Best towns in Iowa

[Gonzo]

Sports bars and farmers markets? Please sell Des Moines to me! I'm genuinely curious. Keep in mind I'm 44, not married, and have no kids. I will say I enjoyed living in DM proper more than the suburbs though.

Depends on what you're into, I love all the bike trails, Waterworks amphitheatre is a great place to see a concert, as is Wooly's to a lesser extent, tons of great restaurants, the farmer's market is pretty awesome, I-Cubs games are fun, cool shopping in/around East Village and West End Salvage. I'm not a golfer but seems like there are lots of good options there. Hell just loading up the dog and taking her to Gray's Lake on a nice day is pretty great.

 

[burn587]

Lived there for several years during our mid-20s and loved it.

I absolutely loved my time in Chicago and would go back in an instant if my wife would let me. It is probably a better singles town than family but I loved how much there was to do. I live in Denver now which is good but really pales in comparison to a real big city like Chicago.

 

[KnappShack]

I absolutely loved my time in Chicago and would go back in an instant if my wife would let me. It is probably a better singles town than family but I loved how much there was to do. I live in Denver now which is good but really pales in comparison to a real big city like Chicago.

I'd love to know what I'm missing. I lived here 3 years out of college and couldn't leave soon enough.

Now back in the area for 7 more and I still have no idea why people live here. I'd like to enjoy where I live, but my trips to the city are almost always a disappointing hassle.

I remember Des Moines fondly, but this area has always felt like an itchy shirt.

 

[NoCreativity]

Incredible bike trail network, both paved and singletrack. Lots of live music. Close to Ames and ISU sports. Cool minor league/Drake sports in town. Awesome breweries. Killer and diverse food scene.

If you find these options boring and limiting I honestly feel sorry for you.

I was going to respond but you summed it up perfectly.

I will add as somebody who loves outdoor activities, we have hundreds of lakes, streams, ponds, and two major rivers just in the greater Des Moines area for kayaking and fishing.

The level of concerts we've been getting the last few years has really improved also.

 

[Gonzo]

I absolutely loved my time in Chicago and would go back in an instant if my wife would let me. It is probably a better singles town than family but I loved how much there was to do. I live in Denver now which is good but really pales in comparison to a real big city like Chicago.

And in a nod to your av, we used to love going to White Sox games, you could get pretty amazing seats for not a lot of $$$ during weeknight games. Just hop on the red line, in and out quick and easy.

 

[ISUTex]

Decorah
Pella
Indianola
Sully
Waukon
Grinnell
Des Moines
Cedar Falls
Dubuque
Mt Vernon

Just a few off the top of my head

 

[WISCY1895]

Decorah is the best small town in Iowa for sure.

 

[AlaCyclone]

And in a nod to your av, we used to love going to White Sox games, you could get pretty amazing seats for not a lot of $$$ during weeknight games. Just hop on the red line, in and out quick and easy.

Go Reds! Going for the Sweep today @ Comiskey!

 

[AlaCyclone]

I'd love to know what I'm missing. I lived here 3 years out of college and couldn't leave soon enough.

Now back in the area for 7 more and I still have no idea why people live here. I'd like to enjoy where I live, but my trips to the city are almost always a disappointing hassle.

I remember Des Moines fondly, but this area has always felt like an itchy shirt.

I lived in Chicago for 5 years and LOVED it! Being in the heart of everything was incredible. No car. Just walked, took the El, took a bus or taxi to wherever I wanted to go. Friday Night was especially fun with a plethora of restaurant options old and new from which to choose. Sports of all kinds, college and pro. Always somebody in town playing a game. Now, that was a long time ago, and I wouldn't want to move back. Enjoying the quieter pace of Des Moines these days.

 

[RING4CY]

Bias because I live there, but Gilbert is a great small town. It was better before it became north Ames essentially, but still a nice small town feel

I grew up in the country, and went to school in a town the size similar to Gilbert that was about 10 minutes from Cedar Falls. So, Gilbert in relation to Ames was a perfect situation when it came to buying our first house.

 

[burn587]

I'd love to know what I'm missing. I lived here 3 years out of college and couldn't leave soon enough.

Now back in the area for 7 more and I still have no idea why people live here. I'd like to enjoy where I live, but my trips to the city are almost always a disappointing hassle.

I remember Des Moines fondly, but this area has always felt like an itchy shirt.

It may depend where in the city you live. I was in the loop and loved how anything and everything was at my fingertips. Anything I wanted to do was in walking distance from my apartment or was just a short el train ride away. My apartment overlooked Lake shore drive and I could watch a lot of cool stuff on Lake Michigan just from the apartment. Tall ships festival, air and water show, fireworks at navy pier every summer weekend etc. Restaurant scene is great downtown as well. In my life I’ve lived in Ames, Chicago and the Chicago suburbs, St. Louis, and Denver and the Denver suburbs. I would choose downtown Chicago as my favorite and Ames as my second favorite. I would never live in St Louis or any suburb ever again.

And in a nod to your av, we used to love going to White Sox games, you could get pretty amazing seats for not a lot of $$$ during weeknight games. Just hop on the red line, in and out quick and easy.

Sox games were a good time, I used to do the same thing-hop on the redline at Wabash and Randolph and go down to 35th. I’m still a Sox fan, but I don’t think I can bring myself to give Reinsdorf any of my money anymore.

 

[RagingCloner]

I grew up in the country, and went to school in a town the size similar to Gilbert that was about 10 minutes from Cedar Falls. So, Gilbert in relation to Ames was a perfect situation when it came to buying our first house.

Are you still in Gilbert now?

 

[madguy30]

Depends on what you're into, I love all the bike trails, Waterworks amphitheatre is a great place to see a concert, as is Wooly's to a lesser extent, tons of great restaurants, the farmer's market is pretty awesome, I-Cubs games are fun, cool shopping in/around East Village and West End Salvage. I'm not a golfer but seems like there are lots of good options there. Hell just loading up the dog and taking her to Gray's Lake on a nice day is pretty great.

My real only 'knock' on Des Moines aside from still feeling like the walls would close in with seeing people I know or knew at one point more often then preferred is central Iowa feels like a bit of a desert for type of outdoor recreation that I enjoy.

NE Iowa fits that bill for me more, as does SW WI with proximity to Madison, or even being that much closer to the north woods.

Otherwise it's pretty underrated for things to do, and without much hassle at that.

 

[Al_4_State]

What are some smaller towns that have impressed people? I've done a little RAGBRAI over the years, and it always seems that I find a place that surprises me. Here's a couple I'm familiar with (for various reasons) that I think deserve a shout out (not saying any are the best town in Iowa by any stretch).

West Point (Lee County). Went through here on RAGBRAI a few years ago. For as much of a dump as the river towns in SE Iowa were, I was really impressed with some of the "inland" small towns. This town was clean, appeared prosperous, and had a couple of really nice and fun bars/restaurants.

Protivin (Howard County). Not untypical for Northeast Iowa, but Protivin in particular has always struck me with an intense local pride. People come back there, put down roots, and keep it moving. Czech Days is one of those quintessential small town festivals that they really do right.

Kalona (Washington County). Have a lot of family friends from the area. It benefits from it's proximity to Iowa City, but prior to the 380 corridor's explosion, I was always impressed by the cleanliness, prosperous nature of the community, and community pride. Every time I visited, it seemed Rockwellian.

St Ansgar (Mitchell County). Grew up near here, lots of family live here, and I've always had a high opinion of the community. Young people are coming back here, and investing heavily in the community. Plenty of newer homes being built on the edge of the town, and a high quality school district for being Class A/1A.

Walnut (Pottawattamie County). Had some college buddies from the area. Drove through and was very surprised by the well kept, thriving downtown. Seems like being on I-80 and close to Omaha has allowed to develop that antique store niche, but compared to many of the other small towns I've been through in that area, it seems like it was doing really well.

 

[BCClone]

I lived in Chicago for 5 years and LOVED it! Being in the heart of everything was incredible. No car. Just walked, took the El, took a bus or taxi to wherever I wanted to go. Friday Night was especially fun with a plethora of restaurant options old and new from which to choose. Sports of all kinds, college and pro. Always somebody in town playing a game. Now, that was a long time ago, and I wouldn't want to move back. Enjoying the quieter pace of Des Moines these days.

I think the one you responded appeared to not care for sports as much. So you have to throw that out.

 

[BCClone]

What are some smaller towns that have impressed people? I've done a little RAGBRAI over the years, and it always seems that I find a place that surprises me. Here's a couple I'm familiar with (for various reasons) that I think deserve a shout out (not saying any are the best town in Iowa by any stretch).

West Point (Lee County). Went through here on RAGBRAI a few years ago. For as much of a dump as the river towns in SE Iowa were, I was really impressed with some of the "inland" small towns. This town was clean, appeared prosperous, and had a couple of really nice and fun bars/restaurants.

Protivin (Howard County). Not untypical for Northeast Iowa, but Protivin in particular has always struck me with an intense local pride. People come back there, put down roots, and keep it moving. Czech Days is one of those quintessential small town festivals that they really do right.

Kalona (Washington County). Have a lot of family friends from the area. It benefits from it's proximity to Iowa City, but prior to the 380 corridor's explosion, I was always impressed by the cleanliness, prosperous nature of the community, and community pride. Every time I visited, it seemed Rockwellian.

St Ansgar (Mitchell County). Grew up near here, lots of family live here, and I've always had a high opinion of the community. Young people are coming back here, and investing heavily in the community. Plenty of newer homes being built on the edge of the town, and a high quality school district for being Class A/1A.

Walnut (Pottawattamie County). Had some college buddies from the area. Drove through and was very surprised by the well kept, thriving downtown. Seems like being on I-80 and close to Omaha has allowed to develop that antique store niche, but compared to many of the other small towns I've been through in that area, it seems like it was doing really well.

Saint Ansgar school did get a lucky boost by the casino locating in worth county and the amount of funds that go there.

 

[Al_4_State]

Saint Ansgar school did get a lucky boost by the casino locating in worth county and the amount of funds that go there.

Yeah, but they were pretty good before that too.

 

[BCClone]

Yeah, but they were pretty good before that too.

The facilites improved quite a bit since though.

 

[ackatch]

I'm biased because we live there, but I really like Waukee. I was born in Fort Dodge, lived there, Duncombe, Pilot Mound, Ogden (for almost all my school years), Boone, Huxley, West Des Moines, Urbandale, and now Waukee. While the amount of growth in Waukee is a factor, we've really liked the school systems (having kids with ADHD and other issues) and they seem very deliberate with how they're planning each of the areas of growth. That growth would turn off a lot of people, but it's nice being part of a growing town after living in Ogden for so long and Boone for a year.

I'll second this - I was born and raised on the border of Clive/Waukee/West Des Moines - went to Waukee schools. After 10 years in Minnesota when we moved back we chose Waukee. The growth is insane but we like it.

Ames was fun while in school, but as someone who stayed 2 years after graduation, as a young professional, there isn't much to do... We spent way too much time at WAS

 

[mcharlet]

Minburn. No discussion needed.