What do you miss/appreciate about Iowa?

[bozclone]

I haven't lived in Iowa since 1990, but I still consider myself an Iowan. I miss being close to family. I also miss how easy it was to go to Iowa State sporting events. I grew up close to Ames and we went to Iowa State games all the time. Now, I have season football tickets but it is a 9 hour drive to Ames. I make a lot of trips to Iowa to see family and attend games, but sometimes it would be easier if I just lived there.

I also miss the flat land of central Iowa. The sun rises and sunsets are awesome.

I don't miss the wind!

 

[Al_4_State]

I miss how easy it is to zip around small cities like DSM, Sioux City, Omaha, Cedar Rapids, Ames, Iowa City. There are still some places to go and things to do, and all of it is basically light speed to get there. Same thing for zero concern about parking.

I don't golf anymore but part of the reason I don't golf is that the courses in Iowa are so nice and affordable and uncrowded compared to most places. Works out because I have a ton of other outdoor hobbies. If I moved back to Iowa I would likely start golfing again.

I actually find it a myth that there are nicer people in different parts of the country. 20 years in Iowa, 15 years in Chicago, 8 years in LA. I'd say the % of nice people is pretty much identical everywhere I've lived.

It's nice that homeless isn't a major issue in Iowa, although it is an issue everywhere to some degree. Homelessness really wasn't a massive issue in Chicago either going by % of population. It really is in LA where I live now but I think it's purely that many full time jobs cannot pay the average rent and that the climate makes it easy to live outside 365 days a year. In my experience anybody pointing to anything other than those two realities is off base (everywhere has mental health and drug addiction issues, but not everywhere has rampant homelessness).

I think the difference in small towns vs big cities isn't that people in smaller places are inherently nicer, but they do have less of their free time stolen by crowds, and thus are more apt to pitch in and help out when someone is in some sort of public distress.

I think people in the city tend not to do this as much because they are so pressed for time due to the traffic and crowding you mentioned.

Because I would agree that I've met nice people everywhere, and in a similar percentage. But people in the Midwest simply have more time to invest in backing that up.

 

[HFCS]

I think the difference in small towns vs big cities isn't that people in smaller places are inherently nicer, but they do have less of their free time stolen by crowds, and thus are more apt to pitch in and help out when someone is in some sort of public distress.

I think people in the city tend not to do this as much because they are so pressed for time due to the traffic and crowding you mentioned.

Because I would agree that I've met nice people everywhere, and in a similar percentage. But people in the Midwest simply have more time to invest in backing that up.

I know my neighbors a TON better now that half of us work at home and shoot the **** in the common areas and driveways playing with our kids and dogs together more often.

Vs old world where 2-3 hours of every day was sitting on the 101 listening to baseball/music/podcasts.

 

[frackincygy]

When I moved away after graduation I found I missed: genuinely nice people, pork chops from Fareway (Iowa Chops), December deer woods, watching a thunderstorm roll in across the plain, growing a 'real' garden (not talking an urban food plot here), ditches of Day Lilies, affordable everything, a slower pace of life - I guess it makes sense I'd eventually move back.

 

[pourcyne]

 

[BWRhasnoAC]

People you can trust. Florida is a cess pool.

 

[pourcyne]

 

[RezClone]

I miss thunderstorms and the cost of living, particularly to either rent or buy a property.

I was very ready to leave Iowa after living in Des Moines for a couple years post-college. There were some things I liked, but I was ready for a big city experience. Turns out, I really like it and don't see a scenario where I ever move back to Iowa.

The "nice" thing is a little more perception that reality. I found people in Seattle, Chicago, and Los Angeles to be on par, more or less. I can't say the same for San Diego, the people there suck. Most of the perceived "rudeness" from city people is just a function of constantly being around others. You tend to just ignore other people. At the same time, a lot of people not used to being in a big city are oblivious to others around them - walking slowly in a group on crowded sidewalks or stopping suddenly, stopping two steps off the top of a packed escalator, things like that. If there's one thing that's going to get you some attitude, it's getting in someone else's way or generally gumming up the works by not paying attention.

I can see this being problematic if you have a stroller or are in a group of people with a deficit of some sort, mental or physical. I'd probably feel like punching someone if my wife or kids were rushed, or me while I tend to them.

 

[cyfanatic13]

I’m friends on Facebook with a local pastor that just moved to small town Iowa from New Jersey. He posts about once a day about how much he loves some of the things I probably take for granted. Slower pace, all the green, really simple stuff but it’s been cool to see

 

[Althetuna]

1. AE Dairy.
2. Casey's Pizza (decent pizza for a low price).
3. Grid system for roads.
4. Quick work commutes.
5. Treat-or-Treat Jokes.

 

[pourcyne]

 

[pourcyne]

 

[Al_4_State]

I know my neighbors a TON better now that half of us work at home and shoot the **** in the common areas and driveways playing with our kids and dogs together more often.

Vs old world where 2-3 hours of every day was sitting on the 101 listening to baseball/music/podcasts.

I do think WFH will change a lot of this dynamic. My brother lives in St Paul and has experienced the same.

 

[Cyclonick182]

People you can trust. Florida is a cess pool.

Please keep up the good work. I'd appreciate less people moving here.

 

[ISpyCy]

I miss not having to hear "Gooooo Biiiiig Reeedddd" all the time. Fortunately for me, it's easy to escape for a time if I need to.

Also, Fareway.

 

[CycloneEggie]

View attachment 100683

Still hasn't opened since COVID

 

[Al_4_State]

I’m friends on Facebook with a local pastor that just moved to small town Iowa from New Jersey. He posts about once a day about how much he loves some of the things I probably take for granted. Slower pace, all the green, really simple stuff but it’s been cool to see

I have a friend who's a black guy from Florida that came to Iowa to wrestle in college. He got engaged to a girl from the town we live in and they've lived here for 2.5 years now. He's cited all of these things as why he never wants to leave and move back to Florida.

People have asked him about racism in a small white town, and his response was "you think Florida ain't racist?"

 

[HFCS]

I miss not having to hear "Gooooo Biiiiig Reeedddd" all the time. Fortunately for me, it's easy to escape for a time if I need to.

Also, Fareway.

I lived in Neb for a few years in HS and like to think of it as Gobi Gred.

 

[DeereClone]

Lifelong resident, my favorite part of living in Iowa is doing livestock work with neighbors. There is just a different bond with neighboring farmers when livestock is involved and you are helping each other with hay, silage, working cattle, loading hogs, etc. Some of my best memories as a kid growing up are from 2-3 neighbor families eating supper together on our front porch after a long day of baling hay.

 

[Remo Gaggi]

I like the horrible winters. It's a necessary evil that only the toughest Iowans can handle.

The cold weather keeps the riff-raff out. Otherwise everyone would want to live here.