Interested in Visiting\Possibly Moving to Iowa City-Info Needed

[princesspiggies]

Originally Posted by Zoe51

I'm considering visiting Iowa City and possibly moving there. When driving cross country, I passed through Iowa a few times though was never able to stop and check it out.

I am a woman, mid sixties. Iowa City comes up in my searching for a neuroscience center along with support and education for nonfiction writing. I am contacting the neuroscience institute and the writing programs for overview information.

What is Iowa City like? Is it liberal, conservative? What about apartment rates and safety? My diet is about 99% vegan and I'm very interested in health and nutrition issues. Are there vegan or vegetarian restaurants in IC?

What do people like, not like about living in this city? Are there good resources here for seniors? What about museums and libraries? Cost of living? Is anyone in this forum involved with the writing programs or the neuroscience institute?

About ten years ago I moved from a very rural high desert area of New Mexico, to Lexington, KY. I was led to believe I could get treatment for a some rare medical disorders here. This proved not to be the case. I became stranded when my savings ran out. This situation may be changing so I'm looking at places to relocate. For both writing and neuroscience, IC is showing with a big thumb's up. I hope to start some conversations here. Thanks for any response

Zoe

Hi! Current resident of Iowa City here. Early forties, married, one child. My thoughts:

Medical - University of Iowa is very good. I just had something taken care of there (not neuro, sorry) and was very pleased. If they can't do it, you're not too far from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Nonfiction Writing - IC is VERY proud that it's a UNESCO City of Literature. Great writing program at the University and offshoots in the community.

Politics - generally liberal. If that's you're thing, there are lots of groups to support. If it's not, people won't bother you. City Council is fairly liberal.

Apartment rates - Not inexpensive, from what I hear. They can't keep up with student demand. (Also, building height/development/renting restrictions in parts of downtown).

Safety - no major issues, especially away from the college/nightlife areas. In my neck of the woods, we have some petty theft - bikes, money from unlocked cars, etc.

Vegan/health and nutrition - as someone else mentioned, there's a co-op, farmer's market, and lots of fresh fruit/vegetable stands in season. There's also an Amish settlement 30 min away where you can get local vegetables/fruit.

Cost of living - not cheap, especially if you're in IC proper.

Senior activities - can't speak to this - I'm not there yet

Museums/libraries - there is a city library, there are a couple museums associated with the university, there's a performing arts center, too. More of all of the above in Cedar Rapids 45 min north of town.

Transportation - there's a bus system that seems pretty comprehensive (and reasonably priced), but I haven't used it.

What I like: slow pace of life, generally friendly, non-intrusive people, easy to get around, uncomplicated, University-affiliated activities.

What I don't like: not enough to do in town, not enough to do close by, lack of "next-level" restaurants/ shopping/cultural attractions. (We moved here from a larger city.)

[jmgg]

Originally Posted by princesspiggies

Hi! Current resident of Iowa City here. Early forties, married, one child. My thoughts:

Medical - University of Iowa is very good. I just had something taken care of there (not neuro, sorry) and was very pleased. If they can't do it, you're not too far from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN.

Nonfiction Writing - IC is VERY proud that it's a UNESCO City of Literature. Great writing program at the University and offshoots in the community.

Politics - generally liberal. If that's you're thing, there are lots of groups to support. If it's not, people won't bother you. City Council is fairly liberal.

Apartment rates - Not inexpensive, from what I hear. They can't keep up with student demand. (Also, building height/development/renting restrictions in parts of downtown).

Safety - no major issues, especially away from the college/nightlife areas. In my neck of the woods, we have some petty theft - bikes, money from unlocked cars, etc.

Vegan/health and nutrition - as someone else mentioned, there's a co-op, farmer's market, and lots of fresh fruit/vegetable stands in season. There's also an Amish settlement 30 min away where you can get local vegetables/fruit.

Cost of living - not cheap, especially if you're in IC proper.

Senior activities - can't speak to this - I'm not there yet

Museums/libraries - there is a city library, there are a couple museums associated with the university, there's a performing arts center, too. More of all of the above in Cedar Rapids 45 min north of town.

Transportation - there's a bus system that seems pretty comprehensive (and reasonably priced), but I haven't used it.

What I like: slow pace of life, generally friendly, non-intrusive people, easy to get around, uncomplicated, University-affiliated activities.

What I don't like: not enough to do in town, not enough to do close by, lack of "next-level" restaurants/ shopping/cultural attractions. (We moved here from a larger city.)

Yep, you definitely moved from a much larger city. There's more to do in Iowa City than most anywhere in Iowa. If IC bores you, everywhere else in Iowa will bore you. Only really major outstanding activities not in the IC area that's somewhere else would be the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines or the Iowa Great Lakes in Northern Iowa.

[princesspiggies]

Originally Posted by jmgg

Yep, you definitely moved from a much larger city. There's more to do in Iowa City than most anywhere in Iowa. If IC bores you, everywhere else in Iowa will bore you. Only really major outstanding activities not in the IC area that's somewhere else would be the Iowa State Fair in Des Moines or the Iowa Great Lakes in Northern Iowa.

Yes, we moved from a larger city in a different part of the country. I like day-to-day living in Iowa, but I miss the mountains, the beach, fresh seafood, a true (non-bar) restaurant scene, that kind of thing.

[stephshar]

Everything you've written tells me you should move to Iowa City. It's a bunch of yes to your questions and you don't have to worry about your fears, for example, the bus service is good and it's even free. I'm an older woman who moved here several years ago from Los Angeles. This is a dream place for you...so much to do, yes to healthy food and vegetarian, and a writer's paradise (I'm a writer too). Get here and you'll see. Do not move to Coralville, you won't be happy. Look for something in Iowa City, just stay away from the south side, south of Highway 6. Everything else is very safe. It's a liberal town but as a conservative I haven't run into any real problems. Medical care at the huge University hospital is good if a bit impersonal. They have every specialty and can handle your problems, and yes there is neuroscience too. Winters can be harsh at times but I haven't found them to be a no-go and this is coming from a native Californian.

[Star691]

Originally Posted by stephshar

Everything you've written tells me you should move to Iowa City. It's a bunch of yes to your questions and you don't have to worry about your fears, for example, the bus service is good and it's even free. I'm an older woman who moved here several years ago from Los Angeles. This is a dream place for you...so much to do, yes to healthy food and vegetarian, and a writer's paradise (I'm a writer too). Get here and you'll see. Do not move to Coralville, you won't be happy. Look for something in Iowa City, just stay away from the south side, south of Highway 6. Everything else is very safe. It's a liberal town but as a conservative I haven't run into any real problems. Medical care at the huge University hospital is good if a bit impersonal. They have every specialty and can handle your problems, and yes there is neuroscience too. Winters can be harsh at times but I haven't found them to be a no-go and this is coming from a native Californian.

Your input is valued, however the OP last responded over 5 years ago. They probably made their decision on the move a while back.

[TLG2101]

Originally Posted by Zoe51

I'm considering visiting Iowa City and possibly moving there. When driving cross country, I passed through Iowa a few times though was never able to stop and check it out.

I am a woman, mid sixties. Iowa City comes up in my searching for a neuroscience center along with support and education for nonfiction writing. I am contacting the neuroscience institute and the writing programs for overview information.

What is Iowa City like? Is it liberal, conservative? What about apartment rates and safety? My diet is about 99% vegan and I'm very interested in health and nutrition issues. Are there vegan or vegetarian restaurants in IC?

What do people like, not like about living in this city? Are there good resources here for seniors? What about museums and libraries? Cost of living? Is anyone in this forum involved with the writing programs or the neuroscience institute?

About ten years ago I moved from a very rural high desert area of New Mexico, to Lexington, KY. I was led to believe I could get treatment for a some rare medical disorders here. This proved not to be the case. I became stranded when my savings ran out. This situation may be changing so I'm looking at places to relocate. For both writing and neuroscience, IC is showing with a big thumb's up. I hope to start some conversations here. Thanks for any response

Zoe

Hi, I’ve lived in Iowa City for 10 years. I love it. It’s the most liberal city in Iowa. It’s got a vibrant cultural scene with many live music venues, festivals, concerts, downtown events, museums, etc. Healthcare is topnotch with the highly ranked University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and a large number of other healthcare facilities. It’s a college town, thus rents are high. Housing is expensive compared to other areas of Iowa. It’s a relatively safe city, there are some homelessness issues and bad pockets, which you’ll find in most cities of any decent size. There’s an active senior center and nice public library. The university attracts a wide variety of ethnicities so you’ll find restaurants that cater to just any taste. There are at least 2-3 totally vegetarian restaurants.

[smpliving]

Originally Posted by TLG2101

Hi, I’ve lived in Iowa City for 10 years. I love it. It’s the most liberal city in Iowa. It’s got a vibrant cultural scene with many live music venues, festivals, concerts, downtown events, museums, etc. Healthcare is topnotch with the highly ranked University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics and a large number of other healthcare facilities. It’s a college town, thus rents are high. Housing is expensive compared to other areas of Iowa. It’s a relatively safe city, there are some homelessness issues and bad pockets, which you’ll find in most cities of any decent size. There’s an active senior center and nice public library. The university attracts a wide variety of ethnicities so you’ll find restaurants that cater to just any taste. There are at least 2-3 totally vegetarian restaurants.

^^^ Although the OP is long gone the above assessment of Iowa City is spot on. I worked for the the University for many years before retirement. The city just keeps getting better and better. Also, in addition to an excellent University hospital, the dental college is also great.

[601halfdozen0theother]

Iowa City in 2023 makes me sad. It used to be a really wonderful small college town. Now it's just another overpopulated mess with too much traffic. I wish the whole Coralville area would just go away, and I hate loathe and despise all the parking garages. There's still a kernel of old IC, but it's been overwhelmed by a lot of ugliness.