Posted on 09/08/2013 7:10:46 PM PDT by fwdude
I am asking not for myself, but for a good, long-time friend considering relocating to Iowa from Texas for a job. He's been unemployed for 6 months now, thanks to the wonderful Obanomy we've been enjoying for the last 4+ years. An interview last week seemed to go very well (he's a mechanical engineer.)
It is in the Des Moines area, which I hear is a liberal cockroach nest politically. The town is about 38 miles SE of Des Moines in Pella. I've looked up stats on the area on city-data.com, but stats can only tell so much, so I was hoping some local FReepers could fill me in on the pros and cons of the area, where to look for housing, areas to avoid, local politics/culture to expect, etc.
About friend's family: they are in their early 50's, in relatively good health, one daughter who just started college here in D/FW, financially stable with no debt, own their home outright. They are committed, devout Christians, and by that I mean they live it out in their lives and aren't quiet about it. Friend is not completely sheltered or naive about Leftist climes, having grown up in Madistan, WI.
Any into I could pass on would be greatly appreciated.
Shame you can’t move to Steve King’s district.
correction: your friend
Maybe his Christian influence is needed where he’s moving (3 conservative votes added). Who are the reps in that area?
Former Iowan (Des Moines and Kelley) here. Pella is a lovely small Dutch community. My first wife and I would visit several times a year, either during their Tulip Festival or other times. The Dutch pastries are to die for. Very conservative place compared to Des Moines, Iowa City or Ames. Home of Vermeer Corporation, Pella Windows and a nice little private university affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, called Central College. Very quaint. Even the convenience stores and fast food restaurants are done in the Dutch style.
We lived in Cedar Rapids area about 20 years ago.
It was a nice area.Worked for Rockwell. It was a good job, But wife missed Minnesota so we moved back.
Thanks, 2nd!
Moved to DFW in December for a better job. Best move I ever made.
My wife (an Aerospace Engineer) found a job in Aerospace, during sequester, in 4 weeks.
Jobs are here.
I am in charge of two plants engineering in Iowa. We cannot find any Engineers in Iowa. We will end up moving all engineering to DFW.
As they say “I wasn’t born in Texas but got here as fast as I could”.
David Loebsack (AKA David Ballsack) - votes with Pelosi 90% of the time. Former communist college professor.
Pella is a beautiful town, and *very* conservative, *very* Christian. Mostly Reformed Church in America (historically Dutch Reformed), but part of the conservative wing of the RCA. To give you an idea, in a town that size there’s a church called Third Reformed Church.
It’s also a very Dutch town - a very high percentage of people with Dutch ancestry.
Wonderful people.
It is a touch old-fashioned: mowing your lawn on a Sunday will still get you a skeptical look from your neighbor sometimes, from what I understand.
The last time I was there was for the premiere of “The Undefeated” at the Pella Opera House; it’s the movie about Sarah Palin. Sarah and Todd were in attendance, as was Andrew Breitbart.
Really, it’s a great little town. And even Des Moines isn’t quite the liberal cesspool you’ve heard - Des Moines itself is definitely on the left end of the spectrum, but all the suburbs are very conservative, and it’s a pretty cool city.
Does the district gerrymander parts of Des Moines?
Waving to you from Denton.
But - tell your buddy to take a jacket. Iowa is just below Minnesota on the map.
Off topic, but Iowa's Interstate highway rest stops are second only to those in Texas ....great, clean, wireless internet, etc.
Thanks. I’ll pass on your information to Tim.
The Pella Opera House was the site of the premier of the movie, “The Undefeated”, about Sarah Palin. Hardly a liberal hellhole.
Yes, West Des Moines, Clive, Indianola, Ankeny, Urbandale and etc. are not leftist like Des Moines proper.
I’m not familiar enough with Iowa to tell. The state is split roughly equally into quarters. King’s district is northwest and the largest in terms of area by the looks of things.
The two southern districts are the rat controlled ones and they are slightly smaller than the northern ones.
Not an Iowan, but I am aware of their Tulip Festival as my parents went there years ago. Basically, anywhere in the midwest away from the big cities, you’ll find the area quite conservative. I’m 30 miles from Minneapolis and it is very conservative where I live. Nothing at all like the rat hole that is Minneapolis.
Here’s a link to their tulip festival: http://www.pellatuliptime.com/
It’s going to be pretty difficult to be a conservative influence in Pella. He might be one of the most liberal people in that town if he takes the job.
Go NTU
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