Have a question about what’s going on in your community? Ask Little Village. Submit your questions through the Your Village feature on our homepage, or email us at editor@littlevillagemag.com. There’s a Nixon Elementary in Hiawatha?????? Why would they name a […]
Have a question about what’s going on in your community? Ask Little Village. Submit your questions through the Your Village feature on our homepage, or email us at editor@littlevillagemag.com. Why isn’t Rusty the Giant Sloth the official state fossil? —ME, […]
Have a question about what’s going on in your community? Ask Little Village. Submit your questions through the Your Village feature on our homepage, or email us at editor@littlevillagemag.com. So Quaker Oats is finally dropping the Aunt Jemima brand. What’s […]
Have a question about what’s going on in your community? Ask Little Village. Submit your questions through the Your Village feature on our homepage, or email us at editor@littlevillagemag.com. Have there been any changes to Iowa City’s recycling program to […]
Have a question about what’s going on in your community? Ask Little Village. Submit your questions through the Your Village feature on our homepage, or email us at editor@littlevillagemag.com. I’d like to know more about Emma Harvat, the first woman […]
I remember there used to be a strip club in Coralville, but it closed down. How could the only strip club near a big university go out of business? —Anonymous There are lots of ways for a strip club to go out of business, but Dolls Inc in Coralville is probably the only one driven to extinction by a rainforest. Or rather, plans for a massive indoor rainforest. […]
“Why is George’s called ‘George’s Buffet’ when there’s no buffet?” – Elizabeth, Iowa City. At this point, the most accurate answer is probably “tradition.” Apparently, when George Kanak opened the bar in February 1939, he meant to make it stand out from other bars that served food by offering a full buffet. But if George’s ever had […]
According to the maps I find online, the lake in Lake Macbride State Park is Lake McBride. Are they named after the same person? Or did Macbride get the park and Macbride Hall at UI named after him, and McBride basically didn’t get anything other than me, years later, doubting his existence? —Matt, Iowa City […]
The story behind the Ten Commandments monument in Cedar Rapids’ Plaza Park on May’s Island probably isn’t what you imagine. Unless you think it involves a teenage car thief and a legendary movie director — then it’s exactly what you imagine. […]
“I cannot understand what the voice is saying at the downtown crosswalks after it announces the street name. It bugs me every time I hear it. It says something like ‘Clinton, Clinton, walk standing on the blocks.'” (Anonymous, Iowa City, via email) Well, the “Clinton” part is right. The rest is… close. Sort of. […]
“What kind of name is Chauncey for a building?” In most cities, The Chauncey would be a wonderful or terrible name, depending on personal preference, but in Iowa City it is historic. Like the park and the parking ramp next to it, the new 15-story mixed-use building borrows its name from Chauncey Swan, who’s been called “the father of Iowa City.” […]
It’s surprising how many people don’t notice a 25-foot-long, 8-foot-tall bike rack in the shape of the letters P-L-A-Y is missing until you point out it’s gone. Technically, it’s not a rack, it’s a “parklet,” which is a structure that not only offers large-scale bike parking (in this case, 40 bikes), but is also supposed to help beautify its surroundings. […]
