Anyone who has relocated to a new city or state knows that finding the right place to live is complicated—logistically and emotionally. And as you weigh the many factors that influence your decision – from affordability and safety to schools, amenities and culture – it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Even as a third grader at Altoona’s Willowbrook Elementary, Alex Payne was intrigued by the history of Altoona, particularly when his class visited historic sites like Back Door Fabrics in Olde Town. For a kid, these dusty places contained a kind of magic—it was like the people and events of the past were echoing through the walls, their stories begging to be told.

Located across the street from one another on Altoona’s 34th Ave SW, The Emory and Vintage Cooperative could hardly be closer.

At the same time, they couldn’t be more different: One property is geared towards residents ages 55 and up. The other is designed for people of all ages (and their furry friends, too).

Finding commercial real estate is about more than picking the right multiple listing service, broker, and suites of services to establish contractual offers. You must consider location, flexibility, limitations, and more when appraising real estate for sale.

It often takes a power outage to get us thinking about the energy we use every day. (Electricity suddenly became very interesting following the 2020 derecho.)

But ever since MidAmerican Energy launched their Altoona-based Service Center in 2019—a facility that supports the power MidAmerican delivers to communities throughout the Central Iowa region—energy has been on our minds.

The next time you’re diving headfirst into the muck while defending your Mud Volleyball tournament title, take a moment to thank Mary for helping orchestrate Altoona’s zaniest, most iconic—and yes, muddiest—event of the year: Altoona Palooza.

Since moving to Altoona in 1992, Steve and Ann Moyna have done as much to grow the community and bring its residents together as anyone—volunteering with numerous local organizations, taking on leadership roles, building bridges between various local groups, and helping organize Altoona Palooza.

Just beyond Mud Creek, near the eastern border of Altoona, lies a plot of land that checks all the boxes for industrial development.