Ames Life after ISU

ekim121 · 01-30-2008, 11:56 AM

I graduated December '05 and have been in a holding pattern since then as the g/f is still an undergrad. As much as I love being local for basketball and football games I can't wait to get out of Ames. The town itself is stagnant in terms of commercial development and overall the mood of the townies is one that loathes progress/development (see Bucky's mall). I'm also not too pumped about driving to Des Moines looking for things to do. On the upside, summers are nice as things are really quiet and you get to reap the benefits of the infrastructure of a college town without the students.

cyfan964 · 01-30-2008, 12:08 PM

Graduated, kept the job in Ames I interned at and bought a house 5 blocks from the stadium and about 4 or 5 blocks from Welch. I have no problem at all with students and my neighborhood is great! It is special to be able to hear the game from your house if you can't get tickets to go!!!!! Ames is the perfect size and community for me.

Broodwich · 01-30-2008, 12:57 PM

Ames is a great place to go to college. I lived in Ames for 10 years. I love the "Ames Metropolitan Area" and Story County area but I have very good reasons why I chose to leave Ames and live in Story City instead. Ames has unlimited potential. Perhaps if we had some more ISU graduates move back and be a voice for change, it would reach it.

Cypwr · 01-30-2008, 10:06 PM

I graduated 15 years ago and never left Ames. To me campus and rest of the city are like 2 seperate places. I prob see the campus area as much as some of the people on here that live in other cities. The best part of Ames is I can get anywhere in town in 10-15 minutes just avoid the Lincolnway/campus area and it can be done. I love the larger city attractions, because of he university, and smaller town feeling. We too looked at houses in Ankeny, Pleasant Hill and Johnston before settling on Ames.

Cy Hard · 01-30-2008, 10:26 PM

Having grown up in Ames and had lived there several years after I graduated, your all making me misty eyed for my former residence. I live in Ur-ban-da-le now and enjoy it, but I would still, my wife permitting, move back to Ames in a heartbeat. We've got 2 kids and deep down I still hope they end up Little Cyclones too, before heading to the big boy school. Summers in Ames were great. The last place I lived was on Beach across from the practice fields. I enjoyed waking up every morning to stretch on my from porch looking over Jack Trice Stadium, nothing better man!

ISUCyclones · 01-31-2008, 05:21 AM

Lived in San Diego for sometime and attended UC Davis. I'm not going to say I don't miss the weather and surfing. I will say that as far as small towns go Ames is top notch. After leaving Cali I thought I would be really disappointed by Ames, but I have been quite happy here and had a lot of fun. There is a lot to love here! Go Clones!!!!