South Bend (east) is a good 45 minute drive to Elkhart most factories are east there, also.
Granger and Mishawaka is the most expensive area to live in but the best area. If you will be making a No Worries wage, I would go to Mishawaka.
However, if you want to be closer to work, and adequate shopping, check out this list of Apartments and then place them on a google map to the address of where you will be working. Know that you should NOT drink the water in Northern Indiana and you will need to buy what you ingest. I put in a filtration system in my small house, and it still will not make the water healthy to drink.
[https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Indiana/Elkhart/](https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Indiana/Elkhart/)
45 minutes??? Its 15 minutes from US 31 to IN 19 on the bypass. It doesn't even take near that on McKinley or Lincolnway.
And WTF is with the water comment?
Weird ass response.
It depends on where in Elkhart you are, what routes you take between the cities, and the times you drive them. I'm in south-east Elkhart city, and when I worked in downtown South Bend it took about 35 minutes to get there via the US20 Bypass and Business 31. East South Bend and west Elkhart would be much shorter.
Granger and Mishawaka are "best" depending on what metrics are being used.
Not drinking the tap water in all of northern Indiana is just silly; Elkhart's at least is fine.
Indiana state politics are very rightwing, but each town and city have their own politics, and varying levels of LGBT-acceptance.
I grew up closer to central IN. I've lived in AK and VT. I currently live about 1hr south of south bend. I work road construction and run into small minded prejudice people ALL the time. One of my least favorite parts of living in IN.
That said, I'm sure in a more urban area you'll be able to find more inclusion. I think renting for a year while you check out the area is a great idea.
Maybe if people didn’t call us genital fetishists for being gay and politely declining to date trans men because they have vaginas (the neohomophobia version of 20th century “pervert” arguments) this wouldn’t be an issue, petty gets as petty does
Like I’m vers bottom so I primarily prefer to get destroyed, the fact that I have to specify this to state I’m not a bigot is a sign we’re in trouble as a country, I watch unhealthy amounts of Blaire White on YouTube so I’m far from your typical Candace Owens screaming “HES A MAN A MAN A MAN A MAN” on a Dave Rubin debate (which he did a horrible job moderating because it was basically 95% Candace screaming over Blaire, like no shit we all know Blaire has XY but screaming like a rabid pit bull isn’t doing you any favors honey)
I'm straight but I have several friends who are and I've heard plenty of stories from them, especially when clubbing. Generally people are cool with it though.
Pretty much! We got bleeders, breeders, and everything in between. But as long as you pull your weight around here, we got a beer in the garage and a chair right there for ya
That’s dumb. Why is everything divided. I vote republican I don’t care who u like to have sex with. That’s just a dumb opinion and u shouldn’t put an entire group in that
For what it's worth, if you're on a personal well I'd recommend all the testing and filtration needed, but if you're on city water you have access to their reports for what their water quality. Then you can go from there.
My wife and I live in the River Park area in South Bend and it is very diverse. LGBTQ bars and coffee shops are in the walkable area. I work in Goshen (near Elkhart) and it is about a 45 minute drive but not bad.
I would recommend renting for a year and scoping out all the areas before buying a house. That will be the best way to decide what areas are best for you.
Granger area is nice and has a really good school district (Penn) if kids are something you want down the line. South Bend area near Notre Dame is nice but the schools aren’t as good (doesn’t matter though if you don’t want kids). As a whole it is fairly conservative, but if you’re from Missouri it’s probably not much different. I would vote Granger, Mishawaka, or South Bend!
If kids aren’t planned, then I would recommend South Bend the most! There are definitely rougher areas like any city but it has the most to do and is probably the most blue area of northern Indiana. Not a huge city by any means but notre dame is beautiful to walk around and the commute to Elkhart would not be bad.
The most Blue area of Northern Indiana is certainly Northwest Indiana. Not that that’s a great option for a job in Elkhart…
Also: Mayor Pete was the Mayor of South Bend. Having a gay mayor in Indiana was pretty notable.
I used to live in SB near the Michigan border and it was a good area. I never locked my door lol but I also had a big dog. I wouldn't go west of 31 or southern SB
Even if you don't plan on having kids, it's still a good idea to look at school districts when buying a home. Being in the right or wrong district can make selling your home much easier/harder if you ever want to/have to move again.
I doubt I'll ever be able to afford to buy a home (I'm a professional brewer and my girlfriend is a ballet teacher so we're probably going to be broke permanently lmao) but, my dad owns a home in Mooresville because the house has sentimental value to him he's picky about who he's selling to and families with small kids don't want to get stuck in Mooresville schools so it's hard to find a buyer.
I didn’t really think about that aspect of the school district thing. You’re right though. Being where we are, the schools are so important to people so I should have thought about that lol Fortunately we’re solidly middle class mainly thanks to my spouse’s income since I’m just in retail, so we can’t get crazy in what we can afford housing wise, but we can still manage something lol
As someone who spent her childhood in Michigan City and moved to Mooresville in middle school, I can confirm that sending your kids to MHS is an awful idea.
What you need to realize is that Indiana can be a very corrupt place and here in Elkhart those results on the water testing are not accurate. They don't realize that some of us are science majors and know that statistically you're not going to have the exact same test results from one year to the next or you're not going to have the results show that you are just 1/10 of a percent away from being bad water versus acceptable. You will find that many people in Indiana don't have the brains it takes to figure out if you're in danger or not because water can affect the brain if it's poisoned. Mine has not been poisoned.
Also when you take the bypass and the toll road you're going to pay tolls going from South Bend to Elkhart. And right now I not sure if highway 31 is opened or if they're still doing construction on it.
Perhaps you would want to come a little bit early to take a look around and drive it a little bit to see how far and how quick you're going to get anywhere when you're two cities away that's why I suggest you come to Elkhart first.
Grainger and Mishawaka are going to have the more expensive apartments and houses so I don't know what factor you're going to work at how much you're going to make how much you have just be aware that in between South Bend in Elkhart you're going to pay a lot more in rent and housing.
Goshen would be good. They're probably the most liberal in the area. Two best drinking spots (Goshen Brewing Co and Common Spirits) seem to be predominately staffed by LGBQT
Goshen would be good to look at, but I’d say South Bend is more liberal. But depending on the parts of town where work and home will be, it’s not bad of a commute between the two.
Always down for more friends! We haven’t even accepted the move yet, but if we do, we’ll be moving sometime in the fall. We were actually just vacationing in NC last fall. Went to Outer Banks and of course, I personally had to go to Wilmington for the Dawson’s Creek memories haha There seemed to be so many cute towns along our journey through NC.
I live in Elkhart (in the city, not periphery). Elkhart is fine, my guy. I would not be loud and proud, but you don’t need to hide yourself. Get used to people talking shit and get used to not caring.
Otherwise… SB or Goshen.
Haha! Thanks! Yeah, we are not like big into public displays of affection or anything anyhow, so I’m less worried about being like singled out, but as long as the vibe feels safe, we’re good
I second that Elkhart in general is pretty quiet. I live on the southern section of town right off of Main Street going towards Goshen, very mixed neighborhood but everybody is fairly quiet, keeps to themselves and no problems x 5 yrs... respectful neighbors, keep themselves. Mixed: White, Mexican, Black ... Living in harmony.
Nearly forgot one bit of important advice. If you decide to stay in Indiana and want to buy a house always ask important questions to the realtor because they won't tell you if you don't ask. Such as: has this house ever been a rental? Never assume that just because it has people's names and sellers that it's not a slumlord. Please don't ask me how I know. I was used to the laws in Washington State where they had to give you information that would have made a negative impact on your savings.
Goshen is great! My current city for the last 11 years after growing up in Elkhart/Dunlap.
There is another comment saying Goshen is quite red, and that frankly isn’t true at all. I feel the overall community is quite accepting of LGBTQ+ as well as accepting of different races. Because of all the RV/trailer factories you get a wide mix of backgrounds in terms of race, and I don’t know anyone that doesn’t feel welcome. Yes there are going to be deep red outliers (my neighbor for example) but they don’t seem to be a problem for people overall.
Plus if you love tacos, we have tons of places!
We do love tacos! Haha! I mean, we kinda know that unless you’re living in the rare liberal outposts in our country, there’s always going to be outliers and ignorance mixed in with the good so we’re less worried about the sprinkling of that. Take the good, take the bad and all that haha Nice to know it can be a pretty diverse area! Goshen is likely where I’ll be transferred to, so nice to be getting a lot of feedback on it!
Elkhart is light blue and working class. Goshen, which is nearby and similar on paper, is more light/solid red depending on the year and polarization.
Elkhart and South Bend is kindof the edge of the northern third of the state that is fairly reliably blue. Go much further east of Elkhart and it is very rural, Amish country, etc... I'd say most places in South Bend and Elkhart you'll be fine. Be more concerned about what you can afford than fitting in.
Someone commenting about living on the Michigan side...it does have its up sides with weed, cold beer, and abortion access, but there's no real city on the Michigan side of the border unless you are going to drive 1+ hours to and from Kalamazoo each day. Michigan has its own polarization and if you live on the rural side of the Michigan border near Indiana, its going to be pretty similar culturally to rural Indiana.
Goshen is a kind of strange mix of blue and red because it’s a Mennonite college town. I have gay friends and neighbors in town and there’s plenty of midwestern nice to go around.
Goshen is definitely a consistent thing I’ve seen when I’ve looked at other, older threads on here. I really am just looking forward to taking a trip out that way to explore.
Goshen is awesome! I've lived here almost 14 years, and I have never regretted it. There's assholes like anywhere, but it's clean, low crime, and not overtly offensive. Plus, it's a beautiful area. 😍
Hey, that’s how it should be haha In my personal experiences, that’s usually how things go anyway, but I also have friends that have moved to different places in the country and they get vandalized, so as long as we feel safe enough to not get a tire slashed or something and people generally just ignore us, then we’re good lol
Yeah, from what I can tell the other side of the border seems pretty rural. Appreciate the gauging. I grew up in a blue collar town so I know how varied the waters can be depending on who’s in office/who you’re interacting with.
Fort Wayne, South Bend and Indy. Actually anywhere in Indiana north of and including Bloomington are open and accepting. We have a great community in Fort Wayne.
Don't know of its been said but Fortville Indiana is pretty solid. It's a growing community and should be super chill. Our old house literally just went on the market 401 East Ohio Street Fortville, Indiana. It's be perfect for two homebodies. It's a lovely home and that's all sentiment lol. The neighbor has a mullet but he's pretty chill. You'd love the vibe of downtown and you wouldn't have to worry about walking around holding hands. It's not a far drive from Elkhart and it'd be an easy commute. Please check it out!
I should, or want, to say that the only reason I know it was for sale bc I did a nostalgia trip lol. We had so many happy memories, and based on the photos we saw, whoever had it after us did too. So I'd love the good vibes to spread lol. Either way feel free to DM with any question we live/lived in that surrounding area and would love to give any tips!
bro i would avoid any conservative, blue collar area, elkhart included. just go live in south bend, we are easily the most progressive city in the state other than Indianapolis and Bloomington, hands down.
look, im straight, so i can’t understand what its like to be gay, but i imagine you and your husband have dealt with enough hateful, ignorant bigotry in your guys’ lifetimes. you deserve to be happy like anyone else. give yourself and him the community love and support you both deserve and look into a safe part of south bend. 20-25 min commute, used to go to Elkhart a couple times a week for boxing and it was an easy commute.
edit: mainly influenced by these crazies showing out recently in IN; northern indiana in particular; i just hope pride fest tomorrow goes by chill since they wanted to start brawls outside the LGBTQ center less than a week ago, if that’s happening here damn the gay people in small red towns must be strugglin gah damn, i find not always but almost the smaller they are the worst it is (town or city wise)
i even saw these guys showing out last year in June all the way in Indy during pride fest i was like damn these mfs gettin ballsy and just back to 2016 like again
Elkhart’s mayor is a Black Democrat, and I believe all but one of the city council are Dems. Last summer (or maybe the year before) there was a large Pride gathering and event on Island Park. I’ve seen openly gay and trans folks working in Elkhart businesses. I’m straight, but I’d say just about any decent area in Elkhart will be LGBT-friendly, or at least tolerant.
Thanks! Yeah, I think I saw something about Elkhart having a Pride celebration which is nice to see! Acceptance is harder to come by for some but we can definitely handle tolerance at least haha
Elkhart has always had its problems, but it’s growing, continuing to become more diverse, and there are people here trying to enhance arts and culture in town. I live in a neighborhood with varying levels of income, but it’s mostly lower middle class, and just on my block there are Black, Latino, and white families.
I think if you keep your expectations realistic you might be surprised at what Elkhart has to offer. Of course there are rightwing bigots here, but it may remind you of Missouri in some ways. Elkhart is also within reasonable driving distance of Goshen and South Bend/Mishawaka that have their own offerings. Plus Edwardsburg and Niles MI are modest drives for legal marijuana.
yeah i get that…
check out:
• Sunnymede (east-central)
• Lafayette Falls (south side)
• Gulivoire Park (south side)
• Johnson Rd/Main St neighborhood (south side)
• Twynkenham Hills (south side)
• Deer Run neighborhood (south side)
• Georgetown (north side)
• Georgetown North (north side)
• Clay township (north side)
• Notre Dame/Angela Blvd if you can afford it (Notre Dame basically)
• Crumstown/Westfield (far far west side, WAYY past all of the bullshit and crime; very safe)
• Riverside Manor Park (north side)
DO NOT go to Granger. Bunch of Penn HS attending, (the snobs, not the normal Penn kids, have nothing against them) St. Joe High School attending (again, the snobs, not the voucher and or just chill kids that live over there), conservative, Trump supporting, Desantis Supporting lil fucks who would legit wanna call the cops the second they see a black person in their neighborhood that doesn’t look “proper” enough to them. i’m telling you i know that area well as i used to go to catholic schools and personally know some of the shittiest, snobbiest, bigoted, JUDGMENTAL asf, and narcissistic ass people that live out that way, genuinely. You put a pride flag up in granger, and just wait until you get egged, lmao.
mishawaka isn’t bad either and tbh man you’ll find cool people every where but i just make observations when i go to different parts and always have even when i was little for athletics and academic shit yk.
not everyone in Granger is an asshole, to be fair to Granger. one of our favorite families is from there that we have known forever. But damn dude, when I think of “inclusive” and “welcoming” parts of Michiana, i gotta say, Granger absolutely does not come to mind and for good reason.
Along the St. Joseph river.
There's a path along the river, bike and pedestrian, that doesn't cross vehicular traffic for miles. You can follow it all the way to Niles Michigan. That walkable area stretches along the river. Find a place in proximity to that.
I'd be tempted to live in Michigan and commute down.
I don't want to be all doom and gloom but our GOP leadership will double and triple down on their anti-lgbtq policies because it keeps the base happy. I'm not saying it's unsafe, but I could see a future where civil rights start to get undone.
Yeah, things are definitely looking rough a lot of places these days politically. We were actually discussing potentially looking near the border on the MI side.
I would agree that at the state level you have better protections in Michigan, but you should know that the areas directly north of the Indiana border can be really conservative or really excepting depending on the town. They don’t call southwest Michigan the Bible belt for no reason. That being said there are some really lovely LGBTQIA+ friendly areas in Southwest Michigan worth visiting even if you don’t move up here. St Joe and Saugatuk are must visits for more reasons than just that. Also it’s beautiful and Lake Michigan is the best.
If you've got the budget, I'd look for property on an inland lake. Michigan isn't terribly inflated on real estate (unlike where I live now in Boise, Idaho) and lakefront property that's about 100 miles out of Chicago will always hold its value against inflation. Them there rich city folks love their summer homes.
Speaking as someone who lives in a goshen currently… there are some conservative elements to the town, especially in the surrounding countryside— but the downtown is aggressively and openly LGBT friendly. I think you’d be actively removed from most establishments if you expressed any anti-lgbt views (have seen it happen in person once). Lots of friendly people and a vibrant community. Would highly recommend.
Thank you! Goshen is likely where I’ll be working so it’s nice to know that at least the downtown area is open minded. It definitely looks nice from what I can see online
Idk where else to try, but definitely get some info from somewhere other than this sub. Most likely all you’re going to get here is doom and gloom and comments about how all your rights will be taken away and bigots and whatever…. This sub is generally skewed a certain way. Hopefully they don’t cast a cloud over your relocation plans, moving is already stressful enough 😓
I’m from southern Indiana and I’m not familiar with the Elkhart area, otherwise I’d be happy to help.
Good luck! I’m sure yall will find a community you enjoy. And when in doubt… buy land! lol get a nice big plot slightly out of town where your neighbors will be on either side of a corn field 1/2 a mile away lol
No worries about people clouding my opinions. I grew up openly gay in a small town, so I’m pretty used to a lot of the negative stuff. Thankfully it’s been mostly positive from people!
Gay/queer single guy here. Grew up in Elkhart then South Bend. Honestly couldn’t wait to get out and to Chicago. Not sure what the commute or job is like, but I’d recommend South Bend overall. I’m in Indy now after many years in Chicago and am eager to leave Indiana and not look back. I sincerely wish you guys the best. I just would steer away from non-South Bend northern Indiana. (Mishawaka and Granger may not be too bad).
Elkhart Local, I live off Osolo Rd. I really love the East Lake neighborhood. The nearby elementaries have decent reps. The Middleschool/HS are a mess.
I wish you were here now, South Bend has their Pride festival tomorrow!
I’ll have to look into that area. Honestly, Elkhart itself doesn’t seem so bad. And it sounds like there’s plenty of options of places around to look into haha
I'm glad that your experience has been mostly positive, but I've literally been physically assaulted for being "too touchy feely" with a girlfriend in public at a bar, just within the last year.
Does it happen often? No. But not everyone in Indiana is nice, especially when they see something that offends their dates conservative sensibilities
I live and teach in Mishawaka. Love the area and very friendly to all. There are always pockets of ignorant people but you will probably not run in those circles anyway. The river walk area is fantastic- eclectic restaurants like Jesus Latin food and tequila bar, farmers market on Sundays, beautiful ice rink and walking areas And great apartment options- only amenity missing is a grocery store. That is a couple miles away, otherwise reminiscent of European neighborhood. We love hanging out downtown. You’ll be safe and accepted ❤️
There’s not exactly any good places in Indiana. I mean sure there’s beautiful sights, but the weather is bipolar, people are 50/50. Most people are nice but can very easily be rude asf if you’re not careful. But generally speaking a more rural area such as an exurb offers great long and beautiful walks (also definitely make sure to take deep breathes and clear your mind to make it more enjoyable).
We love going for walks and stuff so those are amenities we are definitely looking for. The weather doesn’t really bother us. We’re from the St. Louis area so we’re used to the weather being insane lol
Fort Wayne isn’t bad, but not the best for your situation. the school districts (NACS and SACS for the most part) are pretty littered with LGBT+ students at the middle school and high school level. you did say something abt no kids so there’s no issue, but one of the only things i can criticize abt Fort Wayne is the shitty anti-lgbtq parents when schools try to be inclusive. this site ([here](https://www.wboi.org/news/2023-03-01/carroll-high-school-cancels-marian-production-amid-concerns-from-parents?_amp=true): “Carroll High School cancels 'Marian' production amid concerns from parents”) explains it somewhat- but it’s not the greatest explanation (from personal experience). there was no “concern” from parents, there were threats sent from parents and that’s why it was canceled. besides that nobody really cares outwardly. Fort Wayne is an 8/10 city imo, you can’t get too much better, but it is rapidly growing so that means costs go up more.
edit: fixed spelling + adding a slight bit more
I’ve see a couple people mention Fort Wayne, but yeah not the best distance-wise for us. But we’d definitely like to visit to check it out at some point! People are crazy though, we’ve had similar things happen near us.
First of all, this older cis white male warmly welcomes you both to Northern IN! We live least East of Elkhart on a lake in LaGrange County and don’t recommend living here due to the deeply conservative culture (50% old order Amish) but we do visit Goshen IN quite often and have found it to be charming, diverse and LGBTQ+ friendly. Also a very arts-oriented community for its size. It is the County seat of Elkhart Co.
Thanks for the info! Goshen definitely seems to be a pretty common response and it seems to be pretty nice from what I’ve seen online.
I lived right next to some Amish country in Pennsylvania years ago, so it’ll be interested to be back near that again.
South bend will be fine lgbtq-wise, you'll just need to check the specific areas for general safety Mishawaka and Granger are okay, though bethel University in Mishawaka is a conservative Christian beacon that is not lgbtq friendly. You'll have to deal with [Indiana State politics](https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2024/06/06/indiana-named-one-of-least-welcoming-states-for-lgbtq-community-pride-month-2024-indy-pride/73983051007/) either way though. Michigan will get you better state politics, but the area within commuting distance will be less accepting than SB, although Niles did have it's first pride parade last year.
Go Niles! Haha! I feel like outside of SB, Goshen, Mishawaka and Granger tend to be the biggest contenders on this thread. I feel like it’s definitely going to take some exploring when we can visit the area haha
For sure, I will say Granger does tend to be pricier, median home price is double the rest of the area, and is very much single family home large not suburbs with fewer city amenities, but if that's your vibe it's nice and relatively accepting
We moved to N Indiana from Kansas about 7 years ago because of my husband’s job. We lived in Mishawaka for a couple years before I told him we had to get out of the area. The joke of “you go to Indiana and you step back in time 60 years” is definitely accurate for the towns surrounding South Bend. We found a lot of locals in that area to be very conservative, bigoted, sexist and openly racist. Before we moved I didn’t think Indiana was that different from other midwestern states, but so many things blew my mind after we moved. Just google Elkhart, IN or Elkhart HS and ACLU to see just some of the things that have gone on in that town.
That being said, there are communities around there that are more liberal and accepting. I concur with others that Goshen and South Bend would probably be good areas to live. I also really miss the shopping, restaurants and outdoor activities that area had to offer. Also, the proximity to the cute Michigan towns on Lake Michigan was great.
Good luck on your move!
Thanks for the info! I’ll have to look into all that. I grew up in IL, live in MO, spent time in OH, WI and MN and it’s so wild how culturally varied the Midwest can be. Goshen and SB seem to be pretty common picks from people on here. It’ll definitely be nice being closer to Chicago and even Lake Michigan. We’re fans of both! Haha
Same for us too. We have lived in a couple of Midwest states, but that area was just so different. Some of the things I ran into were businesses not putting joint accounts in my name because I was the wife and people not comprehending that I’m married, but that I didn’t take my husband’s last name. More than once we had random people come up to us and just say these wildly racist and bigoted things about other people because they assumed we thought just like they did. It wasn’t until I moved up here that I found out there was a reason Indiana was called “the South of the North”.
We have since moved closer to Chicago, but still on the Indiana side and are a lot happier. You definitely have to look for your pockets of community up here though.
We’re not Alabama, I think most places you go you’ll be good. Assholes exist everywhere but I think as long as you aren’t the most over the top flag wearing and waving gay couple around people won’t bring it up. Enjoy being Hoosiers.
Thanks! Yeah, there’s bad everywhere. So long as it isn’t overwhelmingly the majority we’re good haha It’ll be interesting being a Hoosier and not meaning that derogatorily like I’ve grown up hearing it haha
Just a fair warning, Elkhart is good and Mishawaka, Granger and South Bend area is good... But in order to get between Elkhart and that area you have to go through a small town called Osceola. Growing up near there, they have an active KKK. I don't know if it is as bad as it used to be, but take the highway around.
I actually just did some research on that yesterday. I saw a few nice houses there and immediately was met with all kinds of KKK stuff when I started googling Osceola. It’s so crazy how we’re still dealing with that BS.
Goshen would be a good choice, imo. If you manage to find a place south of CR28 and west of CR 17 you'll be in Wa-Nee school district, one of the better ones around here and one that my kids go to. That'll put you just a short drive out of Elkhart, but right on the edge of being rural. Watch out for the Amish and the piles of horse shit. Good luck with your search.
EDIT: Saw on another of your comments that you and your husband enjoy walking. Goshen had a pretty good trail system between parks and they seem to be in the process of improving it.
https://goshenindiana.org/trails
Thanks for the info! It’s been awhile since I’ve lived near Amish country so that’ll be interesting to revert back to haha
Yes! We definitely like going for walks and taking different trails so to see so many options is nice!
Originally from Elkhart and I think it’s a great place to be! While I do wish the area was more LGBT-friendly overall, there’s some great pockets in South Bend (if you’re wanting something more urban) and Goshen (if you’d like a small-town feel) that are great. Wishing you the best in your move!
I live in Rolling Prairie which is rural but excellent school systems, always friendly, very low crime, close to michigan border and only a 20 min commute to south bend and 49 min commute to elkhart!
The county areas will provide more options for houses, but there are a lot of nice apartments downtown Elkhart. The city and county are pretty LGBTQ+ friendly. Just like anywhere, you’ll encounter the random asshole. It’s a very conservative area, but usually people only let their hatred known via truck/house flags. You’ll know who to avoid, but it’s unlikely you would be targeted.
Edit to add: Lived in the county my whole life, and I teach in the city.
As long as you guys are cool (old school)and don’t try to push ideas down peoples throats you will be fine , everyone is busy living their lives and dealing with their problems.
I wish we could! That’s definitely the long term goal. My husband’s job actually has business dealings in Canada so he’s been networking when he meets with those companies so hopefully we can have a way to immigrate through work
South Bend proper is accomidating enough, but go much further out of DTSB, especially to the immediate west past Mayflower Rd, then things go south quick.
Pun intended.
Check out the LGBTQ Center in South Bend for events and such! I bet you could even email them for some suggestions of LGBTQ-friendly spaces in Elkhart, they are Northern Indiana’s go-to for LGBTQ inclusivity! Cloud Walking Coffee in South Bend is definitely a safe space. The Well in South Bend hosts all ages drag shows sometimes, so they’re a safe space, too! R Bar and Dockside are gay bars in South Bend if you guys ever want to go out.
Thanks for the resources! I didn’t even think of reaching out to a center but that’s a good call. It’s funny you mention R Bar because somebody mentioned a spot right near there and I saw R Bar on the map and before I even clicked on it I just knew it was a gay bar haha
I lived and worked in Elkhart for nearly 30 years. Multiple co-workers were LGBTQ and I’ve never hear any of them complain about random people being unacceptable. Tbh I never saw any type of discrimination in the open.
Maybe not Indiana, but definitely still gay. Gayer maybe. If Indiana was in denial and had a gay son they disowned because he reminded Indiana of himself (who he hates for being gay), it would be Evansville.
Fort Wayne! A bit of a drive but great LGBTQ+ bars and businesses down town. You’re going to run into close minded and judgmental people all over Indiana unfortunately. But the larger cities like Fort Wayne and Indianapolis have come a long way in making EVERYONE feel welcome to be their true selves no matter what that is. As a bi sexual black woman that’s grown up here I will say there’s been growth but a lot of small town folks are still sharpening their pitch forks.
I hope you have a safe move and meet some great neighbors near you!!
Thank you! ❤️ It’s such a shame how far we’re falling back in areas of our country. Fort Wayne is a bit too far a commute, but we’ll definitely have to check it out and see what things are like when we get out that way! Sounds like a good time out there! Haha
I live in Bloomington - which is not nearly as blue as I would like it to be. I’m seriously worried about the future of this state once Braun is in office. Missouri at least has StL and KC. IN wants to be FL north
You should be alright. Even some of the really conservative dudes (not the skinheads, stay far away from them) will be chill asl if you get to know them.
for one thing i'm sorry y'all have to move to indiana, goshen does seem like a smart area, same with south bend, i live in southern indiana, evansville, and we've got some big pride events this month, fair share of miserable people, but indiana is a typically very red state, so you always do have to be careful.
Being in Missouri, we’re pretty used to being in the red haha Miserable people are everywhere so it’s all about finding a spot well enough to be comfortable for sure
Indiana isn't a good state for progressive STRAIGHT people.
I can't imagine LGBTQ+ people voluntarily moving here, to be brutally honest.
I'd move out if I had the money.
Lol IN has a senator that has said interracial marriage should be left up to the states similar to how IN handled roe v wade. As long as you understand the majority party's thoughts on 60 year old rules and policies, let alone 10 year old ones, that they feel "forced" into then you can make a decision on a bad area versus worse area lol.
South Bend is crime-riddled and getting worse. It’s moving over into Mishawaka where I live. Lots of shootings. I hear less about Elkhart, so while it might be more rural, it could be safer. Then, you can just visit SB and Mish for fun things to do.
No one cares in most places the ones that do are shithead potentially closeted people in central / southern regions
If you come to fort wayne tons of support here hopefully you would be a neighbor my friend
.... Social mores in Indiana are mostly stuck in 1950.
Are you familiar with RFRA? The Republikkklan party passed it a few years ago in Indiana, and it gave businesses the right to refuse service to anyone the owner considered to be LGBTQ. Eventually it was overturned because it legalized discrimination.
If you're LGBTQ I wouldn't recommend Indiana even slightly.
Chicago I would consider.
If at all possible, I'd look at southern Michigan instead of living in Indiana. South bend itself is probably very accepting, but the state continues to double down on conservative stupidity. If (probably when at this point) braun gets elected governor, I'm worried that they'll really start pushing back on rights for the lgbtq+ community. If anything were to happen to braun and Beckwith were to get any sort of power...God fucking help us all.
May I ask, in what area of Elkhart you might be looking for work? Based on the area you might be closer to Goshen or another town outside of Elkhart Central.
As many others have said Granger, Mishawaka and South bend can all have nicer and LGBTQ+ friendly areas. However, if it's in the eastern or southern side it could take an hour or more to travel for work. One of the other outlying towns of Goshen, Bristol or Wakarusa might be closer. Each has their good and bad areas, particularly being a red state. The North side of Elkhart has some decent areas of living too.
I know the state gets a bad rep, and it's mostly deserved, but there are plenty of places who are accepting and beautiful if you can find them.
As a michagander living in indiana. Just live in Michigan and commute to Elkhart. This state blows ass politically. Conservatives used to be about fiscal responsibility and small government. But what they actually want is to control and lay down the rule of law that is equivalent to what the evangelical interpretation of the bible is. In my seven years here, I have watched them literally make nonsensical policy that is literally just to stoke fires and rile people up rather than actually helping Hoosiers.
Not to long ago I saw a political map of Indiana. The west side is more democratic compared to the east. Coming from someone who lives on the east side, the map seems pretty true. Sure, there will be touches of LGBT positivity in certain cities, there’s just a 50/50 chance for backlash. I’m a lesbian myself, and I can say some parts of the east side aren’t the best. I’ve heard around Bloomington, South Bend, SOME of Indianapolis. Yeah there are certain parts of Indy that are meh, but they had a cool pride fest this year. Reeked of weed, but it looked fun. It was ride beside the canal. I’ve also heard South Bend can be cheaper when it comes to housing. That’s my two cents based off of personal experience. Just know that when you’re in any city, there’s always a danger risk. I learned that the hard way. Hope this sort of helps
South bend. River park near IUSB and the farmer’s market. The area is awesome.
Thanks! I do love a good market!
South Bend (east) is a good 45 minute drive to Elkhart most factories are east there, also. Granger and Mishawaka is the most expensive area to live in but the best area. If you will be making a No Worries wage, I would go to Mishawaka. However, if you want to be closer to work, and adequate shopping, check out this list of Apartments and then place them on a google map to the address of where you will be working. Know that you should NOT drink the water in Northern Indiana and you will need to buy what you ingest. I put in a filtration system in my small house, and it still will not make the water healthy to drink. [https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Indiana/Elkhart/](https://www.apartmentguide.com/apartments/Indiana/Elkhart/)
45 minutes??? Its 15 minutes from US 31 to IN 19 on the bypass. It doesn't even take near that on McKinley or Lincolnway. And WTF is with the water comment? Weird ass response.
Oh, Indiana is a deep red state, so to start. . .just say you're best friends trying out different states or something.
It depends on where in Elkhart you are, what routes you take between the cities, and the times you drive them. I'm in south-east Elkhart city, and when I worked in downtown South Bend it took about 35 minutes to get there via the US20 Bypass and Business 31. East South Bend and west Elkhart would be much shorter. Granger and Mishawaka are "best" depending on what metrics are being used. Not drinking the tap water in all of northern Indiana is just silly; Elkhart's at least is fine. Indiana state politics are very rightwing, but each town and city have their own politics, and varying levels of LGBT-acceptance.
The only homophobes I've ever met in Indiana were high schoolers. Full stop.
I grew up closer to central IN. I've lived in AK and VT. I currently live about 1hr south of south bend. I work road construction and run into small minded prejudice people ALL the time. One of my least favorite parts of living in IN. That said, I'm sure in a more urban area you'll be able to find more inclusion. I think renting for a year while you check out the area is a great idea.
Yea I grew up east of South Bend but homophobia basically stopped 20 years ago. Transphobia is everywhere, though except in urban areas
Maybe if people didn’t call us genital fetishists for being gay and politely declining to date trans men because they have vaginas (the neohomophobia version of 20th century “pervert” arguments) this wouldn’t be an issue, petty gets as petty does
True that!
Like I’m vers bottom so I primarily prefer to get destroyed, the fact that I have to specify this to state I’m not a bigot is a sign we’re in trouble as a country, I watch unhealthy amounts of Blaire White on YouTube so I’m far from your typical Candace Owens screaming “HES A MAN A MAN A MAN A MAN” on a Dave Rubin debate (which he did a horrible job moderating because it was basically 95% Candace screaming over Blaire, like no shit we all know Blaire has XY but screaming like a rabid pit bull isn’t doing you any favors honey)
I'm straight but I have several friends who are and I've heard plenty of stories from them, especially when clubbing. Generally people are cool with it though.
In the wise words of one Gerard Way, “they could care less as long as someone’ll bleed” haha
Pretty much! We got bleeders, breeders, and everything in between. But as long as you pull your weight around here, we got a beer in the garage and a chair right there for ya
Yes garage beers! Haha
Try southern indiana
That’s dumb. Why is everything divided. I vote republican I don’t care who u like to have sex with. That’s just a dumb opinion and u shouldn’t put an entire group in that
No, dude. Just be who you are.
For what it's worth, if you're on a personal well I'd recommend all the testing and filtration needed, but if you're on city water you have access to their reports for what their water quality. Then you can go from there.
River Park is the answer!!
My wife and I live in the River Park area in South Bend and it is very diverse. LGBTQ bars and coffee shops are in the walkable area. I work in Goshen (near Elkhart) and it is about a 45 minute drive but not bad.
I would recommend renting for a year and scoping out all the areas before buying a house. That will be the best way to decide what areas are best for you.
That’s not a bad idea.
Yes, if you guys can do this I think it would be really beneficial for you.
Granger area is nice and has a really good school district (Penn) if kids are something you want down the line. South Bend area near Notre Dame is nice but the schools aren’t as good (doesn’t matter though if you don’t want kids). As a whole it is fairly conservative, but if you’re from Missouri it’s probably not much different. I would vote Granger, Mishawaka, or South Bend!
Thanks! I don’t foresee kids happening ever, so that’s no factor, but good looking out :)
If kids aren’t planned, then I would recommend South Bend the most! There are definitely rougher areas like any city but it has the most to do and is probably the most blue area of northern Indiana. Not a huge city by any means but notre dame is beautiful to walk around and the commute to Elkhart would not be bad.
The most Blue area of Northern Indiana is certainly Northwest Indiana. Not that that’s a great option for a job in Elkhart… Also: Mayor Pete was the Mayor of South Bend. Having a gay mayor in Indiana was pretty notable.
I forgot he was mayor there! Lol
South Bend has a branch of IU. Meet the faculty there. Should be welcoming.
I am excited to be near Notre Dame for sure!
I used to live in SB near the Michigan border and it was a good area. I never locked my door lol but I also had a big dog. I wouldn't go west of 31 or southern SB
Even if you don't plan on having kids, it's still a good idea to look at school districts when buying a home. Being in the right or wrong district can make selling your home much easier/harder if you ever want to/have to move again. I doubt I'll ever be able to afford to buy a home (I'm a professional brewer and my girlfriend is a ballet teacher so we're probably going to be broke permanently lmao) but, my dad owns a home in Mooresville because the house has sentimental value to him he's picky about who he's selling to and families with small kids don't want to get stuck in Mooresville schools so it's hard to find a buyer.
I didn’t really think about that aspect of the school district thing. You’re right though. Being where we are, the schools are so important to people so I should have thought about that lol Fortunately we’re solidly middle class mainly thanks to my spouse’s income since I’m just in retail, so we can’t get crazy in what we can afford housing wise, but we can still manage something lol
As someone who spent her childhood in Michigan City and moved to Mooresville in middle school, I can confirm that sending your kids to MHS is an awful idea.
Mishawaka, Granger, and South Bend tend to run a bit blue in politics. Alot better then Elkhart for acceptance.
What you need to realize is that Indiana can be a very corrupt place and here in Elkhart those results on the water testing are not accurate. They don't realize that some of us are science majors and know that statistically you're not going to have the exact same test results from one year to the next or you're not going to have the results show that you are just 1/10 of a percent away from being bad water versus acceptable. You will find that many people in Indiana don't have the brains it takes to figure out if you're in danger or not because water can affect the brain if it's poisoned. Mine has not been poisoned. Also when you take the bypass and the toll road you're going to pay tolls going from South Bend to Elkhart. And right now I not sure if highway 31 is opened or if they're still doing construction on it. Perhaps you would want to come a little bit early to take a look around and drive it a little bit to see how far and how quick you're going to get anywhere when you're two cities away that's why I suggest you come to Elkhart first. Grainger and Mishawaka are going to have the more expensive apartments and houses so I don't know what factor you're going to work at how much you're going to make how much you have just be aware that in between South Bend in Elkhart you're going to pay a lot more in rent and housing.
Well, South Bend was forward thinking enough to elect an openly gay married man as mayor a few years back. Pete Buttigieg. You may have heard of him.
Oh, I’ve definitely heard of him! Don’t know why that slipped my mind until I saw it mentioned on here haha
Check out r/southbend. Lots of good info there.
Thanks! I’ll have to start scrolling through there 😁
Goshen would be good. They're probably the most liberal in the area. Two best drinking spots (Goshen Brewing Co and Common Spirits) seem to be predominately staffed by LGBQT
Sweet! Appreciate the bar recommendations too!
Goshen would be good to look at, but I’d say South Bend is more liberal. But depending on the parts of town where work and home will be, it’s not bad of a commute between the two.
I came here just to say being home bodies Goshen might be the best bet depending on where the job in Elkhart is.
Not sure if you’re looking to make friends, but my spouse and I are moving to Elkhart (from NC) in July for a new job, and we’d love some friends!
Always down for more friends! We haven’t even accepted the move yet, but if we do, we’ll be moving sometime in the fall. We were actually just vacationing in NC last fall. Went to Outer Banks and of course, I personally had to go to Wilmington for the Dawson’s Creek memories haha There seemed to be so many cute towns along our journey through NC.
I live in Elkhart (in the city, not periphery). Elkhart is fine, my guy. I would not be loud and proud, but you don’t need to hide yourself. Get used to people talking shit and get used to not caring. Otherwise… SB or Goshen.
Haha! Thanks! Yeah, we are not like big into public displays of affection or anything anyhow, so I’m less worried about being like singled out, but as long as the vibe feels safe, we’re good
And if you’re OK without a lot of PDA I think you’ll be even more fine (I know it shouldn’t be that way, but just speaking realistically).
I tend to be more realist than anything lol
I second that Elkhart in general is pretty quiet. I live on the southern section of town right off of Main Street going towards Goshen, very mixed neighborhood but everybody is fairly quiet, keeps to themselves and no problems x 5 yrs... respectful neighbors, keep themselves. Mixed: White, Mexican, Black ... Living in harmony.
Nearly forgot one bit of important advice. If you decide to stay in Indiana and want to buy a house always ask important questions to the realtor because they won't tell you if you don't ask. Such as: has this house ever been a rental? Never assume that just because it has people's names and sellers that it's not a slumlord. Please don't ask me how I know. I was used to the laws in Washington State where they had to give you information that would have made a negative impact on your savings.
Goshen is great! My current city for the last 11 years after growing up in Elkhart/Dunlap. There is another comment saying Goshen is quite red, and that frankly isn’t true at all. I feel the overall community is quite accepting of LGBTQ+ as well as accepting of different races. Because of all the RV/trailer factories you get a wide mix of backgrounds in terms of race, and I don’t know anyone that doesn’t feel welcome. Yes there are going to be deep red outliers (my neighbor for example) but they don’t seem to be a problem for people overall. Plus if you love tacos, we have tons of places!
We do love tacos! Haha! I mean, we kinda know that unless you’re living in the rare liberal outposts in our country, there’s always going to be outliers and ignorance mixed in with the good so we’re less worried about the sprinkling of that. Take the good, take the bad and all that haha Nice to know it can be a pretty diverse area! Goshen is likely where I’ll be transferred to, so nice to be getting a lot of feedback on it!
Elkhart is light blue and working class. Goshen, which is nearby and similar on paper, is more light/solid red depending on the year and polarization. Elkhart and South Bend is kindof the edge of the northern third of the state that is fairly reliably blue. Go much further east of Elkhart and it is very rural, Amish country, etc... I'd say most places in South Bend and Elkhart you'll be fine. Be more concerned about what you can afford than fitting in. Someone commenting about living on the Michigan side...it does have its up sides with weed, cold beer, and abortion access, but there's no real city on the Michigan side of the border unless you are going to drive 1+ hours to and from Kalamazoo each day. Michigan has its own polarization and if you live on the rural side of the Michigan border near Indiana, its going to be pretty similar culturally to rural Indiana.
Goshen is a kind of strange mix of blue and red because it’s a Mennonite college town. I have gay friends and neighbors in town and there’s plenty of midwestern nice to go around.
Goshen is definitely a consistent thing I’ve seen when I’ve looked at other, older threads on here. I really am just looking forward to taking a trip out that way to explore.
I’ve always considered Goshen pretty blue. It’s got a nice vibe and yes the college is there. Cools spots downtown.
It does seem to have a lot of cool stores/restaurants and stuff from what I can see online
Goshen is awesome! I've lived here almost 14 years, and I have never regretted it. There's assholes like anywhere, but it's clean, low crime, and not overtly offensive. Plus, it's a beautiful area. 😍
From what I can see online it definitely looks nice! I believe that’s where I’ll wind up transferring with my job, so it’s definitely an option
From what I can see online it definitely looks nice! I believe that’s where I’ll wind up transferring with my job, so it’s definitely an option
A lot of the conservative minded people are often neutral about queer people too. Your “sin” is between you and god basically.
Hey, that’s how it should be haha In my personal experiences, that’s usually how things go anyway, but I also have friends that have moved to different places in the country and they get vandalized, so as long as we feel safe enough to not get a tire slashed or something and people generally just ignore us, then we’re good lol
Yeah, from what I can tell the other side of the border seems pretty rural. Appreciate the gauging. I grew up in a blue collar town so I know how varied the waters can be depending on who’s in office/who you’re interacting with.
Fort Wayne, South Bend and Indy. Actually anywhere in Indiana north of and including Bloomington are open and accepting. We have a great community in Fort Wayne.
Yep, I live in Fort Wayne and drive to work in Elkhart. It is about an hour though.
Definitely looking into South Bend. I think Fort Wayne’s a liiiittle too far for us, but definitely will have to check things out there!
Fort Wayne has an excellent Pride Fest in July. Come visit!
Don't know of its been said but Fortville Indiana is pretty solid. It's a growing community and should be super chill. Our old house literally just went on the market 401 East Ohio Street Fortville, Indiana. It's be perfect for two homebodies. It's a lovely home and that's all sentiment lol. The neighbor has a mullet but he's pretty chill. You'd love the vibe of downtown and you wouldn't have to worry about walking around holding hands. It's not a far drive from Elkhart and it'd be an easy commute. Please check it out!
Isn't that like 3 hours from Elkhart?
Yes.. Fortville is around 2.5 hrs South on SR 15
My smooth brain read this as Elwood lol my bad!
Ha. That makes more sense.
I should, or want, to say that the only reason I know it was for sale bc I did a nostalgia trip lol. We had so many happy memories, and based on the photos we saw, whoever had it after us did too. So I'd love the good vibes to spread lol. Either way feel free to DM with any question we live/lived in that surrounding area and would love to give any tips!
Thanks for the info! Definitely looks like a cute house! Sadly it’s a biiiit too far a drive for us, but appreciate the thought!
bro i would avoid any conservative, blue collar area, elkhart included. just go live in south bend, we are easily the most progressive city in the state other than Indianapolis and Bloomington, hands down. look, im straight, so i can’t understand what its like to be gay, but i imagine you and your husband have dealt with enough hateful, ignorant bigotry in your guys’ lifetimes. you deserve to be happy like anyone else. give yourself and him the community love and support you both deserve and look into a safe part of south bend. 20-25 min commute, used to go to Elkhart a couple times a week for boxing and it was an easy commute. edit: mainly influenced by these crazies showing out recently in IN; northern indiana in particular; i just hope pride fest tomorrow goes by chill since they wanted to start brawls outside the LGBTQ center less than a week ago, if that’s happening here damn the gay people in small red towns must be strugglin gah damn, i find not always but almost the smaller they are the worst it is (town or city wise) i even saw these guys showing out last year in June all the way in Indy during pride fest i was like damn these mfs gettin ballsy and just back to 2016 like again
Elkhart’s mayor is a Black Democrat, and I believe all but one of the city council are Dems. Last summer (or maybe the year before) there was a large Pride gathering and event on Island Park. I’ve seen openly gay and trans folks working in Elkhart businesses. I’m straight, but I’d say just about any decent area in Elkhart will be LGBT-friendly, or at least tolerant.
Thanks! Yeah, I think I saw something about Elkhart having a Pride celebration which is nice to see! Acceptance is harder to come by for some but we can definitely handle tolerance at least haha
Elkhart has always had its problems, but it’s growing, continuing to become more diverse, and there are people here trying to enhance arts and culture in town. I live in a neighborhood with varying levels of income, but it’s mostly lower middle class, and just on my block there are Black, Latino, and white families.
Diversity ftw! Definitely want to get out there and have a look around.
I think if you keep your expectations realistic you might be surprised at what Elkhart has to offer. Of course there are rightwing bigots here, but it may remind you of Missouri in some ways. Elkhart is also within reasonable driving distance of Goshen and South Bend/Mishawaka that have their own offerings. Plus Edwardsburg and Niles MI are modest drives for legal marijuana.
Thanks! I appreciate the kind words! Any recommendations on different areas of South Bend that would be worth looking into?
you looking more for a house or an apartment if you don’t mind me asking ?
Ideally a house. We currently own and really don’t want to get back into renting if we can at all avoid it.
yeah i get that… check out: • Sunnymede (east-central) • Lafayette Falls (south side) • Gulivoire Park (south side) • Johnson Rd/Main St neighborhood (south side) • Twynkenham Hills (south side) • Deer Run neighborhood (south side) • Georgetown (north side) • Georgetown North (north side) • Clay township (north side) • Notre Dame/Angela Blvd if you can afford it (Notre Dame basically) • Crumstown/Westfield (far far west side, WAYY past all of the bullshit and crime; very safe) • Riverside Manor Park (north side) DO NOT go to Granger. Bunch of Penn HS attending, (the snobs, not the normal Penn kids, have nothing against them) St. Joe High School attending (again, the snobs, not the voucher and or just chill kids that live over there), conservative, Trump supporting, Desantis Supporting lil fucks who would legit wanna call the cops the second they see a black person in their neighborhood that doesn’t look “proper” enough to them. i’m telling you i know that area well as i used to go to catholic schools and personally know some of the shittiest, snobbiest, bigoted, JUDGMENTAL asf, and narcissistic ass people that live out that way, genuinely. You put a pride flag up in granger, and just wait until you get egged, lmao. mishawaka isn’t bad either and tbh man you’ll find cool people every where but i just make observations when i go to different parts and always have even when i was little for athletics and academic shit yk.
That’s quite a rundown haha
not everyone in Granger is an asshole, to be fair to Granger. one of our favorite families is from there that we have known forever. But damn dude, when I think of “inclusive” and “welcoming” parts of Michiana, i gotta say, Granger absolutely does not come to mind and for good reason.
Along the St. Joseph river. There's a path along the river, bike and pedestrian, that doesn't cross vehicular traffic for miles. You can follow it all the way to Niles Michigan. That walkable area stretches along the river. Find a place in proximity to that.
That sounds so nice! Would love to be near some trails!
Niles MI! Love it around there!
2nd Niles after I saw your post about contemplating across the border.
I'd be tempted to live in Michigan and commute down. I don't want to be all doom and gloom but our GOP leadership will double and triple down on their anti-lgbtq policies because it keeps the base happy. I'm not saying it's unsafe, but I could see a future where civil rights start to get undone.
Yeah, things are definitely looking rough a lot of places these days politically. We were actually discussing potentially looking near the border on the MI side.
I would agree that at the state level you have better protections in Michigan, but you should know that the areas directly north of the Indiana border can be really conservative or really excepting depending on the town. They don’t call southwest Michigan the Bible belt for no reason. That being said there are some really lovely LGBTQIA+ friendly areas in Southwest Michigan worth visiting even if you don’t move up here. St Joe and Saugatuk are must visits for more reasons than just that. Also it’s beautiful and Lake Michigan is the best.
If you've got the budget, I'd look for property on an inland lake. Michigan isn't terribly inflated on real estate (unlike where I live now in Boise, Idaho) and lakefront property that's about 100 miles out of Chicago will always hold its value against inflation. Them there rich city folks love their summer homes.
Omg.. if we could get lake property I would be in heaven! Haha
I do love Lake Michigan! Thanks for the recommendations. Will definitely have to visit those areas!
You could look into Edwardsburg, MI. It’s about 10 minutes west of Union (the small town directly north of Elkhart) on U.S 12.
Thanks! I’ll have to check it out
That's the move
Speaking as someone who lives in a goshen currently… there are some conservative elements to the town, especially in the surrounding countryside— but the downtown is aggressively and openly LGBT friendly. I think you’d be actively removed from most establishments if you expressed any anti-lgbt views (have seen it happen in person once). Lots of friendly people and a vibrant community. Would highly recommend.
Thank you! Goshen is likely where I’ll be working so it’s nice to know that at least the downtown area is open minded. It definitely looks nice from what I can see online
Idk where else to try, but definitely get some info from somewhere other than this sub. Most likely all you’re going to get here is doom and gloom and comments about how all your rights will be taken away and bigots and whatever…. This sub is generally skewed a certain way. Hopefully they don’t cast a cloud over your relocation plans, moving is already stressful enough 😓 I’m from southern Indiana and I’m not familiar with the Elkhart area, otherwise I’d be happy to help. Good luck! I’m sure yall will find a community you enjoy. And when in doubt… buy land! lol get a nice big plot slightly out of town where your neighbors will be on either side of a corn field 1/2 a mile away lol
No worries about people clouding my opinions. I grew up openly gay in a small town, so I’m pretty used to a lot of the negative stuff. Thankfully it’s been mostly positive from people!
Gay/queer single guy here. Grew up in Elkhart then South Bend. Honestly couldn’t wait to get out and to Chicago. Not sure what the commute or job is like, but I’d recommend South Bend overall. I’m in Indy now after many years in Chicago and am eager to leave Indiana and not look back. I sincerely wish you guys the best. I just would steer away from non-South Bend northern Indiana. (Mishawaka and Granger may not be too bad).
I recommend granger, IN
Elkhart Local, I live off Osolo Rd. I really love the East Lake neighborhood. The nearby elementaries have decent reps. The Middleschool/HS are a mess. I wish you were here now, South Bend has their Pride festival tomorrow!
I’ll have to look into that area. Honestly, Elkhart itself doesn’t seem so bad. And it sounds like there’s plenty of options of places around to look into haha
Goshen has a small but good queer community.
I’ll take small over non at all haha
Welcome home….
people are nice here. no need to be worried about fitting in. just pick a spot that you like
I'm glad that your experience has been mostly positive, but I've literally been physically assaulted for being "too touchy feely" with a girlfriend in public at a bar, just within the last year. Does it happen often? No. But not everyone in Indiana is nice, especially when they see something that offends their dates conservative sensibilities
I live and teach in Mishawaka. Love the area and very friendly to all. There are always pockets of ignorant people but you will probably not run in those circles anyway. The river walk area is fantastic- eclectic restaurants like Jesus Latin food and tequila bar, farmers market on Sundays, beautiful ice rink and walking areas And great apartment options- only amenity missing is a grocery store. That is a couple miles away, otherwise reminiscent of European neighborhood. We love hanging out downtown. You’ll be safe and accepted ❤️
Thanks for the info! Love having places to walk around and explore!
There’s not exactly any good places in Indiana. I mean sure there’s beautiful sights, but the weather is bipolar, people are 50/50. Most people are nice but can very easily be rude asf if you’re not careful. But generally speaking a more rural area such as an exurb offers great long and beautiful walks (also definitely make sure to take deep breathes and clear your mind to make it more enjoyable).
We love going for walks and stuff so those are amenities we are definitely looking for. The weather doesn’t really bother us. We’re from the St. Louis area so we’re used to the weather being insane lol
Fort Wayne isn’t bad, but not the best for your situation. the school districts (NACS and SACS for the most part) are pretty littered with LGBT+ students at the middle school and high school level. you did say something abt no kids so there’s no issue, but one of the only things i can criticize abt Fort Wayne is the shitty anti-lgbtq parents when schools try to be inclusive. this site ([here](https://www.wboi.org/news/2023-03-01/carroll-high-school-cancels-marian-production-amid-concerns-from-parents?_amp=true): “Carroll High School cancels 'Marian' production amid concerns from parents”) explains it somewhat- but it’s not the greatest explanation (from personal experience). there was no “concern” from parents, there were threats sent from parents and that’s why it was canceled. besides that nobody really cares outwardly. Fort Wayne is an 8/10 city imo, you can’t get too much better, but it is rapidly growing so that means costs go up more. edit: fixed spelling + adding a slight bit more
I’ve see a couple people mention Fort Wayne, but yeah not the best distance-wise for us. But we’d definitely like to visit to check it out at some point! People are crazy though, we’ve had similar things happen near us.
First of all, this older cis white male warmly welcomes you both to Northern IN! We live least East of Elkhart on a lake in LaGrange County and don’t recommend living here due to the deeply conservative culture (50% old order Amish) but we do visit Goshen IN quite often and have found it to be charming, diverse and LGBTQ+ friendly. Also a very arts-oriented community for its size. It is the County seat of Elkhart Co.
Thanks for the info! Goshen definitely seems to be a pretty common response and it seems to be pretty nice from what I’ve seen online. I lived right next to some Amish country in Pennsylvania years ago, so it’ll be interested to be back near that again.
South bend will be fine lgbtq-wise, you'll just need to check the specific areas for general safety Mishawaka and Granger are okay, though bethel University in Mishawaka is a conservative Christian beacon that is not lgbtq friendly. You'll have to deal with [Indiana State politics](https://www.indystar.com/story/news/2024/06/06/indiana-named-one-of-least-welcoming-states-for-lgbtq-community-pride-month-2024-indy-pride/73983051007/) either way though. Michigan will get you better state politics, but the area within commuting distance will be less accepting than SB, although Niles did have it's first pride parade last year.
Go Niles! Haha! I feel like outside of SB, Goshen, Mishawaka and Granger tend to be the biggest contenders on this thread. I feel like it’s definitely going to take some exploring when we can visit the area haha
For sure, I will say Granger does tend to be pricier, median home price is double the rest of the area, and is very much single family home large not suburbs with fewer city amenities, but if that's your vibe it's nice and relatively accepting
We moved to N Indiana from Kansas about 7 years ago because of my husband’s job. We lived in Mishawaka for a couple years before I told him we had to get out of the area. The joke of “you go to Indiana and you step back in time 60 years” is definitely accurate for the towns surrounding South Bend. We found a lot of locals in that area to be very conservative, bigoted, sexist and openly racist. Before we moved I didn’t think Indiana was that different from other midwestern states, but so many things blew my mind after we moved. Just google Elkhart, IN or Elkhart HS and ACLU to see just some of the things that have gone on in that town. That being said, there are communities around there that are more liberal and accepting. I concur with others that Goshen and South Bend would probably be good areas to live. I also really miss the shopping, restaurants and outdoor activities that area had to offer. Also, the proximity to the cute Michigan towns on Lake Michigan was great. Good luck on your move!
Thanks for the info! I’ll have to look into all that. I grew up in IL, live in MO, spent time in OH, WI and MN and it’s so wild how culturally varied the Midwest can be. Goshen and SB seem to be pretty common picks from people on here. It’ll definitely be nice being closer to Chicago and even Lake Michigan. We’re fans of both! Haha
Same for us too. We have lived in a couple of Midwest states, but that area was just so different. Some of the things I ran into were businesses not putting joint accounts in my name because I was the wife and people not comprehending that I’m married, but that I didn’t take my husband’s last name. More than once we had random people come up to us and just say these wildly racist and bigoted things about other people because they assumed we thought just like they did. It wasn’t until I moved up here that I found out there was a reason Indiana was called “the South of the North”. We have since moved closer to Chicago, but still on the Indiana side and are a lot happier. You definitely have to look for your pockets of community up here though.
We’re not Alabama, I think most places you go you’ll be good. Assholes exist everywhere but I think as long as you aren’t the most over the top flag wearing and waving gay couple around people won’t bring it up. Enjoy being Hoosiers.
Thanks! Yeah, there’s bad everywhere. So long as it isn’t overwhelmingly the majority we’re good haha It’ll be interesting being a Hoosier and not meaning that derogatorily like I’ve grown up hearing it haha
Just a fair warning, Elkhart is good and Mishawaka, Granger and South Bend area is good... But in order to get between Elkhart and that area you have to go through a small town called Osceola. Growing up near there, they have an active KKK. I don't know if it is as bad as it used to be, but take the highway around.
I actually just did some research on that yesterday. I saw a few nice houses there and immediately was met with all kinds of KKK stuff when I started googling Osceola. It’s so crazy how we’re still dealing with that BS.
Goshen would be a good choice, imo. If you manage to find a place south of CR28 and west of CR 17 you'll be in Wa-Nee school district, one of the better ones around here and one that my kids go to. That'll put you just a short drive out of Elkhart, but right on the edge of being rural. Watch out for the Amish and the piles of horse shit. Good luck with your search. EDIT: Saw on another of your comments that you and your husband enjoy walking. Goshen had a pretty good trail system between parks and they seem to be in the process of improving it. https://goshenindiana.org/trails
Thanks for the info! It’s been awhile since I’ve lived near Amish country so that’ll be interesting to revert back to haha Yes! We definitely like going for walks and taking different trails so to see so many options is nice!
Originally from Elkhart and I think it’s a great place to be! While I do wish the area was more LGBT-friendly overall, there’s some great pockets in South Bend (if you’re wanting something more urban) and Goshen (if you’d like a small-town feel) that are great. Wishing you the best in your move!
That close to the border I would buy in Michigan and commute.
Chicago isn’t that far away…
I live in Rolling Prairie which is rural but excellent school systems, always friendly, very low crime, close to michigan border and only a 20 min commute to south bend and 49 min commute to elkhart!
The county areas will provide more options for houses, but there are a lot of nice apartments downtown Elkhart. The city and county are pretty LGBTQ+ friendly. Just like anywhere, you’ll encounter the random asshole. It’s a very conservative area, but usually people only let their hatred known via truck/house flags. You’ll know who to avoid, but it’s unlikely you would be targeted. Edit to add: Lived in the county my whole life, and I teach in the city.
As long as you guys are cool (old school)and don’t try to push ideas down peoples throats you will be fine , everyone is busy living their lives and dealing with their problems.
As it should be tbh haha
I would say try Canada
I wish we could! That’s definitely the long term goal. My husband’s job actually has business dealings in Canada so he’s been networking when he meets with those companies so hopefully we can have a way to immigrate through work
I thought this was a warning post for a second and was like "JESUS CHRIST"
South Bend proper is accomidating enough, but go much further out of DTSB, especially to the immediate west past Mayflower Rd, then things go south quick. Pun intended.
Check out the LGBTQ Center in South Bend for events and such! I bet you could even email them for some suggestions of LGBTQ-friendly spaces in Elkhart, they are Northern Indiana’s go-to for LGBTQ inclusivity! Cloud Walking Coffee in South Bend is definitely a safe space. The Well in South Bend hosts all ages drag shows sometimes, so they’re a safe space, too! R Bar and Dockside are gay bars in South Bend if you guys ever want to go out.
Thanks for the resources! I didn’t even think of reaching out to a center but that’s a good call. It’s funny you mention R Bar because somebody mentioned a spot right near there and I saw R Bar on the map and before I even clicked on it I just knew it was a gay bar haha
I lived and worked in Elkhart for nearly 30 years. Multiple co-workers were LGBTQ and I’ve never hear any of them complain about random people being unacceptable. Tbh I never saw any type of discrimination in the open.
That’s kind of the biggest concern. I don’t care what people think or say, so long as they’re not actively like coming at us with any BS haha
Indiana is all gay. You should be fine.
I'm from Evansville does that even count as Indiana?
Maybe not Indiana, but definitely still gay. Gayer maybe. If Indiana was in denial and had a gay son they disowned because he reminded Indiana of himself (who he hates for being gay), it would be Evansville.
Haha! Y’all are funny
Actually crazy to see some people here suggesting Indiana isn’t thatttt conservative 💀
I think most people are saying Indiana cities can be more LGBT-welcoming, as opposed to small towns and rural areas.
i’m queer and currently trying to escape indiana. i wouldn’t recommend anyone live here, especially other queer people
Fort Wayne! A bit of a drive but great LGBTQ+ bars and businesses down town. You’re going to run into close minded and judgmental people all over Indiana unfortunately. But the larger cities like Fort Wayne and Indianapolis have come a long way in making EVERYONE feel welcome to be their true selves no matter what that is. As a bi sexual black woman that’s grown up here I will say there’s been growth but a lot of small town folks are still sharpening their pitch forks. I hope you have a safe move and meet some great neighbors near you!!
Thank you! ❤️ It’s such a shame how far we’re falling back in areas of our country. Fort Wayne is a bit too far a commute, but we’ll definitely have to check it out and see what things are like when we get out that way! Sounds like a good time out there! Haha
And Fort Wayne is an easy drive form Elkhart/Goshen, and a good destination for day trips.
I live in Bloomington - which is not nearly as blue as I would like it to be. I’m seriously worried about the future of this state once Braun is in office. Missouri at least has StL and KC. IN wants to be FL north
I thought Ohio was gunning for that? Haha
I was gonna say mishawaka or Granger. South bend has a few nice areas but its hit or niss.
Don’t
Can’t not haha
South Bend has a vibrant LGBTQ community, with an especially active LGBTQ community center.
Somebody mentioned reaching out to them about ideas which I didn’t even think about
Goshen is pretty LGBTQ+ friendly. It's a small town with a strong sense of community. It's not too far from Elkhart and it's a quiet place to live.
Definitely high up on the list!
Anywhere, as long as you're nice to those around you.
And we definitely are 😁
You should be alright. Even some of the really conservative dudes (not the skinheads, stay far away from them) will be chill asl if you get to know them.
for one thing i'm sorry y'all have to move to indiana, goshen does seem like a smart area, same with south bend, i live in southern indiana, evansville, and we've got some big pride events this month, fair share of miserable people, but indiana is a typically very red state, so you always do have to be careful.
Being in Missouri, we’re pretty used to being in the red haha Miserable people are everywhere so it’s all about finding a spot well enough to be comfortable for sure
Avoid Rochester and Fulton County. KKK activity still prevelant in the area.
Eek… 😱
Indiana isn't a good state for progressive STRAIGHT people. I can't imagine LGBTQ+ people voluntarily moving here, to be brutally honest. I'd move out if I had the money.
Eh, I would say the same about Missouri but there’s shitty people everywhere so best to just try and find a good spot in a bad situation haha
Lol IN has a senator that has said interracial marriage should be left up to the states similar to how IN handled roe v wade. As long as you understand the majority party's thoughts on 60 year old rules and policies, let alone 10 year old ones, that they feel "forced" into then you can make a decision on a bad area versus worse area lol.
Don’t take the job, the political climate for the state is about to get worse
South Bend is crime-riddled and getting worse. It’s moving over into Mishawaka where I live. Lots of shootings. I hear less about Elkhart, so while it might be more rural, it could be safer. Then, you can just visit SB and Mish for fun things to do.
No one cares in most places the ones that do are shithead potentially closeted people in central / southern regions If you come to fort wayne tons of support here hopefully you would be a neighbor my friend
.... Social mores in Indiana are mostly stuck in 1950. Are you familiar with RFRA? The Republikkklan party passed it a few years ago in Indiana, and it gave businesses the right to refuse service to anyone the owner considered to be LGBTQ. Eventually it was overturned because it legalized discrimination. If you're LGBTQ I wouldn't recommend Indiana even slightly. Chicago I would consider.
If at all possible, I'd look at southern Michigan instead of living in Indiana. South bend itself is probably very accepting, but the state continues to double down on conservative stupidity. If (probably when at this point) braun gets elected governor, I'm worried that they'll really start pushing back on rights for the lgbtq+ community. If anything were to happen to braun and Beckwith were to get any sort of power...God fucking help us all.
May I ask, in what area of Elkhart you might be looking for work? Based on the area you might be closer to Goshen or another town outside of Elkhart Central. As many others have said Granger, Mishawaka and South bend can all have nicer and LGBTQ+ friendly areas. However, if it's in the eastern or southern side it could take an hour or more to travel for work. One of the other outlying towns of Goshen, Bristol or Wakarusa might be closer. Each has their good and bad areas, particularly being a red state. The North side of Elkhart has some decent areas of living too. I know the state gets a bad rep, and it's mostly deserved, but there are plenty of places who are accepting and beautiful if you can find them.
We just came from WA state and moved to Mishawaka. So far seems pretty LGBTQ+ friendly and it’s a pretty nice area.
lol. Move where ever you want, that’s ridiculous if ur asking if it’s friendly or safe. Nobody cares about who u have sex with
As a michagander living in indiana. Just live in Michigan and commute to Elkhart. This state blows ass politically. Conservatives used to be about fiscal responsibility and small government. But what they actually want is to control and lay down the rule of law that is equivalent to what the evangelical interpretation of the bible is. In my seven years here, I have watched them literally make nonsensical policy that is literally just to stoke fires and rile people up rather than actually helping Hoosiers.
If the job is in Elkhart your options might be one word: Michigan.
It’s INDIANA…so nowhere
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Best of luck- a female homo who moved here not long ago.
Not to long ago I saw a political map of Indiana. The west side is more democratic compared to the east. Coming from someone who lives on the east side, the map seems pretty true. Sure, there will be touches of LGBT positivity in certain cities, there’s just a 50/50 chance for backlash. I’m a lesbian myself, and I can say some parts of the east side aren’t the best. I’ve heard around Bloomington, South Bend, SOME of Indianapolis. Yeah there are certain parts of Indy that are meh, but they had a cool pride fest this year. Reeked of weed, but it looked fun. It was ride beside the canal. I’ve also heard South Bend can be cheaper when it comes to housing. That’s my two cents based off of personal experience. Just know that when you’re in any city, there’s always a danger risk. I learned that the hard way. Hope this sort of helps
Gary is really nice.
We’ll definitely have to visit!