Is Iowa life really that great? (Davenport, Clinton: real estate, high crime, homes)

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by lurtsman

Gools, you'll need a list of what things you want in a city.

The economy in Iowa sucks outside of Des Moines. Outside of DM the unemployment is low but you have to be related or have some other appealing physical characteristics to be hired. There is a reason Iowa City constantly complains about the brain drain as the best and brightest students look for better opportunity elsewhere. If you opt to live within DM, then as Capital Guy says, the economy is good.

If you want good schools, Iowa seems fairly middle of the pack. It can be subjective as you have to decide what you want and how much you're willing to pay up in taxes to have it. The school may be "free", but the government gets more than one pound of flesh through the taxes.

Do you like "Midwestern Values"? For me, as a libertarian, they were incredibly oppressive.

It wasn't until I had been in Iowa for a few years that I realized it wasn't me, it was the area. I moved out of Iowa (to Colorado) and things immediately improved by leaps and bounds. Finding the right place is like finding the right shoe. You can wear a shoe that is the wrong size, but it won't work right. Some people will try to demand that you "make it fit" or that the problem is "you have a stupid foot". Get the right pair of shoes and the problem goes away. For some people, Iowa works. For many others, especially those with experience living in more advanced areas or working in something resembling a meritocracy, the area is sorely lacking. The weather is dreadful, pay outside of DM is terrible and cost of living outside DM is higher than it should be. The taxes are just absurdly high when property, income, and sales are combined.

When you think about shoes, Iowa is like the one pulled from a dumpster with something green growing on it and a large hole in the sole. You could try it on and hope it fits, but there are so many other options that have more to offer. When I told people I was leaving for Colorado, some of them actually had tears. It wasn't for losing me, they didn't know me that well. They simply cried softly and said things like, "I had a chance to get out once..."

Wow! You nailed it right there.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by Meemur

I so hope there is excellent weather for you that weekend! You're brave planning travel during winter when weather can turn on a dime.

Thanks for your good wishes as it tuned out to be well above average in temps & pretty sunny while I was there. The day I arrived it was around 50 degrees & it was above average & sunny all the way on through until clouds & light snow moved in overnight late Monday night.
Still, the snow that fell was wet & melting into the ground & amounted to something like 2" and did nothing to slow air travel in and out of Des Moines the day I left.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

Wow! You nailed it right there.

Wow! What happened to your opinion of Iowa between the original open minded & curious post that began this thread of yours back in August & the time that you made your last post? Have you even traveled to Iowa to check it out in person since you started the thread?
In your recent "Wow! You hit the nail on the head!" comment, you quoted a member who has had a years long history of posting comments about Iowa both on the Iowa forum & elsewhere? I'll be gentle here & characterize them thus as being "negative" in nature.
I've been in about 30 different state forums in the last year & been in many general topic sub-forums as well. Sad to say, I've seen many entries that particular member has posted about Iowa & the Midwest here on the Iowa forum and in other areas of the forum some of which include the likes of:

1. "The Midwest sucks"
2. Children of different races ..."never play together in Iowa..."
3. That the newish, fast-growing suburb of Iowa City called North Liberty is something akin to a "dumpster"
4. That Iowa has a "few" nice days in the fall
5. "Iowa is bigot central"
6. The revelation that as he entered a mall in his new, non-Iowa location, a black man held the door open for him.. something that would not happen in Iowa because it is a racist state.
7. Des Moines, being in their judgement the best city in the state is nevertheless the equivalent of "...winning a medal at the Special Olympics".

As for the veracity of those comments, well...
The one about they made in this thread about leaning libertarian makes me smile given that in their history of comments that criticized Iowa, there is not one iota of personal responsibility accepted on their part for any of their failures while they lived in Iowa. Everything that went wrong was always the fault of Iowa & how it stacked the deck against them.
The thing about posting comments on the forum, once you've made them, they are all out there.. it's historical info laid down like a paper trail.
I could go on but my point about hyperbole & agenda-driven comments propelled by anger is obvious.
So, be careful goolsbyjazz in judging whom you think has hit which nail on which head.

[duster1979]

Somewhere on this forum is a post from someone who claimed that Iowa is a terrible place to live because his neighbors hung out in their driveway all the time.

[bungeebrain]

I lived in the Southwest for years I loved it but it was far from a utopia. The midwest sucks in a lot of respects but no place is perfect.

[Meemur]

Today, Iowa life is wonderful! The snow has mostly melted, the temps are in the 60s, and it's sunny. The bike path has a few wet spots, but all of the ice is gone, so it's safe to ride!

I love days like this!

[duster1979]

Originally Posted by bungeebrain

I lived in the Southwest for years I loved it but it was far from a utopia. The midwest sucks in a lot of respects but no place is perfect.

I agree. For the most part, life is what you make it.

[goolsbyjazz]

Originally Posted by atler8

Wow! What happened to your opinion of Iowa between the original open minded & curious post that began this thread of yours back in August & the time that you made your last post? Have you even traveled to Iowa to check it out in person since you started the thread?
In your recent "Wow! You hit the nail on the head!" comment, you quoted a member who has had a years long history of posting comments about Iowa both on the Iowa forum & elsewhere? I'll be gentle here & characterize them thus as being "negative" in nature.
I've been in about 30 different state forums in the last year & been in many general topic sub-forums as well. Sad to say, I've seen many entries that particular member has posted about Iowa & the Midwest here on the Iowa forum and in other areas of the forum some of which include the likes of:

1. "The Midwest sucks"
2. Children of different races ..."never play together in Iowa..."
3. That the newish, fast-growing suburb of Iowa City called North Liberty is something akin to a "dumpster"
4. That Iowa has a "few" nice days in the fall
5. "Iowa is bigot central"
6. The revelation that as he entered a mall in his new, non-Iowa location, a black man held the door open for him.. something that would not happen in Iowa because it is a racist state.
7. Des Moines, being in their judgement the best city in the state is nevertheless the equivalent of "...winning a medal at the Special Olympics".

As for the veracity of those comments, well...
The one about they made in this thread about leaning libertarian makes me smile given that in their history of comments that criticized Iowa, there is not one iota of personal responsibility accepted on their part for any of their failures while they lived in Iowa. Everything that went wrong was always the fault of Iowa & how it stacked the deck against them.
The thing about posting comments on the forum, once you've made them, they are all out there.. it's historical info laid down like a paper trail.
I could go on but my point about hyperbole & agenda-driven comments propelled by anger is obvious.
So, be careful goolsbyjazz in judging whom you think has hit which nail on which head.

Alter, I wasn't thinking of Iowa in my response. The writer nailed how I felt about MY current situation. I don't know enough about Iowa to have an opinion on it. I was not clear in my response so I understand how it could be misinterpreted.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by goolsbyjazz

Alter, I wasn't thinking of Iowa in my response. The writer nailed how I felt about MY current situation. I don't know enough about Iowa to have an opinion on it. I was not clear in my response so I understand how it could be misinterpreted.

Thanks for returning & giving the explanation here, goolsbyjazz... Your earlier post for me was a real head scratcher so this new post is a welcome one.
The best of luck to you in making your decisions & choices going forward.

[atler8]

Originally Posted by Meemur

Today, Iowa life is wonderful! The snow has mostly melted, the temps are in the 60s, and it's sunny. The bike path has a few wet spots, but all of the ice is gone, so it's safe to ride!

I love days like this!

Oh where oh where has your winter gone to? LOL!
In view of our gardening, yard work exchanges here on the forum, I thought of you yesterday while out doing yard cleanup & maintenance but not when a 40 foot tree we were taking down fell across the fence and into the neighbor's yard!
Next weekend I'll need to crank up the lawn mower.
Anyway, my friend in W.D.M. sent me a photo a few minutew ago of her cat sitting on the window ledge in front of an OPEN WINDOW... Yes, Iowa in early March & it looks to be a long-lasting break from winter too.