This is a really cool monument in Iowa history. There is a lot of history to learn here, and the…read morebuilding architecture and decor is really neat. It's all free too! The only reason we didn't give it 5 stars is parking is a little difficult to obtain to get to the building, and there's not TONS of info in the building. Definitely worth checking out if you're in the area.

A must-see in Iowa City. Free! Swing by here before or after you visit the Museum of Natural…read more History Museum in Macbride Hall. We've lived in Iowa City and worked on campus for a couple of years and (I'm embarrassed to say) finally visited. Pre-1857 Iowa City was the capital of the state of Iowa. This building is THE former state capital. I loved seeing how the building and its artifacts have been preserved. A heck of a lot of history here. We'll be back because there was a private event going on upstairs so we weren't able to explore those floors. Recommend. Consider donating to the museum/university's preservation efforts.

Strolling along Newbo and came upon this store. The owner is super friendly and helpful. Obviously…read moretakes pride in her store and gave an impromptu tour. The fabrics are elegant with bold colors. There are several class options where one can create their own art using fabric and sewing. Available for novice to expert.

Love this concept! They take paintings by local artists and make them into fabrics. There are…read moresome beautiful colorful choices, and they also hold classes on how to make some really cool things using the fabrics - wish I lived there, I'd take a class (or 2)!

A hidden gem in a historical building offering diverse music, art, and theater. This nonprofit…read moreorganization prides itself in providing diverse events at super low admission fees.

CSPS is an eclectic cultural center housed in an 1891 building in the heart of the NewBo district…read more The main auditorium has a full schedule of traveling musicians, in-residence theater and music troupes, improv, you name it. 3 free art galleries present avant garde, regional, and national artists. Full bar. Fun, quirky and worth it.

Luxe Interiors has been on my radar since it moved to the Northside. I am one of those…read more'I-watch-HGTV-so-I'm-basically-a-professional' types. Logically, I wanted to confer with like minds. I stopped in one downtown district shop crawl and was instantly greeted by the shop owner, Jan. What a wonderful lady! I loved the shop. A couple Iowa-centric items, lots of beautiful decor, paintings, furniture-- all carefully curated. I begrudgingly left that night empty handed. (A lot of the items on my radar were not surprisingly pricey. I unfortunately tend to have expensive taste. And this shop definitely has some higher end items.) Then, last week, I realized they sell items ONLINE with free contactless local delivery. *Happy Dance* I'm not sure if you've perused the Northside? But currently an entire street is closed to outside dining which is amazing, but does the parking situation no favors. ANYWAYS. The online shop was filled with candles, tea towels, furniture, pillows, vases, rugs, artwork... the whole gambit. I found an amazing photo of the pedestrian mall in the rain. I couldn't resist. My treasure was well priced. Jan emailed me personally that night to set up next day delivery. I found my package neatly put between my doors, packed with care. The cherry on top was a handwritten note from the shop owner. The picture is perfection. I haven't used Luxe for interior design purposes. (And due to my frequent HGTV watching and inherent designing expertise, let's face it. I probably won't anytime soon. ;)) But Jan is fabulous, the shop has tons of flair. A great addition to downtown! Stop by virtually or IRL.

Fraud is a word I would use to describe how this business is run. We engaged with the owner in…read moreApril, placed an order on July 6th for $17,000. We left a $10,000 deposit. In August, we received another email with an invoice for $2,100 as she had received items in her warehouse which we paid. The owner failed to keep us posted on timelines and deliveries which we were supposed to have in September (after paying for items in August). Our delivery was scheduled for October 22 when I got a call that the truck had been in an accident and all of our pieces were damaged and she would have to reorder. She did not offer a refund. Months later, she delivers $6,000 worth of the items. That was the end of it. I finally called and demanded a refund which they processed (has not reached my card yet). I come to find out that 1) No one at Luxe Interiors ever heard anything about an accident and 2) the order for one sofa was never placed and the other order was placed then cancelled back in December. STAY FAR AWAY FROM THESE LYING CRIMINALS!

Obama was in Iowa City a few days ago, so I called up the online version of the Daily Iowan to…read more"Read All About It". The visit and the associated commentaries were well presented and represented as the Health Care debate rages on and most definitely into the November elections. However, as a University of Iowa graduate, I really enjoyed seeing Iowa City (and Iowa) being shown off again to the nation. And when Obama went into Prairie Lights Books for the latest by Rove and Romney, I smiled as I had been there too and in that same section of the store. I also wonder if he also stopped at Hamburg Inn #2? As for the DI, I picked up my copy when I was on Campus a few weeks ago and in a small way "caught up". The print copy was harder to find as most students probably get their news online. Instead, I took my copy up to the coffee shop at Prairie Lights and took my news analog style and with a hot cup of Joe. And I can easily say that this student run paper still does a great job keeping up with all things Hawkeye.

I can't believe this was $70 for this. $60 for flowers, $10 for delivery. What an embarrassment…read morethat my Mother received these today for Mother's Day. It looks like they just took their $25 bouquet and stuck it in a vase. So disheartening. Just wow...

Hyvee always does a great job on floral arrangements. They listened to my boyfriend when he said I…read moredidn't care for bows. Always an amazing job !

This made for the perfect afternoon activity while embracing our inner artist. We stopped by on a…read moreSunday afternoon and the staff happily walked us through all the steps in making our masterpieces. They have a large range of ceramic pieces to choose from and an array of colors to bring your piece to life. Once you are done you leave it with them and they throw on a clear coat and fire your work of art making it ready for pick up in 7-10 days and ours was ready in only 6! I can't wait to come back and make a candle!

I highly recommend Artisan Insight Studios to anyone looking for a fun and affordable artistic…read moreexperience! The staff is so friendly and walks you through the steps! They have a sweet pup there as well! I found the prices to be incredibly reasonable. They have so many different ceramic pieces to choose from. It made for a perfect "on-a-whim" Saturday afternoon activity. I look forward to going back in the future and painting more ceramics as well as checking out their candle making experience!

Highly recommend! I just wanted to write this review that tells everyone how amazing my order was…read more Please consider shopping online and purchasing Fabric with confidence. I was able to get a great value in my Fabric and everything arrived. Timely packaged well and cut accurately. I would highly recommend Brooklyn Fabric company to anyone I know! happy online shopping!

Good selection and price, at $10 a yard. With fabric stores closing around the country, the…read morechoices are difficult on line and mostly more expensive. At this place, you get what you pay for...less. Colors and prints are good but fabric is thin and not of a tight weave. Im disappointed with the 4 cuts I got. I'll see what I can find elsewhere.