when they rebuild or gengerfy a area they never build afforable house it always high dollar apts n condos that hardly anyone n the city can afford AFFORDABLE HOUSE NEEDS REBUILT ENOUGH 600K CONDOS N CITIES THAT THE AVERAGE INCOME IS 40K
Seriously the midwest is not a good place for ca bcz all they do is either whine or brag about ca. Stay there and enjoy what u have where ur at. If u have family or st a y with them. Do not move to the midwest añd talk about ca incessantly. It doesnt work like that here. We dont want u here. No offense. Just stay home homey. Exploiting peoples privacy is repulsive.
I was born and raised in Iowa. I left in junior high and traveled the world (through the military). Now I"m back. It's an awesome place to live. Yes the winters are cold. The other seasons, beautiful. You can always find things to do so no problem having things to do. Life is what you make it. Wherever you live.
I lucked out and ended up moving to Cedar Rapids in 2018 completely unexpected. Being from the east coast, I honestly knew nothing about the Midwest or Iowa let alone towns/cities in the state. I couldn’t be happier living anywhere else in this country (and I have lived in 6 different states) and plan on staying out here until I retire, lol (which isn’t anytime soon). The people are the kindest and most respectful with ACTUAL manners, the cost of living is unheard of for a decent sized city like CR anywhere else in the country. The crime rate (even though Iowans complain it’s getting worse) is very VERY low and being born and raised in Baltimore I can definitely appreciate this. The education & school system (although Iowans will disagree) is fantastic and one of the highest in the country!! My son has thrived in the school district and has been given more opportunities than he ever had in the central Florida region where he was in previously. Even the friends he’s made out here are a whole different breed and their parents too, lol!!! There’s so many wonderful things about CR and Iowa , it’s worth the extreme weather conditions (for me at least) 👍🏻
Thank you Heather for this! We’re very proud of Cedar Rapids and it’s surrounding areas. And very proud of it’s people helping each other out, when they need it. For example The Derecho(land hurricane) which hit the summer after 2020 Covid .
Nick, as a Cedar Rapids resident, been here since 86. I used to live in a city called Quincy,Illinois and West Orange,NJ before that. Cedar Rapids is a great city and very accepting and no stress to live in. I really want thank you for al your videos, you always bring great common sense in your videos ! :)
Yes, after NJ & Quincy, IL... The lesser points of CR don't look so bad. 🤣 I can say that, as a Cedar Rapidian myself. I've lived here for most of my adult life. It's a safe, easy place to live. Unlike my foray into other non-Iowa places. 🤣🤣
I was born in Quincy, we left in 1977 for Texas. It is slower pace of life with low cost. We had small acreage which I will always miss because land is too expensive in 2022. If you're an unskilled worker in a town like Quincy you need to be a "go getter", have an entrepreneur work ethic, or prepare for a medical career or maybe one of local engineering jobs. Otherwise, many of the jobs don't pay so well, but the median household income there is about the same as in my big Texas city, and an apartment here might cost $1,300+ a month. Some of the remodeled "starter" homes on my once rural street have sold for $600,000. Not everybody in the big town is living well. Lots of the shiny stuff in the big town is actually debt. Quincy is 100 feet above the river level, so only parks might flood, pretty much the entire riverfront is planned to be developer for a park - but the tax payers really can't afford to do much in any given year. If you earn a good income in Quincy, you can live very well - housing is 60 percent of the national average. It is the big town in western central Illinois. If Quincy were in Texas, there would probably be a million people living there. There are no classic river towns in Texas. Future water costs will be a big issue in Texas. Quincy is debating increasing its $5 a month water rate, which would be a joke in Texas. Now, that I've earned money elsewhere, Quincy looks better all the time,
Thanks for the video Nick! My daughter was born here and I worked for a while before the great flood. Quaker Oats factory smell made my wife's pregnancy and delivery a bit nauseating, but we endured. Cedar Rapids was close enough to Des Moines and Iowa City, and Dubuque which are called "Big Cities" by most Iowans.
Cedar Rapids is one of the "big cities", too! And twice the size of Dubuque, lol. I think Dubuque & Waterloo are similar in size, but... I don't think anyone talks about Waterloo anymore. "Nothing to see here, folks."
@@jeannieneuser5316 we don’t talk about Waterloo, I’m neighbors (lived here my whole life) with them and Jesus Christ sometimes it feels like Waterloo is trying to kill themselves
Be extremely careful what you wish for when it comes to growth. With tech and other well paying jobs comes a very large spike in housing prices. The entire vibe of a city like Cedar Rapids can change very very rapidly, and not necessarily for the better.
@@NoamTheGOAT50 For real, I thought Reno was a place to go if you wanted to live in Nevada or so a security guard told me who was moving his family over there, WoW!!
@@NoamTheGOAT50 , Reno's tent-city-turned-homeless-services neighborhood downtown in the early 2000s has an interesting history of it's own. People used to drink alcohol walking through the main strips. Their new rehab influenced Reno's laws to prohibit such activity.
When I scratched under my nutsack this AM laying in bed , my finger came back stinky! , not much water left here , to shower with , greetings from SW America
Well they must grow healthy cereal somewhere! "Thrilling" has a down side. What about dry skis and zip wires. Bars or pubs are meeting places. Was the homeless guy traumatised by war? Scripture says give a stranger 2 meals. Churches.? Thankfulness the way to live. Thanks interesting from UK
I spent a month in Cedar Rapids back in 2005. The only people I had trouble with that were rude to me and gave me trouble were transplants from Chicago. I heard the same thing is going on in Davenport. Drugs, and violence imported from Chicago.
The issue at hand is getting low skilled laborers to fill empty blue collar workers. TF people think as Whites were pushing for white collar jobs? Who's left to work the factory jobs everywhere? Seriously? 🙄
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
speaking as a recovering alcoholic- I have to say that everyone including the drug addicts want to keep to themselves and avoid bringing down their families and communities with them, but it never works that way in the real world. When someone is addicted it brings the whole community down.
Cedar Rapids is what I describe a "small town life style" with a big city feel; has a dense downtown, but relatively quiet compared to Des Moines or Iowa City.
Iowa is a wonderful State for hard working, law abiding, families. I was born in Florida, but we ended up moving to Iowa when I was 6. I loved the four seasons, even though I suffered from ragweed allergies. I love the small town feel with very few large, crowded cities. I love seeing the leaves change in fall, the new birth of spring flowers, and I wouldn't trade it for Florida for any amount of money. If you want fun, make it. The only thing I don't like is when the state wastes money on Bike Lanes that only 1% or less of the towns population uses. I also hate seeing the farms sold and homes and businesses built in their place. Farmers / Ranchers are the most important people in a country/state.
I moved from Illinois 20 years ago, and haven't looked back. I like living in CR , it's so much nicer here. The people that live here are very nice and helpful. The schools are awesome, and the cheap cost of living helps as well. It's a nice place to live.
It has no mountains, no ocean... no off-road scene (Jeep, dirt bike, SxS) No sports, really nothing except sit around and kill time till you die. Ultra-slow speed limits, cold azzed winters, humid summer... What am I missing?
Nice job, when I lived in Monroe, Maine people treated me like I came from a hugh place in Newark, NJ, I ran trailers of print paper from Bangor to Iowa and then pick up corn syrup to bring back to Boston ! All I saw was corn 🌽 for miles !!
Nick, I love how you are showing so much of Iowa. I was born in CR and went to school in Marion thru 4th grade. I still love going back there. My cousins and I stay close. Saw Amana in August. We stayed at the peaceful Amana RV Park. Nice spot, lovely country. Thanks! Iowa has an indescribable charm.
I love my home state. I lived in Marshalltown, one city of beautiful parks and excellent schools. People went to church, skating, jr college, watched high school sports.
Kind people, inclusive, family focused. Hardworking. Religious, helpful to neighbors. They liked to travel and take road trips. Maybe into Chicago for sports and museums. You would have been included in the neighbors 4th of July bbq.
Born and raised in CR. A friend and I moved out west to Vegas for warm weather in 1983, but she moved back within six months and then lost her house in Czech Village due to the flood in 2008. My great-grandfather owned the Log Cabin and the land and house (long since torn down) in the back of it on 15th Ave. It's now the Red Frog in Czech Village. Spent a lot of time in Czech Village growing up. I live your videos, Nick.
I was one of the fortunate few who had ZERO damage to my home...somehow. we lost a 60 year old cedar tree and had some branches from our maple tree land on the neighbor's garage, poking a small hole in it. Elsewhere...wow...it was mentally taxing to see your community devastated but it was super awesome to see that same community knuckle up before the rain even stopped and get things squared away. We lived in a cul-de-sac at the time and our side of the street was without power for 12 days and no internet for 6 days. We went to Iowa City, 25 miles away, and bought every small propane bottle we could find at Menards for my lantern and camping stove. We also used our charcoal grill to cook and boil water for dishwashing. All in all, it could have been much, much worse for us. We donated our tent and as many camping supplies we could come up with because many people we sleeping outside immediately afterwards because their homes were uninhabitable. I'm super proud of CR. I've only been here since 2009 (one year after another epic natural disaster) and don't have any desire to leave
I know we don't want to blame crime on "people who aren't from here" - and I certainly don't suggest that's necessarily the case. But what I do believe is that cities with wide spectrums of diversity tend to be the worst for crime and negative social dynamics. This would be a great thing to investigate - to either confirm or dispel. Or whether it's more owing to economic disparity. Or a combination. For me, the idea of a vanilla, basic, 'sort of blah' city with no homeless encampments, fecal matter, urine trails, needles and garbage everywhere is a most tantalizing proposition.
We moved to CR in 2015 and I absolutely loved it. Our offer was accepted on a new home in a rural area 2 days before the derecho in 2020. We hadn't even put our home up for sale yet and it's like the world ended. We didn't have power for 4 weeks or internet for 6. You mentioned the flood, but the derecho took out more than 70% of our tree canopy and you can really see it in these neighborhood drives. So much sunshine. All those areas used to be all tree-covered. EDIT: CR has attracted a lot of people from Chicago over the years. A big reason is because you can get on Medicaid much easier and more quickly in Iowa vs. Illinois. Most of our crime comes along with it. I've had that rumor about signs in Southside Chicago about Waterloo and Davenport, IA as well. Who knows if it's true.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
Seems the more diverse and accepting, the more things eventually become intolerant, divided and dystopian. Progressivism is a deluded ideology and a religion of anger. People need shared standards as opposed to none at all. A lot like Los Angeles today. What a mess it’s become.
@@ashtonrucker7122 Step out from under the rock you dwell. Do some homework. Cities are collapsing because of the lack of common norms we once adhered to, like law and order for one. Not to mention it seems treating others like you would like to be treated no longer applies. Its a nihilistic ‘ME’ mindset of only MY truths matter. I used to be a progressive until I realized they are frauds and only interested in dividing people to stay in power. Progressivism leads with emotion and embraces the ego. It feels good to think you know what’s best for everyone else. Buy, whenyou identify with those things instead of learning to overcome them, you will suffer and be in a constant state of anger. This is why they lack logic. They are to busy being emotional and angry. They have no standards. They have had control over Californias governance for over 15 years. They have become supremacists and refuse any accountability. Its a lockstep and if you dare question their failings. They will call you every ism in the book to shut you down and keep them in positions of authority. My advice to people who listen. Don’t ever elect a progressive to public office or in a position of authority. You will suffer from their good intentions and deceit. They have hijacked the once moderate democrat party. I wish you well.
I love your videos 💕 can't wait till you go through Davenport!!! I love my home, most beautiful place in the entire country to live!!! Yes, we see the rest of the country and are glad it hasn't touched us for the most patt
I drove by Cedar Rapids on my cross country trip in 2018 and thought that it was one of the prettiest cities I had seen. It seemed welcoming and I liked the Cedar river and downtown view.
Having been raised in Reno and lived in Seattle for 6 years, I’m now in a small town in NW Missouri after the pandemic. I do think the Midwest, specifically Iowa is the best possible choice. The average person’s daily life isn’t consumed by shopping and dining out all the time,and if it is then New York would be perfect for them. But here, you get quiet, your get spacious homes that still have original old tree woodwork, you get Iowa towns that have mom and pop shops and restaurants (even breweries), that try to appeal to the average person. You’re a short drive to major cities that you can visit every so often. The bike network in Iowa is amazing. Washington doesn’t come close, and there is even cross country ski trails. Iowa May not be for everyone, but neither is the east coast.
I have to laugh at your commentary about Iowa. I was born in raised in Muscatine, often referred to as a dirty old smelly Mississippi River town. It was smelly and it was dirty at times but it is where I grew up and I have many fond memories of it. You have to remember the bulk of the state was settled by those maligned white European immigrants. Hard working, diligent, disciplined and looking to educate their kids. Farmers are boring. Hard work is boring and tedious. If one is looking for excitement move to Chicago and spend your day dodging bullets.
You should have Vincent James come on your show. He’s much more based and from Chicago and moved to California to get away from the crime, and then moved to Idaho for a lot of reasons. He’s the best.
Decorah is a pretty town. Its the home of Seed Savers - collection of more than 20,000 heirloom varieties of seeds. A fun Norwegian Museum, a Laura Ingells "Little House" north of town at Burr Oak. There is trout fishing . Charming town
I'm from Lansing Michigan and after watching this video, I feel as if Cedar Rapids is near identical to Lansing and we are also about 4hr from Chicago but we have Detroit, Jackson, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo within an hour from Lansing as well so we get a lot of homeless folks who arrive by bus and don't go away. Many congregate at a park downtown all day, every day just drinking, fighting and all kinds of sketchy things. Other than those problems, it's a decent city and a lot of improvements are being made.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
Great video. I noticed all the houses on the "BAD" side of town were all 2 stories. Growing up in small town Arkansas, seems like a good place. Seen big cities around the world when I was in Navy.
I live here. Most "bad part of town" houses were originally built in the early 1900s and use to be really pretty, but then slumlords came in and decideded to convert them to apartments. There aren't any regulations monitoring how they care for the properties and there's only one organization now that holds funding for all low-income housing, so the really awful landlords have been able to take over and it's honestly sad. They don't take care of anything
Travis is a well aware of the situation of his hometown and a nice person with real goals. Too bad that the outside publicity atracts bad people to this town.
I was born in Cedar Rapids. We moved from Indiana back home to Iowa in 2008 in the middle of the blizzard 😂 it was atrocious. We drove through Davenport and up 380 through Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. I don’t live in that part of the state anymore, but it was crazy lol
Oh my gosh, Cedar Rapids! I lived in the CR Metro area from 1987 to 2021. I recognized all of those places. I've walked and driven on those streets. I worked in the Prairie Creek Power Plant (8 minutes in) and, if you know where to look during the aerial view at 10 minutes in, you could see the water tower of Atkins, Iowa, where we lived for 24 years before we moved to South Dakota. Rockwell-Collins (actually, Collins Aerospace now) has been my husband's employer for over 36 years. The Flood of '08 affected the poorest areas of town, and people relocated to the Cedar Hills neighborhood (which is arguably worse than Wellington Heights now). Both of my daughters were born in Cedar Rapids. I miss Iowa so much! We moved to South Dakota to be closer to my husband's family, but Iowa will always be home. Thanks for the beautiful walk down memory lane, Nick! P.S. Ashton Kutcher's first job was at the General Mills plant along Highway 30. He said he spent his time sweeping up Cheerios. 😃 I don't think the guy you were talking to really knows that much about Cedar Rapids. Collins Aerospace is owned by Raytheon, and that is NOT a small company! People do work hard there. When the meat packing plants and McLeod went away in the 1980's Cedar Rapids still had Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, Quaker Oats, General Mills, Alliant Energy and Rockwell Collins. They added International Paper in the 1990's (I think) and Kirkwood Community College has grown so much that they've expanded their campus north of Highway 30. CRST is a major trucking firm that's located in Cedar Rapids. The federal government built a new facility for themselves on the southwest edge of downtown, within the last 10 years.
@@jonkrispeterson6678 I heard him say in an interview that his first job was sweeping up Cheerios at General Mills. I was so surprised by that statement that I never forgot it.
@@nancybode6159 ok, I had never heard that. I do remember when he was on Leno with Kurt Warner, because they both worked at Hy Vee once. So they played catch on the show. He did work for me at the Coralville Hy Vee in the deli.
I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids and I spent most of my 65-years there. It was fun watching Nick meander through my old SW side neighborhood. Aside from Cedar Rapids I've lived in Iowa City, Kansas City, and Los Angeles. I'm currently retired and living in Phoenix, AZ. In comparison to every city I've resided C.R. is an absolutely wonderful place to live. I have fond memories of summers playing coed softball and biking the trails that dissect the town. There's plenty of parks, restaurants, and popular bars/taverns. The schools are good and the city is safe. I loved riding my bike on summer nights through areas Nick called "the bad side" of C.R. At no time was I the least bit frightened living there. I hate Iowa's blustery winters or I'd happily live out my days there. Go Hawkeyes!!!
Another thing I love about Cedar Rapids IA is the large open air street downtown farmers market in summer. There are lots of smaller farmers markets too There are always festivals and fairs going on too. Sweet corn festival, Houbie Days, 4th of July, Carnival in lindale mall parking lot and so much more. Marion IA has a central park where kids can go into an old train car and meet Santa if they didn't see him at the mall. It's all family fun. Those looking for live entertainment can listen to the municipal band at parks. The schedule is posted every year. There are plays at a couple theaters and there are always live bands or karaoke at the majority of bars.
There were 2 floods within a decade, people that worked in Iowa from neighboring states had long commutes to find a bridge that wasn't flooded or deemed unsafe to cross with the first one. They actually had loaded semi's parked on the Burlington bridge to keep it from being washed away. We only had 2 days of sunshine that whole summer. I was working at the old iowa state pennitenary on the river, we initially had to enter from the side water up to the bottom of my car, they poured gravel and finally had us enter around the back single file and we had to worry about a mud slid, had that happened whomever was entering would have died.
@@xxa455xx yeah for them. Not Iowan.. wouldn't want to be..let's be honest.. nothing was enthusiastic except from Nick...that area is not the best..there a really cool lake up north further...that a lot of folks go to..it's pretty nice looking too.. cedar rapids. Or as one person said on here. Crapids. Lol..nah..roads are horrible.. dangerous.. some places are hoody..idk..it could be much better..that guy interviewed seemed uninterested...not all of Iowa is like that...just seems a Lil spooky around there..the humidity in the summer n mosquito s are awful..it seems boring..n not friendly there..my opinion..
I lived most of my life, over 40 years, in and near Chicago. I lived a couple years in Denver. Also a year near Seattle. Every town and city in the Midwest is small to me. But, I’d much rather live in a small city then any of those three and I live in one now that has just over 200,000 people. Actually I live in a suburb that has 11,000 people. But it’s a thriving area and has a great economy so I like it so much more.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
Nick was in St Joe Mo either earlier or later in his Midwest series. It had a large Quaker Oats plant. QO shut it down but another enterprise took over that facility. BTW, Lucky Charms is a General Mills product.
What I have seen on uour road trip yo cedar city is amazing g. Even the middle class neighborhood is appealing to me. I'm originally from Chicago and have lived in Phoenix since 1986 and I would take cedar city over this any day. Thank you for showing the other side of places.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
I have lived in CR for over 20 years. It is a great place to live and raise a family. It is very safe and the schools are good. The gun violence always has a Chicago element, the shooter either has a Chicago address or that is where they are found. It is quiet and if you want excitement there is an airport to take you there and you can come home to quiet.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
As someone whos moved from chicago for college, and then now I live in the quad cities. even both locations, Iowans dont realize how good they have it. it's really small things of having to not worry to much of your surroundings, or not having to check your pockets all the time etc. things move a bit slower and sometimes that's okay too.
the person commenting on the crime. so many folks say it's increasing but the narrative on chicago folks increasing that is more of a fear mongering tactic than not. the state is no longer wanting to put money on education too. that has long term effects
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
One of my favorite things about Cedar Rapids is the fitness trails and parks. Noelridge Park was featured in Sports Illustrated decades ago. Recreation department sports are held there, a giant green house you can tour full of all kinds of plants, vines, flowers and trees. A very nice outdoor flower garden and a duck pond fed by a small stream and a walking trail and swimming pool. Along the trail is an outdoor work out area with equipment and further down is a new playground for kids. Other parks have hiking in the woods and dog areas. One has cross country ski trails in winter. Lake McBride south of the city has all kinds of water recreation. It's a great place to raise kids! I raised mine here. There are also bike routes marked throughout the city. Plus there's the McLeod bike and fitness trail that goes clear into Cedar Falls to the north and takes you way south of the city as well. Any one training for marathons or wanting a day of family biking uses it and so do local walkers and runners. It follows the McLeod creek for a while and has indigenous plants to enjoy. Plenty of gyms to work out at. It's a great city for fitness buffs with families.
I sounds weird…but i find most of your invitees are natural, kind, easy going, good story-tellers, you hand picked them?😮 I would love them as my neighbors man😊
I'm french from Saguenay/Qc/Canada. I like to see what going on through your videos in United States, I have always feel more american over canadian. I grow up with your culture/french way with your music/sports/movies. We don't have team from Nfl/Nba/Mlb but I watch Nhl and some games from Nfl too. I like to see what is like places I never see like Iowa even if there is nothing to see. Just to feel the place of what they do and what kind of industries/market there is and on. We don't visit our own country enough.
I enjoy your channel alot! I also have Lived all over the U.S. After spending time on the Gulf coast, and moved to Sarasota 16 hrs. ago, and never liked anywhere Better. Tree miles from the Beach,( bicycle ride) 30 mins, east and you can be in the middle of nowhere!! Love it. Nice people, no taxes.
Worked very hard as Professional over the road Team Truck Driver/Trainer (driving 5,000+ miles per week ) based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa during 2006-07 ( one year ) the pay 💰 and working conditions was unfortunately terrible. Loved❤the people of Iowa. Lots of very friendly people. You should of visited Iowa 80 one of the largest truck 🛻 stops in America 🇺🇸. Iowa has the most millionaires per capital in USA 🇺🇸. Looking for a Funeral home business for sale in Iowa. I am now a Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer went back to school for retraining in 2009. Thanks 🙏 for your wonderful content.
Oh Gawd, Nick, right at the end, when you and Travis were talking about "doing time" in the Midwest - Ha! - yep, that's what I felt like I did growing up and living there (including Iowa one summer) for 17 or so years until I 'got out', first to California for 8 months, where I felt like I was on vacation every day, even while I had a job, and then to the East Coast, which is interesting (up to a point), but not where you feel like you're on vacation every day. Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you (Crowded House), but not when you're from the Midwest.
Since When I Was Born In Chicago. It Was A Pretty Dangerous City And We Had To Move After 3 Yrs Of Living There. I Stayed At Cedar Rapids With My Family For 10 Yrs Before My Mom Moved Us To Marion Which Is Connected To Cedar Rapids And Hiawatha. I'm Just Happy He Is Near Me.
Thank you Nick! I do like Cedar Rapids! I well remember the Flood of 2008! There are videos on UA-cam of Cedar Rapids during the flood. It brings back many memories. CR is a short 60 mile drive for me. I need to go revisit Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Hiawatha. You pretty much hit the nail on the head with this video! Thank you again Nick! Mark in southeast Iowa.
The only thing to brace for is the winter! Cold, snow, and windy! 🥶 I’m still not moving but you learn to stock up and love an attached garage! 🚜 I do love a good blizzard.
@@tmusa2002 I live in Illinois now so it won't be much of a stretch for me! I actually live in a very small town now, but the Chicago influence is everywhere. My home state of PA is do different now I don't recognize it! We'll see, I'll take my time making this decision
I've lived in CR since 79. The one thing since the flood that has bothered me is most of the housing is now apartments. Hundreds of units. No play areas for kids. That worries me. My son lives in Chicago. Yikes.
I’m not really sure why the sign is there always wonder that I don’t know if it’s because it’s just four hours away or what but I heard it had something to do with the section 8 housing
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
a few small but noticable details. quaker oats is in the same side of the river as downtown, and they don't make mentioned cereals such as honey nut Cheerios or lucky charms. and most trains have corn and soy beans on them. Rockwell Collins is now known as Collins aerospace. NOT EVERYONE WORKS AT QUAKER OATS. I did not ever meet a person there who mentioned that they worked there and the city is not 100 percent reliant on it like you make it seem like. there was quite a bit of drug use in what we called needle park, luckily, the park (Redmond) is a lot more cleaned up since I left. I do agree with your assessment of wellington heights. I lived there for 8 years and my parents helped rebuild after the flood.
@@NickJohnson So you're also a food scientist?.. that is when you aren't making snarky videos of places you know nothing about. Let me guess, vegan too?
Nick, I recently saw a statistic on meth labs by county, Marion County had like 140 shut down by law enforcement, Marion County is Cedar Rapids and suburbs, not including Iowa City, it's count was more than Des Moines in Polk County. Appearantly you hadn't visited enough of Cedar Rapids, there are some dumpy housing north of US-30 on the west side. It's actually better to go up by Hiawatha to shop, the south Walmart is just flat out creepy. My roommate says no to MaidRite there's a better sandwich place in Ottumwa since WW2, hidden in a parking garage. Cedar Rapids loves to mail speeding tickets to a cars registered owner, who was clearly not at the wheel.
We moved from Colorado to Iowa by choice. Our decision was based on the weather. We loved all the green in the summer with God doing the irrigating. We must visit family we left behind in Colorado but very happy to get back home to Iowa. We became Ionians 52 years ago.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
Here's the entire Midwest road trip playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLq-_cmf3H6yreUhBrJwFhC9LeCYh1TvBL.html
when they rebuild or gengerfy a area they never build afforable house it always high dollar apts n condos that hardly anyone n the city can afford AFFORDABLE HOUSE NEEDS REBUILT ENOUGH 600K CONDOS N CITIES THAT THE AVERAGE INCOME IS 40K
Please stop. Stay in Ca.
Seriously the midwest is not a good place for ca bcz all they do is either whine or brag about ca. Stay there and enjoy what u have where ur at. If u have family or st a y with them. Do not move to the midwest añd talk about ca incessantly. It doesnt work like that here. We dont want u here. No offense. Just stay home homey. Exploiting peoples privacy is repulsive.
It's like my favorite TV Show
@@Velociberry u poor thing
I was born and raised in Iowa. I left in junior high and traveled the world (through the military). Now I"m back. It's an awesome place to live. Yes the winters are cold. The other seasons, beautiful. You can always find things to do so no problem having things to do. Life is what you make it. Wherever you live.
TMI TMI TMI!!!
@Muzik Michael ha ha.. Slim just left town. Do you think it's bad? Cedar Rapids or Iowa afterall?
Born in Iowa City now live in Burlington...
We are smack dab in the middle of the country...
Born in Des Moines, and I have family all over Iowa. I miss it every day.
@@joegardens1973 Born in Burlington and now live in Wyoming. Thinking about moving back to Iowa for retirement.
I lucked out and ended up moving to Cedar Rapids in 2018 completely unexpected. Being from the east coast, I honestly knew nothing about the Midwest or Iowa let alone towns/cities in the state. I couldn’t be happier living anywhere else in this country (and I have lived in 6 different states) and plan on staying out here until I retire, lol (which isn’t anytime soon).
The people are the kindest and most respectful with ACTUAL manners, the cost of living is unheard of for a decent sized city like CR anywhere else in the country. The crime rate (even though Iowans complain it’s getting worse) is very VERY low and being born and raised in Baltimore I can definitely appreciate this. The education & school system (although Iowans will disagree) is fantastic and one of the highest in the country!! My son has thrived in the school district and has been given more opportunities than he ever had in the central Florida region where he was in previously. Even the friends he’s made out here are a whole different breed and their parents too, lol!!!
There’s so many wonderful things about CR and Iowa , it’s worth the extreme weather conditions (for me at least) 👍🏻
Good Heather
Reading your comment made me feel good. You seem contend and happy. How old is your boi? You said you were from Baltimore. Is it that bad? Stay happy
Lol funny to see ur comment here whats up!! 😂😂
@@carterlantermans1179 you’re stalking me!! 😂 you know I can’t be quiet and have too much to say 😉
Thank you Heather for this! We’re very proud of Cedar Rapids and it’s surrounding areas. And very proud of it’s people helping each other out, when they need it. For example The Derecho(land hurricane) which hit the summer after 2020 Covid .
Leaving Chicago, with kids, CR has been great to us!!🙋🏾♀️
Nick, as a Cedar Rapids resident, been here since 86. I used to live in a city called Quincy,Illinois and West Orange,NJ before that. Cedar Rapids is a great city and very accepting and no stress to live in. I really want thank you for al your videos, you always bring great common sense in your videos ! :)
Yes, after NJ & Quincy, IL... The lesser points of CR don't look so bad. 🤣
I can say that, as a Cedar Rapidian myself. I've lived here for most of my adult life. It's a safe, easy place to live. Unlike my foray into other non-Iowa places. 🤣🤣
I was born in Quincy, we left in 1977 for Texas. It is slower pace of life with low cost. We had small acreage which I will always miss because land is too expensive in 2022. If you're an unskilled worker in a town like Quincy you need to be a "go getter", have an entrepreneur work ethic, or prepare for a medical career or maybe one of local engineering jobs. Otherwise, many of the jobs don't pay so well, but the median household income there is about the same as in my big Texas city, and an apartment here might cost $1,300+ a month. Some of the remodeled "starter" homes on my once rural street have sold for $600,000. Not everybody in the big town is living well. Lots of the shiny stuff in the big town is actually debt. Quincy is 100 feet above the river level, so only parks might flood, pretty much the entire riverfront is planned to be developer for a park - but the tax payers really can't afford to do much in any given year. If you earn a good income in Quincy, you can live very well - housing is 60 percent of the national average. It is the big town in western central Illinois. If Quincy were in Texas, there would probably be a million people living there. There are no classic river towns in Texas. Future water costs will be a big issue in Texas. Quincy is debating increasing its $5 a month water rate, which would be a joke in Texas. Now, that I've earned money elsewhere, Quincy looks better all the time,
Glad you got out of Illinois so did I
"So long New York.
Howdy East Orange."
-- Bob Dylan
Thanks for the video Nick! My daughter was born here and I worked for a while before the great flood. Quaker Oats factory smell made my wife's pregnancy and delivery a bit nauseating, but we endured. Cedar Rapids was close enough to Des Moines and Iowa City, and Dubuque which are called "Big Cities" by most Iowans.
Cedar Rapids is one of the "big cities", too! And twice the size of Dubuque, lol.
I think Dubuque & Waterloo are similar in size, but... I don't think anyone talks about Waterloo anymore. "Nothing to see here, folks."
That smell was always bad. Reminded me of urine😂.
@@jeannieneuser5316 we don’t talk about Waterloo, I’m neighbors (lived here my whole life) with them and Jesus Christ sometimes it feels like Waterloo is trying to kill themselves
If you live in the very north of CR or Marion or Hiawatha you don't really smell Quaker
@@crumbopulis 😂😂😂 ok but why is that so accurate
Be extremely careful what you wish for when it comes to growth.
With tech and other well paying jobs comes a very large spike in housing prices.
The entire vibe of a city like Cedar Rapids can change very very rapidly, and not necessarily for the better.
Especially if the illegal aliens move in. Seems like many Iowans are liberal nitwits in that regard.
No shit, I live in Reno NV and we got FUCKED! Our cost of living and housing, is ridiculous! I call it CA #2, unfortunately....
@@NoamTheGOAT50 For real, I thought Reno was a place to go if you wanted to live in Nevada or so a security guard told me who was moving his family over there, WoW!!
@@NoamTheGOAT50 , Reno's tent-city-turned-homeless-services neighborhood downtown in the early 2000s has an interesting history of it's own. People used to drink alcohol walking through the main strips. Their new rehab influenced Reno's laws to prohibit such activity.
That is what im saying ca stay tf in ca. The midwest is fine without your entitled bs.
The cereals you mentioned are not made by Quaker. They are made across town at General Mills.
When I scratched under my nutsack this AM laying in bed , my finger came back stinky! , not much water left here , to shower with , greetings from SW America
Cap'n Crunch IS made at Quaker; Honey Nut Cheerios ARE made across town at General Mills, but no Lucky Charms from the GM Cedar Rapids plant.
I could tell which way the wind was blowing in Cedar Rapids because we got a different smell from each direction.
Well they must grow healthy cereal somewhere! "Thrilling" has a down side. What about dry skis and zip wires. Bars or pubs are meeting places. Was the homeless guy traumatised by war? Scripture says give a stranger 2 meals. Churches.? Thankfulness the way to live. Thanks interesting from UK
The Cedar begins somewhere in MINNESOTA, not Iowa. It runs thru Austin, MN and near Osage, IA, thru Charles City and so on.
Indeed, and several other rivers flow into the cedar before it flows into the Iowa that flows into the mississippi.
How can Nick, the expert, make such a mistake?
I spent a month in Cedar Rapids back in 2005. The only people I had trouble with that were rude to me and gave me trouble were transplants from Chicago. I heard the same thing is going on in Davenport. Drugs, and violence imported from Chicago.
Local here are not very nice human being either.
Burlington Iowa as well! The gangs and thugs are taking over! I’m from Davenport.
@@QueenB572 My condolences to you Mam.
The issue at hand is getting low skilled laborers to fill empty blue collar workers. TF people think as Whites were pushing for white collar jobs? Who's left to work the factory jobs everywhere? Seriously? 🙄
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
Your comment about the train, “probably carrying cereal onboard,” gave me a chuckle 😂. Loved this vlog
speaking as a recovering alcoholic- I have to say that everyone including the drug addicts want to keep to themselves and avoid bringing down their families and communities with them, but it never works that way in the real world. When someone is addicted it brings the whole community down.
Unfortunately This is the hard truth
I was an alcoholic to, I became a christian and things changed, I live for Christ now. Im done with it, don't even want to touch it anymore.
@@living4christ keep up the good work, bless you
@@knighttuttruptuttrup8518 Thanks, God bless you also.
Cedar Rapids is what I describe a "small town life style" with a big city feel; has a dense downtown, but relatively quiet compared to Des Moines or Iowa City.
Look at all of those beautifully laid brick buildings!
Iowa is a wonderful State for hard working, law abiding, families. I was born in Florida, but we ended up moving to Iowa when I was 6. I loved the four seasons, even though I suffered from ragweed allergies. I love the small town feel with very few large, crowded cities. I love seeing the leaves change in fall, the new birth of spring flowers, and I wouldn't trade it for Florida for any amount of money. If you want fun, make it. The only thing I don't like is when the state wastes money on Bike Lanes that only 1% or less of the towns population uses. I also hate seeing the farms sold and homes and businesses built in their place. Farmers / Ranchers are the most important people in a country/state.
I moved from Illinois 20 years ago, and haven't looked back. I like living in CR , it's so much nicer here. The people that live here are very nice and helpful. The schools are awesome, and the cheap cost of living helps as well. It's a nice place to live.
I moved here from Illinois in the 1990s.
As a Cedar Rapidian, this place is pretty great. Not a perfect place, but your video doesn't scratch the surface of what CR has to offer.
It has no mountains, no ocean... no off-road scene (Jeep, dirt bike, SxS)
No sports, really nothing except sit around and kill time till you die.
Ultra-slow speed limits, cold azzed winters, humid summer...
What am I missing?
Nice job, when I lived in Monroe, Maine people treated me like I came from a hugh place in Newark, NJ, I ran trailers of print paper from Bangor to Iowa and then pick up corn syrup to bring back to Boston ! All I saw was corn 🌽 for miles !!
Make sure you don't miss out on the Iowa state sandwich, the pork tenderloin. No one does those better than Iowa.
😋
Yes! Delicious!
Ohh, the Maid Rites, also!
The Blind Pig
Nick, I love how you are showing so much of Iowa. I was born in CR and went to school in Marion thru 4th grade. I still love going back there. My cousins and I stay close. Saw Amana in August. We stayed at the peaceful Amana RV Park. Nice spot, lovely country. Thanks! Iowa has an indescribable charm.
I’m from the south side of Chicago & moved to Cedar Rapids because I saw a bill board !
Cedar River starts near Blooming Prarie MN, actually.
Love your new mini documentary vids nick! Thanks for all your work!
I love my home state. I lived in Marshalltown, one city of beautiful parks and excellent schools. People went to church, skating, jr college, watched high school sports.
NO TRAFFIC
NO. PEOPLE
VANILLA TOWN
Kind people, inclusive, family focused. Hardworking. Religious, helpful to neighbors. They liked to travel and take road trips. Maybe into Chicago for sports and museums. You would have been included in the neighbors 4th of July bbq.
Born and raised in CR. A friend and I moved out west to Vegas for warm weather in 1983, but she moved back within six months and then lost her house in Czech Village due to the flood in 2008. My great-grandfather owned the Log Cabin and the land and house (long since torn down) in the back of it on 15th Ave. It's now the Red Frog in Czech Village. Spent a lot of time in Czech Village growing up. I live your videos, Nick.
I saw there was a new Nick Johnson video, thought, oooh goodie, went and made a cocktail and settled in to watch. Good stuff!
What cocktail did you make Lauren? 🍷 🥤
@@NickJohnson a Madras, which is vodka with orange juice and a splash of cranberry juice. Quite yummy!
I was one of the fortunate few who had ZERO damage to my home...somehow. we lost a 60 year old cedar tree and had some branches from our maple tree land on the neighbor's garage, poking a small hole in it.
Elsewhere...wow...it was mentally taxing to see your community devastated but it was super awesome to see that same community knuckle up before the rain even stopped and get things squared away.
We lived in a cul-de-sac at the time and our side of the street was without power for 12 days and no internet for 6 days. We went to Iowa City, 25 miles away, and bought every small propane bottle we could find at Menards for my lantern and camping stove. We also used our charcoal grill to cook and boil water for dishwashing.
All in all, it could have been much, much worse for us. We donated our tent and as many camping supplies we could come up with because many people we sleeping outside immediately afterwards because their homes were uninhabitable.
I'm super proud of CR. I've only been here since 2009 (one year after another epic natural disaster) and don't have any desire to leave
I know we don't want to blame crime on "people who aren't from here" - and I certainly don't suggest that's necessarily the case.
But what I do believe is that cities with wide spectrums of diversity tend to be the worst for crime and negative social dynamics.
This would be a great thing to investigate - to either confirm or dispel. Or whether it's more owing to economic disparity. Or a combination.
For me, the idea of a vanilla, basic, 'sort of blah' city with no homeless encampments, fecal matter, urine trails, needles and garbage everywhere is a most tantalizing proposition.
It's heaven
ill say it. the crime is where the blacks are
We moved to CR in 2015 and I absolutely loved it. Our offer was accepted on a new home in a rural area 2 days before the derecho in 2020. We hadn't even put our home up for sale yet and it's like the world ended. We didn't have power for 4 weeks or internet for 6. You mentioned the flood, but the derecho took out more than 70% of our tree canopy and you can really see it in these neighborhood drives. So much sunshine. All those areas used to be all tree-covered. EDIT: CR has attracted a lot of people from Chicago over the years. A big reason is because you can get on Medicaid much easier and more quickly in Iowa vs. Illinois. Most of our crime comes along with it. I've had that rumor about signs in Southside Chicago about Waterloo and Davenport, IA as well. Who knows if it's true.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
The bad part of town, where people have to use actual keys to lock and unlock their cars.
Just moved to CR after 25 years in So. Cal.
Love it here!
And what next? , vote in some Woke Marxist communist Radicals, of course
You should see how many people from Iowa and all of the Midwest moved to Colorado, they invaded the state way before California did
Seems the more diverse and accepting, the more things eventually become intolerant, divided and dystopian. Progressivism is a deluded ideology and a religion of anger. People need shared standards as opposed to none at all. A lot like Los Angeles today. What a mess it’s become.
lol what are u talking about
@@ashtonrucker7122 Step out from under the rock you dwell. Do some homework. Cities are collapsing because of the lack of common norms we once adhered to, like law and order for one. Not to mention it seems treating others like you would like to be treated no longer applies. Its a nihilistic ‘ME’ mindset of only MY truths matter. I used to be a progressive until I realized they are frauds and only interested in dividing people to stay in power. Progressivism leads with emotion and embraces the ego. It feels good to think you know what’s best for everyone else. Buy, whenyou identify with those things instead of learning to overcome them, you will suffer and be in a constant state of anger. This is why they lack logic. They are to busy being emotional and angry. They have no standards. They have had control over Californias governance for over 15 years. They have become supremacists and refuse any accountability. Its a lockstep and if you dare question their failings. They will call you every ism in the book to shut you down and keep them in positions of authority. My advice to people who listen. Don’t ever elect a progressive to public office or in a position of authority. You will suffer from their good intentions and deceit. They have hijacked the once moderate democrat party. I wish you well.
Are you nut.
I love your videos 💕 can't wait till you go through Davenport!!! I love my home, most beautiful place in the entire country to live!!! Yes, we see the rest of the country and are glad it hasn't touched us for the most patt
Im from Chicago I haven't seen any promotions about CR.. However, I don't go back often..
The largest cereal plant?! That should put Cedar Rapids on the map alone!!! 😊 Another new fact I learned from your videos Nick!
You can smell the chocolate near the plants
I live across the street from Quaker Oats so I’m always smell it lol
I drove by Cedar Rapids on my cross country trip in 2018 and thought that it was one of the prettiest cities I had seen. It seemed welcoming and I liked the Cedar river and downtown view.
I loved the courthouse on the river I think it's still there .
Having been raised in Reno and lived in Seattle for 6 years, I’m now in a small town in NW Missouri after the pandemic. I do think the Midwest, specifically Iowa is the best possible choice. The average person’s daily life isn’t consumed by shopping and dining out all the time,and if it is then New York would be perfect for them. But here, you get quiet, your get spacious homes that still have original old tree woodwork, you get Iowa towns that have mom and pop shops and restaurants (even breweries), that try to appeal to the average person. You’re a short drive to major cities that you can visit every so often. The bike network in Iowa is amazing. Washington doesn’t come close, and there is even cross country ski trails. Iowa May not be for everyone, but neither is the east coast.
Stay in MO
I have to laugh at your commentary about Iowa. I was born in raised in Muscatine, often referred to as a dirty old smelly Mississippi River town. It was smelly and it was dirty at times but it is where I grew up and I have many fond memories of it. You have to remember the bulk of the state was settled by those maligned white European immigrants. Hard working, diligent, disciplined and looking to educate their kids. Farmers are boring. Hard work is boring and tedious. If one is looking for excitement move to Chicago and spend your day dodging bullets.
You should have Vincent James come on your show. He’s much more based and from
Chicago and moved to California to get away from the crime, and then moved to Idaho for a lot of reasons.
He’s the best.
Thank you for visit, Cedar Rapids. It is a beautiful place to raise kids.
Where did you land Nick? I’m starting my journey to Iowa
Have you gone to Decorah Iowa Yet? Its amazing!
No 😢
Decorah is a pretty town. Its the home of Seed Savers - collection of more than 20,000 heirloom varieties of seeds. A fun Norwegian Museum, a Laura Ingells "Little House" north of town at Burr Oak. There is trout fishing . Charming town
@@timothykeith1367 One day I’m gonna visit. I’ve heard so many great things about it. Thanks
I'm from Lansing Michigan and after watching this video, I feel as if Cedar Rapids is near identical to Lansing and we are also about 4hr from Chicago but we have Detroit, Jackson, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo within an hour from Lansing as well so we get a lot of homeless folks who arrive by bus and don't go away. Many congregate at a park downtown all day, every day just drinking, fighting and all kinds of sketchy things. Other than those problems, it's a decent city and a lot of improvements are being made.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
Great video. I noticed all the houses on the "BAD" side of town were all 2 stories. Growing up in small town Arkansas, seems like a good place. Seen big cities around the world when I was in Navy.
I live here. Most "bad part of town" houses were originally built in the early 1900s and use to be really pretty, but then slumlords came in and decideded to convert them to apartments. There aren't any regulations monitoring how they care for the properties and there's only one organization now that holds funding for all low-income housing, so the really awful landlords have been able to take over and it's honestly sad. They don't take care of anything
Travis is a well aware of the situation of his hometown and a nice person with real goals. Too bad that the outside publicity atracts bad people to this town.
Has anyone mentioned that quaker oats does not make honey nut Cheerios. General Mills does.
Very cool Nick!!
I was born in Cedar Rapids. We moved from Indiana back home to Iowa in 2008 in the middle of the blizzard 😂 it was atrocious. We drove through Davenport and up 380 through Cedar Rapids and Waterloo. I don’t live in that part of the state anymore, but it was crazy lol
Oh my gosh, Cedar Rapids! I lived in the CR Metro area from 1987 to 2021. I recognized all of those places. I've walked and driven on those streets. I worked in the Prairie Creek Power Plant (8 minutes in) and, if you know where to look during the aerial view at 10 minutes in, you could see the water tower of Atkins, Iowa, where we lived for 24 years before we moved to South Dakota. Rockwell-Collins (actually, Collins Aerospace now) has been my husband's employer for over 36 years. The Flood of '08 affected the poorest areas of town, and people relocated to the Cedar Hills neighborhood (which is arguably worse than Wellington Heights now). Both of my daughters were born in Cedar Rapids. I miss Iowa so much! We moved to South Dakota to be closer to my husband's family, but Iowa will always be home. Thanks for the beautiful walk down memory lane, Nick! P.S. Ashton Kutcher's first job was at the General Mills plant along Highway 30. He said he spent his time sweeping up Cheerios. 😃
I don't think the guy you were talking to really knows that much about Cedar Rapids. Collins Aerospace is owned by Raytheon, and that is NOT a small company! People do work hard there. When the meat packing plants and McLeod went away in the 1980's Cedar Rapids still had Cargill, Archer Daniels Midland, Quaker Oats, General Mills, Alliant Energy and Rockwell Collins. They added International Paper in the 1990's (I think) and Kirkwood Community College has grown so much that they've expanded their campus north of Highway 30. CRST is a major trucking firm that's located in Cedar Rapids. The federal government built a new facility for themselves on the southwest edge of downtown, within the last 10 years.
Also got the federal court house on 8th Avenue as well
@@LiamMcBride We're talking about the same building except I'm approaching it from 1st Street SE.
You sure about Aston Kucher? He worked for me at the Hy Vee in Coralville as a high schooler.
@@jonkrispeterson6678 I heard him say in an interview that his first job was sweeping up Cheerios at General Mills. I was so surprised by that statement that I never forgot it.
@@nancybode6159 ok, I had never heard that. I do remember when he was on Leno with Kurt Warner, because they both worked at Hy Vee once. So they played catch on the show. He did work for me at the Coralville Hy Vee in the deli.
Cedar River starts in Dodge County, Minnesota
I was born and raised in Cedar Rapids and I spent most of my 65-years there. It was fun watching Nick meander through my old SW side neighborhood. Aside from Cedar Rapids I've lived in Iowa City, Kansas City, and Los Angeles. I'm currently retired and living in Phoenix, AZ. In comparison to every city I've resided C.R. is an absolutely wonderful place to live. I have fond memories of summers playing coed softball and biking the trails that dissect the town. There's plenty of parks, restaurants, and popular bars/taverns. The schools are good and the city is safe. I loved riding my bike on summer nights through areas Nick called "the bad side" of C.R. At no time was I the least bit frightened living there.
I hate Iowa's blustery winters or I'd happily live out my days there. Go Hawkeyes!!!
Another thing I love about Cedar Rapids IA is the large open air street downtown farmers market in summer. There are lots of smaller farmers markets too There are always festivals and fairs going on too. Sweet corn festival, Houbie Days, 4th of July, Carnival in lindale mall parking lot and so much more. Marion IA has a central park where kids can go into an old train car and meet Santa if they didn't see him at the mall. It's all family fun. Those looking for live entertainment can listen to the municipal band at parks. The schedule is posted every year. There are plays at a couple theaters and there are always live bands or karaoke at the majority of bars.
I eat 1 minute quaker oatmeal every day except the weekends I’ve been doing it for the past 10 years!
I should...high cholesterol
There were 2 floods within a decade, people that worked in Iowa from neighboring states had long commutes to find a bridge that wasn't flooded or deemed unsafe to cross with the first one. They actually had loaded semi's parked on the Burlington bridge to keep it from being washed away. We only had 2 days of sunshine that whole summer. I was working at the old iowa state pennitenary on the river, we initially had to enter from the side water up to the bottom of my car, they poured gravel and finally had us enter around the back single file and we had to worry about a mud slid, had that happened whomever was entering would have died.
I used to work in the Alliant Energy building. I moved to Iowa from Scotland.
The guy you interviewed here is the coolest person you've had on your show for sure.
I disagree n he sticks out like a sore 👎 thumb
@@rosalindalay4499 so much for Iowa nice
@@xxa455xx yeah for them. Not Iowan.. wouldn't want to be..let's be honest.. nothing was enthusiastic except from Nick...that area is not the best..there a really cool lake up north further...that a lot of folks go to..it's pretty nice looking too.. cedar rapids. Or as one person said on here. Crapids. Lol..nah..roads are horrible.. dangerous.. some places are hoody..idk..it could be much better..that guy interviewed seemed uninterested...not all of Iowa is like that...just seems a Lil spooky around there..the humidity in the summer n mosquito s are awful..it seems boring..n not friendly there..my opinion..
@@rosalindalay4499 lol...agree!
Should of mentioned the derecho that leveled the whole city it literally took out over half the trees in the area
That storm was 100 percent geoengineed..Weather modification at its finest just look up.
Absolutely!!!
Argentina paid to have it done so they could corner the grain and livestock market, just look it up
lol
This brings back alot of memories. I lived in Cedar Rapids for years and worked as a cook at the shack tavern!
By the way, Honey Nut Cherrios and Lucky Charms are made by Gemeral Mills, not Quaker Oats.
And General Mills factory is right there….in Cedar Rapids. Gotta pay attention hon
I lived most of my life, over 40 years, in and near Chicago. I lived a couple years in Denver. Also a year near Seattle. Every town and city in the Midwest is small to me. But, I’d much rather live in a small city then any of those three and I live in one now that has just over 200,000 people. Actually I live in a suburb that has 11,000 people. But it’s a thriving area and has a great economy so I like it so much more.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
Nick was in St Joe Mo either earlier or later in his Midwest series. It had a large Quaker Oats plant. QO shut it down but another enterprise took over that facility.
BTW, Lucky Charms is a General Mills product.
What I have seen on uour road trip yo cedar city is amazing g. Even the middle class neighborhood is appealing to me. I'm originally from Chicago and have lived in Phoenix since 1986 and I would take cedar city over this any day. Thank you for showing the other side of places.
Ok Cheryl
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
I have lived in CR for over 20 years. It is a great place to live and raise a family. It is very safe and the schools are good. The gun violence always has a Chicago element, the shooter either has a Chicago address or that is where they are found. It is quiet and if you want excitement there is an airport to take you there and you can come home to quiet.
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
As someone whos moved from chicago for college, and then now I live in the quad cities. even both locations, Iowans dont realize how good they have it. it's really small things of having to not worry to much of your surroundings, or not having to check your pockets all the time etc. things move a bit slower and sometimes that's okay too.
the person commenting on the crime. so many folks say it's increasing but the narrative on chicago folks increasing that is more of a fear mongering tactic than not. the state is no longer wanting to put money on education too. that has long term effects
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
My oldest Son lives in C.R. Its one of the top 50 cities to live in in America :)
Moved there from California . Starting 2023 there is no income tax on pension income . Could not afford to retire in California .
Nick, will you show us where the "Winnebagos" are built? Enjoyed CR, take care! Cajun
They were built in Forest City Iowa. But I heard they are moving a lot south.
Lived in iowa hates every minute of it
Great video Nick! You did an awesome job showing Iowa!👍
This is a good place to make Stephen King movies, people are just like the weather.
they guy in this interview is brilliant! what he said about living in other states and his own is exactly correct.
I'd love to see a video about Dubuque, IA!
One of my favorite things about Cedar Rapids is the fitness trails and parks. Noelridge Park was featured in Sports Illustrated decades ago. Recreation department sports are held there, a giant green house you can tour full of all kinds of plants, vines, flowers and trees. A very nice outdoor flower garden and a duck pond fed by a small stream and a walking trail and swimming pool. Along the trail is an outdoor work out area with equipment and further down is a new playground for kids. Other parks have hiking in the woods and dog areas. One has cross country ski trails in winter. Lake McBride south of the city has all kinds of water recreation. It's a great place to raise kids! I raised mine here. There are also bike routes marked throughout the city. Plus there's the McLeod bike and fitness trail that goes clear into Cedar Falls to the north and takes you way south of the city as well. Any one training for marathons or wanting a day of family biking uses it and so do local walkers and runners. It follows the McLeod creek for a while and has indigenous plants to enjoy. Plenty of gyms to work out at. It's a great city for fitness buffs with families.
I think a lot of us crazily loved the derecho because of how close we all were. It was a nice break from COVID!
PLEASE GO TO NORTH DAKOTA!!!
too cold, and CR is Disney Land compared to ND
I sounds weird…but i find most of your invitees are natural, kind, easy going, good story-tellers, you hand picked them?😮
I would love them as my neighbors man😊
I'm french from Saguenay/Qc/Canada. I like to see what going on through your videos in United States, I have always feel more american over canadian. I grow up with your culture/french way with your music/sports/movies. We don't have team from Nfl/Nba/Mlb but I watch Nhl and some games from Nfl too. I like to see what is like places I never see like Iowa even if there is nothing to see. Just to feel the place of what they do and what kind of industries/market there is and on. We don't visit our own country enough.
I enjoy your channel alot! I also have Lived all over the U.S. After spending time on the Gulf coast, and moved to Sarasota 16 hrs. ago, and never liked anywhere Better. Tree miles from the Beach,( bicycle ride) 30 mins, east and you can be in the middle of nowhere!! Love it. Nice people, no taxes.
Cool Bill!
Worked very hard as Professional over the road Team Truck Driver/Trainer (driving 5,000+ miles per week ) based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa during 2006-07 ( one year ) the pay 💰 and working conditions was unfortunately terrible.
Loved❤the people of Iowa. Lots of very friendly people.
You should of visited Iowa 80 one of the largest truck 🛻 stops in America 🇺🇸.
Iowa has the most millionaires per capital in USA 🇺🇸.
Looking for a Funeral home business for sale in Iowa. I am now a Licensed Funeral Director/Embalmer went back to school for retraining in 2009.
Thanks 🙏 for your wonderful content.
Ok Charles
I also grew up in keokuk Iowa and my mother and sister live there now.
Oh Gawd, Nick, right at the end, when you and Travis were talking about "doing time" in the Midwest - Ha! - yep, that's what I felt like I did growing up and living there (including Iowa one summer) for 17 or so years until I 'got out', first to California for 8 months, where I felt like I was on vacation every day, even while I had a job, and then to the East Coast, which is interesting (up to a point), but not where you feel like you're on vacation every day. Everywhere you go, always take the weather with you (Crowded House), but not when you're from the Midwest.
LETS GO,CEDAR RAPIDS FINALLY GETS RECOGNIZED.
Since When I Was Born In Chicago.
It Was A Pretty Dangerous City And We Had To Move After 3 Yrs Of Living There.
I Stayed At Cedar Rapids With My Family For 10 Yrs Before My Mom Moved Us To Marion Which Is Connected To Cedar Rapids And Hiawatha.
I'm Just Happy He Is Near Me.
Damn Nick! Travis sure is easy on the eyes 👀!
Wow! I never knew Quaker Oats was there or about the flooding! I learn so much watching your videos Nick!
Cereal stocks are climbing because of the economy! People are eating more cereal.
Plenty of "Forever Chemicals" in Oatmeals, I hear. Beware.
@@terywetherlow7970 Its in everything. Cereal stock is climbing because people are eating cheap.
@@hooponoponogirlz They'll hit those deagle #'s yet. Tragic.
Are the smells from the cereal plants pleasant?
Dwayne yes for sure! 🤤
Better then the pulp mills in Oregon
@@brianmatthews4149 I visited someone near a paper mill & it gave me headaches. I would never live near 1.
There are also Soybean processing factories, weird unique smell. Breweries around too - don't really smell good or bad.
Thank you Nick! I do like Cedar Rapids! I well remember the Flood of 2008! There are videos on UA-cam of Cedar Rapids during the flood. It brings back many memories. CR is a short 60 mile drive for me. I need to go revisit Cedar Rapids, Marion, and Hiawatha. You pretty much hit the nail on the head with this video! Thank you again Nick! Mark in southeast Iowa.
I think i'll be the only one maybe wanting to move to Iowa then haha. I love the small city/town lifestyle and Iowa seems to have that in abundance!
You're not alone. It appeals to me too!
The only thing to brace for is the winter! Cold, snow, and windy! 🥶 I’m still not moving but you learn to stock up and love an attached garage! 🚜 I do love a good blizzard.
@@tmusa2002 I live in Illinois now so it won't be much of a stretch for me! I actually live in a very small town now, but the Chicago influence is everywhere. My home state of PA is do different now I don't recognize it! We'll see, I'll take my time making this decision
@@tmusa2002 yeah, thats why Oklahoma is on my list too! Fewer cold days and more connected to the “outside world” due to Dallas
@@ScatPack123 you should! Give Mason City in North Iowa a shot to
So the biggest crime is you not coming to a stop at any stop signs
Why stop bob
ive lived in iowa all my life..been to many states..always glad to get home to good ole iowa...lol
Awesome video, but Quaker Oats doesnt make cheerios or lucky charms. Just Cap'n Crunch products.
Iowa seems okay but im pretty done with grotesk amount of snow every year.
I've lived in CR since 79. The one thing since the flood that has bothered me is most of the housing is now apartments. Hundreds of units. No play areas for kids. That worries me. My son lives in Chicago. Yikes.
I have been to Chicago many times and yes they have a billboard up that says comes to Cedar Rapids for a better living it’s nuts
Why there though?
I’m not really sure why the sign is there always wonder that I don’t know if it’s because it’s just four hours away or what but I heard it had something to do with the section 8 housing
Chicago transplanted into Iowa. When i was in grade school some kid came in from Chicago. within a week he was throwing chairs through the windows, assaulting teachers, dealing drugs, and cussed like a sailor. The Chi Town Hoodlum lasted a week at that Iowa School.
a few small but noticable details. quaker oats is in the same side of the river as downtown, and they don't make mentioned cereals such as honey nut Cheerios or lucky charms. and most trains have corn and soy beans on them. Rockwell Collins is now known as Collins aerospace. NOT EVERYONE WORKS AT QUAKER OATS. I did not ever meet a person there who mentioned that they worked there and the city is not 100 percent reliant on it like you make it seem like. there was quite a bit of drug use in what we called needle park, luckily, the park (Redmond) is a lot more cleaned up since I left. I do agree with your assessment of wellington heights. I lived there for 8 years and my parents helped rebuild after the flood.
All cereal is the same
@@NickJohnson So you're also a food scientist?.. that is when you aren't making snarky videos of places you know nothing about. Let me guess, vegan too?
Please do winterset iowa
Nick, I recently saw a statistic on meth labs by county, Marion County had like 140 shut down by law enforcement, Marion County is Cedar Rapids and suburbs, not including Iowa City, it's count was more than Des Moines in Polk County. Appearantly you hadn't visited enough of Cedar Rapids, there are some dumpy housing north of US-30 on the west side. It's actually better to go up by Hiawatha to shop, the south Walmart is just flat out creepy.
My roommate says no to MaidRite there's a better sandwich place in Ottumwa since WW2, hidden in a parking garage.
Cedar Rapids loves to mail speeding tickets to a cars registered owner, who was clearly not at the wheel.
@@mikekempin7917 you are correct, I looked at the graphic and saw Jefferson and knew it was adjacent
Cedar Rapids is in Linn County. Iowa City is Johnson County, Marion Country is south of Des Moines. Linn county has a town called Marion.
@@nathancarson9125 thank you, I'll stand corrected
We moved from Colorado to Iowa by choice. Our decision was based on the weather. We loved all the green in the summer with God doing the irrigating. We must visit family we left behind in Colorado but very happy to get back home to Iowa. We became Ionians 52 years ago.