LeMars, Iowa. The…read morewonderful little town that most people have NEVER heard of. "Ice cream capital of the world" thanks to Wells' Blue Bunny. LeMars is a quintessential small town of America. Safe and friendly. Family BBQ's at the park and parades for homecoming. Good schools and solid churches. Very good place to raise a family. You can leave your car unlocked and your screen door open. Sincerely, this is a fantastic little town. The winters are way too cold and the summers can get very hot and humid, but if you're more interested in quality of life than weather and lots of entertainment and dining options, this is the town for you. Go Bulldogs!

Located in Orange City, Iowa, Northwestern College is a coed private Christian 4 year institution…read morewith high values instilled among students, faculty, and staff. Facilities are top notch and the campus is relatively clean and well maintained. The staff are helpful and friendly, especially when you are lost and need assistance to locate a department or building. Athletics are well supported with an outstanding field house and equipment. The cost will be higher than a state institution but you get what you pay for at this college.

I am so glad I went to Northwestern. The education was excellent, but the absolute best part was…read morethe professors. Not only do they care about you academically, they also care about you as a person. The best four years of my life were spent here, and I am so thankful that Northwestern has such awesome people. Truly a wonderful place.

Clean, Friendly, Affordable, have many options for working out or getting a game going.read more

The YMCA is an awesome place to workout. They recently upgraded all of their cardio equipment,…read morethey have numerous classes to take (Yoga, Pilates, Boot Camp, etc), great lifting equipment, full basketball courts, racquetball court, great staff and the option for indoor and/or outdoor pool access with your membership (at an additional cost). Their prices are very reasonable as well. I paid $636.65 (tax included) for a yearly family membership with the indoor pool option, which included two free months (New Years Resolution rate). Before you say, "Whooooah, that seems expensive!!", understand this price comes out to be only $1.498 per day (at 14 Months/425 days). Now divide that by the number of family members you have and it really becomes apparent how economical it really is. Just for kicks, compare that price to a larger metropolitan facility in Iowa, such as Prairie Life Fitness in Des Moines at $2.33 a day for an individual month to month membership (NOT including unnecessary and expensive sign-up fees). Living in the Ice Cream Capital of the World and the surrounding area, certainly has it's cost of living advantages. If you want to workout (or workOFF that ice cream weight) there are also three large economically priced workout facilities to choose from: 24 Hour Fitness on Hwy 75, The Body Shop on Central Ave. and the YMCA on 12th St. The 24 Hour Fitness and The Body Shop facilities definitely have a clear advantage over the YMCA if you can't workout during the day - they have better hours. 24 Hour Fitness and The Body Shop are open all hours of the day (including holidays), compared to the YMCA at 5 AM to 10 PM Monday through Thursday, 5 AM to 8 PM Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM Saturday and 1 PM to 5 PM on Sunday. Although I have not researched the cost of 24 Hour Fitness, compare the YMCA's Family Membership cost with The Body Shop's (for the same promo period as the YMCA). The Body Shop's Family Membership is $577.16 (tax included) for thirteen months for the cost of twelve ($1.461 per day). However given the number of additional amenities included with the YMCA membership (indoor pool, showers, courts, classes, etc) for only about $59.50 more than The Body Shop's, the Y's membership benefits simply outweigh The Body Shop's hands down.