How would Elkhart County be for an early 30 something single male?

[Further North]

I'm happy to report that I got the job!

A couple of follow up questions that I've thought up since:

What does the area have for gyms?

I saw some place off of 33 more by the retail quarter and Dunlap. Anyplace else? I'm more of a membership gym type of guy then a YMCA person because I like places that keep late hours. I hate being pushed out the door at 8:30 PM.

What bank would you recommend using, particularly Credit Unions?


Are any of the nearby Rivers or Lakes good for kayaking?

I've had the itch to buy one for some years now, I just need to justify getting enough use out of it outside of an annual trip or 2 with friends.

What about biking trails?

How about restaurants and bars to check out in Goshen?

Does Indiana do emissions testing on vehicles?

My Wisconsin plates expire in FEB, might as well register the car in IN off the bat.

Thanks guys. I'm sure I'll have some more questions pop in my head later but this is a start....

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by Further North

I'm happy to report that I got the job!

A couple of follow up questions that I've thought up since:

What does the area have for gyms?

I saw some place off of 33 more by the retail quarter and Dunlap. Anyplace else? I'm more of a membership gym type of guy then a YMCA person because I like places that keep late hours. I hate being pushed out the door at 8:30 PM.

What bank would you recommend using, particularly Credit Unions?


Are any of the nearby Rivers or Lakes good for kayaking?

I've had the itch to buy one for some years now, I just need to justify getting enough use out of it outside of an annual trip or 2 with friends.

What about biking trails?

How about restaurants and bars to check out in Goshen?

Does Indiana do emissions testing on vehicles?

My Wisconsin plates expire in FEB, might as well register the car in IN off the bat.

Thanks guys. I'm sure I'll have some more questions pop in my head later but this is a start....

Congrats on the job! I have a couple of friends in Goshen that use Interra Credit Union. I've heard good things about Teachers Credit Union as well. Unfortunately, I can't tell you much more about them.

For gyms, if you're living in Goshen, you can check out the Rec-Fitness center at Goshen College. It's open to the public and fees are reasonable. I think around $37 or so per month. The nice thing is you don't have to lock into a commitment. If you just want to try it out, you can buy a single day pass, a 5-day pass or a 10-day pass. Unfortunately they did close their indoor pool which was a huge controversy. But it still includes basketball courts, an indoor track, fitness area, and racquet ball courts.
Rec-Fit Home | Recreation-Fitness Center

There's also the new Anytime Fitness at Linway Plaza in Goshen. It's in a converted fabrics and craft store and has a very interesting look to it as opposed to the normal wide open, high ceiling gym. It's also available 24 hours which I don't think the Rec-Fitness center is.
Anytime Fitness Gyms Goshen, Indiana Fitness Centers Goshen

You could probably kayak on the Elkhart River through Goshen. Just make sure you do it downstream of the damn. Upstream the river is filled with lillypads and other gunk. The river has a reputation for not being the cleanest but I think it's improved as they've moved the industry away from it. You could probably also kayak along the Mill Race, which is a canal that parallels the river from the Goshen Dam almost to Lincoln Ave near Rogers Park. But I think both routes are better for canoeing than kayaking. If you want white water kayaking, you should check out the East Race in downtown South Bend. They do Olympic trials there but they have beginner courses, too.
East Race Waterway | South Bend Parks & Recreation - Official Website

Goshen has a pretty extensive greenway system, though much of it does run along city streets. But there is a bike/jogging trail that runs along the Mill Race from the Goshen Dam to Rogers Park. There's also the Pumpkinvine trail which is most easily accessed from Abshire Park, along Lincoln Ave (SR 4) on the east edge of Goshen. It goes through the country to Middlebury.
Pumpkinvine Nature Trail

Possibly the more popular bar in Goshen are Constant Spring which is located right downtown. The Electric Brew is a very popular coffee house which usually has live music in the evenings. It's also located right downtown.

As for restaurants, the South Side Soda Shop on Main Street (SR 15) south of downtown is pretty famous and has been featured on the show Diners, Drive ins, and Dives on the Food Network. Tony's at the corner of Lincoln and 5th Street is pretty decent Italian. Dandinos along US 33 doesn't look like much from the outside, but they have a pretty good filet mignon. And the Olympia Candy Kitchen right downtown has been a Goshen staple for decades. The Lux Cafe on the southeast side along US 33 is pretty good and you can get breakfast all day long. I also enjoy Hacienda Mexican restaurant in Linway Plaza. There are also locations in Elkhart, Mishawaka, and South Bend. It's Americanized mexican food, of course, but the tortilla chips are delicious! I have family members that have been known to stop in and buy a bag of their chips to take home with them when they are in town.

As for emission tests on your car, Indiana doesn't require that. I believe when you move here, you technically have just 30 days to get your car registered with Indiana plates.

Hope all of this helps!

[Further North]

I have a place to live! I ended up renting a house that is south of the High School on 33 over on 14th Street. It's about a 2 min drive to work! I can bike or walk to work all summer long.

I have another question to ask you guys now.

How is AT&T Coverage in the Michiana area?

Any dropped calls?

Data issues?

I currently have US Cellular but the rep in the Concord Mall store told me that there are rumors that Sprint is buying out their network in Indiana.

I HAVE TO have an AT&T or Verizon phone if I want to get coverage when I visit my family in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and I am leaning towards AT&T because they get better coverage in the most remote areas up there.

[ischyros]

Originally Posted by Further North

I have a place to live! I ended up renting a house that is south of the High School on 33 over on 14th Street. It's about a 2 min drive to work! I can bike or walk to work all summer long.

I have another question to ask you guys now.

How is AT&T Coverage in the Michiana area?

Any dropped calls?

Data issues?

I currently have US Cellular but the rep in the Concord Mall store told me that there are rumors that Sprint is buying out their network in Indiana.

I HAVE TO have an AT&T or Verizon phone if I want to get coverage when I visit my family in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and I am leaning towards AT&T because they get better coverage in the most remote areas up there.

Along 14th Street is a nice area! I used to live in a neighborhood off of 16th Street near College Ave and would ride my bike all around that area. I still have a good friend who's parents live on 12th Street near the college.

I don't think I can help you much with the cell phone. I only ever had Verizon or Sprint and I don't think I know anyone with AT&T up there now. Sprint service used to be terrible in Goshen, but that was 7 or 8 years ago. I lived in Fort Wayne at the time but when I'd go back to Goshen to visit family or friends, I'd either have 1 bar or no reception at all. I'm sure it's improved. But outside Verizon, I can't really help much.

[ischyros]

Also, if you are in Goshen by the end of January, you should check out First Fridays on February 1st. I think it's usually from 5pm - 9pm, but basically they have a big party in downtown Goshen on the first Friday of every month, all year long. During the summer they do classic car shows and cruising. They have different things all the time and is a fun community thing to do.

You'll notice Goshen gets packed during the last weekend of July this summer as well when the Elkhart County Fair comes to town. It's supposedly the 2nd largest county fair in the country and just about everyone in town goes at least once during the 9 days. I think they average 400,000 visitors each year, in a city of just 30,000 people.

[cdr18]

As far as gyms, there is a new gym that just opened next to Kroger called Icon Fitness. It will eventually have a swimming pool in there as well. Membership is $50, but the facility is definitely well-run and cleanliness is a priority there. The owner is also a well-known licensed chiropractic serving the Goshen area.

Icon Fitness

I hope you enjoy Goshen.

[Further North]

Yeah I ended up signing up for Icon. I am VERY impressed with how clean they keep the place! It's pretty uncommon to me to see all of the staff go around and wipe down each and EVERY machine in the place at the end of the night with disinfectant spray. Seems like a well run facility.

BTW while I'm thinking of it, any comment on the chiropractors that run it? I'll eventually be looking for one in the area once my health ins. kicks in.

[de7bi16]

If you want a deal in Nappanee, I've got a house to sell you. I'd love to get out of here. Not from the area and DO NOT LIKE IT AT ALL!

[cdr18]

You know, I read an article on it about the chiropractor who opened it, but now I'm having a hard time recalling that article. Hmmm.... You might just want to Google chiropractors from around the area. Sorry!

[dreamer854]

Just by reading your posts I think Goshen sounds like a good bet for you. You will be close to work and Goshen has the culture you are looking for. Even if you went a bit out of the actual city limits you would probably still be happy. I'd stay away from South Bend, as far as a place to live.