"CRapids"

Surely most teenagers living in Cedar Rapids have heard the phrase "CRapids". In reality though, is Cedar Rapids all that crappy? That question you could argue either way. Cedar Rapids definitely has some pros, but it also carries some cons.

Cedar Rapids has that suburb feel, without actually being near a big city. It is a mix of big and small, and I like it. Cedar Rapids is the City of Five Seasons, which to this day, I don't know what the fifth season is. There is a parody of this phrase that calls Cedar Rapids, the City of Five Smells. This refers mostly to Quaker Oats. When driving by on the interstate or downtown, you can usually tell what kind of cereal they are making that day based on what the smell is.

As far as calling Cedar Rapids, CRapids, is this name really just, or not? Some pros of Cedar Rapids is the nice size and feel of the city. We have our own minor league baseball team, The Kernels. We are in the process of getting a semi-professional football team, The Cedar Rapids Titans. There is a new outdoor amphitheater being built by the police station. We have large businesses such as Alliant Energy, Quaker Oats, ADM Corn sweeteners, and General Mills. There have been some famous people that grew up in Cedar Rapids, such as Zach Johnson and Kurt Warner.

Cons of Cedar Rapids are numerous. The downtown area is relative unattractive, especially after the Flood of 2008. Because of this flood, downtown Cedar Rapids has dramatically taken a hit on businesses. There are not a lot of things to do. Potholes are numerous all throughout the city. Geographically in Iowa, the seasons suck. In the winter, it is extremely cold and there is a ton of snow. In the summer it is unbearably hot, so hot that you don't want to go outside.

Although there both pros and cons of Cedar Rapids, I have lived here for 17 years and it is home to me.

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