Artifacts was voted Best Vintage/Consignment Store in Little Village’s 2020 Best of the CRANDIC awards. Todd Thelan has owned Northside corner store Artifacts since 2003. This year he knocked a hole through a 150-year-old brick wall in the shop, tripling his space in the process. “It still freaks me out when I walk through that […]
Northside neighborhood
Cortado: La jukebox del Fox Head

Fue en la revista Dossier de Santiago de Chile (2015) en donde por primera vez escuché sobre la existencia del bar Fox Head de Iowa City. El autor del artículo era el escritor boliviano Maximiliano Barrientos, quien hace unos años vivió y estudió en esta ciudad. Luego de leer su texto―una mezcla de crónica y […]
Brix Cheese Shop & Wine Bar survives the pandemic with creativity and generosity

Communities tend to display their identity in the small businesses that line their streets. When you visit a new community, you likely won’t remember the drive-thru fast food cheeseburger you had in between meetings, but rather the local beer at the watering hole on the corner, or the first edition of your favorite novel at […]
Artifacts to expand into former El Banditos space

After 25 years in Iowa City’s Northside neighborhood, vintage and consignment shop Artifacts is tripling its space. The business, located on the corner of Market and Gilbert streets, is known for its narrow aisles packed with artwork, tchotchkes, vintage clothing, toys, tools, instruments, kitchenware and much more. Owner Todd Thelen said he’s long dreamed of […]
Road closure allows Northside restaurants to take to the streets

This summer, Iowa City is home to two pedestrian malls. In an effort to encourage social distancing and outdoor dining as businesses reopen, the city has closed a small stretch of North Linn Street — from Hamburg Inn to the Market Street intersection — to traffic, allowing restaurants to expand their patios into the road. […]
Public Space One to relocate to ‘a home for possibilities’ in Iowa City’s Northside for fall 2019
Your Village: What’s being built across the street from Hamburg Inn No. 2?
Iowa City Council rezones Northside property despite concerns about building height, senior housing

Following news during the Tuesday Iowa City Council meeting that designated senior housing would no longer be possible at a planned multi-use building on the corner of Linn and Market streets, city council members nearly denied rezoning the plot. The council ultimately approved the change in a 4 to 3 vote, with Rockne Cole, Pauline Taylor and John Thomas voting no. Mayor Jim Throgmorton changed his previous vote from no to yes, tipping the balance in favor of approval. […]
New flower store, Willow & Stock, moving in to former Home Ec. Workshop
Sonny’s Northside Tap to expand into former Taste of China location
All signs point to Beer Burger heading to Iowa City’s Northside

We’re filing this under “might happen,” not “is happening,” but several sources close enough to the situation to be considered reliable are all nodding their heads yes: the new restaurant going into the former Motley Cow Cafe space (160 N Linn St) will be a fast casual version of the North Liberty restaurant Beer Burger…
[…]