Since moving to small town in Eastern Iowa a year ago, my husband and I have adopted a mobile-office Friday routine that wraps up our work week and gets a jump on the weekend. Dubuque has become one of our favorite destinations. Not only Iowa’s oldest city, Dubuque is possibly also one of its most beautiful – and arguably one of its most genuinely creative.
Several weeks ago on a sunny early-fall day we loaded our laptops and bikes into our van and trekked the 45 miles to Dubuque, population 57,000. Coming into the city from the south on Highway 61, the majestic cliffs on the left and the river valley announce the geological shift from the gently-rolling terrain of eastern Iowa to the more dramatic, deeply carved river valleys, known as the Driftless Area of northeastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. Factories along the river give the city a rough edge, but there’s also a wabi sabi charm as you move beyond the smoke stacks to the gold-dome of the Dubuque Country Courthouse and the many old-fashioned church spires of this historically Catholic area.
We set up our mobile offices at Jitterz, a downtown coffee shop where three 20-something male customers sang in gusty falsettos to “We Built this City,” coming over on the speaker system. I began sketching out a plot for a novel whose idea had come to me the week before. When I worked myself into the corner of an illogical plot thread, I took a walk-n-stretch break and meandered to the news rack at Jitterz, where a free copy of Dubuque365 beckoned. This weekly report on the area’s artistic and cultural events has caught my eyes before with its snappy feature articles and colorful ads.
Just a quick perusal of 365 confirmed that the creative class is alive and well in Dubuque, as evidenced by an ad for an art exhibit being offered by Voices from the Warehouse District, as well as mention of such organizations and events as the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society, the Dubuque Museum of Art, Dubuque Fest (an art festival held every May), Riverfest (a fall festival), Brick Oven Studio (art center and gallery), and 5 Flags Civic Center.
After a couple hours of work, we walked out to our van and pulled out the bikes. Destination: Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens on the northwest side of town – about 30 minutes by bike and very uphill. Once there I sat in front of a prairie stand and sketched some Black-eyed Susans, while Chuck headed for the Japanese gardens.
While I sketched, I thought about this city of which I am growing so fond. The creativity here is organic – wild – with studios growing in the cracks of old warehouses and tucked in crumbling brownstones. I’d guess that more residents of Dubuque are engaged in more creative enterprises than residents of most cities this size. The two artists I’ve met from this area – poet/printer Peter Fraterdeus and painter Wendy Rolfe – certainly embody the spirit of which I speak. I’m guessing that the grass-roots creative vibe evidenced by so many in Dubuque is part of the reason that this Mississippi river town was voted the “Most Livable Small City” by the United States Conference of Mayors.
Several weeks ago on a sunny early-fall day we loaded our laptops and bikes into our van and trekked the 45 miles to Dubuque, population 57,000. Coming into the city from the south on Highway 61, the majestic cliffs on the left and the river valley announce the geological shift from the gently-rolling terrain of eastern Iowa to the more dramatic, deeply carved river valleys, known as the Driftless Area of northeastern Iowa and northwest Illinois. Factories along the river give the city a rough edge, but there’s also a wabi sabi charm as you move beyond the smoke stacks to the gold-dome of the Dubuque Country Courthouse and the many old-fashioned church spires of this historically Catholic area.
We set up our mobile offices at Jitterz, a downtown coffee shop where three 20-something male customers sang in gusty falsettos to “We Built this City,” coming over on the speaker system. I began sketching out a plot for a novel whose idea had come to me the week before. When I worked myself into the corner of an illogical plot thread, I took a walk-n-stretch break and meandered to the news rack at Jitterz, where a free copy of Dubuque365 beckoned. This weekly report on the area’s artistic and cultural events has caught my eyes before with its snappy feature articles and colorful ads.
Just a quick perusal of 365 confirmed that the creative class is alive and well in Dubuque, as evidenced by an ad for an art exhibit being offered by Voices from the Warehouse District, as well as mention of such organizations and events as the Dubuque County Fine Arts Society, the Dubuque Museum of Art, Dubuque Fest (an art festival held every May), Riverfest (a fall festival), Brick Oven Studio (art center and gallery), and 5 Flags Civic Center.
After a couple hours of work, we walked out to our van and pulled out the bikes. Destination: Dubuque Arboretum and Botanical Gardens on the northwest side of town – about 30 minutes by bike and very uphill. Once there I sat in front of a prairie stand and sketched some Black-eyed Susans, while Chuck headed for the Japanese gardens.
While I sketched, I thought about this city of which I am growing so fond. The creativity here is organic – wild – with studios growing in the cracks of old warehouses and tucked in crumbling brownstones. I’d guess that more residents of Dubuque are engaged in more creative enterprises than residents of most cities this size. The two artists I’ve met from this area – poet/printer Peter Fraterdeus and painter Wendy Rolfe – certainly embody the spirit of which I speak. I’m guessing that the grass-roots creative vibe evidenced by so many in Dubuque is part of the reason that this Mississippi river town was voted the “Most Livable Small City” by the United States Conference of Mayors.
I thought too about the wonderful freedom I enjoy as a freelancer writer and editor to take my office on the road like this – and to enjoy the company of my mate on Fridays. He’s not a writer, but his job also allows him a certain degree of flexibility. Our income isn’t as high as some, but with a life this that allows us to combine with and play so seamlessly, who cares?
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