A mile northeast of downtown Cedar Rapids, Wellington Heights offers a glimpse into the city’s architectural past. The tightly knit community, one of only two historic districts in the area, is known for its natural beauty and classic housing styles at below-average prices. “The affordability is a major draw here,” says Cory Rath, a broker with Keller Williams Midwest Partners who’s served the area for over 25 years. “So you get a lot of singles, a lot of professionals: professors at Coe College who like to bike to work.” Much of the neighborhood’s housing fell into disrepair over the years, spurring the city to buy and renovate hundreds of the local buildings: an initiative that continues to this day. As a result, Wellington Heights appears to be on the rise, with restored homes and a welcoming population lending a new level of vibrancy to this historic neighborhood.
Wellington Heights is tucked away in the beautiful city of Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Charming Wellington Heights streets and green parks create a cozy, inviting community.
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Renovated Victorian and Tudor homes
Classic architecture reflects the area’s status as one of the oldest neighborhoods in Cedar Rapids. Well-worn sidewalks pass rows of Victorian and Tudor homes, along with Craftsman and American Foursquares originally built during the turn of the 20th century. “The Craftsman houses in Cedar Rapids are the best-built houses before and since,” says Eric Gutschmidt, president of the Wellington Heights Neighborhood Association. “You might lose a couple points for energy efficiency, but the bang for your buck in Wellington is best in class.” The streets of the Redmond Park-Grande Avenue historic district shift from standard asphalt to red brick, giving the area an old-fashioned atmosphere. Most homes have smaller-than-average front yards, many on gently sloping hills. Space is a commodity in older neighborhoods, so driveways aren’t a common sight, making street parking necessary. Homes are in varying states of maintenance, with even well-renovated buildings requiring steady upkeep or restoration to maintain a quality of life. Homes badly in need of complete restoration begin in the low $10,000s, while buildings with general updates and maintenance can reach the mid-$100,000s. Fully restored and renovated historic homes can reach the low $200,000s.
Most homes in Wellington Heights have lush front gardens with plenty of trees and shade.
Wellington Heights homes, each with a distinct charm and inviting front gardens.
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Incoming $9 million Boys and Girls Club
Equipped with playground equipment, a splash pad and the foliage of mature trees, Redmond Park has been a neighborhood gathering spot since its development in the late 1800s. Community organizers with the neighborhood association hope to have free public events and performances in the park while continuing to improve its infrastructure. A $9 million Boys and Girls Club of the Corridor facility should be completed in spring 2025. It will provide hundreds of neighborhood children with a gym, game room, education center and more. Peace Corner is the home of the Wellington Heights Community Gardens, a collection of volunteer-run garden beds developed to educate locals on the importance of food security, agriculture and locally-grown food. Located in the center of the neighborhood, St. Paul’s United Methodist Church was designed by Louis Sullivan, the so-called "father of skyscrapers", and has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1985
Coming soon, a newly built YMCA facility for the Wellington Heights community.
Birds eye view of the Wellington Heights neighborhood, in the Cedar Rapids area.
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One of a kind art at 237 Collective
Familiar food franchises like Taco Bell and Wendy’s are within a mile’s drive, while a Save A Lot and a Hy-Vee Grocery Store are in the neighboring Southwest Area. Located 1.5 miles southwest, the NewBo City Market offers various shopping and dining experiences, from Roasters Coffee House to the barbecue and brisket at Midnight Smokers. The 237 Collective has local art, crafts and fashion pieces, as well as workshops for artists of every skill level.
237 art gallery is a neighborhood staple in Wellington Heights. Giving the community love.
Residents of Wellington Heights can visit the famous NewBo City Market, just a few miles out.
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Annual celebration at Art in the Park
Held yearly at Redmond Park, Art in the Park stands out as the neighborhood’s biggest local event. Painters, sculptors and other craftspeople fill the park with their latest creations for sale, while live performances and food round out the day of celebration.
Learn a new language at Washington High
Iowa’s Open Enrollment policy allows students to attend any public school they choose, regardless of their district. Students can begin their education at Johnson Elementary School, which has a C rating on Niche, before attending McKinley STEAM Academy, which has a C-plus. Finally, they’ll have the option to enroll at George Washington High School, which scores a B-plus and offers 25 different AP courses and six world language options.
George Washington High School is home to the Wellington Heights high school students.
Johnson Elementary School serves Elementary students of Wellington Heights.
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A pedestrian-friendly layout
Downtown Cedar Rapids is 1 mile southwest, along with St. Luke’s Hospital and Mercy Medical Center, which has an emergency room. Within Wellington Heights, pedestrians might have it best of all. “We’re the most walkable neighborhood in Cedar Rapids. It was just planned out that way,” says Gutschmidt, who believes that the proximity of front porches and ubiquitous sidewalks are responsible for the close-knit nature of the area’s residents.
Most of the Wellington Heights neighborhood is very walkable.
A look down a typical residential street in Wellington Heights.
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Churches in Wellington Heights
Wellington Heights has a long history of churches that are actively involved in the community. The Catholic Worker House at St. John of the Cross is a organization that 's provided food and emergency shelter to locals in need since 1982. The Westminster Presbyterian Church hosts substance-abuse meetings and offers life skill classes and opportunities to residents.
A Matthew25 volunteer working in the garden to pick fresh vegetables for the community.
Downtown Cedar Rapids is just minutes away from the Wellington Heights neighborhood.
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On average, homes in Wellington Heights, Cedar Rapids sell after 54 days on the market compared to the national average of 52 days. The median sale price for homes in Wellington Heights, Cedar Rapids over the last 12 months is $125,000, down 1% from the median home sale price over the previous 12 months.
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