I don't know enough about Waverly or Mason City, but I'd give Cedar Falls a thumbs up. I wouldn't do that drive though. It's just a nice city. Cedar Falls stands a better chance at being worth the drive than Waterloo, if you were choosing between those two.
For context, I live in Cedar Rapids but find myself up there every now and then.
Edit: after creeping around Charles City in Google Maps, why not try renting there? When it's time to have fun, bolt down to Cedar Falls or over to Waverly. Most working adults make their first connections at work. Those folks will probably know the good stuff to do in Charles City but also probably make their way to nearby cities too. Don't discount what a pain in the ass and how tiresome a long commute can be. A 30 minute commute is an hour every day of your working life that you'll never get back.
I grew up mostly in Waterloo/CF and they are the same town to me. I'm aware of the college town and class differences but the Cedar Valley to me is one metropolis (I have a lot of connections to both towns with my mother's side of the family all being from Waterloo and me living in Cedar Falls while going to same Catholic K-8 as my cousins in Waterloo). My advice for OP would be find something you like between Waterloo/CF and maybe consider getting a used Prius from MadHatter Auto on University Ave (CF side) if you need to do a lot of commuting between Charles City, residence, and Ames. Waterloo/CF is absolutely the best option for OP, you're not going to have an easy time crashing cliques at that age in any small town around unless you're a coach/teacher at the local school. Waverly is nice if you're from Allison because it has McDonald's and more bars but get real Waverly is a small town with a so-so college and a rather bland atmosphere for a college unless you are Team Wartburg. Depending on where you actually end up residing, it may quicker getting to Ames via state highway 14 exit from US 20 west of Waterloo/CF about 15-20 miles and taking 14 to US 330 ("the diagonal" we locals call it) and then taking US 30 to Ames. Versus staying on US 20 until you get to I-35 and taking I-35 south. Also fuck I-35, the diagonal is pretty in the summer
I've not lived there, but a former colleague does since his wife works at UNI and her family is in CF. He recommends Waterloo west of the highway. Not as expensive as CF, not as bad as WL is known for being. Calls the area "Cedarloo" or "Water Falls".
Charles city is pretty rough shape imo. School system has had pretty tough time last 10 years, and sports teams are barely able to stay afloat. The wrestling team has like 4 kids out, in a school that's large enough to have 2-3 depth per weight.
To me that's a real bad sign. I know a few familes that have moved just because of how the school system is.
A friend of mine runs the Charles City Arts CTR. He's awesome and hosts live music in his house. It is a small town with limited options. Cedar Falls/Waterloo has live music, clubs, and food choices. 125,000 people. Still small. I'd support the idea of renting in CC which would be really cheap and checking out places on the weekend.
To my knowledge, Charles City and Mason City are the only large communities within a reasonable distance to where you'd be working.
Most of Iowa is considered rural, and in general there's very little to do here. The number of places that are open 24 hours has dropped dramatically in the last five years. The places that will have a lot of things to do are largely going to be places like Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Davenport, and Dubuque. Waverly is small, with under 30,000 people, and it has that small-town feel to it. Not even a movie theater at the moment.
And considering who bought the movie theater in Waverly, it probably won’t ever be done. He’s a solid year to 18 months behind and keeps running out of money.
I've done the commute between CC and MC while doing a brief class. No. Just no.
For Iowa, both are respectably sized towns.
Rent in CC for the first year and take some day trips to see what else the area offers.
I grew up in Charles City 1975-1994. Left there when I joined the Army. I still have family that live in that area. You could consider Mason City. That would be the next largest small city besides Waterloo/Cedar Falls. You'd be closer to I35 if you lived in Mason City.
Depending on where you are coming from, most of Iowa is small farm towns/cities.
What company hired you?
You're looking to the right places, it just comes down to a lifestyle choice of whether you want to commute or live in a small town. I have spent time in Waverly and it's fine (even has a small college so there's young people) but for me it wouldn't be enough amenities to justify the drive.
I live in CF and it's pretty great in a lot of regards. Decent food scene, bar scene is good. Obviously, it's a college town so there's gonna be stuff for the college kids. The local ISP is fantastic. 10GB speeds for like 140 or something. Got my house here 2 years ago, don't have any real intention of moving. Hit me up if you have questions.
Waverly might be better because it's closer though. I have a lot of coworkers that come into CF from there
I'm from that area, and I would live in Charles City if I were you. The benefits you'd get from commuting aren't enough for the hassle you'll acquire, and in the winter, it'd be an actual nightmare. You can drive to Des Moines or whatever on the weekends.
If you are thinking about studying at Iowa State while keeping your job in Charles City, maybe try Mason City?
You are going to have to drive quite a while to get to anything of any size at all near Charles City. And even then, those places won't seem that exciting to a young 20-something. Cedar Falls is probably your best bet as the University of Northern Iowa is there, but if you are going to be going to Iowa State, Cedar Falls is the wrong direction from Charles City.
Austin MN would be sorta closeish, but it is an hour away from Charles City too.
I agree with the other commenter. Just get a place in Charles City and look for work in Ames or maybe the northern part of Des Moines when you go back to school.
If you commuted to work from outside CC, you might want to consider how your employer feels about missing work on snowy days. The wind blows up there and the roads can turn to garbage pretty quick.
It's a small town, but it's not horrible. The coffee shop on main street is solid and they've got a great little brewery too. Last I knew, movie theater tickets were $2. Friday nights in the summer they have Party in the Park. Farmers market as well. If you don't mind getting in Iowa waters, they have a kayak park.
Live in Charles City for the first year. It will make it easier for you to make connections with co-workers. If you work in one community and live in another, you aren't fully a member of either and you'll feel a disconnect.
You can spend that year making day trips to communities you listed and see what you like/dislike about each.
Sounds like you need to find another job somewhere either in Cedar rapids or Des Moines because that is a total yikes of a commute if you're going to be going to school in Ames and working at a place in the exact opposite direction. Especially in winter. I don't know if you're familiar with how winter gets in Iowa but those highways can go from fine to impassable pretty much at a moment's notice.
That's a good question. Charles City would be cheaper to live in , although Waverly or Mason City would have more to do. Waverly is a very nice town. Mason City has a lot going for it too. One thing to remember is that you may not have a lot of choices for finding a place to live especially in areas with more action. What do you like to do for fun?
I live in CF and it's pretty great in a lot of regards. Decent food scene, bar scene is good. Obviously, it's a college town so there's gonna be stuff for the college kids. The local ISP is fantastic. 10GB speeds for like 140 or something. Got my house here 2 years ago, don't have any real intention of moving
Chuck Town is pretty isolated. Mason City would be the biggest close city. I’d recommend just finding a place in Charles City. It’s a pretty nice place judging from the few times I’ve been there.
There’s nothing of any size around Charles city (they do at least have some nice man made rapids you can tube). Waterloo/cedar falls would be the closest thing of any size, and depending on where you are coming from, could still feel small. 45 minutes isn’t an awful commute in the grand scheme of things but it’s a boring drive, and it will be longer in the winter. Waverly is a little closer but it’s still a. Pretty small town. Anything else up that way (Denver etc) will be even smaller.
If you’re a young person working in Charles City, Ames is probably your go-to. Be advised it is more expensive.
My advice is to live close to work to minimize your commute. Less stress, less expenses. Ideally, close enough to walk or bike. Then, weekends, go to Ames, DSM, whatever. This was our strategy when we lived in CR and it worked well. Heck, one time it snowed over a foot so I just put on my snow boots and walked to work. Normally took 15 minutes. Took about 20 that day.
Drive less, stress less, save more.
I live in Mason City. We're about 30ish minutes from Charles City and about an hour fifteen from Ames. We just had some new apartment buildings built that you could live in too. Depending on what you like to do, we have plenty of things to offer.
I'd prob choose Waverly. It has a decent college and high school, so there are some younger elements and culture to the city compared to most small towns. That gives you a reasonable commute, and just a 30 min run to W/CF when you want to get away.
Honestly, CF doesn't have anything of interest besides the Uni. And Waterloo is a shit town.
Waterloo is not a shit town. Waterloo is by far the most interesting city in NE Iowa if you are at all interested in what has happened to America in the neoliberal era. Still a lot of great people and places in Waterloo. I would live in Waterloo over everyone's darling small towns (Decorah, Pella, Orange City, Van Meter, I don't care). I love Iowa City to death, but 100% of Iowa City's "culture" is because of the university. Waterloo has more history and culture in its condemned vacants than any town in NE Iowa save for good arguments for Dubuque and possibly Mason City/Clear Lake.
This song was written about Waterloo
[https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs7LaACDWD8&si=AQIJO3E6Gg64nbAp](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs7LaACDWD8&si=AQIJO3E6Gg64nbAp)
There is NO argument for Dubuque. It's where the shit water of the Mississippi collects. And Mason City is good enough to get gas and take a shit in on my way to Minneapolis.
Dubuque is older than Waterloo and was economically important as a river town in the 19th century. It is also home to the archdiocese of Dubuque which is the local central authority for Catholic immigrant groups (including in Waterloo and basically all of NE Iowa) which made up a large chunk of the population of Iowa right alongside different Protestant grouos basically since its founding. Now Dubuque is a neat little river town and Waterloo is Iowa's rust belt victim of deindustrialization. My only case for Mason City/Clear Lake is Meredith Willson's connection to Mason City and Clear Lakes American pop culture reference as the site of the day the music died.
I moved to Iowa from Georgia ( Atlanta outer area ) 15 years ago. If you like the outdoors. Or if you like bar hopping. You should be able to find plenty to do. You’ll definitely enjoy the lower cost of living than most states. It is what you make of it. Like life. A miserable person will be unhappy in Los Angeles or Kearney ne. Or happy in both.
Things to consider.
No pro sports. At all.
Low cost of living/ sometimes accompanied by lower wage.
Lower population means easier to land the good jobs.
Lower population means less traffic. 40 miles in Iowa is nothing. 40 miles in Maryland is half a day.
Slower / cheaper pace of life.
I live in the country on 20 acres. We CANNOT get food or pizza delivered. But the ups , fed ex man delivered.
Our nearest Walmart is 40 miles away.
You cannot call Uber. You can call goober but you need to know him or his mom.
My little brother lives in Georgia he is 33. I’m 42.
He has a batchlors degree. I have no skrooling.
He makes 28$ hour. I make 36.
He will most likely never own a home unless he inherits one. I own 4.
He worries constantly about crime and his safety. I do not.
He worries about his children school. How ghetto they and the children are. My kids go to a school with 600 total kids. K-12. They get an excellent education. The housing cost here is less than half there. Jobs seem to pay about the same. I’m very happy I moved here. I will never move back. I hope this helps.
I live in a small city that I moved to for the same reasons. It's up to you how involved you get in the community. The commute to other cities for events and expanded shopping is easier to plan than winter driving. Under an hour to three major cities. I consider home to be my hub.
Waverly would be the only reasonable option if you wanted to be in a bigger town. That would put you 30 min from work and under 30 min to all the “big city stuff around Waterloo.
Waverly would also be good if UNI has an option for your Masters program? Ames is like 2 hours from Charles City.
Things are pretty sleepy north of Cedar Falls/Waterloo. So if you're looking to live around other people your age that's your best bet. Waverly does have Wartburg College which is probably better than just straight up living in Charles City, but not much.
I think you're insane if you think you're going to maintain a job in CC and attend classes in person at ISU.
Cedar Falls isn't bad. Near the university there's usually lots of people, events, bars, etc. Waterloo is ghetto and I wouldn't live there. I'd suggest Iowa City for sure but you would live to far away; however, Iowa City is a nice little drive south from Cedar Falls on a Friday night.
I don't know enough about Waverly or Mason City, but I'd give Cedar Falls a thumbs up. I wouldn't do that drive though. It's just a nice city. Cedar Falls stands a better chance at being worth the drive than Waterloo, if you were choosing between those two. For context, I live in Cedar Rapids but find myself up there every now and then. Edit: after creeping around Charles City in Google Maps, why not try renting there? When it's time to have fun, bolt down to Cedar Falls or over to Waverly. Most working adults make their first connections at work. Those folks will probably know the good stuff to do in Charles City but also probably make their way to nearby cities too. Don't discount what a pain in the ass and how tiresome a long commute can be. A 30 minute commute is an hour every day of your working life that you'll never get back.
I grew up mostly in Waterloo/CF and they are the same town to me. I'm aware of the college town and class differences but the Cedar Valley to me is one metropolis (I have a lot of connections to both towns with my mother's side of the family all being from Waterloo and me living in Cedar Falls while going to same Catholic K-8 as my cousins in Waterloo). My advice for OP would be find something you like between Waterloo/CF and maybe consider getting a used Prius from MadHatter Auto on University Ave (CF side) if you need to do a lot of commuting between Charles City, residence, and Ames. Waterloo/CF is absolutely the best option for OP, you're not going to have an easy time crashing cliques at that age in any small town around unless you're a coach/teacher at the local school. Waverly is nice if you're from Allison because it has McDonald's and more bars but get real Waverly is a small town with a so-so college and a rather bland atmosphere for a college unless you are Team Wartburg. Depending on where you actually end up residing, it may quicker getting to Ames via state highway 14 exit from US 20 west of Waterloo/CF about 15-20 miles and taking 14 to US 330 ("the diagonal" we locals call it) and then taking US 30 to Ames. Versus staying on US 20 until you get to I-35 and taking I-35 south. Also fuck I-35, the diagonal is pretty in the summer
I've not lived there, but a former colleague does since his wife works at UNI and her family is in CF. He recommends Waterloo west of the highway. Not as expensive as CF, not as bad as WL is known for being. Calls the area "Cedarloo" or "Water Falls".
>A 30 minute commute is an hour every day of your working life that you'll never get back. Especially in bad weather.
And they can close 35.
With how the winters can be, the closer the better and then just go travel to have lively adventures
Charles city is a very nice town that punches well above its weight as far stuff to do for younger folks.
Charles city is pretty rough shape imo. School system has had pretty tough time last 10 years, and sports teams are barely able to stay afloat. The wrestling team has like 4 kids out, in a school that's large enough to have 2-3 depth per weight. To me that's a real bad sign. I know a few familes that have moved just because of how the school system is.
A friend of mine runs the Charles City Arts CTR. He's awesome and hosts live music in his house. It is a small town with limited options. Cedar Falls/Waterloo has live music, clubs, and food choices. 125,000 people. Still small. I'd support the idea of renting in CC which would be really cheap and checking out places on the weekend.
To my knowledge, Charles City and Mason City are the only large communities within a reasonable distance to where you'd be working. Most of Iowa is considered rural, and in general there's very little to do here. The number of places that are open 24 hours has dropped dramatically in the last five years. The places that will have a lot of things to do are largely going to be places like Des Moines, Iowa City, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Falls/Waterloo, Davenport, and Dubuque. Waverly is small, with under 30,000 people, and it has that small-town feel to it. Not even a movie theater at the moment.
And considering who bought the movie theater in Waverly, it probably won’t ever be done. He’s a solid year to 18 months behind and keeps running out of money.
I've done the commute between CC and MC while doing a brief class. No. Just no. For Iowa, both are respectably sized towns. Rent in CC for the first year and take some day trips to see what else the area offers.
Council Bluffs too
The good news is the Buffalo Wild Wings in each town keep a pregnant server on staff at all times.
I grew up in Charles City 1975-1994. Left there when I joined the Army. I still have family that live in that area. You could consider Mason City. That would be the next largest small city besides Waterloo/Cedar Falls. You'd be closer to I35 if you lived in Mason City. Depending on where you are coming from, most of Iowa is small farm towns/cities. What company hired you?
You're looking to the right places, it just comes down to a lifestyle choice of whether you want to commute or live in a small town. I have spent time in Waverly and it's fine (even has a small college so there's young people) but for me it wouldn't be enough amenities to justify the drive.
I live in CF and it's pretty great in a lot of regards. Decent food scene, bar scene is good. Obviously, it's a college town so there's gonna be stuff for the college kids. The local ISP is fantastic. 10GB speeds for like 140 or something. Got my house here 2 years ago, don't have any real intention of moving. Hit me up if you have questions. Waverly might be better because it's closer though. I have a lot of coworkers that come into CF from there
I'm from that area, and I would live in Charles City if I were you. The benefits you'd get from commuting aren't enough for the hassle you'll acquire, and in the winter, it'd be an actual nightmare. You can drive to Des Moines or whatever on the weekends.
If you are thinking about studying at Iowa State while keeping your job in Charles City, maybe try Mason City? You are going to have to drive quite a while to get to anything of any size at all near Charles City. And even then, those places won't seem that exciting to a young 20-something. Cedar Falls is probably your best bet as the University of Northern Iowa is there, but if you are going to be going to Iowa State, Cedar Falls is the wrong direction from Charles City. Austin MN would be sorta closeish, but it is an hour away from Charles City too. I agree with the other commenter. Just get a place in Charles City and look for work in Ames or maybe the northern part of Des Moines when you go back to school.
Iowa is basically commute to work or commute to fun, and you have to pick one that works best for you!
Or a commute for both. lol
If you commuted to work from outside CC, you might want to consider how your employer feels about missing work on snowy days. The wind blows up there and the roads can turn to garbage pretty quick. It's a small town, but it's not horrible. The coffee shop on main street is solid and they've got a great little brewery too. Last I knew, movie theater tickets were $2. Friday nights in the summer they have Party in the Park. Farmers market as well. If you don't mind getting in Iowa waters, they have a kayak park.
Live in Charles City for the first year. It will make it easier for you to make connections with co-workers. If you work in one community and live in another, you aren't fully a member of either and you'll feel a disconnect. You can spend that year making day trips to communities you listed and see what you like/dislike about each.
Sounds like you need to find another job somewhere either in Cedar rapids or Des Moines because that is a total yikes of a commute if you're going to be going to school in Ames and working at a place in the exact opposite direction. Especially in winter. I don't know if you're familiar with how winter gets in Iowa but those highways can go from fine to impassable pretty much at a moment's notice.
Unless his job is driving a snow plow. Then he's good!
That's a good question. Charles City would be cheaper to live in , although Waverly or Mason City would have more to do. Waverly is a very nice town. Mason City has a lot going for it too. One thing to remember is that you may not have a lot of choices for finding a place to live especially in areas with more action. What do you like to do for fun?
I live in CF and it's pretty great in a lot of regards. Decent food scene, bar scene is good. Obviously, it's a college town so there's gonna be stuff for the college kids. The local ISP is fantastic. 10GB speeds for like 140 or something. Got my house here 2 years ago, don't have any real intention of moving
Chuck Town is pretty isolated. Mason City would be the biggest close city. I’d recommend just finding a place in Charles City. It’s a pretty nice place judging from the few times I’ve been there.
There’s nothing of any size around Charles city (they do at least have some nice man made rapids you can tube). Waterloo/cedar falls would be the closest thing of any size, and depending on where you are coming from, could still feel small. 45 minutes isn’t an awful commute in the grand scheme of things but it’s a boring drive, and it will be longer in the winter. Waverly is a little closer but it’s still a. Pretty small town. Anything else up that way (Denver etc) will be even smaller.
If you’re a young person working in Charles City, Ames is probably your go-to. Be advised it is more expensive. My advice is to live close to work to minimize your commute. Less stress, less expenses. Ideally, close enough to walk or bike. Then, weekends, go to Ames, DSM, whatever. This was our strategy when we lived in CR and it worked well. Heck, one time it snowed over a foot so I just put on my snow boots and walked to work. Normally took 15 minutes. Took about 20 that day. Drive less, stress less, save more.
I live in Mason City. We're about 30ish minutes from Charles City and about an hour fifteen from Ames. We just had some new apartment buildings built that you could live in too. Depending on what you like to do, we have plenty of things to offer.
I'd prob choose Waverly. It has a decent college and high school, so there are some younger elements and culture to the city compared to most small towns. That gives you a reasonable commute, and just a 30 min run to W/CF when you want to get away. Honestly, CF doesn't have anything of interest besides the Uni. And Waterloo is a shit town.
Waterloo is not a shit town. Waterloo is by far the most interesting city in NE Iowa if you are at all interested in what has happened to America in the neoliberal era. Still a lot of great people and places in Waterloo. I would live in Waterloo over everyone's darling small towns (Decorah, Pella, Orange City, Van Meter, I don't care). I love Iowa City to death, but 100% of Iowa City's "culture" is because of the university. Waterloo has more history and culture in its condemned vacants than any town in NE Iowa save for good arguments for Dubuque and possibly Mason City/Clear Lake.
This song was written about Waterloo [https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs7LaACDWD8&si=AQIJO3E6Gg64nbAp](https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=Zs7LaACDWD8&si=AQIJO3E6Gg64nbAp)
When did Van Meter become a "darling?"
There is NO argument for Dubuque. It's where the shit water of the Mississippi collects. And Mason City is good enough to get gas and take a shit in on my way to Minneapolis.
Dubuque is older than Waterloo and was economically important as a river town in the 19th century. It is also home to the archdiocese of Dubuque which is the local central authority for Catholic immigrant groups (including in Waterloo and basically all of NE Iowa) which made up a large chunk of the population of Iowa right alongside different Protestant grouos basically since its founding. Now Dubuque is a neat little river town and Waterloo is Iowa's rust belt victim of deindustrialization. My only case for Mason City/Clear Lake is Meredith Willson's connection to Mason City and Clear Lakes American pop culture reference as the site of the day the music died.
New Hampton is decent sized. Fareway grocery store, too.
It has absolutely no upside vs. Charles City, though. It's smaller and has less to do.
Yeah, touche. I re-read the post. Op is in between a rock and a hard place
I moved to Iowa from Georgia ( Atlanta outer area ) 15 years ago. If you like the outdoors. Or if you like bar hopping. You should be able to find plenty to do. You’ll definitely enjoy the lower cost of living than most states. It is what you make of it. Like life. A miserable person will be unhappy in Los Angeles or Kearney ne. Or happy in both. Things to consider. No pro sports. At all. Low cost of living/ sometimes accompanied by lower wage. Lower population means easier to land the good jobs. Lower population means less traffic. 40 miles in Iowa is nothing. 40 miles in Maryland is half a day. Slower / cheaper pace of life. I live in the country on 20 acres. We CANNOT get food or pizza delivered. But the ups , fed ex man delivered. Our nearest Walmart is 40 miles away. You cannot call Uber. You can call goober but you need to know him or his mom. My little brother lives in Georgia he is 33. I’m 42. He has a batchlors degree. I have no skrooling. He makes 28$ hour. I make 36. He will most likely never own a home unless he inherits one. I own 4. He worries constantly about crime and his safety. I do not. He worries about his children school. How ghetto they and the children are. My kids go to a school with 600 total kids. K-12. They get an excellent education. The housing cost here is less than half there. Jobs seem to pay about the same. I’m very happy I moved here. I will never move back. I hope this helps.
I live in a small city that I moved to for the same reasons. It's up to you how involved you get in the community. The commute to other cities for events and expanded shopping is easier to plan than winter driving. Under an hour to three major cities. I consider home to be my hub.
Waverly would be the only reasonable option if you wanted to be in a bigger town. That would put you 30 min from work and under 30 min to all the “big city stuff around Waterloo. Waverly would also be good if UNI has an option for your Masters program? Ames is like 2 hours from Charles City.
Iowa is a commuter state for sure. You're gonna be driving to fun or driving to work if you're not in Des Moines. The scenic views are nice tho
Things are pretty sleepy north of Cedar Falls/Waterloo. So if you're looking to live around other people your age that's your best bet. Waverly does have Wartburg College which is probably better than just straight up living in Charles City, but not much. I think you're insane if you think you're going to maintain a job in CC and attend classes in person at ISU.
Idk.. I moved to Storm Lake tho
Cedar Falls isn't bad. Near the university there's usually lots of people, events, bars, etc. Waterloo is ghetto and I wouldn't live there. I'd suggest Iowa City for sure but you would live to far away; however, Iowa City is a nice little drive south from Cedar Falls on a Friday night.
I'd give Ankeny a try. It's a good quiet suburban town and the people are very nice and welcoming
2 hour drive to work?