Thursday, September 06, 2007

MY HOME TOWN...

Growing up and living in Cedar Rapids, Iowa has had it advantages. However, as soon as I am able, I will move away.
If not for my two children I would be long gone already but for now I need to be here for them. My travels to different parts of two countries over the past 10 years have me convinced of two things: #1 I'm fortunate to have grown up in Cedar Rapids. And, #2: I can't wait to move to somewhere else.
Don't get me wrong. I love Cedar Rapids and it will always be my "home". I'm sure you all understand what I mean. No matter where you're from and where you've ended up, your home town will always feel like home. (For most of us, I think)
So, for now this post is dedicated to Cedar Rapids, Iowa and many of the good things about it.
To start off, Cedar Rapids has been home to many famous persons from history and also the not so distant past. Artist Grant Wood, The Wright Brothers, Historian and journalist William Shirer, writer and photographer Carl Van Vechten, and more recently, actors Ron Livingston, Elijah Wood and Ashton Kutcher. For a fairly large listing of other famous people from Cedar Rapids click here.
We're also very proud to be the home of many large and very successful companies as well. Quaker Oats Co., Archer Daniels Midland, Rockwell Collins Aviation headquarters, and 5 Cargill plants.
Cedar Rapids is also home to 3 local colleges:

Mt Mercy College


Coe College

Kirkwood Community College.

One bit of trivia that I have always found interesting is that Cedar Rapids and Paris, France are the only two cities on earth whose government buildings are located on an island. (Ok, so maybe not as fascinating to most of you, but I always thought it was cool)

This ariel photo of downtown Cedar Rapids shows City Hall and the Linn County Courthouse buildings on Mays Island.

Cedar Rapids also is home to a fairly large Czech population. Why they settled here, I have no clue, but we have a really cool "Czech Village" downtown area with great restaurants, bars, museums and bakeries! Yum!
Our city has a nickname; "The city of five seasons". Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall and a fifth one to enjoy them all. Gag! I can't think of anything more corny and stupid. Oh, wait, there is this...

The tree of five seasons

Yeah, don't ask. We have no idea either.

If there is one thing in this city that I am proud of, it's the Cedar Rapids Art Museum. Pictured here:It houses fantastic pieces by famous artists Grant Wood and Marvin Cone among others.
Well worth a visit.

So, next time any of you are flying over Iowa, be sure and look down over Cedar Rapids and wave to us. Heck, you might even get glimpse of the tree of five seasons if you're lucky! Check your map, it's right there on the corner of First street and First Avenue, downtown. you can't miss it. It's the gleaming, stainless steel piece of who knows what, currently serving as the worlds most expensive pigeon condo. Now THAT'S high rise luxury!

13 Comments:

Blogger Darth Gateau said...

Yay! At last another post. I now feel fully informed about another slice of US geography. I've never been to Iowa - it looks very leafy.

2:44 AM, September 07, 2007  
Blogger Tom said...

Where do you want to live when you make your great escape and what are you going to find there that you can't get here other then mountains and oceans?

12:03 PM, September 07, 2007  
Blogger TheBuxStopHere said...

...mountains, oceans, grammar, cuisine, manners, less conservative views... (I'm not from here.) :)

2:55 PM, September 07, 2007  
Blogger Matt said...

Okay, Andrew's comment made me laugh ... are y'all gonna eventually move out here?

But really, I loved this post, Scott! I always like seeing where people are from. And I always liked Cedar Rapids. Thanks for the glimpse.

7:43 PM, September 07, 2007  
Blogger Scott in Iowa said...

Darth- stop by sometime. We are very leafy.
Tom- Thanks, you gave me another idea for my next post. I think I'll post about the places I'd like to live.
Matt- We don't say "Y'all".

9:44 PM, September 07, 2007  
Blogger Matt said...

I didn't meant that YOU say "y'all" ... I say it. It's from my years in southern Indiana.

10:05 PM, September 07, 2007  
Blogger Darth Gateau said...

doesn't everyone in the US say "y'all"?

Hmmm... you may wanna let the rest of the world know that.

3:34 AM, September 08, 2007  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

this was a very nice post, scott.
love, sue

6:14 PM, September 08, 2007  
Blogger Rick Rockhill said...

Cedar Rapids is a great city, I used to visit when I lived in Chicago.nice pics!

1:24 PM, September 09, 2007  
Blogger Scott in Iowa said...

Rick - Thanks for stopping by. Funny we live in Cedar Rapids and visit Chicago all the time! Also, stay tuned for my next post...one of the places I want to live is Southern California.
Darth- Ya'll jist keep yer distance from mah blog and we'll all git along fine.

5:49 AM, September 10, 2007  
Blogger Darth Gateau said...

er... nope sorry. My American to English translation book doesn't have a chapter on 'deep south'

6:46 AM, September 10, 2007  
Blogger cb said...

Being an iowa boy myself, we always called cedar rapids- the city of 5 smells. Does it still depend on which way the wind is blowing as to whether you get the grain mash plant smell or whatever?

9:39 AM, September 17, 2007  
Blogger Scott in Iowa said...

cb- Yes, one of the variations on our city nick-name is "the city of 5 smells". However, once we altered the direction of the wind, we no longer know which day they are making Cap'n Crunch at Quaker Oats. Now we just blow all the smells toward Waterloo.

10:40 AM, September 17, 2007  

Post a Comment

<< Home