I’m sure you’ve heard the saying, “Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” While this saying is true in many ways, I never really thought about it in reference to a city.
After recently graduating from Morningside College and calling Sioux City home for the past two years, I decided to continue calling it home for the foreseeable future after accepting the Development Coordinator position at Downtown Partners.
Just a few months ago, I was sitting in my living room, just a block away from campus, applying for jobs online in places like Des Moines, Omaha, and Sioux Falls, but something kept pulling me back to Sioux City. I wasn’t quite ready to leave just yet.
Growing up in a small town with a population of just over 1,000 people and a county that did not even have a stoplight, Sioux City felt large to me. While it is bigger than I was used to, it still has a small community feel that I appreciate. To me, it is the best of both worlds.
I’m sure this won’t come as a surprise, but many college seniors, and other young members of the community, often don’t want to stay in Sioux City. I hear things like “There’s nothing to do here.” or “Iowa is so boring.” But once again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I’ve always been someone who likes to explore cities; trying new restaurants, visiting museums, admiring murals, enjoying the beauty of outdoor spaces (often capturing the moments on my phone and posting them to social media of course), and more. Since starting my new job at Downtown Partners in May, I realized I have only touched the surface of exploring Sioux City and the beauty it has to offer.
While it may be boring to remain in your own corner of the city or the confines of your humble abode, I encourage everyone, not just young Siouxlanders, to explore Sioux City. You may stumble across a downtown restaurant you’ve never tried, or notice a mural that hasn’t caught your eye before, or simply enjoy the riverfront view, a downtown park, or even admire the new festoon lights along the corners of 4th Street.
When you do decide to venture out, snap a photo and share the beauty of Sioux City with the #downtownsiouxcity or tag Downtown Partners social media pages in your post. We would love to see how you find Sioux City beautiful.
Downtown Partners is a non-profit organization that works with stakeholders to create a vibrant, expanding downtown. To learn more about Downtown Partners and to stay up to date with downtown projects and events, visit www.downtownsiouxcity.com.
