How big a town are you from?

I grew up in Boone, town was just shy of 13k and had a graduating class of about 200. I live in Ankeny now, really like it. The only thing that bums me out is the tendency for specialization - I already feel like if my kid likes soccer there is going to be pressure to just play that. If he's into theater there won't be time for anything else, etc.

As somebody who doesn't take sports too seriously I hate seeing what youth sports are like now after the very young ages.
 
BryceC said:
I grew up in Boone, town was just shy of 13k and had a graduating class of about 200. I live in Ankeny now, really like it. The only thing that bums me out is the tendency for specialization - I already feel like if my kid likes soccer there is going to be pressure to just play that. If he's into theater there won't be time for anything else, etc.

As somebody who doesn't take sports too seriously I hate seeing what youth sports are like now after the very young ages.
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You seem to take clown sports pretty seriously.
 
HawkU said:
North Liberty?

If so I have relatives who have lived there for 25-30 years and they are not liking what's happening.

I visited last summer and was stunned at the growth from the last time I was there.
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If you are older I suspect you wouldn't like the change but it's smack dab between IC and CR so the perfect bedroom community. Everything is new and there is still a lot of room to expand, unlike Coralville which is pretty land locked at this point. I moved in 2012 and was quoted to be 13,000 some. My wife helped with the special census a couple years ago and they counted 18,000 some. Town was only 2,000 like in 1994.

The average age of a resident is like the youngest in the state, something like 32 or 33 I believe.
 
BryceC said:
I grew up in Boone, town was just shy of 13k and had a graduating class of about 200. I live in Ankeny now, really like it. The only thing that bums me out is the tendency for specialization - I already feel like if my kid likes soccer there is going to be pressure to just play that. If he's into theater there won't be time for anything else, etc.

As somebody who doesn't take sports too seriously I hate seeing what youth sports are like now after the very young ages.
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Don't care. We won't be doing that with our boys. They will be able to do any and all they want.
 
Denverhawk1 said:
I've thought this before too, but to me I've always come to the conclusion "what came first, the chicken or the egg?" Was it hard to find meaningful employment first? Or did the kids leave first? Was it harder to find adventure first? Was it harder to find purpose for life first?

The older I get the smaller of town I can handle gets. Iowa is wonderful from the 1st of April to the 1st of November, but it's the other times I'd struggle with and I know it.
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The egg came first. At some point a "near-chicken" mated and laid an egg with a enough mutations to where it has the DNA of a modern day chicken.

Born and raised in Iowa City, still live here. Class of about 400 at City High. Family all lives here, great place to raise kids! It's crazy to me to see how many people are from rural Iowa. I think I take for granted my proximity to Kinnick and how little I have to travel to go to games. I salute all of you who travel here and make Kinnick what it is!
 
HawkU said:
North Liberty?

If so I have relatives who have lived there for 25-30 years and they are not liking what's happening.

I visited last summer and was stunned at the growth from the last time I was there.
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I lived in North Liberty for about 7 years and it's incredible how much it grew during and since then. Most of the housing is zero lot or Condos, more of a younger demographic, tons of families with kids and newlyweds. I hated it up there though and moved back to IC as fast as I could!
 
MelroseHawkins said:
If you are older I suspect you wouldn't like the change but it's smack dab between IC and CR so the perfect bedroom community. Everything is new and there is still a lot of room to expand, unlike Coralville which is pretty land locked at this point. I moved in 2012 and was quoted to be 13,000 some. My wife helped with the special census a couple years ago and they counted 18,000 some. Town was only 2,000 like in 1994.

The average age of a resident is like the youngest in the state, something like 32 or 33 I believe.
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It will be interesting to see how they keep up with the growth. Isn't Solon heading in the same direction as well?

Last year my cousins took me to a cool little spot, Sutliff Cider Co., just south of Lisbon on Sutliff Rd. If you like sitting outside a very old renovated barn, listening to live music and sipping some hard cider then I highly recommend a visit.

I even saw coach McCaffery and his family there. It looked like they were not bothered by any "fans" etc. and I suspect they appreciated that. Maybe a nice little secret getaway for them.

On your way back to town you could then stop at Sutliff and check out the historic trestle bridge that crosses the Cedar.
 
I feel like more of the wealthier and well established people are moving to Solon whereas North Liberty is more blue collar
 
No, it hasn't begun yet. I think something came up where it's being delayed and may not break ground at all :(
 
Born and raised in Des Moines (Urbandale). My graduating class at Dowling was roughly 275. Still in Des Moines area (Grimes). I really like the size of Des Moines, not too big, not too small. My wife's whole family still lives in small town Iowa. I could never live there.
 
My hometown is right under 8k people currently. The population took a good hit once Frigidaire officially left town.

My graduating class was 144, IIRC.

Currently living in Ankeny, working in Des Moines. I love it down here. Not too big, but big enough for there to always be something to do.
 
Man looking for a wife in 1865.


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MelroseHawkins said:
When I go back home I look around and what really comes to my mind or what I question is where all the people in my smaller hometown work at. Doesn't seem like there would be enough decent jobs around for everyone but there must be, I guess.
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A lot of them have to commute a ways I bet. My buddies that still live around back home have to go 45-50 miles to work every day... It's all so circumstantial but I work from home and commuting at all just makes me want to throw up.
 
BryceC said:
I grew up in Boone, town was just shy of 13k and had a graduating class of about 200. I live in Ankeny now, really like it. The only thing that bums me out is the tendency for specialization - I already feel like if my kid likes soccer there is going to be pressure to just play that. If he's into theater there won't be time for anything else, etc.

As somebody who doesn't take sports too seriously I hate seeing what youth sports are like now after the very young ages.
Click to expand...

Went to kids camp this last Wednesday night and O'Keefe talked to the parents for about 30 minutes while all the youngin's did a facility tour. He stressed the fact that kids should partake in a variety of activities and not just focus on a single sport year round. He also stressed the fact that very few kids get college athletic scholarships to college at any level so don't focus on that as the agenda either. Do it for fun and for the kid's learning. Funny part is when he talked about adults who maybe focus on what kids do wrong during athletic activities and the kids lose interest because the adult or adults always seem mad or that they aren't good enough for them. have seen this many many many times in youth wrestling tournaments around the state. Too many parents living through their kids.
 
Ree4 said:
The egg came first. At some point a "near-chicken" mated and laid an egg with a enough mutations to where it has the DNA of a modern day chicken.

Born and raised in Iowa City, still live here. Class of about 400 at City High. Family all lives here, great place to raise kids! It's crazy to me to see how many people are from rural Iowa. I think I take for granted my proximity to Kinnick and how little I have to travel to go to games. I salute all of you who travel here and make Kinnick what it is!
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I remember the first time I saw a game at Kinnick. I remember the first game I saw at Wrigley.
Special times that true fans cherish.
 
Ree4 said:
I feel like more of the wealthier and well established people are moving to Solon whereas North Liberty is more blue collar
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Don't know if I'd say that. If anything pretty much the same. Solon definitely not growing as fast as NL. Solon still has that very small town feel where NL businesses, restaurants growing just as fast as the population. I dunno, my boys Tigers baseball team has 3 parents who are either MD or Phd. Everyone seems to have at least a Master's around this place.
 
Ah I'm just speaking based on my experience with clientele and where they're located, could definitely be wrong, just my experience
 
Hawkfnntn said:
A lot of them have to commute a ways I bet. My buddies that still live around back home have to go 45-50 miles to work every day... It's all so circumstantial but I work from home and commuting at all just makes me want to throw up.
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This week I started working from home. I could have done it years ago but chose to drive 12 minutes to the local office. I had a nice office, nice desk, phone, big window.

This is strange and a bit wonderful.
 
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