Ahem...120,000 is not now and never will be a "metro area".

Think again. In Iowa, and other Midwest and plains states, that is
a
downright huge metro area. Such as are the wide open spaces in the
US.
--
The feds consider a "Metro Area" to be 1 million population or more
and have
since the 60's I think.

In the Midwest, where towns can be separated by vast distances, a
metropolitan area is quite different from the traditional "big city"
metro area. Yet, because of the distances involved, you will often
find all of the things normally associated with larger cities in a
(relatively) small group of communities.

I'm always surprised to find communities like Iowa City (or places like
Rapid City, SD and Lincoln NE, to name a couple of others) that have
amenities that you just would not expect to find outside major metro
areas.

Iowa City's "hook" is our 600 pound gorilla, the University of Iowa --
but many other small Midwest communities have "Big City fare" simply
because of their isolation. They thus have a "Big City feel" combined
with all the advantages of small town life -- a perfect combination,
IMHO.

I often wonder how the internet will affect this phenomenon. Now that
it is possible to have "next-day-air" delivery virtually anywhere, and
you can order anything instantly off the internet, how long will it be
until people REALLY disperse all over the countryside, completely
dispensing with the rudiments of what we consider "community"...?
--
Jay Honeck
Iowa City, IA
Pathfinder N56993
www.AlexisParkInn.com
"Your Aviation Destination"