Company wants us to relocate... (South Bend, Elkhart: homes, school district, subdivisions)

[ThinkingThinking]

My husbands company wants us to relocate to the South Bend area. We know NOTHING about the area and they've given us some time to think about it and do research. I don't even know where to begin.

We are looking for a place to live that has good schools, and ideally a bit of space. Perhaps a semi-rural area? We have big dogs and two boys that want a place to run. We are moving from the suburbs of Houston, but are originally from the west coast. I actually look forward to the snow. I am an artist, so if anyone can give input on the arts community that would be a bonus too!

[msamhunter]

Well there's definitely a lot of Semi-Rural areas in the South Bend metro.

[ThinkingThinking]

How are the schools

[domergurl]

Look in the penn Harris Madison school district. Madison township in particular is very rural and you'll find a place with room to roam!!!

I grew up in the area. Yea, you'll get snow!!!! Tubing at benDix woods is fun! Trips to the dunes on lake Michigan ... Take the train to chicago for the day and of course, Notre Dame ....Ahhhh, good times!

[cdr18]

South Bend, on average, has the fifth highest snowfall total annually (with cities above 100,000). It can be overwhelming at times, but it isn't as cold here as up north so it isn't too bad. Madison Twshp might be too rural for you. I think I would consider the area between Mishawaka and Elkhart, possibly on the south side of South Bend/Mishawaka as well. There are plenty of semi-rural areas around here.

Basically, to give you a little insight into the area, Northern Indiana, which includes South Bend, is called Michiana. Your main cities are centered around South Bend. You have:

1) Mishawaka (commerical hub for the ENTIRE region). Very nice. In my opinion, the Grape/Main shopping corridor is one of the best in Indiana.
2) Elkhart (manufacturing hub of the region). Obama visited three times, meltdown of the recession. But has gained plenty of jobs since the recovery has taken place.
3) Goshen (manufacturing, historic downtown). Goshen is kind of looked at as a suburb of Elkhart, but definitely not a suburb. Known for its quaint downtown. These four cities are somewhat connected to each other and rely on each other for jobs. Very interconnected.

Obviously you probably know that South Bend has Notre Dame, which has a HUGE economic footprint in the area.

The nicest areas in Michiana are Granger, which is a suburb of South Bend and Mishawaka. The locale call it McMansions, as many of the subdivisions have mansion after mansion. And when I say mansion, this is northern Indiana, so bare with me Then you have the areas along the rivers, which the rivers in this area are very desirable to live by. Elkhart has numerous subs along the river. I'm talking georgeous homes!

If I were to rate this area, I would consider it average. Nothing too special, nothing terrible. It has everything you want for a metro area, minus the big city amenities such as pro sports, skyscrapers, huge parks, traffic (good thing). But then again, you are a two hour drive from Chicago and you are able to take the South Shore train or drive. If you like snow, I think you will like it here. The area, IMO, is beautiful in the winter. Good luck with the move. Keep us updated Any questions, just ask.

[ThinkingThinking]

Wow, thanks for the great post cdr18. I am forwarding this to my husband. I'll post any questions we have.

[domergurl]

if schools are an issue, however, you'll want Penn Harris Madison, which encompasses Granger.

[ThinkingThinking]

Schools are definately a consideration. We have one boy who is in 8th and another who is in 2nd and needs mild special needs considerations (adhd)

[domergurl]

Go with Penn Harris Madison.

[cdr18]

Yes I would second this. That or private.