Iowa City is a real gem to find. Being a University town, it has everything that most towns do not have. We experienced things that one would only expect to find in Chicago or New York or any other major city in the country. Coralville, Iowa is their sister city and abuts the city limits so be sure and visit both cities when you are there.
Their downtown area is where it is happening and you can walk everywhere which is great! You can walk to the University and take advantage of everything that the University of Iowa has to offer.
Be sure and visit all of their museums and galleries as well. There is a wonderful bookstore downtown that is located in a very old stone building that has thousands of books, The Haunted Bookshop, www.thehauntedbookshop.com/shop/haunted/index.html
There are dozens of places to visit in and around Iowa City. Some of our favorites were:
- Coralville Center for the Performing Arts, www.coralvillearts.org
- Englert Theatre in Iowa City which is home to the performing arts, www.englert.org
- Gazebo on the Green, which is a setting of 14 gardens on 22 acres, www.facebook.com/gazeboonthegreen
- Hancher Auditorium, for the performing arts, www.hancher.uiowa.edu
- Museum of Natural History, www.uiowa.edu/mnh
- The Old Capitol Museum. This was the first capitol in Iowa before it was moved to Des Moines but the beautiful old structure still stands and is open for viewing, www.uiowa.edu/oldcap
- Iowa Avenue Literary Walk, which is a series of bronze relief panels of noted authors. www.iowacitofliterature.org
Be sure and visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum as well as his boyhood home in West Branch, Iowa which is only about 12 miles east of Iowa City. It is extremely interesting to visit and has a lot of memorabilia about the President and is really a great history lesson. Their website is:www.hoover.archives.gov/
The University of Iowa is one of the finest in the nation. The Master of Fine Arts-a graduate degree based on creative work rather than an academic thesis-was born at there as the nation’s most celebrated creative writing program. Also is the home to renowned visual arts programs and boundary-crossing work in music and theatre.
There are a lot of great restaurants in Iowa City serving all types of food and of course we love food. Our favorites were
- Devotay, a tapas restaurant and artisan cocktail bar. It is the finest tapas restaurant in the Midwest. Check them out at www.devotay.net/
- The Atlas Restaurant and Bar, www.atlasiowacity.com/ is another great restaurant and next door to them is:
- Basta, www.bastaiowacity.com/ an Italian restaurant which is a very interesting place to dine.
- About a half a block away is the Pullman Diner and Bar, http://pullmandiner.com/ that is a very fun place.
But as they say about Iowa City, “Nothing can take the place of walking their streets, experiencing their scenic landscapes, meeting their people, engaging in their culture of their community and visiting their downtown shops and restaurants and bars.”
Before going, sure and visit www.iowacitycoralville.org and be sure to stay at the Brown Street Inn B and B when you go there. It truly is the BEST place in town to stay. Their website is: http://brownstreetinn.com/
Always remember to have fun when traveling, meet new people and talk to everyone!
TRAVELING IN OUR FABULOUS GAY WORLD is written by Donald Pile and Ray Williams, Award-winning, Celebrity travel columnists who write for gay publications from coast to coast (And now legally married).
Proud members of the IGLTA. You can email them at gaytravelers@aol.com and visit their website at http://gaytravelersataol.blogspot.com/
Iowa City has often been referred to as the “Athens of the Midwest” because of it’s rich cultural and educational offerings. Two of Iowa’s certified cultural and entertainment districts are positioned in the heart of Iowa City. The University of Iowa campus, intertwined with Downtown, showcases the Old Capitol Museum, the Pentacrest Museums and other cultural attractions throughout their community.
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) recognized Iowa City as the world’s third City of Literature joining Edinburgh, Scotland and Melbourne, Australia. It is THE only city of Literature in North America! That designation provides additional international luster to the community and serves to validate the area’s long history of nurturing the literary arts and those who appreciate them. Pound for pound, this area constitutes the most literate community in the world!
