Davenport, Iowa SperlingViews

We moved here in August of 2009 and fell in love with the QCA right off the bat. Moving to Davenport makes our 8th city of residence in fourteen years. All of the cities we have lived in have been in the mid-west. We have never met a nicer group of people who have been so willing to help me and my wife with our transition. The city is not too big and not to small and it has a taste of all the cultural venues my wife and I are interested in. This is so much NOT like home that I think I am going to love it.

Login to reply to SperlingViews. (Membership is Free)

re: No place like home ... Not - 1/12/2010 - 4/2/2011
Lily Pond,If you were still on the fence about Davenport I would like to add a few things. Davenport is like many other towns with good places and bad places to live.When you look at the numbers and see the crime index I can tell you from first hand experience the little drug violence is "bad on bad", I can't think of a better way to put it.In all my 40+ yrs here I don't recall ANY bystander injuries/deaths.I have worked in the ER and on the ambulance for 20+yrs.Housing in davenport is affordable ($120,000 will get you a decent small house,$160,000 for a middle size)but the schools struggle a bit but I firmly believe parents make a huge difference there. jobs-really depends on what you do.I currently made just under 45,000 in 2010. there are some excellent universities/colleges (St Ambrose Univ., Augustana in Rock Island,Western Illinois and various other community colleges. 2.5 hours from chicago and 45 minutes from Iowa City and Univ. of Iowa.)nightlife-haven't been there in a long while but the girls/guys I work with seem to have a lot to talk about.We have the cardinals farm team at Modern woodman park , pro hockey,running clubs and The Bix Run that brings runners from all over the world, The guys from American Pickers are 15 minutes away in LeClaire IA,river boat gambling, rugby, polo games. we are not a great hub for food but we do ok-you can always go to The Taste in chicago,Niabi Zoo, SnowStar if you like to ski. Now there is a difference where you live-Bettendorf is more expensive and Pleasant Valley maybe even more and because of that the schools tend to perform better-again I don't know how to put it. Moline,Rock Island,East Moline,Silvis,Milan all are accross the river in Illinois just 5-10min away.Again some are less expensive to live than others and the schools have the same issues as any other school.There is a very good airport QC International that flies pretty much anywhere,If you like golf we also have a major PGA tournament at TPC Deere Run. many courses in the area-cost around $17-$28.Jazz festivals.I have lived in Davenport,Rock Island, PV and Bettendorf and for the most part my family has liked Bettendorf the most.yes winters are your typical midwest winters but the summers are a lot of fun also. hope this helped good luck

Report Abuse

re: No place like home ... Not - 1/12/2010 - 1/16/2010
Thank you, Randy....I've been thinking about moving to Davenport or surrounding areas and was hoping for an up-to-date opinion. I am a midwesterner stuck in the southwest, can't wait to get back to my roots.

Report Abuse

Don't think it's any better in the Midwest. - 12/31/2012

No jobs or minimum wage flipping burgers, crime is so high there's a fight for more police when there's no money to pay than Go ahead call 911 it might take 45 minutes to get help on a Saturday night. Food is so high it's stupid, we live in the breadbasket. We are trapped by one food chain called hyvee they set the price by demographically how much your area makes. So if you think it's better here think again. The Super 8 is full of people trapped here because they thought leaving Michigan and coming here would be a better life. We have 3 casinos, 2 in Iowa, davenport and a mile away Bettendorf and one right over the bridge in Rock Island, I'll , Illinois is much worse, several people I know are moving, businesses are closing. I hate to break your bubble, but the Midwest got ruined in the 80's the last big push to the "clean" Midwest ......no more. So sounds like everyone wants better. Trust me don't pick Iowa !!!!!![read more...]

sfae neighborhood - 6/23/2012

may be moving to town and want to know where reasonable rent and safe neighborhoods are in Davenport.thanks Steph[read more...]

No place like home ... Not - 1/12/2010

We moved here in August of 2009 and fell in love with the QCA right off the bat. Moving to Davenport makes our 8th city of residence in fourteen years. All of the cities we have lived in have been in the mid-west. We have never met a nicer group of people who have been so willing to help me and my wife with our transition. The city is not too big and not to small and it has a taste of all the cultural venues my wife and I are interested in. This is so much NOT like home that I think I am going to love it.[read more...]

Four Seasons - 11/14/2008

Great place to enjoy all four seasons at their best![read more...]

Great Midwestern City - 11/9/2008

Can't wait to move back to Davenport[read more...]

Community - 6/17/2008

Davenport has a great sense of community. There is always some activity that you can choose to be involved with, or not. But if you like to be involved then this is your kind of place! And the people are very friendly and helpful, you won't be dissapointed.[read more...]

Quality of Life - 3/3/2008

There is much to do in the Quad Cities area regardless of your interests be they fishing, culture, music, outdoors, etc. It's a great place to live.[read more...]

Davenport - Pros/Cons - 2/10/2008

Pros: 1. Low cost of living and housing 2. Affordable place to live 3. Headquarters for John Deere are across the river in Moline, IL Cons: 1. High crime rate 2. Very poor school system 3. Not very much to do 4. The economy is dominated by John Deere[read more...]

cold in winter, humid in summer - 2/4/2008

In my 60's and lived in the Midwest all my life. You would think I would be used to it. Spring is nice although short, and fall can be beautiful, but winters generally are pretty rough, and deep into summer, high humidity, high temps. Last week (end of Jan) it was 48 one morning, and -2 the next: hard to believe but true.[read more...]

Moving back was a good decision - 2/28/2007

I was born in Davenport thirty-six years ago, moved away from Iowa-- to NY-- about ten years ago and recently made the move back to Davenport. I made this decision because I needed a taste of home again, want to start my family in a place where I am confortable doing so-- in a place where the quality of formal education far surpasses what the rest of the nation has to offer-- and I simply could not stand NY. NYC is a fabulous place to visit and is, in fact, a whole different world to itself; very romantic in every aspect of that notion, but the rest of the state is a rural wasteland populated by poorly educated, unworldly, narrow-minded, generally belligerent people who are the worst drivers in the US. I had to get out. I hesitated considering moving back to Iowa for the same reasons I left this place; there really is a lot to do-- if you compare available activity options to places like NYC, Chicago, Austin, San Francisco, L.A., Portland, etc., but one really is as happy as one makes oneself. If you are bored, you are probably just boring. There is an art(s) and cultural scene here-- although the ebb and flow of its development can be dramatically erratic. Music is great, theatre is pretty good, the bar scene is rather cute, the gay scene is growing/ becoming more acceptable-- this is happening at about the same rate as is so throughout the rest of the nation in cities the size of Davenport, so nothing out-of-the-ordinary. Housing is relatively inexpensive and property values are actually increasing at a slightly higher rate than sites such as this one tend to publish, the towns are clean (some more so than others) and people are generally VERY nice-- this is so compared to what I had grown used to in NY. There is trust, faith, good-nature/ generosity and care/ appreciation here. The education system is tops and I recommend it to every family. People know better how to drive here! After living through the hell of driving in Upstate NY, my god, I am in driving heaven out here! I now feel like a NY driver when I am on the road in Iowa and it's rather embarrassing.[read more...]

Quad Cities blues - 9/15/2006

The area is often described as,"not that bad". Probably a true statement as true as,"not that good either." Affordable housing, descent job market(blue collar), good quality schools ( k-12 and college) but nothing to do. If you can make the 2.5 hour drive to Chicago on the weekends you will be happy. The only reason I would relocate there if it was with John Deere, otherwise consider somewhere else.[read more...]

wow - 8/24/2006

I moved here 7 years ago from San Francisco. I have never met nicer people. There is lots of midwest culture. A healthy art scene. The river. A ton of food, although a good burrito is hard to find. I have made wonderful friends here and living here will make you a better person. Everyones really nice and it takes a while to get used to it. Then your like, gee, i guess i'll have another pop. It is one of the best kept secrets in the country, the quad, try it, you will love it.[read more...]

QuadCities Pros and Cons - 3/3/2006

I grew up here, and have just come back after forty years. I am moving to another State after my family obligations are over, but, I have to say, the people here are shockingly kind and nice. A real small town feel, but over 400K people in all. Four seasons is nice. Housing is super cheap. It is heartbreaking that so much manufacturing has left this area. The people here are actually naive and the kind you expect to find in a church on Sunday. Not my cup of tea for close friends as they are almost goody goody, but they ARE definitely some of the nicest people in America. If I got stuck here forever, I could tolerate it. Prices all over this area are dirt cheap. The area has definitely gone down since the manufacturing has left, but the gambling boats are helping bring some action here. And they do bring many national acts here for entertainment which you can see for about half or less than you would see the same act in one of the major cities. There are plusses here. And, if you get really bored, drive to Chicago as it is only three hours away.[read more...]

cute homes in downtown area--Bettendorf also nice - 12/18/2005

very cute town--alot of cute cottages in downtown area--alot different than in the deep south--the people are extremely nice. Considered moving here for a change of season --wished we would have. Larger community with hometown feel about it. [read more...]