Warsaw - Columbia City Info (Fort Wayne, South Bend: appointed, apartment, rent)

[Kenneth]

We may be relocating to the area soon. Can any locals share thoughts - good or bad?

[Ronzou]

Warsaw and Columbia city are 20 minutes apart. Columbia City is more centrally located. It is 20 minutes to Warsaw, and about 25 minutes to Fort Wayne. There really isn't much in Columbia City, although they did recently get a 5 screen theater. Besides that they have a park, lots of stores, gas stations, churches and bars.

Warsaw, is a bit of a mess. Getting to it is a pain, and so is getting out of it. It's right off of US 30 which isn't bad, but the roads that they made to get to it are quite possibly one of the stupidest things ever done.

I don't know much about schools in Warsaw, but Columbia City, they are too awful, they should be getting a new high school here soon, they spend almost all of their budget on technology ever year. It's usually wasted, but they want to be on the edge of technology.

[Ronzou]

Originally Posted by Ronzou

Warsaw and Columbia city are 20 minutes apart. Columbia City is more centrally located. It is 20 minutes to Warsaw, and about 25 minutes to Fort Wayne. There really isn't much in Columbia City, although they did recently get a 5 screen theater. Besides that they have a park, lots of stores, gas stations, churches and bars.

Warsaw, is a bit of a mess. Getting to it is a pain, and so is getting out of it. It's right off of US 30 which isn't bad, but the roads that they made to get to it are quite possibly one of the stupidest things ever done.

I don't know much about schools in Warsaw, but Columbia City, they aren't too awful, they should be getting a new high school here soon, they spend almost all of their budget on technology ever year. It's usually wasted, but they want to be on the edge of technology.

Need to edit my post this way.

Schools in Columbia City aren't bad, they are just starting to get overcrowded.

[luvcub]

Being raised in Warsaw gives me a certain view,here is what I think. I believe the roads leading into the town are fairly simple,US 30 takes you east to Columbia City,west to plymouth,and Valpo. State road 15 leads north to Elkhart and South Bend,leading south you may go to Wabash and other areas. I find this city to be a family town with a lot of children,and college students from a very very near by school,not much to do for entertainment,no malls,no amusement parks,really not much of anything,how ever you will find 3 large lakes in and around the town with several lakes on the out skirts,good for swimming,parks,fishing,boating to be a favorite with locals. Cost of living is average,depending where your coming from,such as compared to Phoenix,it is very cheap living,employment can be shakey at times,hard to get into major companys and factories,thank goodness for temps,they seem to get you in the doors of some of the good places to work.
Gas,cig,and food seem to be reasonable in pricing,but stores seem to be limited,Super Walmart being most visited,and just a few grocery stores to choose from,but thats what you get in a smaller city. I believe Warsaw needs to bring in a nice sized theme park,good for local businesses,good for employment,good for local teens with nothing to do,and it would bring happiness to a lot of families.I have thought this for over 25 yrs,but city red tape and arguing seems to put a stop to any major entertainment right off the bat.
I hope this helps you,I tryed to point answers from different views.
Good luck.

[Phillyhoosier]

If you choose Warsaw, you will live in a city that has some of what you need, but is far away from what you can't get there(ie. significant drive to Ft. Wayne or South Bend). Warsaw is already a bit more convenient to Chicago, and if US 31 ever becomes an interstate, it will also be a quicker drive to Indy than from Columbia City.

The Warsaw area also has nicer lakes, but depending on your financial situation, the Whitley county lakes may be easier for you to purchase a cottage at. As far as the schools go, Warsaw seems to have greater disciplinary problems, but as a larger school district there may also be more opportunities.

Depending on where you're coming from, Warsaw and Columbia City will probably seem basically the same. If you're not sure which community you would like to live in, rent an apartment in one of the cities. You can get an apartment in either city for rediculously cheap rent. This would give you the opportunity to make an informed decision.

[mbuszu]

Originally Posted by Kenneth

We may be relocating to the area soon. Can any locals share thoughts - good or bad?

My recommendation would depend upon where your new job will be (or your spouse's). If you'll be working in Warsaw, then my suggestion is to live within it or in Columbia City - if you're willing to have a bit of a commute, living on the edge of Fort Wayne (the SW Aboite vicinity along County Line road) would be decent too.

As the other replies mentioned, Warsaw has a lot to offer - but it is still a small city. Columbia City isn't any larger for sure, it is in closer proximity to Fort Wayne which has everything and would be most optimal to raise a family/settle down within (tons to do, for any age group or interests... and it has an airport which has direct flights to many other decent sized U.S. cities).

If your reason to relocate is a job in the Warsaw vicinity - that's not a bad thing for sure. For living in Warsaw my advice would be to look into buying a lake front house on one of the areas' large ski-lakes. You'll look forward to relaxing evenings all-year and terrific summers. Your property will go up in value, and overall I doubt you would be disappointed in anything except that you might be frequently driving out to Fort Wayne, an hour out, for shopping/eating.

Columbia City is a place my family nearly settled down within a few years ago (we ended up going with the edge of Fort Wayne - and dealing with a commute to Warsaw - basically because we were told we would have to build in Columbia City since there was a major housing shortage at the time). I like Columbia City a lot, and I just read something interesting the other day... Columbia City Government has set aside significant funds to create a commercial business/retail park to attract new businesses to the area. Apparently the government has already processed all the necessary permits, and are putting in the infrastructure investment ahead of time so that prospective businesses don't have to themselves. This is a huge deal, and indeed it might be a major shot in the arm for Columbia City's future growth.

If you have specific questions - feel free to instant message me.

[Rick56]

Can anyone from the Warsaw-Goshen areas advise me if they travel rte. 30 east to Pennsylvania from Indiana. I would like to know how the roads and driving are? The 90 toll road is too fast for me. I like a slower pace and less stressful driving.Also, is there any Public transportation one can use from Warsaw to Columbia City and back?Lastly, are the any Single groups in the area that hold socials for singles such as dances and dinners and so on? Thank you.