Iowa City vs. Dubuque (Des Moines, Council Bluffs: homes, neighborhoods, buy)

[SteelCityRising]

Given today's monumentally compassionate decision by the Iowa Supreme Court, my curiosity and fascination with Iowa as a potential relocation destination has only been heightened. I am a 22-year-old single professional gay male, but I'm well-reserved and don't exactly wear my sexuality on my sleeve. I am very respectful of others' apprehensions about me, as I have learned to act as such growing up in a very socially conservative city. I will soon be relocating to the suburbs of Washington, DC for a lucrative career opportunity, but after snagging my MBA and CPA I hope to relocate to a field office with the same agency to Pittsburgh, PA. After a stint in Pittsburgh I'll want to move somewhere else, and five years (or more) in Iowa might just be the ticket.

From all of my research I'd be most interested in either Iowa City or Dubuque. I saw the one thread posted with dozens upon dozens of Iowa City photos, and my tail was wagging so hard I nearly had to start chasing it around in circles! Similar efforts to locate photos of Dubuque have proven futile, but I've heard nothing but great things about the city (If IBM is willing to invest here during a near-depression, then obviously the city is doing a great job at marketing itself). It is also near to Galena, Illinois, a city I've long wanted to visit, and is within a reasonable drive of Madison, Chicago, and to a lesser extent Minneapolis. Iowa City has one of the highest concentrations of LGBT individuals in the nation on a per capita basis, and while I most certainly don't force my beliefs onto others, it would be nice to not have to feel so alone as I do here in Scranton, PA for being "different."

With that being said I've also not ruled out fully Des Moines or the Quad Cities. The Quad Cities have more of an Industrial-era ambiance to them that would remind me of Scranton, but I also worry that this same "environment" would equate to similarly non-forward-thinking residents. Des Moines has a very impressive skyline for a city of its size and a relatively vibrant economy, but I just don't think it would afford to me the historic walkable neighborhoods and friendly youthful "vibe" that I'd get in Iowa City (and possibly in Dubuque).

Any insight into which city would be a better fit for me in, per se, eight years from now (which would allow you to take current projects into consideration). Eventually I'd return home to Scranton to help care for my aging parents so my sister wouldn't bear the burden alone, but until I'm forced to have that "leash" pull me back to home base I really want to branch out and explore all that our great nation has to offer.

Go Ne had me hooked onto Omaha for a while, but after some careful consideration I can see that it is really far too suburban for my tastes and would NOT be what I'm ideally looking for. I'm looking for a small-to-medium-sized city that has safe walkable neighborhoods with smaller, older, well-kept homes with sidewalks and trees, preferably within a mile's walk of some sort of downtown business district with shops, restaurants, etc. I'm a devout Protestant and would appreciate a congregation that would let me pray beside them WITHOUT practically pointing a "heathen" finger at me, so a city with some sort of religious diversity would be welcome as well. I understand that Iowa City has a STRONG "college town" atmosphere, but I enjoy State College, PA, and that is undoubtedly more student-oriented with its 40,000+ student body crammed into a compact area.

Please help!

[iowegian]

I'll be honest, I haven't spent a ton of time in Dubuque, so I don't want to say anything about it. I voted Iowa City just because I know that it would fit, but maybe Dubuque would too. I'll leave that up to the Dubuquers around here.

I'll just point out why I think Iowa City is a good fit. There are neighborhoods in Iowa City that fit your ideal neighborhood description, I'm thinking Northside and Goosetown (especially for smaller homes, this area is labeled "Mann" on Google Maps if you're curious) and even College Green would all fit well. Iowa City does have that college town vibe that you mentioned, and like most if not all other college towns, it's extremely liberal. You should have no problem finding a church that would accept you, as there is a good sized gay population here, as you said, which should only grow after today's exciting decision in Des Moines. There is a gay bar in town and today's gay rights rally at the Pentacrest brought a pretty big crowd. With a few major exceptions, most churches in town lean liberal, and I know that if no other church would, (which is extremely doubtful to me) the Universalist Unitarian church would be very accepting of gay members. Iowa City is without question the most liberal city in Iowa, more liberal than Dubuque, so it will probably have the most accepting atmosphere for a town in this state.

You might also be interested to hear that in eight years, there is a chance that both of these cities will have Amtrak links to Chicago. Dubuque's plan came first, but it sounds like Iowa City's might get more support due to the fact that it can be extended toward Des Moines.

Dubuque will probably continue to grow (IBM is pretty huge.) and it might be a very different place in eight years, it's been on the upswing lately and so you'll have to check back then. I don't doubt that Iowa City will improve too, new projects are seemingly always in the works in this area as well.

I hope you'll come and visit Iowa some time, I think that would really help you decide

[SteelCityRising]

Thank you very much, Iowegian, for your detailed and very informative reply. This is exactly what I'm looking for.

I was aware of the potential plans to link Dubuque to Chicago via Amtrak, but I did not realize that Iowa City wanted to get in on the action as well. Considering my current employer offers flex time (i.e. I can work four 10-hour days to have 3-day weekends), it would be great to live in Dubuque at some point and take Amtrak into Chicago one weekend a month for that "city fix." I'm assuming IBM's expansion into Dubuque will bring more educated and younger people into the city (rejuvenating the downtown), hence why it has popped up onto my radar for a city to scope out for when I'm 30 and looking to make a move into the Upper Midwest after stints in Washington, DC and Pittsburgh.

Iowa City from all I've seen is almost a mirror image of State College, PA. Both cities have very large student populations, very liberal leanings, a wide array of ethnic restaurants, independent newspapers, leafy and walkable neighborhoods, etc. It would definitely be a near-perfect fit for me, but I like Dubuque's closer proximity to larger metropolitan markets (Sorry, even though Des Moines is nice it can't rival Chicago, Madison, or Minneapolis in my book).

I know there are a few Dubuque members on this forum. Where are you? ScranBarre calling DBQer and others!!!

[zz4guy]

Iowa CIty. There's more tail to chase there. Or more tail to chase you. However you do it.

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by zz4guy

Iowa CIty. There's more tail to chase there. Or more tail to chase you. However you do it.

LMAO! Well, considering I'm still hopelessly single I suppose that would be a plus!

[Raphael07]

*Whispers* Council Bluffs *

On a serious note, Iowa City should be best for you

[SteelCityRising]

Originally Posted by Go Ne

*Whispers* Council Bluffs *

On a serious note, Iowa City should be best for you

You just want me to move closer to Omaha so I can buy you alcohol! I thought people from Omaha joked about Council Bluffs being the "redneck" side of the river?

[ehenningsen]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

You just want me to move closer to Omaha so I can buy you alcohol! I thought people from Omaha joked about Council Bluffs being the "redneck" side of the river?

It really was for a very long time..

But the city is waking up and with some recent legislature moves in Iowa that have occurred, Council Bluffs is ripe for a large-scale boom phase..

The city is currently growing, and there are some major, major projects that have been completed in the last 10 years and many new major projects that are just about to break ground.. Plus a billion dollar Google complex is going to open this year...

I am just waiting for the start of CB's largest boom phase in its history, it is absolutely ripe for one and it is a matter of time as all the pieces are coming together..

That said, CB was a hick town but it is quickly changing..

[DBQer]

Not to toot my own horn... but I'm probably the perfect person to answer this question, because we are SOOOO similar! lol. I am ALSO 22, male, gay, single, AND have lived in both Dubuque and Iowa City!!

Dubuque is naturally a more "traditional" place than Iowa City politically & culturally, but there are few places in the Midwest that aren't! Iowa City has a MASSIVE liberal dominance, and really stands in a class of its own on that front. While that can be good for certain things... I think there is a real lack of debate and openness in the community, because it's nearly entirely-controlled by people who think in a similar fashion. (As an example, your religious beliefs will be more warmly recieved in Dubuque than in Iowa City.) Dubuque is more of a mixed political environment.

The "pros" that Dubuque has going for it, as I see it, are these:
1.) A more family-friendly environment
2.) A stronger, more diverse, business (non-government) economic sector
3.) A better organized and more proactive city government with a wider variety of new ideas
4.) A cleaner city... less garbage/furniture/etc on the streets & sidewalks
5.) A more historic area with more variety in the physical landscape & architecture
6.) A more affordable cost of living
7.) A better airport
8.) Services, stores, attractions that cater to a wider variety of people (non-students)
9.) Closer proximity to larger metro areas (to the east & north)
10.) Lower taxes


The "pros" that Iowa City has going for it, as I see it, are these:
1.) A larger, stronger, better organized gay community
2.) A larger, better-utilized public transportation system
3.) A better hike/bike/trail system... a more "walkable" city
4.) A more diverse population, racially & ethnically
5.) A more diverse & extensive media
6.) A more active & dynamic downtown area
7.) A larger & stronger retail sector
8.) A better-planned street & neighborhood layout
9.) Better health care services
10.) More cultural attractions (many related to the university)

The cities are fairly comparable when it comes to things like parks, schools, recreational opportunities, crime, job growth, traffic, and other things... It really comes down to what's most important to YOU. Each has good & bad points, but my vote has to goto my hometown, Dubuque. Sorry, Iowa City!

[LPerkins33]

Nothing can top Iowa City.