Iowa City

World : North America : United States of America : Midwest : Iowa : Iowa City

Iowa City is a city of just over 60,000 people in eastern Iowa. It is primarily known as the home of the University of Iowa.


Understand

Iowa City was the first capitol of the state of Iowa, before the capitol was moved westward to Des Moines. The city is primarily a college town, and the University of Iowa and its associated teaching hospital are among the primary employers in the area. Some manufacturing and a small but growing amount of university/commercial joint ventures also contribute to the economy.

The University of Iowa also plays a large role in the culture of Iowa City. College football and basketball games regularly draw large numbers of fans, resulting in an often festive atmosphere on game days. In terms of the arts, the university both attracts major performing artists and nurtures developing artists. Perhaps because of the university, Iowa City is significantly more liberal, more international and more ethnically diverse than most of the state.

Get in

By car

Iowa City can be reached by Interstate 80 from Chicago to the east and Des Moines to the west. Other highways include Interstate 380, a north-south road.

By plane

The nearest commercial airport, the Eastern Iowa Airport, is in Cedar Rapids, about 20 miles to the north.

Get around

By bus

Iowa City has an extensive bus system.

See

  • University of Iowa Museum of Art. 150 N. Riverside Drive, (319) 335-1727. [1] Open W, Sa-Su 12 noon-5 PM, Th-F 12 noon- 9 PM. Closed M-Tu. Some European paintings, large collection of African art, changing exhibitions. Gift shop, coffee bar. Free admission.
  • University of Iowa Museum of Natural History inside MacBride Hall at the corner of Jefferson and Clinton Streets. (319) 335-0480. [2] Open Su 1-5 PM, Tu-F 10 AM-3 PM, Sa 10 AM-5 PM. Displays of Iowa's geology and ecology, as well as Native American culture. Features a reconstruction of a giant ground sloth and a large collection of birds. Gift shop. Free admission.

Do

Buy

Eat

  • The Hamburg Inn No. 2, 214 North Linn Street, (319) 337-5512. [3] Hamburgers, soups, a large selection of omelettes and more. Open 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. An Iowa City institution.
  • Lou Henri', 630 Iowa Avenue, (319) 351-3637. Open only for breakfast and lunch. (The BEST breakfast in town! Great music.)
  • Masala, 9 South Dubuque Street, (319) 338-6199. Indian vegetarian food. Open daily from 11:15 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. and 5-9:30 p.m. (This place is BAD Indian food. They use VERY little spice and is only in business because there is no competition in Iowa City.)
  • Pagliai's Pizza, 302 East Bloomington Street, (319) 351-5073. Pizza from family recipes. Open 4 p.m to 12 midnight Monday-Saturday, 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday. (Best pizza in town. Thin-crust style.)
  • Whitey's Ice Cream, 112 East Washington Street, (319) 354-1200. [4] This regional chain has been making ice cream since 1933. Famously thick milk shakes. (The name says it all.)
  • Z'Mariks Noodle Cafe, 19 South Dubuque Street, (319) 338-5500. Asian, Greek and Italian noodle dishes. (This is a local favorite. Must try.)
  • The Motley Cow Cafe, 327 E Market St, (319) 688-9177. Wonderful. Must try.
  • Linn Street Cafe, 121 North Linn Street, (319) 337-7370. Fine Dining.

Drink

Because of the university, downtown Iowa City is usually very busy on weekend nights. There is a bar for everyone, including bars that are more off the beaten track.

  • The Airliner is an Iowa City staple; it's been around for decades. It's known for incredible pizza ($1/slice on Sundays) and cheap drinks.
  • Joe's Place is a bar that, though downtown, generally caters to an older crowd. Fairly laid-back atmosphere.
  • Q Bar is a good place to play pool and get cheap beer. Draws a fairly diverse crowd and has great music with frequent shows upstairs.
  • Brother's Due to the large cover for underagers, this also caters to an older crowd. There's a dance floor and it's pretty upbeat.
  • Atlas World Grill is a pretty classy place, though the drinks are a bit more expensive. Great wine and cuisine.
  • Hanrahan's Good towny bar.
  • The Vine is a good place to get wings and drink beer on a game day.
  • Sports Column caters mostly to underage college kids with a variety of cheap drinks. It gets pretty chaotic on the weekends, but if that's your thing it's great.

Sleep

Get out