Cedar Rapids

I grew up in Cedar Rapids. It’s a fairly good-sized city for Iowa (the third largest, I believe) and has several attractive factors if you don’t mind the Midwest. The Czech and Slovak Museum might be of interest to those of that particular national ancestry, and if you go there, pick up a kolach or two at Sikora’s. There’s also a glut of pizza places and a variety of good restaurants ranging from casual dining and cocktails (Leonardo’s on the west side) to fine dining (Top of the Five at the Five Seasons Center). You can catch concerts there occasionally, and the Cedar Rapids Kernels (an A-ball farm team for the MLB’s LA Angels) games are fun for dates, family, or a place to relax after work in the spring and summer.

The town is divided into four quadrants- northwest, southwest, northeast, and southeast; you will also hear people talk about “the west side” or “the east side” although not as frequently as in my current town of Madison, WI.
The NW is mostly residential (Ellis Park, Cherry Hill Park and the post-WWII Cedar Hills neighborhood) and full of churches and schools.
The houses on the SW are slightly different in style from all the crackerboxes to the north. There are new developments there like the three Hames projects, which are next to Cedar Terrace, the old mobile home court. Some factories toward that side of town can make a stink if you’re downwind. That combined with General Mills and other plants in the SE (mostly downtown area) give Cedar Rapids the unofficial second nickname “The City of Five Smells.”
Downtown Cedar Rapids is oddly charming. If you’re down that way touring the area or looking to have supper, the traffic usually isn’t horrific, and parking isn’t much of a problem. If it’s still open when you’re there, definitely pay a visit to the Science Station and IMAX theater across from the library and Ground Transportation Center. I believe that’s the corner of 1st Street and 4th Avenue.
Finally there’s the NE side, which contains some of the downtown area and both the more upscale homes and the more run-down neighborhoods of the city. Quite a contrast.
Cedar Rapids is a quirky city, with a few unique aspects to itself and its history. For example, it is the only city in the world other than Paris, France to have its city offices on an island (excluding, of course, cities that are already located on islands). Cedar Rapids is the birthplace of Ashton Kutcher and Elijah Wood, and the home of Muzak, LeFebure vacuum tubes, and trampolines.
It’s worth visiting if you don’t mind Iowa and are interested in the area, and it’s not a bad place to settle down, either.
Just don’t go in the water.

I was raised in Cedar Rapids and graduated from Washington H.S. in 1983. Great place to be from and great place to raise kids. I moved in 1990 and have only been back 4 times. This is still a wonderful city, unfortunately the job market and the ability to find a high paying job is hard. Great park system and everyone is very friendly! Just bring warm clothes and expect gray skies from December to March.

if you like smelling oatmeal everyday I guess this is your place… lol they actually sell postcards with the Quakers Oats Factory on it… which is located right in the middle of the “town”

Cedar Rapids-Iowa-132,131

1. The Amana Colonies-Seven German villages-19 miles southwest of Cedar Rapids via U.S. Highway 151

2. Czech Village Association-48 16th ave. SW

3. National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library among other places

4. Bender Pool 940 14th Ave.

It’s an OK city. People are typically quite polite (it’s the Midwest). Funny smells from the ag/cereal plants.