So what did you think of Iowa City?

[BisonAccountant44]

How is Ames>Iowa City? The city of Ames blows ass compared to either Manhattan or IC. If we are talking about tailgating, fine, ISU has a way better scene than Iowa. Ames is one of the worst P5 college town I've been to...just seemed very ho-hum.



Wait, where did you see house parties with college kids? I only saw houses around the stadium with older people and young kids. We specifically brought shots to offer to people that looked like they could use one...and we literally found no one. Insanely underwhelmed with the tailgating scene.

Downtown was a different story. I loved the city...the atmosphere on the ped mall, etc. Just not really what I expected for Iowa.

Tailgating and the entire atmosphere around the game had a lot to do with it. Ames>>>>>>Iowa City in that area. As for the rest of the weekend, I'll give you everything we went to in both Coralville on Friday night and downtown IC on Saturday night was much nicer, newer, more metropolitan feeling than anything Ames had. That's not what I wanted out of the weekend though.

Brothers? Yay chain college club that when I was in my 20's I only went to so I could do too many $1 jag bombs and find a random....outgrew that a few years ago and if I really wanted to I could go there any day of the week here. We had a really nice dinner at Graze and walked around the downtown, checked out a few of the other bars and there's no denying that it's a nice area. I'd rather go to the Turf and Chubs like places that are unique to that campus and town like we did in Ames than the ped mall stuff in Iowa City when I'm in a new college town for a college football game.

Now, if you asked me which area would I rather live in and go to on a random weekend for probably any other occasion then downtown Iowa City beats Ames hands down, but for my one night in town for a football game, the ped mall isn't what I'm looking for. It's an experience I can get here anytime.

[Christopher Moen]

Didn't get to enjoy the actual city much as I stayed in Cedar Falls friday and Minneapolis Saturday but the stadium was actually quite underwhelming and disappointing. I was really hoping for a loud fun college atmosphere but left disappointed. Tailgating scene was cool and definitely unique. Stadium architecture was neat. Loved the brick arches underneath the stands. As far overall environment of Kinnick it was equal to Iowa State in my opinion. Iowa City seemed like 100x the town of Ames however.

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They could spell heavily-voweled words pretty loud.

[MNLonghorn10]

Tailgating and the entire atmosphere around the game had a lot to do with it. Ames>>>>>>Iowa City in that area. As for the rest of the weekend, I'll give you everything we went to in both Coralville on Friday night and downtown IC on Saturday night was much nicer, newer, more metropolitan feeling than anything Ames had. That's not what I wanted out of the weekend though.

Brothers? Yay chain college club that when I was in my 20's I only went to so I could do too many $1 jag bombs and find a random....outgrew that a few years ago and if I really wanted to I could go there any day of the week here. We had a really nice dinner at Graze and walked around the downtown, checked out a few of the other bars and there's no denying that it's a nice area. I'd rather go to the Turf and Chubs like places that are unique to that campus and town like we did in Ames than the ped mall stuff in Iowa City when I'm in a new college town for a college football game.

Now, if you asked me which area would I rather live in and go to on a random weekend for probably any other occasion then downtown Iowa City beats Ames hands down, but for my one night in town for a football game, the ped mall isn't what I'm looking for. It's an experience I can get here anytime.

What did the atmosphere at ISU do to become greater than Iowa? Ive been to Jack Trice as an NDSU and Texas fan...the atmosphere is dull. We're in agreement that the tailgating was significantly because it was lots around the stadium. Iowas gameday atmosphere was also dull. They also had a lot more on the line being #13 and the butt clenching factor after they breezed through their first 2 games..this was unchartered territory with them.

Brothers didn't stand out, but it played loud music, was out doors and from what I remember, cheap drinks. filled with Bison fans post game. Who cares if you went there in your 20s and outgrew it, or can go there at any given notice...the majority of us don't live in Minneapolis on this board.

Donnellys and Saloon on the ped mall were what they were. pit stops along the way in the bar hop...places like the turf and chubs are secluded by themselves and are the only stops of the night unless you want to hail a cab and go some place else secluded.

Ames had their ISU bars on Welch street IIRC, but I got more sober as the night went on due to lack of booze in their drinks.

[Bisonwinagn]

House parties I saw were off the main street down Melrose ct and Myrtle Ave. The walkable downtown was awesome so I didn't have to drive anywhere, and I could check out multiple places. Not a fan of sitting in one bar all night.

[Jables77]

Downtown was great. Lots of great restaurants and bars. I was in Mickeys, Sports Column, Saloon, and Brothers. The band came into Sports Column on Friday night and tried to shut down the chanting Bison fans. We had to endure about 6 songs as band members stood on top of tables. They amazingly had a beer special for any day during your birthday week. 20 pitchers of Keystone Light for $30. haha
The stadium was a typical Big Ten stadium. I think it may have been not as loud as normal since the Bison were spoiling the day.
The tailgate at the high school was odd, but I had fun. I made it into the lot at right about 6:00. The porta situation was very annoying. I spent some quality party time standing in line.
The shuttle situation was a disaster. The pick up spot was almost a mile north. The drop off spot was at least 3/4 of a mile from the stadium. If you do the math, it was easier just to walk straight to the stadium from the high school. I'm glad I did. I am confused as to why it was suggested to do that. I feel for anyone that did. I walked back after the game and arrived at the lot about 2:30ish. Some people showed up later at 4:00 that elected to use the shuttle. They stood in line for 45 mins and sat on a cramped bus barely inching along. Then a mile walk from the drop off, up hill to the high school. Yikes!

[56BISON73]

Downtown was great. Lots of great restaurants and bars. I was in Mickeys, Sports Column, Saloon, and Brothers. The band came into Sports Column on Friday night and tried to shut down the chanting Bison fans. We had to endure about 6 songs as band members stood on top of tables. They amazingly had a beer special for any day during your birthday week. 20 pitchers of Keystone Light for $30. haha
The stadium was a typical Big Ten stadium. I think it may have been not as loud as normal since the Bison were spoiling the day.
The tailgate at the high school was odd, but I had fun. I made it into the lot at right about 6:00. The porta situation was very annoying. I spent some quality party time standing in line.
The shuttle situation was a disaster. The pick up spot was almost a mile north. The drop off spot was at least 3/4 of a mile from the stadium. If you do the math, it was easier just to walk straight to the stadium from the high school. I'm glad I did. I am confused as to why it was suggested to do that. I feel for anyone that did. I walked back after the game and arrived at the lot about 2:30ish. Some people showed up later at 4:00 that elected to use the shuttle. They stood in line for 45 mins and sat on a cramped bus barely inching along. Then a mile walk from the drop off, up hill to the high school. Yikes!

Two words--

The Hawkeye Express

[Jables77]

Two words--

The Hawkeye Express

The train that comes nowhere near Bison tailgate lot..? Yeah, sounds good.

[grizlandbisonfan]

Two words--

The Hawkeye Express

Did they get through all of the people on the Hawkeye express? The line was wrapped around melrose, across the bridge, and a block up the next street over to the west. I elected to get a ride up to the mall to pick up my vehicle and there was a whole hord of people walking up 1st Ave like they never got on the train (this was several hours after the game) and the train was parked. The train looked like a complete sh--show after the game.

[THEsocalledfan]

Based on the tailgating experience, I need to rank it (for FBS games I've gone to):

1. Iowa St.
2. MN '06
3. MN '07
4. MN '11
5. K St.
6. Iowa

[Mr Meaty]

Did they get through all of the people on the Hawkeye express? The line was wrapped around melrose, across the bridge, and a block up the next street over to the west. I elected to get a ride up to the mall to pick up my vehicle and there was a whole hord of people walking up 1st Ave like they never got on the train (this was several hours after the game) and the train was parked. The train looked like a complete sh--show after the game.

WE took the train both ways. First ride in the morning. By the time we got out of the stadium and to the end of the line was about an hour. We were in the line maybe another hour. It moved really fast. Only took two drinks to wait in line going back.