Mars
Elkader
Atlantic
Waverly
Osage
Grundy Center
Jesup
Bancroft
Villisca
McIntire
Norwalk
Fort Dodge
Aplington / Parkersburg
Newton
Altoona
Waukee
Johnston
Marcus
Conrad
Humboldt
Norwalk
Grinnell
Onawa
Rock Rapids
Bloomfield
Lake View
Garner
Vinje
Sioux Center
 
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1SEIACLONE said:
I think you could limit it so that it's only on parts of the lake, and still have plenty of areas where you could camp and still see the lake.
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No. Just no.

Where is it written that we have to have a freaking house on every peaceful and beautiful spot?

It's kind of like the sign mania. Who says there has to be a g.d. plaque on every building constructed prior to 1959 saying "George T. Pizwit Slept Here"?

Ya want housing, go to the city.

Ya want lake, go to the lake...if there's one left by the time the money-grubbers get through with it.
 
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