Davenport, Iowa
Davenport, Iowa’s third largest city, is a vibrant community with a population of just under 100,000 and a rich history closely related to one of the world’s mightiest rivers, the picturesque Mississippi.
In fact, with so much to offer families, young professionals, businesses and visitors, it’s no surprise the U.S. Conference of Mayors named Davenport one of America’s most livable small cities in 2007. It’s an honor Davenport shares with her sister city of Rock Island, Illinois.
Davenport enjoys a vibrant downtown area! In fact, downtown Davenport’s historic warehouse district is fast-becoming a hot spot for young professionals. Both the Crescent Lofts, which give dwellers affordable, stylish comfort with picturesque views of the Mississippi River, and the Mississippi Lofts are popular choices close to coffee shops, artist studios, boutique shopping and riverfront bike paths.
Visitors are always welcome in this friendly Midwest community which is geographically defined by the fact that it is located at the only place where the Mississippi River runs from east to west.
Davenport offers visitors and citizens plenty of things to do, including:
- Professional theatre, at the Adler Theatre, a beautifully-restored 2,400-seat theatre in downtown Davenport which has hosted celebrity headliners, Broadway greats, comedians, dance and symphony performances since it opened in November 1931, during the depths of the Great Depression. Today, the proud tradition of quality entertainment lives on.
- The Quad City Symphony
- Historic riverboat cruises
- The Mississippi Valley Blues Festival
- The Quad City Air Show
- The world famous Bix Beiderbecke Memorial Jazz Festival
- And the Quad City Times Bix 7 Race
Davenport Parks of note include Vander Veer Botanical Park, though the City actually manages over 2,200 acres of parks and public property, including miles of bike trails and safe bicycle routes.
Cultural programs and recreational activities play an active role in the lives of Davenport citizens, as it is home to:
And for more art, you can’t afford to miss one of the largest art institutions in the state of Iowa, the Figge Art Museum. The Figge has a magnificent collection of paintings and prints by American Regionalist Grant Wood. But there’s more to the Figge that that. It was designed by famed architect David Chipperfield, and holds a collection of more than 3,500 paintings, sculptures and works on paper, dating from the 16th century to present.Patrons can explore and experience educational spaces, the museum shop and traveling art exhibitions at the museum. A unique aspect of the Figge is that over fifty percent of the building is dedicated to education. The museum conducts over 600 public programs annually reaching close to 30,000 children and adults.The Figge recently partnered with the Jewish Federation of the Quad Cities and the Riverboat Development Authority to bring the internationally acclaimed traveling art exhibition “Coexistence: The Art of Living Together: Outdoor Exhibition & Community Events,” to downtown Davenport. The exhibit consisted of 45 banners, with images created by artists from all over the world. The exhibit was unitiated and created by Museum on the Seam, Jerusalem, Israel
- Finally, the Davenport Public Library serves as a resource center for all citizens of Davenport while assuring maximum access to information for lifelong learning.
In summary, Davenport is the regional beacon and hub of the metropolitan Quad-Cities, population 400,000. It is a place proud of its unique heritage at the crossroads of America.
