Moving -to- Kalamazoo (Portage: houses, rent, lease)

[autumnthing]

I'm moving to Kalamazoo next spring. I'm looking for really, really cheap houses (as there are a few to choose from) and I want to know how bad/good the neighborhoods are.

Because I will rely on bus, bike, and my own two feet to get around, I am looking at homes in the northside, the eastside, Edison, and Stuart. In a reply, please tell me about these or others that are still close to downtown. Thanks!

[hulkish]

the north and east sides are generally bad neighborhoods...

I recently bought a house in westwood, which is about 10 minutes from downtown kazoo.

its probably about a 15 minute bike ride from my house to downtown, the westwood area is generally really decently priced as well as the kalamazoo promise benefits.

[poppins]

I've lived in Edison for ten years (am moving out of state in a couple of months). There are lots of inexpensive houses here; We Buy Houses has rehabbed a few just on my street and really made them look nice. My house is going to be on the market soon too. I haven't had any problems here; on spring and summer evenings people sit on their front porches and talk to each other. It's on the bus line, so it's easy to get around if you don't have a car. I have great neighbors, and most of the kids on my street are well-behaved (when they aren't, their parents or grandparents hear about it, and straighten them out). I wouldn't rule out this part of town.

[pollywannacracker]

Let me just say this was when I was in college almost 10 years ago, so stuff may have changed.

I lived for a little while in the Edison part of Kazoo and never thought twice about it, I always felt safe and would walk home at all hours from the bars downtown.

As far as Stuart, there were actually quite a few college kids in this part of town. not enough that it makes the neighborhood unliveable, though. When I first moved to Kazoo I lived in this part of town and thought again that it was very safe and I actually saw improvement happening too.

From what I remember too far north is a little sketchy and too far east can be a little sketchy

[suydam]

Stuart has some gorgeous historical homes.
Kalamazoo's cost of living is incredibly low... it's a nice place to live too.
Great city.

[robwmu]

I live in Portage and believe that Kalamazoo is a great place to live. I would live there but the taxes are lower in Portage... which makes sense but seriously more families need to move to Kalamazoo for the Promise because it really is a good city with good people.

[ohannahbanana]

I definitely wouldn't reccommend the North side. While a lot is happening to re-vamp the area, there is still alot of gang and drug activity. I was raised on that side of town, and my family still owns the home because we were unable to sell it. We've remodeled it and my brother is currently living there, but we've had to re-build the fence a few times in the past years to keep people from walking through.

Edison is a great area, but there are a couple blocks that are still sketchy. The Hispanic population there is really growing fast, and they've done alot to make the homes and yards nicer. My old church has had an outreach center there for a few years, and the neighborhood is really turning around. Especially now that Deja Vu is gone.

The "student ghetto" area is very close to downtown, and all the bus routes- it's between Oakland and Westnedge, close to Vine. Only problems there are all the college parties. lol

The only reason I left Michigan is the weather, but I hope when I return to visit, to see big changes in these older communities.

Best of luck!