Iowa City is a genuinely unique locale. Home to one of the best creative writing programs in the world, a stellar university and school district, and a top-flight hospital, Iowa City is amongst the best-educated urban areas not only in the state but the entire region. Populated by a diverse crowd of ‘Iowa Nice’ people, with parks, museums, and a library with youth outreach programs, this is an ideal place for young couples either with children or planning to have children. And despite the isolated location, between the summer jazz festival, touring Broadway shows, university sports games, and a plethora of outdoor activities, it’s a cultured area where you’ll never want for things to do. 

The weather in Iowa City is mostly extreme. Summers get up near and in the hundred-degree range, flash floods can happen year-round, and it has cold, dry winters in which a gray sky blankets a land of little snow. You’ll need a four-wheel drive a high level of comfort with driving in the ice, and a deep closet of warm winter clothes. Additionally, the isolated location does mean that other major cities such as Chicago are generally around four hours' drive away.

Literary and Stuff

LookyLOO Review of Iowa City 

Iowa City is, at its core, a college town. This means that the population shifts throughout the year as the school year starts, stops, and starts again, and with it, the downtown party scene waxes and wanes. This is especially true during college football season, during which time the entire city revolves around the gridiron. Meanwhile, if you’re more of an outdoorsy type, then Iowa City is definitely for you: excellent trail running, hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, and kayaking, as well as a superb indoor rock climbing facility at the university gym. And of course, a strong brewing culture for the discerning beer enthusiast, and programs at the library and children’s museum for those with young children. 

If you want to see what people get up to in Iowa City check out the [calendar of events](https://downtowniowacity.com/events/).


Lifestyle 

The majority of jobs in the area are centered around the university or the hospital. If you are in education or medicine, you likely will not lack career opportunities. That said, outside of that, the area is primarily geared towards service industry jobs and small businesses. However, if you are currently enjoying the work-from-home lifestyle, you’ll find it a pleasantly affordable, charming small city in which to live and work.


Worklife 

A scenic midwestern landscape with excellent schools and organic food, Iowa City combines the laid-back, progressive attitude of the West with the friendliness and down-to-earth atmosphere of its home state. If you are a young family, an educator, an aspiring writer, or a healthcare worker, there are few places better suited.


Laid-back Intelligentsia

Why You Should Move Here Now?

**Fartologist**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I moved from Los Angeles to Iowa City to get a PhD. I was there from 2013-2019. Before I interviewed, I could not have even pointed to Iowa on a map. Living in Iowa City and going to grad school there was one of the best decisions of my life. I really loved it there. The campus/city is very beautiful with lots of history, at least compared to where I was from. There’s a lot going on and you can find fun activities all over. As another poster noted, rent is high for iowa standards, but you can manage. I had a great one bedroom for many years and I was only making 20k per year from grad student work. Lastly, as someone who is coming from a warmer state, winter is no joke! You’ll need to buy a legit coat, gloves, scarf, hat, and boots. You will fall on the ice.

For more reviews of what living in Iowa City is like from locals, check out [The Reviews](https://lookyloomove.com/locations/iowa-city/reviews).

Reviews of Iowa City from Locals

Iowa City is divided into two halves by the Iowa River. The Eastside Iowa City section is where Young Professionals and College Students tend to live, young professionals Downtown and students near the campus of the University of Iowa. Tons of bars, restaurants, cafes, museums, galleries, all of it in either of the two neighborhoods in Eastside and focused on serving the students are relatively recently graduated. The area has tons of apartments and condos for renters and early buyers, all within a walk of prime social, work and school locations. 

The other side of the river, Westside Iowa City has the world-class University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics as well as the University of Iowa sports facilities. This is where graduate & medical students tend to live as well as professionals ready to escape downtown energy but still live in an area with commercial energy. 
- Eastside (Downtown/University)
- Westside (Hospital neighborhood/University Heights)


Young Professionals/Students/DINKs/SINKs

Eastside

While Eastside contains downtown and University it also has neighborhoods great for families. If you go farther east of downtown you start hitting walkable neighborhoods with some of the best family restaurants in Iowa City, many a short walk from an ice cream shop. It also borders the Border Preserve, an amazing 100-acre prairie, and woodland preservation area. It’s filled with walking trails, art installations and the best scenery in the midwest. 

There are several other great neighborhoods a bit farther out, including North Liberty. Many locals think of it as the best family-friendly neighborhood in the city, with great homes, yards, parks and excellent public schools. If you're ok needing to hop in a car to get downtown this is a good place to start your search. 
- North Liberty
- Eastside
- Coralville


Families

North Liberty

Iowa City

**zenobe1**
6mo ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I'm not familiar with any other cities where you can attend a drag brunch, drive 30 minutes in one direction to see horses and buggies on the highway, and 40 minutes in another direction to be in a quaint (touristy) old German settlement - all in one day. I love it here, there's always something to do (people who say otherwise are often younger and don't know what to do outside of going to bars, but there is a LOT more to Iowa City than that). A bazillion hidden gems if you know where to find them!

**Fartologist**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉🦉

I moved from Los Angeles to Iowa City to get a PhD. I was there from 2013-2019. Before I interviewed, I could not have even pointed to Iowa on a map. Living in Iowa City and going to grad school there was one of the best decisions of my life. I really loved it there. The campus/city is very beautiful with lots of history, at least compared to where I was from. There’s a lot going on and you can find fun activities all over. As another poster noted, rent is high for iowa standards, but you can manage. I had a great one bedroom for many years and I was only making 20k per year from grad student work. Lastly, as someone who is coming from a warmer state, winter is no joke! You’ll need to buy a legit coat, gloves, scarf, hat, and boots. You will fall on the ice.

**Anonymous**
2y ago
🦉🦉🦉

I think one thing that comes as a surprise to people is that IC is actually more of a small city (coming from a larger city myself). It's missing some things you'll find in larger places (some types of food, e.g.) but has some surprising things (I still can't believe this place has a Trader Joe's given that some larger places I've lived didn't).

I'll add another thing--the rents are astronomical for a place this size as someone else said below. Depending on how much you have saved, it can be wise even for a 3-5 year grad program to buy a small house or apartment and sell at the end. This is based on doing some calculations for an expected five-year stay (that has become longer) and it would save us quite a bit of money because rent vs buy is so out of whack here.

All that said--it's a nice town. We're in what I think of the doldrums right now. Winter has been going on a bit too long but it's wonderful at the start. When things start warming up, the town is magical in the warmer side of spring, summer and fall. Lots of festivals, kids out playing, decent farmers market, arts events, etc.

**RunThisTown1492**
6mo ago
🦉🦉🦉

Have lived here as university employee for 4 years. I agree with a lot of what you said. It's a lovely town--solid B+ / A- college town with free transit and, most importantly, affordable houses to purchase still. My wife and I bought a gorgeous, remodeled 1400sqft house that is walkable to downtown for low $200,000s. There are good shows that come to the Englander theater throughout the year, and if you're a big reader, the Writers Workshop draws a lot of literary types to the city regularly. In the summer, there's a great farmers market.

The downside is that the city is in a constant battle with the super conservative state legislature, which is hell bent on taking apart the university piece by piece. The one thing I disagree with you on is the restaurants--it punches below its weight for a college town. If you want pub food, you'll have your choice, but a lot of the non-pub food leaves a lot to be desired. You can find mediocre versions of some types of food, but it doesn't compare to other college towns like Ann Arbor, Chapel Hill, New Haven, etc. Another problem is that it can be a challenge after four years to find exciting things to do nearby. The landscape has its own simple beauty, but the hiking and nature opportunities in a 2 hour radius leave a lot to be desired (never mind how much Iowa has allowed its natural habitats to be destroyed by industrial farming). All the closest major cities are 4 hours, which makes it hard to make them regular trips (Chicago, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City).

Iowa City, Iowa

Citians

Looklyloo Score: 89