Warsaw v. Ft Wayne v. Goshen (Fort Wayne, South Bend: employment, neighborhoods, private schools)

[relocater2015]

I posted a few weeks ago about commuting to Warsaw from Ft. Wayne. DH is taking a position at a company in Warsaw that is a sub company of his major corporation. I will have to leave my job since I can't work remotely but would likely be able to find employment in Ft Wayne. The two options we are weighing are as follows:

Live in Warsaw and I either don't work (we have two kids 12 and 14) or I have a commute to Ft. Wayne or South Bend from Warsaw.

Live in the Southwest Part of Ft Wayne (in one of those developments) and husband commutes to Warsaw (40 mins) and I commute to Ft Wayne (20 mins).

So my question is what is Warsaw Indiana like versus what is Suburban/Southwest Ft Wayne like? We currently live in north NJ in a suburb of NYC. Our biggest concerns are schools, sports and restaurants (we are huge foodies).

Our kids are very in to gymnastics and soccer. Are these sports popular in this area? They would also be interested in starting a new sport if that is what most kids in the area do to help make friends.

We have been in a very strong public school, how are the public schools in this area? Do many families do private?

There seem to be some good restaurants in Ft Wayne, how is the food scene in Warsaw?

Are there cute shopping areas, like a downtown main street, in either location?

[relocater2015]

One more thing -- we were also considering living in Goshen and flipping from the Ft wayne metro area to the South Ben metro area -- any opinions on that? Ft. wayne v. South Bend?

[cdcdguy]

Well. Warsaw is a pretty nice town. I think the schools are pretty good. But, it is not very big. Fort Wayne in giant compared to Warsaw. I have lived in Ft. Wayne for about 8 years now. I think it is nicer than South Bend for sure, though South Bend has some nice areas. South Bend gets MUCH more snow. You could drive Fort Wayne to Warsaw everyday, but in winter, some select days would be a real pain.

[cdr18]

Warsaw

Think of Warsaw as a small Midwestern city. Most small Midwestern cities lack development and are very plain. However, Warsaw is an exception to this rule for two reasons. First, Warsaw has an incredible cluster of companies (medical) that are the backbone of their local economy. This is not typical of small Midwestern city. In addition, many of these jobs pay $$$ which is definitely rare. Warsaw's economy and population have been thriving for the last couple of decades. Warsaw also serves as a hub for surrounding RURAL counties, which allows there to be plenty of retail, albeit mainly chain stores. Also to consider, Warsaw is in the center of the Northern Lakes region, which means there are several lakes in the vicinity. This is always an option as well.

Fort Wayne

Think of Fort Wayne as your medium-sized Midwestern city. Has nearly all of the big box stores plus a growing downtown scene. More attractions and the regional hub for Northeastern Indiana and Northwestern Ohio. Fort Wayne is the 71st largest city in the United States, which means there are several communities within Fort Wayne. Fort Wayne is different from some larger cities in that it doesn't really have suburbs or cities that are connected to it. The ones that are, Leo, Grabill, Huntertown, New Haven, etc. are very small. Basically, the suburbs of Fort Wayne are the neighborhoods directly outside of the city limits, but very much a part of Fort Wayne regardless.

Goshen

Think of Goshen as a small Midwestern City, but about twice as big as Warsaw. However, Goshen is different in that it is connected virtually right next to Elkhart. Elkhart-Goshen has a population of about 85,000. Elkhart-Goshen is then virtually connected to Mishawaka-South Bend. Mishawaka-South Bend is the regional hub of Northern Indiana and Southwest Michigan. Another thing to consider is the proximity to Lake Michigan as well. Goshen is historically known for it's quaint downtown with many local shops. Goshen is a growing city as well.

Hope this helps. As far as public schools in the area, most private schools are Christian faith based. Fort Wayne has a larger selection of private schools.