[snoopygirlmi]

Originally Posted by fruitnut

Does Kalamazoo and the surrounding area have a lot going on in the areas I just mentioned?

If you like outdoor activities, then there is plenty to do.

Are there any trader joes, whole foods or a grocery store that is equivilant to those two chains?

No. My friends from K-zoo go to AA or Detroit for Trader Joes or Whole Foods. I don't know if there are smaller stores in the area. (I haven't lived there for years!)

Are there lots of healthy alternative places to eat out?

K-zoo is a college town and there are a lot of places to eat out. Also, there's Grand Rapids and Battle Creek if you can't find something in Kalamazoo.

We like the Kalamazoo area better but the schools seem better in portage. I don't want to send my kids to school where safety is an issue but portage seems so sterile! Help!

Portage isn't hip, but they do have good schools. I would have loved it had my parents moved into that school district. Kalamazoo's more iffy, but a lot of people have moved into the district because of the K-promise.

I grew up in Kalamazoo, but outside of Portage or Kalamazoo Schools the districts are a lot smaller.