Surrounding Area
Iowa City
Iowa City is a small city full of big city things to do. The home of the University of Iowa, Iowa City has the usual college town advantages – great restaurants, art galleries, and shopping, mixed with a small-town feel. Here is a short list of popular activities students do on any weekend in Iowa City.
- Go shopping on the Ped-Mall
- Catch a movie
- Grab a bite at Mexican, Indian or Greek restaurants or enjoy a quick meal at pizza joints, sushi bars, or other great establishments
- Listen to live music outdoors or in cafes throughout town
- Browse through the shelves at fantastic bookstores
- Catch a game of one of the University of Iowa sports teams
- Listen to a lecture at the University of Iowa
- See a play, ballet, or dance troupe at Hancher Auditorium
Iowa City offers many of the 'Big City' opportunities without many of the 'Big City' problems. It is a wonderful place to check out on your visit to Scattergood or when you are just passing by on I-80!
Coralville
A suburb of Iowa City, Coralville is the largest growing section of the Iowa City area. Known mostly for its incredible array of restaurants and motels, Coralville is also a very close knit community of about 30,000 people. Besides having its own library, recreation center, outdoor pool, and central park; Coralville is also home to the largest indoor mall in the state of Iowa. This facility not only houses several shopping opportunities, but also has a full-size hockey rink open for games and free-skating, as well as the Children’s Museum of Coralville. Though small by many standards, Coralville offers a lot of diverse cultural and shopping opportunities; enough to fill anyone's day or evening plans!
West Branch
West Branch is the small Iowa town many imagine. The birthplace of President Herbert Hoover, West Branch hosts the Herbert Hoover Presidential Museum and Library. This sizable historic site with buildings dating from the turn of the century is managed by the National Parks Service and has an extensive collection of exhibits dealing both with the life of Herbert Hoover as well as other relevant historical events. Tours are run daily but anyone is allowed to walk over and take in the sights.
The town itself features a Norman Rockwell-esque main street with shops and restaurants, a grocery store, and a post office. Folks leave their cars running and their doors unlocked when they run into the supermarket and anyone can poke around in a couple of antique shops, sit under the gazebo in the park, or stroll along the nature trail leading out of town. Scattergood is located about two miles away from the center of town, but students often bicycle in for supplies (burgers and soda), or catch a ride from a staff member. West Branch is no cultural Mecca, but it is a safe, charming, comfortable place to live and work.
