The Top 10 Reasons to Move to the Quad Cities

I am a fairly recent Quad Cities transplant, and although I grew up in a similarly sized Midwestern city,  I do think the QC has plenty to offer in terms of entertainment, dining, and overall fun. If you're a life long QC resident, you might be a little surprised to hear that. Maybe you think it's boring here, the weather sucks, or there's nothing to do (I've heard that one plenty of times). You might think there is no way you would recommend moving here to your friends. Well, I believe your experience is relative to your attitude, and there are plenty of reasons to not only enjoy living in the Quad Cities, but encourage others to relocate here (seriously!)

We've rounded up a list of the best reasons to move to the QC. This list is far from exhaustive; it's just a sampling of all the goodness the Quad Cities have to offer. If you're sick of living here, maybe they'll make you feel a little bit more appreciative.

In no particular order...

Daytrotter

How cool is it that we have a recording studio in downtown Davenport (formally located in Rock Island) that has hosted the likes of Vampire Weekend, Tori Amos, The Lumineers, Mumford and Sons, and the Counting Crows, along with some pretty amazing up and coming artists? Daytrotter's website has close to 2,000 sessions in the archives, aka an indie music lover's dream.

Educational Opportunities

If you're looking to pursue higher education, the QC has you covered. Augustana, St. Ambrose, Blackhawk, WIU Quad Cities campus, and the Eastern Iowa Community College District provide programs in the arts, business, physical therapy, nursing, vocational training, and so much more. And let's not forget that Palmer College of Chiropractic was the first school of chiropractic in the world, and also has the distinction of being the largest.

All of the awesome coffee shops

Dunn Brothers, Atomic, Redband, Milltown, Theo's, Dead Poet's Espresso, Rozz Tox, Downtown Central Perk, Coffee Hound, Cool Beanz... These are just a handful of the options that we are fortunate enough to have in the QC when we need a little caffeine boost. There's no reason to stop at Starbucks with this much local java goodness around.

Quad Cities Style Pizza

Sure, Chicago style pizza is delicious, but there is something special about the nutty texture of the QC style crust, and the strips make it easier to share with friends. (You know, if you actually wanted to share your pizza). And there are no shortage of options if you want to indulge. Harris and Uncle Bill's are a couple of our faves.

Freight House Farmer's Market

There are farmer's markets, and then there's Freight House. Not only does Freight House get extra points for staying open year-round inside, but the sheer size of the market at the beginning of the season rivals that of a county fair. From food trucks to farm stands, pet treats to local wine, fresh coffee to handmade jewelry, the market is the definition of something for everyone.

Beer! And liquor! And wine!

I don't need to tell you that we're pretty fortunate in the amount of breweries we have here in the QC. Great River, Bent River, Front Street, Radicle Effect, Blue Cat and Green Tree are just a few of the places that serve up tasty local brews. But we're also lucky to have distilleries close by as well. Artisan Grain in Davenport and the Mississippi River Distilling Company in LeClaire produce fantastic spirits. And if you weren't drunk enough after reading those sentences, there are also several wineries nearby, including Wide River in Clinton, Tycoga Winery in DeWitt, and Lavender Crest in Colona.

Whitey's

Needs no explanation. But maybe the fact that it was named Best Ice Cream in the WORLD by Conde Nast is enough to convince you.

Modern Woodman Park and the River Bandits

We are fortunate to not only have a Minor League baseball team that has spawned many MLB players, but a beautiful ballpark. Modern Woodmen took the top spot among minor league fields by Ballpark Digest last year, and has a chance of winning again this year.

Arts and Family Fun

The Bettendorf Family Museum, Figge Art Museum, John Deere Pavillion, Putnam Science Museum, Adler Theatre, Quad City Botanical Center, German Heritage Museum, Van der Veere Botanical Park, the many libraries throughout the QC and the Niabi Zoo all provide fun, educational experiences for families. There's always something to learn and do in the Quad Cities.

There are Four Cities (kind of five)

...Which all have distinct personalities. You could choose to live near the booming District area of downtown Rock Island, or live more of a quiet, suburban life in Bettendorf. The great part is that these areas are within only a short driving distance of each other. The QC has separate cities, but they're all so close in proximity that you can visit each one whenever you feel like it. And in addition to Davenport, Rock Island, Bettendorf, and Moline, the QC is also within short driving distance of cool towns like East Moline (the unofficial 5th city of the QC) LeClaire, DeWitt, Coal Valley, Muscatine, Milan, Colona, Clinton, Maquoketa and others that each have attractions of their own. The QCA has truly grown in terms of both size and entertainment, and that is a wonderful thing.