Grundy Center has an active downtown and jobs at the local hospital
Grundy Center is a small city with a lot going on. It’s less than 3 square miles in size and about 25 miles from Cedar Falls, yet the parks, events and shopping keep the community bustling. “We have a great downtown district with a really thriving Main Street,” says Lindsey Freese, director of Kling Memorial Library. “It’s a lot of unique stores and shopping opportunities, which a lot of small towns are seeing die out. Ours is really thriving right now.” The city has several city parks, including one with a pool, and is also home to Grundy County Memorial Hospital, one of the county’s major employers. “It’s really great having such great doctors and care right here,” Freese says.
Downtown includes shops and restaurants like The Landmark Bistro
Most locally owned businesses in Grundy Center are in the historic buildings downtown. Many people start their day with a coffee from Natural Grind, a popular cafe. Restaurants range from Tasty House Chinese Restaurant, which Freese says serves the best Chinese in the area, to The Landmark Bistro, a bar and grill. “It features old memorabilia and signage from other businesses, the high school and other educational institutions,” Freese says. “There used to be a college in Grundy Center way back in the day, and there are photos of all that stuff throughout the restaurant. It really encapsulates the history of Grundy Center.” South Porch Cider Co. brews seasonal flavors of hard cider in-house. There are several boutiques and shops, such as Ashes of Ivory, a consignment store. Locals get groceries from Brothers Market. Target, Lowe’s and Walmart are about 30 miles away.
Older homes are down the road from Prairie Ridge, and new construction
Maple and evergreen trees dot Grundy Center’s grassy lawns, and sidewalks line the roads. Most homes, like bungalows and Craftsman-style houses, date back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Mid-20th-century properties include ranch-style homes and split-levels, and there are some New Traditional styles. Most single-family homes cost $100,000 to $270,000, although some larger properties cost $330,000 to $410,000. Prairie Ridge is a new development in Grundy Center, with townhouses and undeveloped lots. These lots have sold for $40,000 to $60,000. Grundy Center receives a CAP Index Crime Score of 2 out of 10, lower than the national average of 4.
Recreation includes city parks, Kling Memorial and a local golf club
Grundy Center has three main parks: Liberty, Orion and Belpre. While all three have a play structure, Belpre Park stands out from the rest. “It’s known as the Purple Park because all the playground equipment is purple,” Freese says. The Grundy Family Aquatic Center is at Liberty Park, with an outdoor pool open during the summer. The George Wilhelm Sports Complex has tennis courts and baseball, softball and soccer fields. At Kling Memorial Library, patrons participate in game nights, book clubs and Early Out Wednesdays, where kindergarten through fifth graders attend guest lectures and do games and crafts. “We are a very program-heavy library,” Freese says. The Town & Country Golf Club has a public nine-hole course.
Grundy Center has well-rated schools
The Grundy Center Community School District serves the area. Kindergarten through fourth graders attend Grundy Center Elementary, which receives a B-plus from Niche. Older grade levels are taught at Grundy Center Secondary School. Both the middle and high school branches earn an A-minus.
U.S. Route 20 leads about 25 miles to Cedar Falls
Because of Grundy Center’s size, Freese says, “You can definitely walk across town easily. I would say a lot of people drive because that’s fairly typical of the Midwest.” State Route 14 connects to U.S. Route 20, which leads about 25 miles to Cedar Falls . Waterloo Regional Airport is about 30 miles away and offers daily flights to O’Hare International Airport in Chicago , although many travel about 85 miles to Des Moines International Airport. Grundy County Memorial Hospital has an emergency room.
Events include the Felix County Festival and the county fair
The largest celebration of the year is the Felix Grundy Festival, held every summer on the second weekend of July. Programming includes a car show, live music, a parade and a hot dog eating contest. The Grundy County Fair is a couple of weeks later. The local 4-H and Future Farmers of America chapters put on many of the week’s festivities, including cattle shows and horse races. Grundy Center Chamber-Main Street hosts most other events, including Main Street Mingle, an annual holiday celebration with horse-drawn trolley rides and a visit from Santa.
