Hello All,
I currently reside in Fort Wayne, Indiana. As a life-long Hoosier who grew up in the Indianapolis area, I've been well acquainted with the city. I moved to the area back in 2003 after my job was outsourced. I've noted some interesting things about this town that are simply "odd" (but in a good way). These items are a bit random, but here goes:
- This town seems to defy the "Six Degrees of Seperation" rule. I'm astounded by the the number of people I've met from all over the country (and world) that have some connection to this town (job, lived here, are originally from here, have family here, etc.). More on that in a moment...
- Is a place of some social contrast:
- Conservative yet can be annoyingly liberal in attitude. Indianapolis is conservative and snobby. If you're not tied to the central Indiana corporate "donut" that encircles Marion County, then you're a nobody. There are two Indianas - the Indianapolis 9-county MSA and the rest of the state. Alas, that's another thread.
- Is exceptionally diverse (ethnically) for a city of its size (very heavy Burmese and other Asian ethnic groups). Ran into quite a few Eastern European groups as well (Croation, Bosnian, etc.). Was at a Vietnamese grocery recently and while standing in line, met a man from Kenya buying some seafood. I see quite a few Indians as well. Fort Wayne Community Schools is one of the most ethnically diverse school corporations in America (some 85 different languages are spoken). I enjoy seeing how the Amish folks pimp out their buggies with colorful LED lights, and see the horse stalls set up for them at Meijer and Walmart. And no, I'm not making that last part up!
- A huge amount of churches and the seeming requirement to balance that with "gentlemen's clubs".
- Lot's of "old money"...amazing homes that rival the North Meridian neighborhood in Indy, and right next to some of the most impoverished areas of the city.
- A blue-collar town with extensive ties to multinational corporations, particularly the defense industry.
- Local radio isn't appreciated as it should be by the locals. All other radio markets I've visited around the country (Dallas, Chicago, Detroit, Portland, Denver, etc.) all sound the same. Fort Wayne's radio market hasn't been trashed by the likes of Emmis or Clear Channel. There's a REAL classic (as in Bach or Mozart) radio format station in town (one of the few left on the radio dial). I'd like some smooth jazz, though!
- We have awesome data communication infrastructure: Comcast, Verizon FiOS and downtown city-provided 802.11 wireless. Every part of the city is wired with fiber to the home. In fact, you can't even ORDER DSL...you're ONLY option is cable, wireless, or FiOS. I love my 20 Mbps down, 5 Mbps up fiber optic triple play for $125/month. Can't get that anywhere else in Indiana. Can't believe how fortunate we are to have these options.
- One of the local television stations actually has a segment called "Good News" that highlights what is actually RIGHT with the world. That's so refreshing!
- The local chinese community is larger and more tight-knit than my wife's group back in Indy.
- After six months of looking for work ALL OVER THE US back in 2003, I found a job in this little place. Found a second, better paying and higher responsibility position six months later. I'm at the best place in my career ever. My wife just found a full time job, that utilizes her MBA and Mandarin/English translation skills...in Fort Wayne (not some big city) and in this recession. We are so thankful and are truly blessed!
- Great Christian community. You'd be surprised how hard it is to find a church home in the "city of churches" (over 400 in the city limits alone), and this in a city of only 250K. Yet, so many churches are making an impact around the world. I know of churches that are outreach hub locations for other churches in this region of the state, that then ship those goods overseas. The community is so responsive to need. The food banks and missions are still helping people. I'm surprised at the spirit of giving I see in the community.
- Back to the Six Degrees thing. My Chinese wife met a chinese woman recently. My wife lived in the city of Shinzhen (around 6 million people) many years ago. This person she met is now the wife of a local attorney and they were COWORKERS in China! Before meeting my wife, she knew of Fort Wayne because she met up with a missionary while still in China. Guess where that missionary was from? Yep...Fort Wayne. There are so many similar stories, but I won't bore you with them. Suffice it to say that whether I'm on the West Coast or Texas, people somehow (good or bad) have some sort of a connection to this place.
I'm not saying Fort Wayne is the end all place to be, but I simply find it amazing that this town in NE Indiana has such a connection with the rest of the world. I hear the insults from others and I hear about how us who live in "fly over" country are backwards and uneducated. If any of you have spent any time around Asians, you know the place education and career hold in the Eastern mind. I find it interesting to hear their take on Fort Wayne. They like the city and it provides world-class job opportunities for those who come here from the other side of the planet. Us Americans (and residents of this town) don't appreciate what that mindset truly says of our community. These are people who have relocated with (or started) their families from a region of the world that's eating our lunch in terms of growth and econmomic development. They could have chosen many places to put down roots. I find it interesting that this town seems to have such a connection to that part of the world.
Anyway, I've droned on enough. I find Fort Wayne to lack a lot of what I would want from a city, however, it has been good to me and my family. I guess I won't ruin it by longing for what other places seem to offer. I think I'll grow where I'm planted and enjoy the biggest small town in the world. I remember thinking when I moved here what I was giving up. There was a real sense of loss that first year or so. I don't think that anymore. I now have options, ideas, and cultural interaction that I didn't have before relocating here. My children get to hear Mandarin spoken at home, interact with 85 different ethnicities at school, and deal with rednecks in the neighborhood, and all in the same day. I may not get my jazz radio station, but they DO have live jazz every Friday night all summer at the outdoor Jefferson Pointe mall. It is indeed an interesting town.
So, what say ye? Does anyone else note these interesting points as well? Is it my lack of world travels that leads me to the conclusion that Fort Wayne is just a little unique in these contrasts and life attributes here in Indiana?
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This interesting little town known as "Fort Wayne"
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