4 Reasons to Move to Ames, IA, Right Now
No matter what stage of life you’re in, the Ames, Greater Boone and Story County region is a great place to grow roots. The area boasts plenty of careers, college-town vibes, community events, tons of indoor and outdoor entertainment and – perhaps most important – genuinely friendly residents. Check out these four reasons why you should consider making the move to Ames and the surrounding communities.
In This Article
1. The Draw of Home
When Melissa Muschick moved to Story County seat Nevada (pronounced with a long “A”) in 1999, she was a typical teenager. “The world sucks, and I hate everybody” is how she describes her attitude as a high school freshman. But she was quickly won over by the people she met there.
“I moved from a class of 400 to a class of 99, and everyone was so kind,” she says. “Everyone was so nice. It was such a difference for me.”
She loved it so much that she still lives there with her husband (a Nevada native) and their two teenage children.
Huxley resident Chelsea Trowbridge feels the same, though she discovered her love for the region in a roundabout way: Born and raised in Ames, she was the third generation of her family to attend Iowa State University (ISU). “I’m sure as an Ames native I once said, ‘I’m leaving and don’t plan to come back,’” she says. She made good on at least part of that statement, moving to Los Angeles after college, where she married and started a family.
After seven years in California, Trowbridge found she was spending all her vacation time in Iowa, so in autumn of 2015, she and her husband moved back with their infant daughter.
“We moved into an incredible neighborhood in Huxley with kids and families we spend so much time with. The convenience of having friends so close (for both kids and adults) is invaluable. It means playdates don’t always have to be preplanned and coordinated,” she says. “It means you have help when needed and can help others as needed.”
2. The Career Opportunities
Ames native Kate Crow also returned to her hometown after completing her undergraduate degree at Des Moines’ Grand View University in 2018. She elected to stay close to home while beginning her career.
A key factor, she says, was “having the support system of parents and other family members in town, especially as I was getting into the young professional area of life and not knowing what I wanted to do.”
Muschick says that as a young professional, her career benefitted from the depth of the connections she made in Ames, access to opportunities that may not have been available to her in a much larger community, and the willingness of locals to lend a hand.
“I started my career in a small business. That owner was willing to teach me,” she says. “The willingness to [invest] in people is here, where in other places, it’s like, ‘What can you do for me?’ I love that.”
Crow has now worked at ISU for over four years, but her passion is coaching youth softball. Thanks to her high school and collegiate softball careers, she was tapped as the director of softball operations at local sports facility 3T’s All Stars. She created the program from scratch and has been overseeing teams and coaches as well as coaching 8- to 14-year-old girls for five years now.
3. The Bountiful Amenities
Crow admits she spends much of the time she’s not working at ISU on the softball diamond, but when she’s not, she loves to visit downtown Ames.
“I love locally owned things,” she says, as she reels off a list of shops, bars and restaurants she patronizes: Z.W. Mercantile, Dog-Eared Books, North Grand Cinema, Della Viti Wine Bar, Hickory Park, and The Café. Book lover Trowbridge and her family often spend their free time visiting Huxley and Slater public libraries; Reiman Gardens, Ames’ 17-acre botanical garden; or driving through Madrid’s Ledges State Park.
And while Muschick’s time is heavily invested in her teens’ activities and her own volunteer efforts, she still finds time to make it to community festivals, like the Octagon Art Festival, where she can catch up with friends and neighbors, and to spots like Ada Hayden Heritage Park.
“I have always loved Ames,” Crow says. “It’s a smaller town, but when students are here it’s midsize. There’s always stuff to do and a lot going on.” Muschick is even more succinct: “I don’t know why people don’t want to live here.”
4. The Family Fun Finds
Families love the Ames, Greater Boone and Story County region, as it offers plenty of activities that kids and parents can enjoy together. Round up your clan – here are a few adventures you can have in the area:
Story County Freedom Rock: Head to Maxwell and cast your gaze on the Story County Freedom Rock, a large rock painted by Ray “Bubba” Sorensen to honor America’s veterans. This piece is one of 99, as Sorensen painted a rock for each Iowa county.
Story City Antique Carousel: Since 1913, the Story City Antique Carousel has entertained kids and their families with calliope tunes and rides at North Park. The carousel costs $1 per person and is in operation May through September.
SCORE Recreation/Athletic Center: Nevada’s SCORE Recreation/Athletic Center is a 58-acre sports park, which features soccer fields, softball/ baseball diamonds, tennis courts, a basketball court, an outdoor swimming pool and two playgrounds. Plus, it has a lighted walking trail.
Perfect Games: The competition is sure to heat up at Perfect Games in Ames. This popular recreation destination features attractions like bowling, laser tag, an arcade, mini golf and a kid’s zone. Also on-site is a sports bar that often hosts special events.
Bonus: History is Honored Here
The football stadium at Iowa State University is named Jack Trice Stadium in honor of Johnny (Jack) Trice. Trice became the first Black athlete at what was then Iowa State College when the football coach welcomed him onto the Cyclones team in 1922. However, during a game in 1923 against the University of Minnesota, Trice suffered a broken collarbone and internal bleeding. He died in the hospital two days later at the age of 21.
Today, in addition to the stadium name, Trice is remembered and honored through the Trice Legacy Foundation, which raises money to help increase Black student enrollment at universities and colleges throughout Iowa. The foundation is not affiliated with ISU but is run and managed by family bloodline members of Jack Trice.
Family members note how Trice penned an open letter to himself in 1923 that included words of determination that the foundation is built on today – “The honor of my race, family and self are at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will!”
Trice had a belief that family, community and education were the pillars of his existence, and he had a goal of ultimately earning a degree in animal husbandry and then going to the South to work with Black sharecroppers.
A statue of Jack Trice was erected at Cyclone Stadium in 1987, and the stadium was renamed Jack Trice Stadium in 1997. For more information on the Trice Legacy Foundation, click here.
– Kevin Litwin contributed to this article.
Get to Know Ames
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