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I started thinking to myself recently about what I was doing at work around this time last year: getting ready for the Graduate College’s New Student Reception. I had a great time at the reception, and I noticed something interesting: although the students coming through the grad college seemed to appreciate all the information they were picking up, what they were ~really~ interested in was what Life in Ames was all about. Many of them had moved hundreds or even thousands of miles to attend ISU, and many had only been in the area a week or two. I was asked dozens of questions about life in Ames during the brief two-hour event, and it was by far my favorite part of the day.

So, since it’s that time of year again, I thought I’d write up a few tips about Life in Ames for the Uninitiated. If you’re familiar with Ames, there might be a thing or two I’ve written that you disagree with, but the good news is, there’s an equitable solution: you’re wrong. No hard feelings.

1. The speed limit on Highway 30 around Ames is 65 MPH. Sixty-five. Miles per hour. Seriously. Do yourself a favor, and go at least the speed limit. You are not being a rebel if you’re rocketing down the pavement at 57. And besides, tooling along at 50 MPH while everyone around you is trying to go 70 is no way to make friends. In fact, if I find you going anything ~less~ than 65, I will not like you anymore and might stomp on your cat. (can you tell I spend too much time in my car these days?)
2. You are obligated to go to Hickory Park within the first three months of moving to Ames. It’s just the way things are. If you are vegetarian, go for some ice cream or something. If you are lactose intolerant ~and~ vegetarian, they make some pretty good baked beans—go nuts. If you are anorexic… well, I suppose you have bigger problems, but you should still try to go within the first year. Without Hickory Park, you and your fellow Amesians will have nothing to talk about. Nobody is interested in your stories from back home. Nobody.
3. Nobody goes to Hickory Park for the barbeque. They go for the price, the atmosphere, the experience, and the ice cream (and not necessarily in that order). The chicken is pretty good, and I’ve had the occasional lucky strike with a pork rib or two, but really… it’s more about the place itself than the food. Except the ice cream, obviously. If you are strangely insistent on getting good barbeque from your barbeque joint, check out Battles.
4. There are two* real “main street” areas in Ames: Downtown along Main Street and Campustown along Welch Avenue. If you are new to the university, you will probably spend a great deal of time in Campustown, which is perfectly understandable and acceptable. However, you should do yourself a favor at some point early on in your Ames-centric life and check out the Downtown district. There is a lot of cool stuff downtown. Spend some weekend evening checking out the fantastic window displays on the 200-400 blocks, sharing a pizza at Great Plains or grabbing a bite at the Downtown Deli, relaxing in the breeze in one of the little garden areas, browsing the wares at Firehouse Books, or playing some pool at the Corner Pocket. There’s even a Farmer’s Market to visit on Thursday evenings and Saturday mornings throughout the growing season.
5. If you go out drinking on the weekends during the school year, make use of the Drunk Bus. Some people will call it the Moonlight Express, but we don’t talk to those people. The Drunk Bus runs from around 10:30pm until nearly 3am on Friday and Saturday nights. Back in the day, summoning the Drunk Bus required a drunken phone call to Cyride and an extended, sobering wait. Nowadays, the Drunk Busses (plural!) run shuttle routes on a regular, 20-minute cycle. Look for the little blue signs featuring Cy, a bus, and a crescent moon: standing below one of these on a weekend night can only yield good things. You’ll meet all sorts of people en route, have a lot more fun than you would have had walking or driving yourself, and you’re being “responsible” to boot. Killer.

Thus, sadly, ends part I of Life in Ames for the Uninitiated. If you live in the area, feel free to send me some tips, and I’ll see what I can do about adding them to future segments. Assuming, of course, you are not wrong.

* Once the Somerset Village area becomes better established, it will probably constitute a third main street. Also, the West Street area is fantastic, but not quite so large as to be considered “main.”