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Cedar Rapids, IA is a vibrant city with a wide array of attractions and activities that make it an ideal destination for travelers and locals alike. The city is home to many cultural attractions, including the Cedar Rapids Museum of Art, the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library, and the Paramount Theatre. There are plenty of family-friendly activities such as walking or biking along the Cedar River Trail, visiting the Brucemore mansion, or exploring the nearby Indian Creek Nature Center. The downtown area has numerous restaurants to choose from as well as shopping venues and entertainment.
The reviews of Cedar Rapids, IA tend to be positive overall. People cite its great attractions such as the museums, theaters, and parks as well its wide variety of dining options as reasons to visit the city. Many people also praise Cedar Rapids' relatively low cost of living compared to other cities in Iowa. Additionally, Cedar Rapids has strong community spirit and camaraderie among residents which makes it an inviting place to live and visit.
based on 39 ReviewsGet to know Cedar Rapids with the latest comments and reviews from people who live in or have visited Cedar Rapids
Best Place to live - 12/9/2013
I've read some terrible reviews about this city and wanted to set it straight. I've lived here all my life and every time I think about relocating, the city always brings me back. Pros: low housing costs, lower gas prices, lower housing/car insurance, best schools in the country, nature trails. Cons: not the best concert scene, sometimes can be boring. We are not hillbillies or farm people, sure they exist here, but I never see them since we live in the city. Our city is expanding the culture scene, we already have an Art Museum, but we are gaining a couple of organic/natural food markets and expanding one of our malls. The best part about living in this city is that we are a 20 minute drive from Coralville/Iowa City which is a cultural hub at half the cost of living.
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Looking For A Change??? - 8/11/2012
I am hoping a few people in Cedar Rapids or Iowa City will read this and reply. I spent 25yrs in Milwaukee Wisconsin, I LOVE IT. The weather sucks but culture and life long friends made it the best! I have been in Dallas-Ft worth for 9yrs. Its OVER POPULATED, CRIME RIDDEN, LACK CULTURE. DFW is a huge bible belt city, but the people here are amoral and lack self control. Most people cheat on their spouses and only stay married for lifestyle, such as 2 incomes & appearances. The kids here lack principles & character. The economy is GREAT, so money isn't any issue here. But desire for money & extra money leads to crime, heavy drug use etc. This place is like any other large city: LA, NY, Miami, Chicago. I am about to become a parent and would like to slow things down a bit for my child's sake. I am also a professional black woman so in healthcare jobs aren't an issue. The problem I am seeing about Cedar Rapids is the lack of African Americans or Black Americans. Another man said 90% of
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Lowest Housing Interest Rates since the 1950's - t - 6/7/2012
When my Mom bought her house in Waterloo, IA in the late 1950's,she paid a rate similar to what you see now; 3.5%. That kind of rate means you can buy a house for less than you will pay in rent. The benefits are; you get to choose your own colors, you can remodel it if you want to, you can live in a neighborhood with lots of big trees, or a water park nearby, or what ever you personally choose. Think about it, you will be glad you did.
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EXPENSIVE - 1/16/2012
It doesnt matter where you live in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, you do not get what you paid for. Houses that are falling apart that you cant even live in are over
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Changed for the worse - 8/20/2011
We moved to east Iowa to Cedaar Rapids 4 years ago. It was nice then, little traffic, friendly people, employers who really did care. But today 2011, it has gone a 180.
Meth is a huge problem around the colleges, people are driving fast and dangerous, road rage almost every day that I can see, some kids in schools are commiting suicide, principles arrested for filming boys in the bathrooms and porn, principle arrested for spaking kids on their Birthdays, teachers hitting students in my sons school, downtown has been torn apart for construction until 2013 and its hard to park anywhere. I could spend hours on why you don't want to move here. Maybe its because the population has grown over the last 2 years with out of staters for Rockwell Collins and other companies, even when locals need the jobs. I am a professional and I only know that I am looking into moving out of here
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Not for everyone - 2/5/2010
Cedar Rapids is not "a great place to live" like many would have you believe. First off, the flood from 2008 has devastated the city. All we hear about on the news at night are stories about the flood or some business that was affected by the flood. The city is going to take many years just to get back to where it was before that flood even happened. The weather here sucks for most of the year. High temps are below freezing for about 4 months out of the year. It's also politically liberal as well. As a result, high property taxes are also another selling point. There's also lots of interracial dating here. In fact, 93% of all black men have white girlfriends in Cedar Rapids making it one of the highest proportions in the entire US. There are no activities to do except going to a bar. They do have a barbecue roundup in late June in which they charge you $10 just to walk through the gate and then $10 for a tiny plate of 3 ribs. In other words, a rip off. The sun shines
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City of 5 Seasons - 12/8/2009
I have lived in Cedar Rapids for six years and have gone through the school system. I definetley think the schools here are very structured and productive. The test scores of Cedar Rapids Schools compared to those in the nation are very high.
When I think of Cedar Rapids, I cant think of anything particularly negative about this city. Housing prices are generally pretty low and it is the perfect size to find a desirable job, home, and interesting attractions, while still maintaining a comfortable, "at-home" feel. Everyone is very friendly and neatral. It is very family oriented and even though it doesnt have the high line of stores that some large cities may have, it is within easy traveling distace to places that do.
The change of seasons is a problem for some people, but for most it is a refreshing change from one month to the next.
Overall, I'd have to say this is a very good place to live and
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QUality of Life in Cedar Rapids - 11/16/2009
I have lived in Iowa all of my life (60years). I was born and raised in Des Moines and moved here to Cedar Rapids in 1986 with my wife and two daughters after living in Guthrie Center, Iowa, Marshalltown, Iowa, and Sterling, Colorado....so I have lived in various sized towns and cities. Cedar Rapids is without a doubt the best of all the places we have lived. The oak woods are very pretty and there are lots of parks in the area. I like to trout fish and am within 2 hours of some very good trout streams up in Northeast Iowa. I enjoy the change in the seasons and do a lot of gardening as I enjoy being out of doors as much as I can. I am retired and a widower now and feel there are lots of things one can do for recreation in this area. There is the City Symphony Orchestra, local theater for plays, baseball and hockey teams to watch, and Iowa City and the Hawkeye's are only 30 minutes away. It's been a great place to raise a family.
I worked here for 20 years
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Flood Last Year - 8/26/2009
The river running through town flooded last year to record levels. The flood had a major impact on many people, places, and things. We heard that it takes 10 years to recover from a flood like we had. Recovery is happening, but isolated parts of town are abandoned or semi-abandoned, walking/biking trails are still bad etc. Because of this I personally down graded the city - nobodies fault that it happened, but the flood changed
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Great Place to Live - 7/17/2009
From someone who has family scattered all over the country and has lived in the South, East, and Japan for a year, Cedar Rapids Iowa is as good a place as any.
There are various nice things about the city. I consider it the perfect size, first of all. It's not so large that you've got to worry about sitting in traffic, but it's large enough that there's a lot of things to do and see.
The weather could be better, but I don't mind it. The summers are generally mild, with this summer (2009) being extremely nice weather. As I write this, the forecast says it will be sunny and in the mid 70's this weekend. The summers can get pretty hot and humid sometimes, but it hasn't really happened this year. The winters aren't horrible, really. We usually don't get any snow until at least December, but most of it comes in January and February. In March, it starts to heat up again and we'll have a few days in the upper 30's and low 40's to melt off some of the snow.
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