Thanks for Voting!
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
If you like windy, nasty winters.... - 2/22/2022
My biggest gripe is the winter weather and more specifically the wind. The wind does not stop blowing the entire winter. It starts around November when NW winds start blowing and goes on until like April or May. Not just "wind", but gale-force, non stop howling wind. You'll have 30, 40, 50, even 60 mph winter winds almost nonstop from Nov until May. That wind is relentless and just never lets up. Then in the summer the wind stops almost entirely. When you want some wind to help deal with the humidity, there won't be any. You can drop a feather and it will fall right to your feet. But come winter, that wind starts back up and won't stop. Winters are super cold to begin with in January, but then add a 40mph wind and the wind chill can be 40 below or more. If you like horrible, nasty, long, cold winters with lots of non-stop gale-force wind, then you'll love Iowa.
Read More
Start Your Review of Cedar Rapids
Racist and cursed - 11/2/2021
Such a horrible place. The racism is too much. You cant even take a walk to the park without hearing a racial insult thrown at you. You cant even go to the store without encountering angry cold stares. You can barely enjoy your life in this underdeveloped poorly run and boring city. The roads are horrible, the city water services charges you an arm and a leg for water, storm drain, recycle, garbage, and more! You cant even negotiate (for example, take out the garbage, or the recycle to bring my bill down in the future). Such a disgusting place. I never felt safe there. Been living there for 30+ years. I became depressed. The public treated me as if I was an enemy to them, just for being a different skin color.
Read More
Great place to live, average place to visit. :) - 4/27/2021
I grew up here, moved away, came back to raise my family and have been back since 1993. I love this city!!! There is SOOO much to do. There are 3-4 community theatre groups that do high calibre plays and musicals, some very "edgy". There are museums; African American Museum, National Czech and Slovak Museum, CR Art Museum and Grant Wood's Studio. There is a history center that gives walking tours of CR and I always learn so much about our clever founders and great people who came from here (Mamie Eisenhower pops into mind). There are fabulous restaurants at every end of the price range and there are up-and-coming food trucks and stalls at NewBo. The Cherry artist gallery space has a ceramics studio open to the public and artists open their doors for sales or displays at various times during the year. NewBo has cooking classes taught by Kirkwood Community College culinary program chefs and local chefs. There is music outdoors for free once a week somewhere downtown in nice
Read More
Avoid if possible - 5/24/2017
The streets here are TERRIBLE. Speed Scameras everywhere! People are rude! One way streets start and stop without warning all over downtown. nothing to do but drink and eat. Lots of rain, clouds, high humidity, gets very cold. Very few jobs and pay is very low. Rockwell collins runs the NE side of town so you are at their mercy. Town should have been flooded away back in
Read More
About transportation - 7/13/2015
I would like to share about transportation here in Cedar Rapids IA. here the service of transportation it's very slow because you have to wait no less than one hour to find a bus. but the city like Milwaukee you have to wait only 15 to 30 min a Bus. That why here you have to do your best to have your own car to be able to reach quickly where you want to like at job, an appointment
Read More
Unfriendly folks - 5/18/2015
One thing I've noticed about the people in Cedar Rapids is most are unfriendly. People hear how wonderful and friendly Midwest folks are-well not here. If you wave at someone, there's only about a 20% chance the other person will wave back. Most of the time they'll just look at you. I ran into an employee outside at Walmart and I asked him how he liked the cold weather that particular May day. He said nothing and just looked forward. I thought "another friendly Iowan." Seems like most of the people have a chip on their shoulder. The vast majority of people don't use their turn signals. They are very inconsiderate drivers. Really they are just rude people here.
Read More
Great Place to raise kids!! - 1/7/2015
Everyone always says what on earth is in Iowa?? Well, Cedar Rapids is in Iowa and it is a great place to raise a family. If you like 4 seasons and enjoy summer and winter sports it is a great place. Housing is affordable, food is a tad expensive but well under the national average. They have two awesome hospitals here and good doctors and the Univ of Iowa Medical Center is 20-25 minutes away. UofI, Iowa State, Mount Mercy University and several other reputable education institutions are local with plenty of opportunities. Come check it
Read More
Don't move here if you are a minority - 4/18/2014
My spouse works for the Feds and we have travelled and lived all over the US. This is the only city I have been refused service at a coffee house. I am a minority, Asian. I have to deal with the incessant stares from locals who apparently have never seen an Asian before. At the Marion Hyvee, this guy literally turned his head around to watch me as I passed him as if I was an alien from outer space. At the MAC gym, I get stares from people. I work at a hospital, patients and their families looked shocked when I am going to provide medical treatment and I also get stares from the staff. The Asians in Cedar Rapids are either adopted and speak fluently or they are immigrants/refugees who have super thick accents. I speak English fluently and have a PhD. So many people here think I was adopted! The Good: The crime rate is low, the schools are okay, and the housing/rentals are decent. The Bad: passive/aggressive natives, bad drivers who think they have the right away when getting onto the
Read More
Time to market - 1/3/2014
This is a fascinating area. There are very large employers that are international in scope with the associated forward thinking. The city tends to be bogged down in its ability to get things done - the amount of time to recover from the flood, the unwillingness of the population to support a small tax to address the future, the strange distrust between the city and its leaders, some of the persons voted into office. Very
Read More