One block to Beach & Town Center Heated Pool Fire Pit Grill Parks 7 cars

My life has been very good. The youngest of 4 children born during the late 1920's and early 1930's, we lived in a "working class" neighborhood in Council Bluffs, Iowa. My father was a machinist in the Union Pacific Railroad Yards of Omaha Nebraska and my mother a young housewife. During the War my father worked nights and longer - about 80 hours per week was not unusual. He had little time for family. My mother was responsible for almost everything day to day. She thought music and dance were important and saw to it her children took lessons - except for me. By the time I was old enough for such things, at least I suspect, she was so worn out that she pretty much let me do what I wanted. So from about age 6 in 1941 and during the Big One I enjoyed a degree of freedom and neglect that very few can imagine. Fortunately, parental guidance was largely unnecessary and most certainly was unwanted. We called ourselves "The Ridge Street Gang". It included about 40 individuals aged 5 or 6 to 16 or 17 who lived on a two block dead-end street. The older "kids" were of course always in control -- protecting and exploiting the younger ones. Surprisingly, nothing "bad" ever really happened and no member of The Ridge Street Gang ever served time in prison - at least as far as I know. Most spent time in the military since since we had universal conscription or the draft. Most went willingly anyway during the War since we were very patriotic. My older brother even finished high school in 3 years so he could join the Navy at age 17 to serve his country. He wanted to get in before the War ended and did so by a few months in June 1945.
I have very fond memories of those carefree days.

We purchased this house in April 2017 from a group that catered almost exclusively to high school and frat parties. It was in pretty run down condition but had a lot of potential, including very large rooms, and a great location - especially for us. We live directly behind Breezy, own and rent another house we call the Gallery next door and have nieces and nephews who live behind us and between our rental houses. So we have a strong interest in acquiring and upgrading our neighborhood. And that is what we have been doing since acquiring the properties. We are making progress but like a work of art it is not and never be finished. We have added the patio with natural gas grill and fire pit. We also refurbished and now heat the pool to extend swimming to October and resume in March. The flooring downstairs was "spongy" due to termite damage so the floor joists and flooring were replaced last year. While we were at it we put new flooring upstairs and tiled the bathrooms. Our "Bug Man" killed the termites and treats the premises monthly and as needed for creatures of all sorts. More recently we brightened things up by installing flat LED lighting in the bedrooms and bathrooms. Responsible young adults will always be welcome as well as large family, church, orchestra and similar groups that enjoy vacationing together. We welcome suggestions on how we may improve the property and your experiences while vacationing in this family-friendly beach community.
If you believe in 'PRESERVATION' you will love what we are doing.

The outstanding features of this property include its proximity to the beach, convenience to a modern full service grocery store, restaurants, and smaller shops that feature great pizza, pies and ice cream. All of these are across the street or within one block.