Story City blends small-town living with easy city access
Written on Story City's pages are a Scandinavian heritage, highly rated schools and small-town life in central Iowa. Traci Jennings, broker and owner of Re/Max Real Estate Center in nearby Ames, says residents fall in love with the strong community combined with interstate access to Ames and Des Moines. "In a lot of small towns in Iowa, a lot of things have closed — you drive down Main Street, and there are hardly any businesses open. Story City still has a lot of vitality to it," says Jennings, in reference to the local shops, restaurants, parks and festivals. The historic 1913 carousel and longstanding movie theater are also central to the city's story.
Older homes and new builds with pride in ownership
Older American Foursquares, midcentury ranch-style homes and new construction create a diverse housing mix. Pride in ownership is one unifying feature, according to Jennings. "All of the houses, when you drive up and down the streets, they're clean," she says. "Whereas sometimes in small towns a lot of the houses are run down and there isn't any new construction, Story City is not like that. There are still new buildings coming up, some beautiful new neighborhoods that are being built. Even the people living in some of the smaller homes, for the most part, take care of their properties."
The up-and-coming Timberland Ridge subdivision offers buildable lots around half an acre. The sought-after Jacobson Park neighborhood has early 2000s New Traditional homes near a city bike trail. "I always tell people if they buy a house in that development that they need to take to take out a second mortgage to buy enough Halloween candy, because it's definitely the place people go to trick or treat," Jennings says. Prices range from around $150,000 to $400,000.
Strong academics and arts offerings at Roland-Story schools
Roland-Story Community School District is known for its high academic achievement, fine arts programs and tight-knit enrollment of under 1,000 students. It includes an A-minus-rated elementary school, an A-rated middle school and a B-plus-rated high school, as graded by Niche. The high school jazz band has a strong track record, earning some of the top awards at regional and state competitions. Many high schoolers opt to earn early college credits through Des Moines Area Community College, whether at the high school campus, college campus or online.
Iowa State University, based in Ames, is the state's second-largest college and offers strong science, technology and agriculture programs. Students can build connections through individualized learning communities — small groups of students who may share the same classes, activities and residence hall.
Antique carousel is a summer highlight
North Park features a Little League baseball diamond and a swimming pool with a slide, but it may be best known for the antique carousel. The carousel traveled the Iowa countryside before being refurbished and landing here with the original hand-carved wooden figures. It carries over 17,000 annual passengers in the summer to upbeat tunes from the 1936 organ. North Park and South Park are the largest city green spaces, with a combined 30 acres, playgrounds, sports courts and fields. South Park offers boating access and proposed fishing access on the South Skunk River. Kids can participate in city tennis, pickleball, volleyball, football and soccer programs.
Scandinavian traditions and community meals mark June festival
Norwegian and Dutch immigrants helped to shape Story City in the mid 19th century. The city celebrates its heritage on the first weekend of June with Scandinavian Days, a tradition dating back to 1965. The festivities include traditional dances by elementary schoolers, a fireworks show, parade, Norwegian storytelling, community meals and Scandinavian crafts and games at the town parks, churches, and high school stadium. Kumla — traditional potato dumplings — are a festival staple, and kids and adults can compete in eating contests.
Historic theater and local shops anchor downtown Story City
A gift shop, thrift store, pharmacy and the historic Story Theatre-Grand Opera House — Iowa's oldest continually running theater — are among the downtown businesses on Broad Street. The theater first hosted vaudeville acts and silent films, and today it mainly features new releases on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The family-owned Alley's Pizza has been a downtown staple since 2003, offering custom pies, baked pasta, salads and sandwiches. Locals mainly order their food to go or via delivery. A few businesses are clustered on the city's east side, including fast-food restaurants and Fareway Meat and Grocery. Locals can start the day with a latte and avocado toast from KaffeGeita — Norwegian for "Coffee Goat."
Interstate access to jobs and healthcare
Nextera Energy, Eby Sales & Service Center and Lumber Specialties are based here, and many locals commute to jobs in surrounding cities. Interstate 35 leads to Ames, about 15 miles south, and Des Moines, about 45 miles south. U.S. Route 69 also serves north-south travelers. Mary Greeley Medical Center offers comprehensive healthcare services in Ames. Des Moines International Airport offers nonstop flights throughout the U.S. Locals mainly rely on cars, but the Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency provides on-demand rides within seven central Iowa counties, including Story.
