kalamazoo (Battle Creek, Portage, Marshall: construction, public schools, college)

[pattiv]

I will be working in Battle Creek and am looking for places to live.
Can anybody give me some goog places to look in the Kalamazoo area?
Is lake living possible without driving more than 30 minutes?
Would appreciate any help you could give me!

[mackinac81]

Look at Portage. It's a nice safe town with fantastic schools. There are lakes on the south and east ends of town (Long, Austin and West Lakes) that might be worth a look.

[flyingwriter]

Kalamazoo is only 15 minutes away from Battle Creek, not a bad commute at all. You can avoid 94 in the winter, makes for a more pleasant, if slightly longer drive. Battle Creek is pretty rundown, so I can imagine why the OP wouldn't want to live there. Portage is bland suburbia, wouldn't recommend living there. There are a lot of nice places on the northeast side of Kalamazoo, which is close to Battle Creek. Also, there's Gull Lake, which is nice, but expensive.

[pattiv]

Originally Posted by kazoopilot

Kalamazoo is only 15 minutes away from Battle Creek, not a bad commute at all. You can avoid 94 in the winter, makes for a more pleasant, if slightly longer drive. Battle Creek is pretty rundown, so I can imagine why the OP wouldn't want to live there. Portage is bland suburbia, wouldn't recommend living there. There are a lot of nice places on the northeast side of Kalamazoo, which is close to Battle Creek. Also, there's Gull Lake, which is nice, but expensive.

Thanks, I will be flying out of kazoo airport 2-3-days a week.
Don't mind a 30 minute drive if it is worthwhile.

[suydam]

Do you have kids? if so, I'd recommend the city of Kalamazoo. The "Kalamazoo Promise" (which is funded by private donations... so not subject to state budget cuts) guarantees college tuition to students who attend Kalamazoo Public Schools.

Read more here: https://www.kalamazoopromise.com/

[pattiv]

Thanks for the replies! We will be in Michigan the week after next to look at these areas.
It is just the two of us, so the KaZoo promise will not apply.
Thanks!

[needing more]

There are many lakes within 30 minutes to BC area. Richland has gull lake which is nice but uppity and getting expensive for the area. Marshall has a few lakes south of it and a nice little town too. South of Portage areas has some really nice lakes but the commute time would be closer to 45 minutes to an hr in the winter.. Traveling on 94 in the winter isnt pleasurable. Plus they just announced that MI is only going to comcentrate on major rds to plow since we are so broke.. so secondary rds in the winter will be hard to travel as well.. Plus all the construction going on all the time.. I'd look N or S of BC myself instead. Good luck!!