inspired adventurer: Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Cedar Rapids, Iowa - Newbo Neighborhood

Yesterday I spent the afternoon wandering around a neighborhood of Cedar Rapids called "Newbo" for "New Bohemia"- an area which was heavily damaged during the 2008 flood. It was home to many of the oldest homes and buildings and to the Czech Village area, which has also since been somewhat rebuilt. In the two years that I've visited the area, the last six month interval has created the greatest expanse of cultural growth. Gorgeous restorations of old buildings preserving historic details create a naturally artistic atmosphere to house the new shops which have sprung up or relocated.

It's the buildings that frame the art, but it's the folks inside who make the place welcoming. Door after door, I wandered into another person who made the afternoon an experience rather than an observation. To describe Iowa: comfortable, simple, meandering and welcome.

Third Street Resale, a shop which has been around 10 years, but relocated from the CSPS building recently into this new updated old space. I found an old Viewmaster in here with slides of Chicago.

Third Street Resale

Newbo Bicycle Collective:

Best use of a chainring and crank!

You can work on your own bicycle for $5 an hour or have someone else do it for $100 per hour. I'm guessing they are trying to encourage bike self empowerment.

They have community action meetings in the neighborhood at a number of the stores in the neighborhood.

The Ceramics Center in the Cherry Building

Metalworks in the Cherry Building

Kilns in the Cherry Building

Restored elevator in the Cherry Building

Cool old ceiling in this second hand shoppe

Inside the CSPS building

Beautiful artist Pieta Brown from Iowa City was on the over head speaker. She's playing at CSPS on January 18. "The world left me on my own. Not the first or the last."

View from the CSPS

House Rules

CSPS upstairs bar with view

Massive affinity for this view I had

Again

Attention to detail

Art in the CSPS

I think little kids would love this. I did.

"The morning's sermon is ten millions raindrops falling on ten million leaves- the messages goes straight to the heart though not one word has been spoken."