Is it Nevada, or is it Iowa? It's Nevada, Iowa and the story about this Story County city with a population close to 6,800 is its 10-or-so miles east of Ames, which has about 60,000 residents, and covers an area of approximately five square miles. That should help narrow your search for a rental property in this quaint farmland community.
Let's get one thing straight right off the bat
Is it Nevada, or is it Iowa? It's Nevada, Iowa and the story about this Story County city with a population close to 6,800 is its 10-or-so miles east of Ames, which has about 60,000 residents, and covers an area of approximately five square miles. That should help narrow your search for a rental property in this quaint farmland community.
Let's get one thing straight right off the bat. Nevada is pronounced Nuh-VAY-duh, different from the western U.S. state of the same name. Don't pronounce it wrong now, lest we upset the locals. Nevada may be small, but it's bursting at the seams with local color. You won't find big box Genericana here but rather classic Americana with a picturesque brick-face downtown complete with a county courthouse at its center. Small city parks dot the landscape and neighborhood streets are lined with large trees and you'll see the occasional basketball hoop (after all this is Iowa) and older homes with comfy backyards. While you won't find the glitz and glamor of city life here, what you will find is a small town full of locally-owned businesses, cafes, restaurants and taverns, and shops. Nevada is the type of place where it seems like everybody knows everyone, or at least a little something about the neighbors up the street, in a good way. The residents of Nevada are a friendly bunch and the town has all the ingredients and makings for you to have a good experience living here.
This small community that officially calls itself a city doesn't have designated neighborhoods, other than the few blocks comprising downtown, and an apartment complex here and there. You don't normally associate condo rentals and townhome rentals with real estate options in a town of this size, but they are out there in Nevada. There's also a good pick of one-bedroom and two-bedroom apartments for rent in Nevada, not to mention individual homes for rent, duplexes and even four-plexes available around town.
When you do find apartment units for rent here, most options are going to come with longer leases, like six months to one year. However some locations do offer month-to-month leases, if that's what you hope to find. When you do find apartment rentals you want to check out, remember that most rental managers and landlords are going to conduct background checks, and in some cases credit checks, when you fill out your application. So, make sure you bring your photo ID -- driver's license, passport or state ID card -- a list of prior rental references and phone numbers for those landlords and your social security number. Rental applications almost always come with a fee of $50-$75, so make sure you ask if the landlord prefers debit cards, credit cards, personal checks, money orders, certified checks or cash.
The streets that fan out in every direction from downtown Nevada really make up one big neighborhood, but here are a few sections to consider.
Highway 930 / Highway 30: If your plan is to live in Nevada to take advantage of the lower rental prices than those found in Ames, consider aiming your apartment search at somewhere near Highway 930 on the north side of town or U.S. Highway 30 on the south side. Finding an apartment or rental home near these roads will at least make it more convenient to get back and forth between Nevada and Ames.
City Center: If you like the idea of living around more activity consider renting an apartment in one of the buildings downtown. These apartments will be above an existing business, and you most likely won't have a designated parking space, but you're going to find a one bedroom or two bedroom apartment with a whole lot of character.
Southeast Nevada: If you're going to spend a lot of your personal time on athletic-based activities then you'll want to find a place in the southeast corner of town near the Score Recreation Athletic Complex.
There aren't a lot of options for big city entertainment in this community. National touring acts stop up the road in Ames, drawing from the populations of nearby Boone, Nevada and other relatively close rural communities.
There is an aquatic center at the Score Recreation Athletic Complex that has water slides and pools, and you can bike or walk the Indian Creek Trail, a 16-mile paved path that takes you all the way into Ames. If you're a golfer drive south a few miles out of town and play a round of golf at Indian Creek Golf Course. When you're done playing outdoors grab some grub at Quirk's Grill and Bar or Jack's Beef Delight and BBQ, both local favorites.
