Offering big-city amenities along with small-town hospitality, Iowa City has it all. Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, it has long served as a locus for culture, education, variety and fun. A stroll through the downtown pedestrian plaza proves that this is so. It's here you will find a real sense of community and friendly commerce. Downtown you might come across college students vied in a game of chess played on the plaza's life-size game board. On-lookers sit on the plaza's limestone benches talking politics, philosophy, or Big Ten sports while children climb a nearby jungle gym. A few blocks down, others might be lounging in outdoor cafés, savoring the fine cuisine the city has to offer. Across the way, you'll likely hear a local band playing a catchy mix of jazz and blues on the area's outdoor mini stage. The state's Old Capitol Building looms to the west.