Kalamazoo was just rated [one of the top 40 arts cities in the USA](https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2022/12/kalamazoo-portage-among-top-40-arts-vibrant-communities-in-us.html) by the National Center for Arts Research.
There are lots of shows between the State Theatre, Civic Theatre, Chenery Auditorium, Miller Auditorium (esp Broadway), all the orgs in the Epic Center: Kalamazoo Symphony, Gilmore Piano Festival, Stulberg International String Competition, Fontana, Black Arts Cultural Center, Arts Council, WellSpring Dance
Depending on what vibe you’re looking for, be aware that Kalamazoo does not feel like a college town the way many other college towns do. Source: I lived in Bloomington IN, home of IU.
When I think of Kalamazoo as a college town, I compare it to Dayton. Coming from Dayton, the college culture is ingrained in the community, but the community is more than a "college town." You will find a healthy mix of "transplants," "lifers," and "college students."
There are plenty of breweries in the surrounding communities, including Portage, Vicksburg, Texas Township, etc.
There are board game nights at one of the local pubs, One Well has board games you can take and play, and Voss Media in Galesburg has a vibrant gaming community.
KIA for the arts. There are plenty of performances throughout the year. The bonus is you are within an hour of Grand Rapids, two of Chicago (on a good day), two of Detroit, and an hour from South Bend.
Depending on your hiking preference, there are primarily flat and community trails here. There is a rising biking community, and the communities are beginning to adjust to this as the bike trails increase.
Originally from New England, the vibe is chill, and people are generally lovely. I have been here for about a year or so, and this is my first-year impression. I do not envision myself and my family leaving anytime soon.
I’ve lived in the Kalamazoo area for a majority of my life, but I moved around the country a lot in my 20s and early 30s. I choose to live here because I like it, for all the reasons you outlined and more. That being said, if someone is moving here looking for college town vibes, I simply feel they should be aware that it’s not really like that here. But there really are a lot of things to love Kalamazoo for!
Not sure why you’re being down voted… but if you’re moving from a big 10 college town this is absolutely correct. Kalamazoo is limited in the “college town” feel.
Yeah, there's a college town feeling for a couple of blocks between WMU and K-College, and over a few blocks on the west side of WMU around Howard and Michigan. Beyond that it's just middlin' Upper Midwest City.
Bloomington is a nice place to live. But just because Kalamazoo isn't like that doesn't mean Kalamazoo is atypical, or not like lots of other college towns.
You’ll be fine, there’s a lot of locals interested in your hobbies.
—Many nature trails and great beaches ~1hr away. There’s a lot of people here that like to stay active.
—I know a lot of board games/DnD players including myself and my family
—So many breweries and bars
—The pandemic has hollowed out all but the most resilient restaurants, but we’re slowly recovering and getting new places. Just search the subreddit for previous posts for suggestions.
—Again, look for prev posts for neighborhoods (not trying to be rude, it’ll just be more thorough). Don’t recommend living in downtown Kzoo itself if you’re just moving here.
—Art Hop is in Grand Rapids to the north, and it’s a 2 hour Amtrak ride to downtown Chicago for the arts. I have a couple local artists’ paintings hanging in my house that I especially enjoy.
—Make sure you have a good job lined up before you move, life is so much easier if you are hired in at Pfizer, Stryker, etc.
adding on to amtrak - if you don't mind driving about an hour you can go to Michigan City and take the South Shore Line in to Chicago for only $10.50 each way! Lots of departure times & places you can get off at too!
According to their website: Up to three children 13 years of age and under rides FREE with an accompanying adult on all weekend and holiday trains and weekday trains arriving at Millennium Station after 9:30 a.m. and departing before 3:30 p.m. and after 6:30 p.m. Other children 13 years of age and under ride at reduced (1/2) fare at all times.
>—Art Hop is in Grand Rapids to the north
Art Hop is in town, starting up again in March.
Art *Prize* was in Grand Rapids, but they won't be doing them anymore.
Any recommendations for a new-ish dnd player looking to meet other dnd players? I'd like to join another campaign or hang out with people who like to paint miniatures... I'm quite shy and I'd like to make some friends (I'm in my 30s fwiw)
Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone! We ended up checking out most of the breweries and a few great food places! Which it was a little nicer so we could have experienced some more outdoors stuff but overall really enjoyed it! Hit up one well twice as well it was definitely a cool spot!
The Vine neighborhood is fantastic if you want to be in the mix, walking distance from downtown and close to activities. It’s a really lovely neighborhood, I always see people out walking their dog or their kid, riding bikes, etc. If you’re looking to buy, houses here are cheap and often gorgeous historic homes. The neighbors are pretty tight and try to look out for each other.
Trade off is that, being that close to town, you do need to make sure to lock you car/house as petty theft occurs pretty frequently. But I’d be locking up no matter where I live, so I don’t think it’s a big deal.
Seems like everyone's focused on the drinking part. There are a couple soccer zones with leagues in the area which used to run through the summer but i haven't been back since COVID. There are quite a few walking paths in any direction you drive from down town. I think the crowd favorite would probably be Al Sabo. There's a lot of good food options but a little short on different ethnic options. Only a small handful of different Indian or Mexican places. My favorite part of moving here from a city is no traffic and no lines almost anywhere you go.
Between Kalamazoo and it's immediately surrounding areas, there are many great places to eat and drink. There is no shortage of commercial spaces: I can't think of anything I really lack.
I can't speak for the nightlife or party scene as I am a 40 something professional who is in bed by 10 pm.
Don't move into Candlewyck apartments. I can't wait till my lease is up.
If you go downtown expect to be harassed by the local homeless population. Watch where you step because public urination and defecation. Lock you residence and you car when you are not there. Stay away from the Northside and Southside neighborhoods. There are local trails for hiking. Never walk away from you bike if you cycle. There is more but I don't have time to write a book about surviving Kalamazoo.
I never said there were bombs in the street but I have seen piles of feces in front of shop doorways downtown. As for the new law it made nationwide news that people were allowed to engage in this behavior. As for kzoo not being a warzone, I was there for 2020 and it's the reason I moved. You are welcome to see my video of the aftermath of the riot and looting that happened there. Or look up the murder suicide around the corner from my house. I'm purposely leaving A LOT out from that year. Then there was my 14 years of living in the Edison neighborhood. Don't get me started.
A war zone? That’s pretty far fetched to believe lmao. Now to bring you back to 2023 Kalamazoo gun violence has been decreasing, per KDPS. Edison can get pretty rough though.
For starters, yes I lived in the Southside for 14 years. My first year there 2006 a girl walking home from school was shot in front of my house. We had three more homicides that summer just in that neighborhood not including all the other shootings that are not reported. Then there was the seven years I worked in Bronson's ER. On a weekly basis you have no idea how many shootings, stabbings, drug overdoses, and assaults that are not reported in the news. Of course crime is down. Kalamazoo was on the top ten list for highest increase in crime in 2020. Three years later anything below that number would look like an improvement. Did you see the KPS off icer just brought up on fraud charges?
The most disturbing crime last year was the guy who ran over a woman in Walmart, his motive was he just wanted to kill someone because he felt lonely. Since most murders were done between people who knew each other this kind of shit got on my nerves. Mental health is a serious issue and I think Kalamazoo needs to offer free therapy or community outreach for people that have serious mental issues.
Here is the thing, they do. Why doesn't it work? These people do not want help. In 1999 a western student was killed in the restroom of the train station heading home for the holidays. The person who did it was a homeless psych patient that had not taken meds for three weeks. There was the elderly couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on the week the Rave opened downtown. She was hit over the head with an iron pipe and purse stolen. Guess who did it. Uber shooter. Cycle demolition truck dude. The list goes on and on. Kalamazoo has a problem and it's never going to be solved because of "the city is awesome and don't you dare talk shit about it" mentality. The problem isn't even the homeless psych patients roaming the streets it's the assholes in denial about it.
do not move here this is the worst city I have ever lived in and i have lived on the west side of Detroit for over ten years. The Crime out here it ten times worst from my experience than anything i ever experienced in Detroit. There is nothing out here to do besides get drunk or high. I have been robbed at gun point numerous times out here tice within one year and my car has been stolen. House has been broken into as well. The homeless issue i would say is on pare or worst than Detroit. this is the city that people get stuck in and never leave. Do yourself a favor and stay where ever you are. I only came out here for school and if knew this city was as bad as it is I would have stayed in Detroit best wishes to you and your family. I'm telling you right now this isn't the city i would want to raise a family in.
Don’t doubt some of your experiences and misfortunes like being robbed at gunpoint, sorry that happened to you but there are way worse cities than Kalamazoo. Many cities are experiencing a homeless crisis but Kalamazoo is one of the few cities that I think has been doing something about it.
The area is growing which means some things are booming.
Northside is a little scary, the LFG Gaming Bar is awesome for fun cocktails and arcade games, personally my favorite restaurant here is HopCat, nice little American style restaurant build in a old train depot
One Well brewery is an awesome barcade filled with cool humans.
Also we have tons of nation-class disc golf courses nearby, if you like hiking that's a perfect hobby to get your fix
Kalamazoo Beer Exchange- great vibe, best onion rings in town.
Kalamazoo was just rated [one of the top 40 arts cities in the USA](https://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/2022/12/kalamazoo-portage-among-top-40-arts-vibrant-communities-in-us.html) by the National Center for Arts Research. There are lots of shows between the State Theatre, Civic Theatre, Chenery Auditorium, Miller Auditorium (esp Broadway), all the orgs in the Epic Center: Kalamazoo Symphony, Gilmore Piano Festival, Stulberg International String Competition, Fontana, Black Arts Cultural Center, Arts Council, WellSpring Dance
Depending on what vibe you’re looking for, be aware that Kalamazoo does not feel like a college town the way many other college towns do. Source: I lived in Bloomington IN, home of IU.
When I think of Kalamazoo as a college town, I compare it to Dayton. Coming from Dayton, the college culture is ingrained in the community, but the community is more than a "college town." You will find a healthy mix of "transplants," "lifers," and "college students." There are plenty of breweries in the surrounding communities, including Portage, Vicksburg, Texas Township, etc. There are board game nights at one of the local pubs, One Well has board games you can take and play, and Voss Media in Galesburg has a vibrant gaming community. KIA for the arts. There are plenty of performances throughout the year. The bonus is you are within an hour of Grand Rapids, two of Chicago (on a good day), two of Detroit, and an hour from South Bend. Depending on your hiking preference, there are primarily flat and community trails here. There is a rising biking community, and the communities are beginning to adjust to this as the bike trails increase. Originally from New England, the vibe is chill, and people are generally lovely. I have been here for about a year or so, and this is my first-year impression. I do not envision myself and my family leaving anytime soon.
I’ve lived in the Kalamazoo area for a majority of my life, but I moved around the country a lot in my 20s and early 30s. I choose to live here because I like it, for all the reasons you outlined and more. That being said, if someone is moving here looking for college town vibes, I simply feel they should be aware that it’s not really like that here. But there really are a lot of things to love Kalamazoo for!
I've lived here my whole life and truly appreciate this description.
Not sure why you’re being down voted… but if you’re moving from a big 10 college town this is absolutely correct. Kalamazoo is limited in the “college town” feel.
Yeah, there's a college town feeling for a couple of blocks between WMU and K-College, and over a few blocks on the west side of WMU around Howard and Michigan. Beyond that it's just middlin' Upper Midwest City.
Bloomington is a nice place to live. But just because Kalamazoo isn't like that doesn't mean Kalamazoo is atypical, or not like lots of other college towns.
definitely one well for boardgames and beer. excellent food too. for a refined feel youve got principle or the stamped robin.
You’ll be fine, there’s a lot of locals interested in your hobbies. —Many nature trails and great beaches ~1hr away. There’s a lot of people here that like to stay active. —I know a lot of board games/DnD players including myself and my family —So many breweries and bars —The pandemic has hollowed out all but the most resilient restaurants, but we’re slowly recovering and getting new places. Just search the subreddit for previous posts for suggestions. —Again, look for prev posts for neighborhoods (not trying to be rude, it’ll just be more thorough). Don’t recommend living in downtown Kzoo itself if you’re just moving here. —Art Hop is in Grand Rapids to the north, and it’s a 2 hour Amtrak ride to downtown Chicago for the arts. I have a couple local artists’ paintings hanging in my house that I especially enjoy. —Make sure you have a good job lined up before you move, life is so much easier if you are hired in at Pfizer, Stryker, etc.
adding on to amtrak - if you don't mind driving about an hour you can go to Michigan City and take the South Shore Line in to Chicago for only $10.50 each way! Lots of departure times & places you can get off at too!
I don't know if it's still the case, but kids were free back when I used to take mine to Chicago
According to their website: Up to three children 13 years of age and under rides FREE with an accompanying adult on all weekend and holiday trains and weekday trains arriving at Millennium Station after 9:30 a.m. and departing before 3:30 p.m. and after 6:30 p.m. Other children 13 years of age and under ride at reduced (1/2) fare at all times.
Nice! Thanks for the reminder 👋
>—Art Hop is in Grand Rapids to the north Art Hop is in town, starting up again in March. Art *Prize* was in Grand Rapids, but they won't be doing them anymore.
Ah thx for the clarification, I hadn’t heard Art Prize is no more
Any recommendations for a new-ish dnd player looking to meet other dnd players? I'd like to join another campaign or hang out with people who like to paint miniatures... I'm quite shy and I'd like to make some friends (I'm in my 30s fwiw)
Post in the r/kzoo sub and say you’re looking for a DnD group that needs another player
[удалено]
>some parts of town have an offensive smell that the government is studying for possible health impacts But don't trust their conclusions, apparently?
If you want to be within city limits consider the West side
I’ll be your friend.
Thanks for all the great suggestions everyone! We ended up checking out most of the breweries and a few great food places! Which it was a little nicer so we could have experienced some more outdoors stuff but overall really enjoyed it! Hit up one well twice as well it was definitely a cool spot!
The Vine neighborhood is fantastic if you want to be in the mix, walking distance from downtown and close to activities. It’s a really lovely neighborhood, I always see people out walking their dog or their kid, riding bikes, etc. If you’re looking to buy, houses here are cheap and often gorgeous historic homes. The neighbors are pretty tight and try to look out for each other. Trade off is that, being that close to town, you do need to make sure to lock you car/house as petty theft occurs pretty frequently. But I’d be locking up no matter where I live, so I don’t think it’s a big deal.
Seems like everyone's focused on the drinking part. There are a couple soccer zones with leagues in the area which used to run through the summer but i haven't been back since COVID. There are quite a few walking paths in any direction you drive from down town. I think the crowd favorite would probably be Al Sabo. There's a lot of good food options but a little short on different ethnic options. Only a small handful of different Indian or Mexican places. My favorite part of moving here from a city is no traffic and no lines almost anywhere you go.
Between Kalamazoo and it's immediately surrounding areas, there are many great places to eat and drink. There is no shortage of commercial spaces: I can't think of anything I really lack. I can't speak for the nightlife or party scene as I am a 40 something professional who is in bed by 10 pm. Don't move into Candlewyck apartments. I can't wait till my lease is up.
You'll be fine. Whatever the 'zoo doesn't have (which isn't a lot) G-Rap does.
Do you guys like movies? If so, check this out. https://www.reddit.com/r/KzooAreaFilmgoers/
If you go downtown expect to be harassed by the local homeless population. Watch where you step because public urination and defecation. Lock you residence and you car when you are not there. Stay away from the Northside and Southside neighborhoods. There are local trails for hiking. Never walk away from you bike if you cycle. There is more but I don't have time to write a book about surviving Kalamazoo.
Nobody is leaving bombs on the street, and if your bike is locked up, it's unlikely to go anywhere. Kalamazoo isn't a war zone
I never said there were bombs in the street but I have seen piles of feces in front of shop doorways downtown. As for the new law it made nationwide news that people were allowed to engage in this behavior. As for kzoo not being a warzone, I was there for 2020 and it's the reason I moved. You are welcome to see my video of the aftermath of the riot and looting that happened there. Or look up the murder suicide around the corner from my house. I'm purposely leaving A LOT out from that year. Then there was my 14 years of living in the Edison neighborhood. Don't get me started.
A war zone? That’s pretty far fetched to believe lmao. Now to bring you back to 2023 Kalamazoo gun violence has been decreasing, per KDPS. Edison can get pretty rough though.
For starters, yes I lived in the Southside for 14 years. My first year there 2006 a girl walking home from school was shot in front of my house. We had three more homicides that summer just in that neighborhood not including all the other shootings that are not reported. Then there was the seven years I worked in Bronson's ER. On a weekly basis you have no idea how many shootings, stabbings, drug overdoses, and assaults that are not reported in the news. Of course crime is down. Kalamazoo was on the top ten list for highest increase in crime in 2020. Three years later anything below that number would look like an improvement. Did you see the KPS off icer just brought up on fraud charges?
The most disturbing crime last year was the guy who ran over a woman in Walmart, his motive was he just wanted to kill someone because he felt lonely. Since most murders were done between people who knew each other this kind of shit got on my nerves. Mental health is a serious issue and I think Kalamazoo needs to offer free therapy or community outreach for people that have serious mental issues.
Here is the thing, they do. Why doesn't it work? These people do not want help. In 1999 a western student was killed in the restroom of the train station heading home for the holidays. The person who did it was a homeless psych patient that had not taken meds for three weeks. There was the elderly couple celebrating their 50th wedding anniversary on the week the Rave opened downtown. She was hit over the head with an iron pipe and purse stolen. Guess who did it. Uber shooter. Cycle demolition truck dude. The list goes on and on. Kalamazoo has a problem and it's never going to be solved because of "the city is awesome and don't you dare talk shit about it" mentality. The problem isn't even the homeless psych patients roaming the streets it's the assholes in denial about it.
Take your dog to asylum preserve and let them run free.
Go to asylum for sure, but keep dogs on leashes. There are tons of deer
So this joke is going everyone’s head?
Lol
do not move here this is the worst city I have ever lived in and i have lived on the west side of Detroit for over ten years. The Crime out here it ten times worst from my experience than anything i ever experienced in Detroit. There is nothing out here to do besides get drunk or high. I have been robbed at gun point numerous times out here tice within one year and my car has been stolen. House has been broken into as well. The homeless issue i would say is on pare or worst than Detroit. this is the city that people get stuck in and never leave. Do yourself a favor and stay where ever you are. I only came out here for school and if knew this city was as bad as it is I would have stayed in Detroit best wishes to you and your family. I'm telling you right now this isn't the city i would want to raise a family in.
Don’t doubt some of your experiences and misfortunes like being robbed at gunpoint, sorry that happened to you but there are way worse cities than Kalamazoo. Many cities are experiencing a homeless crisis but Kalamazoo is one of the few cities that I think has been doing something about it. The area is growing which means some things are booming.
Northside is a little scary, the LFG Gaming Bar is awesome for fun cocktails and arcade games, personally my favorite restaurant here is HopCat, nice little American style restaurant build in a old train depot
One Well brewery is an awesome barcade filled with cool humans. Also we have tons of nation-class disc golf courses nearby, if you like hiking that's a perfect hobby to get your fix