Reviews & Comments
Des Moines, IA
Oh yes and the climate... -
9/28/2005Right again Devin...the climate is by far the worst of any place I have ever been. The humidity is terrible and the winters are worse...coming from Chicago that says alot. The most inconsistent weather ever. Freezing one day, humid the next. My body temperature is off drastically. Last year, there was a blizzard in October. Friends visited from Chicago and said they could not believe it and that the snow resembled spikes. Not too mention the DM airport security was doing security body checks due to our heightened alert. Our friends said the airport security was far more strict than O'hare and they could not believe the delay it caused. As if...a terrorist would even want to come to Iowa.
Boone, IA
Sad Place -
9/28/2005Such a sad, sad place! Relocated here, nothing at all to do. People are really behind and are so lacking....People are not accepting here of other cultures or for that matter accepting of any new transports. If you do not have children and are single or married, you will feel isolated and treated as if something is terribly wrong for not having them. This town totally caters to people with children, however, sadly, you would not know it. Read the papers, this town has the highest rate of meth labs in the State of Iowa and teenage pregnancies and one of the worst records for education. To look at this town, driving in you would think a lovely quaint "Norman Rockwell-esque" town. Furthermore, if you read the Sex Offender registry -there are quite a few predators that live here and strangely, every part of town has a school in it. Restaurants are only open until 10:00 pm, and the only main store at the edge of town is a Wal Mart. However, there is multiple banks, gas stations, convenient stores, two Subways, two Pizza joints in a town of 12,000. The people are very unfriendly and when they are friendly it is only on Sundays at Church. If you have lived in a city before this, you will absolutely hate it here. Spent alot of money to get here, we are spending alot of money to get out. Spare yourself the pain-do not move here.
Chicago, IL
Chicago is Wonderful -
9/28/2005Moved to Iowa after living in downtown Chicago (the Gold Coast) And I can say I have loved Chicago as both the single person and the married person. I have lived in the western suburbs as well. By far, the Gold Coast was the best. Gang infested is incorrect and the statistics are incorrect to LA. LA is by far the worst for crime, behind Detroit. While I am not oblivious to the crime there, we lived three blocks away from the dividing line of Cabrini Green and nothing happened to us or our friends. You know when you live in Chicago where to go and not go. You wise up and become "urbane". I cannot express how much Chicago is missed. The diversity, the Mag Mile, the lake, the views, the culture, the theater and the restaurants. You will never get better food than there. Or people....if they don't like you, they leave you alone, they don't nose around your business, ask pesky questions every time you see them or gossip about you,,,they are too busy and to "city-fied." If they like you, fuggetaboutit, they will move the lake for ya and then some.!! Move to a small town and you will know what I mean about nosy neighbors and constant gossip. Housing costs have risen dramatically in Chicago and sadly, the kind of place we had we will probably never have again as we bought it for a song. You do not realize how great something is until it is gone. Exploring the US and you will see Chicago is one of the best cities ever-Midwest in feel, but city in thought!
Des Moines, IA
Here! Here! To the 1st Comment -
9/28/2005Devin is so right. We are 40mn N of Des Moines and moved here as a married couple w/o children from downtown Chicago seeking an "American dream kind of life." Worst mistake ever. Do not move to these parts of Iowa w/o children, you will feel isolated, singled-out and treated as if something is wrong for being married and not having children. Furthermore, there is no diversity and job oppurtunities are far and few between. The people here also lack the integrity they portray. Many bible belters here but not really Christian. We purchased a $83,000 home that was not worth $50,000 and it came with many issues that were not disclosed. The realtor knew it and after we purchased it, never saw the realtor again and their office was right up the street. I can assure you not many people breaking the doors down to get to small town Iowa from Chicago. We were suckers. We too temped the entire three years we have been here-Iowans as they are called don't seem to like outsiders- so we aren't hired, invited, treated, or asked to be involved unless they want your money and that when that's over, they will smile to your face and then talk behind your back. Don't move here-no wonder the Gov. had to go to Chicago to try to recruit former Iowans to return.