First time to Ames in 10+ years
- Thread starter Colorado
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The restaurant was Ruttles, and the funny thing about the movie theater is that the building is gone, but the sign still stands.
What's changed?
I will be there next Monday for the first time since December, 1996. I'm pretty sure I won't recognize most everything.
Depends on how old you were in December 1996.
True.
Also true. You learn pretty quickly that you should spend as little time as possible on Lincoln Way or Duff. Side streets ftw.
Agreed, I ususually take Haber-13th-Ridgewood-20th-Northwestern to the Mall from campus and S. 4th/3rd-Walnut-S. 5th to the Walmart area.
They need to do something about Lway/Duff/Grand though. I-35 needs two more exits into Ames; one on Lincoln Way, and Bloomington Rd needs extended out to the Interstate (north of the USDA lab).
The thing that really screws with traffic is the construction, and it's just about that time again.
The closing of South 3rd/ 4th behind the Hyvee was horrible. The new South Grand is handy though. Do people know if South Grand will extend any farther south,towards S. 16th or looped around towards Walmart?
I think the idea is for it to keep going south, not sure how far though, maybe S. 16th?
Yeah, I kinda laughed when I was told it was a great, sorta sky look at Ames and campus while eating, but then I went there and it really was an AMAZING view like you say, even if it is only of our own little heaven in central Iowa...
Also, don't forget that Battle's BBQ has moved from Hayward to Welch! 
A lot has changed in the last 13 years. Where there was farmland north of 24th street, now is all "suburbs."
A lot has changed in the last 13 years. Where there was farmland north of 24th street, now is all "suburbs."
The only problem with that is right now there's not much of Ames out by I-35 that warrants adding more exits, or at least not until they get around to building the mall out there that they've been "discussing" for the last decade. The way I see it, who's going to use a Lincoln Way exit when you're going to use US 30 to get to the west side of town and 16th St to access the north side of town. As it is, not nearly enough people use the 16th St exit to warrant the building of a Bloomington Rd exit and/or a Lincoln Way exit - whenever I come into Ames it's always via US 30. The issue isn't with I-35 exits, as the core of the town is far too far away from I-35 for it to be meaningful anyway. The problem is poor configuration of arterial streets in Ames. Your only main east-west arterial street is Lincoln Way, and the main north-south arterial combination is Duff/Grand, both of which are for all purposes on the eastern end of civilization. Good luck trying to change that, though, because that's where all of the businesses are at.
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The Grand extension is ongoing and will go either right by the golf course or through it. I know that part of that work is a cart tunnel under the road. I think that they are planning on having it done by 2012, but were trying for some federal stimulus money to get it done faster.
As for how Ames has changed in 10 years, here are the biggest things that I would say:
1. West Towne - The area used to be all cornfields and Mortenson was gravel for a stretch. The only apartments were Mortenson Manor and Celtic Manor. Now, there about 10x more apartments, some with commercial on the ground floor. There's a Kum&Go, the new basketball facility and of course West Towne Pub and the new Perfect Games. There's a new S.Dakota exit off of Hwy 30 too.
2. Sommerset/Bloomington - Going north of campus on Stange and there's now a whole new area north of 24th St. Houses, apartments, commercial...which would include The Cafe, which is a pretty good restaurant. And then there's a TON of houses further north stretching toward Gilbert.
3. Duff - I don't think many would recognize this street if they hadn't been in town in 10 years. New super WalMart and Target, Cinema 12, Old Chicago and a Japanese steakhouse. Has Lowes been there 10 years yet? Lots of new commercial, some old stuff needing torn down though.
4. Main St. - I think that this area is starting to turn around. The city is funding some facade renovations and they were just accepted into the Main Street Iowa program. There are some new bars and restaurants there that are pretty good quality (Olde Main Brewery, The Spice, London Underground, DG's Taphouse...oh, and Great Plains expanded).
5. Campus - In ten years, there's been quite a bit of construction. Gerdin (business), Howe and Hoover (engineering), Hixon-Lied, new dorms where Clyde Williams stood and apartment style dorms at Fredrickson Court, new dining center attached to Friley, Morrill Hall was totally renovated, the Hub expanded, Alumni Center on Beach, Memorial Union expanded. Plus, there are current construction projects: new chemistry building (Hach Hall), a new Biorenewables Lab between Design and Howe and the Design Building has a new addition that will be finished this summer.
BTW, the best places to buy Cyclone gear are the University Bookstore and T-Galaxy. No other places even compare. I'd suggest the UBS as they have a ton of selection in their new addition. You can park in the ramp for free if you buy something from there.
