Hi, welcome back. My name is Emily Farber, and I'm a Realtor® with Lepic-Kreoger,
Realtors® in Iowa City, Iowa. Today's video it's all about living in Iowa City, and
it should be helpful if you are considering a move to Iowa City or the
surrounding area. I'm very familiar with the entire region. I was born and raised
in Iowa City, and I've left and come back a few different times.
Hey, if you are interested in even more information about Iowa City be sure to download my
free relocation guide. I've left it in the description box down below. And if
you're thinking, "Where's the description box?" All you need to do is click the
title, underneath this video, on your phone, and that description box should
open right up. Iowa is, of course, home to the University of Iowa and the Iowa
Hawkeyes, as well as being the former state capital of Iowa. The state capital
was moved to Des Moines in 1857. Iowa is well known for having some of the most
fertile soil in the world, in fact about 92 percent of Iowa is devoted to
farmland. Don't get the wrong impression though, Iowa is more than just farms, corn,
and hogs. Iowa City is a bustling, artistic community located in east -central Iowa in Johnson County. It is flanked by the east-west running
Interstate 80 as well as the north-south running Interstate 380. The Iowa City
area includes the towns of Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and Tiffin, as
well as a handful of smaller close-in communities. The University of Iowa plays
a huge part in the culture of Iowa City and it helps keep our town feeling
youthful and energized. The University of Iowa was founded in 1847. It is a public
research university with over 32,000 students representing 114 countries as
well as all 50 states. Many people have heard of the Iowa
Writers Workshop which is a writer's workshop that enjoys worldwide
recognition. Some of the most popular majors at the University of Iowa include:
business, management, marketing, parks/recreation/leisure and fitness studies,
engineering, social sciences, and communication/journalism, and related
programs. The University of Iowa is also home to the acclaimed University of Iowa
Hospitals and Clinics. Downtown Iowa City is a happening place with a large
pedestrian mall and it is home to a plethora of bars, shops, coffee shops,
shopping, and office spaces. If you're looking for a bite to eat downtown a few
of my favorites include the Pullman Bar and Diner, as well as Baroncini,
which is a fabulous place to go if you in the mood for Italian. Pro tip of the
day, stop by for lunch because you cannot beat their lunch prices for a
sophisticated Italian dining experience. Another favorite stop in downtown Iowa
City is the Iowa City Public Library. I could spend absolutely hours in there
perusing the rows of books. There are currently about 76,000 people living in
Iowa City proper, but in the greater Iowa City area there are more than
160,000 people. The Iowa City metro has been one of the fastest
growing areas in the state for the last several years.
Iowa City was named number 10 best city to live in for single people by Kiplinger,
number 10 smart place to live by Kiplinger, and one of the most enlightened towns in
America by the Utne Reader. The average home price in the greater
Iowa City area is around $270,000 at the time I recorded this video. Keep
in mind that includes homes from small condos all the way up to large, upper-end
homes. If you're looking to rent in the Iowa City area the average rent price
for a decently nice townhome style three bedroom two bath house is around
$1,550. Living in the Iowa City area does give
you access to some great parks. One of my favorites is Hickory Hill Park,
a 185 acre area that includes forests, prairies, wetlands, as well as
just open spaces. It's full of trails and it's really beautiful during all of the
seasons so I highly recommend a hike at Hickory Hill if you're a fan of the
great outdoors. Another great park in the Iowa City area
is a newer one called the Terry Trueblood Recreation Area. There are
paved trails, as well as open space, picnicking, fishing, and there's
watersports available, so if you'd like to rent a kayak or a pedal board you can
do that there. I highly recommend renting the kayak with your kids on a warm
summer day. It's a lot of fun. Now let's talk about shopping in the greater Iowa
City area. The Coral Ridge Mall is a large regional mall located just off
Interstate 80 in Coralville. It contains probably about a hundred stores. There's
a Target, an ice rink, the Iowa Children's Museum is there, as well as a 10-screen
movie theater. Surrounding the mall is a high-density retail area that includes
big box stores like Theisen's, Walmart, Costco ,Lowe's, and Kohl's. There's a lot
of other shopping as well as restaurants in
section of Coralville. This area of Coralville is a main shopping hub for a
lot of people in Johnson County. The Iowa River Landing is a new up-and-coming
retail center also located off of I-80 in Coralville. The IRL includes a medical
center, Trader Joe's, lots of restaurants, boutique style shopping, hotels, and
there's going to be a new multi-purpose sports arena in the area that will
include a humongous ice rink. Iowa City's shopping jewel is really the downtown
area with its fantastic ped mall. There's lots of shops, restaurants, bars, coffee
shops, and other fun locations to poke your head into in downtown Iowa City.
I think downtown Iowa City really shines during the summer because of our season-long
Iowa City Summer of the Arts. Constant entertainment downtown most
evenings and you really can't go wrong if you're looking for something to do.
Hey, if you're interested in even more videos about Iowa City be sure to check
out my playlist right here full of videos that I've done about the greater
Iowa City area. While you're at it, give me a thumbs up, and subscribe. Hey, it's
been fun, and I'll catch you next time!