[Gal2]

Please help! We'll be moving to the Portage-Kalamazoo area very soon. Working in Battle Creek but we've been told that it's better to live near Portage-Kalamazoo. What are the good areas of these towns for living? What areas should be avoided? How is the housing situation? Looking for a 2-3 bedroom to buy or rent, what can we expect in pricing? How is the friendly factor in this area? Thanks for your assistance!

[cardwellave]

I was sort of wondering about this too. What are the "bad" parts of Kalamazoo?

[mackinac81]

I grew up in Portage and really liked it. It's a pleasant suburb with little crime and excellent schools. There's lots of stuff nearby and it's very bike friendly, with plenty of trails. (Those are the basics) Kalamazoo is older more unique, and has a lot of the cultural amenities (The civic, Miller, WMU) that Portage doesn't have. They're doing a decent job revitalizing downtown.

The "bad" areas are the Northside, Eastside, and Edison neighborhoods. The Northside has improved, trying hard, but they're all pretty rough.

Good places? The Western/Northwestern half of Kalamazoo is nice. (Oshtemo, Westwood, Kalamazoo twp.,) Winchell and Westnedge Hill are more established (in the city proper) while Westwood, K Twp. and Oshtemo are more suburban. Property taxes, I think, are lower outside the city limits.

Kalamazoo has a great civic life. There are always festivals in the summer, and is home to a lot of unique stuff. I think you'll like living in either city.

[cardwellave]

Could you give me an idea of what streets Northside, Eastside, and Edison are basically bounded by?(I know things don't always end at roads but just a general idea of the roads).

[mackinac81]

Cardellwave,

Sure.

Northside: Bounded by Douglas (West) Kalamazoo St. (South) Riverview (East) and the Mosel (North)

East Side/Edison: Burdick St. (West) Miller Road (South) City Limits (East)Gull Road (North)

Another so-so neighborhood I forgot to mention: The Vine neighborhood
Oakland Dr. (West) Howard St. (South) Portage Road (East) Lovell St. (North). Locally it's the "Student Ghetto" I don't think I need to say much more.

I hope this helps!

[leadsquirter]

Another nice area in Kalamazoo not mentioned is the Milwood neighborhood. It is bounded by Miller Road on the North, I-94 to the South, Portage St. to the west and the Norfolk-Southern Railroad tracks to the East. This is a nice family area on the SE side of town which would be easy to get to Battle Creek from. If you have kids and enroll them in Kalamazoo schools their college will be paid for with the "Kalamazoo Promise". On the downside is higher taxes in the city, but more services.

[mackinac81]

Another nice area in Kalamazoo not mentioned is the Milwood neighborhood. It is bounded by Miller Road on the North, I-94 to the South, Portage St. to the west and the Norfolk-Southern Railroad tracks to the East. This is a nice family area on the SE side of town which would be easy to get to Battle Creek from. If you have kids and enroll them in Kalamazoo schools their college will be paid for with the "Kalamazoo Promise". On the downside is higher taxes in the city, but more services.

I totally forgot about Milwood! Come to think of it, I concur with leadsquirter. If you're moving to Kalamazoo proper, I'd look there first.

[Gal2]

Thanks for all the info. So is the better choice Kalamazoo over Portage
for a better place to live? While the K-Promise is great, I don't have
kids that will be attending schools. I will check out the Millwood area.
Are there other areas in Portage or Kalamazoo to check out?

[mackinac81]

I don't know if you guys are looking for a starter home, but Oakwood's an okay neighborhood. It's lower middle class, but it's safe, with few students. I lived there in college and had no problems. It's also near I-94, so you'll have access to Battle Creek. Northern Portage (Between Milham and I-94) is the same type of neighborhood. Overall Portage has less crime than Kalamazoo proper. But you can easily find safe parts of Kalamazoo to live. If you want something more suburban/subdivision-ish, pick Portage or places adjacent to Kalamazoo. If you want more city life. Go for the city proper

[Gal2]

[quote=mackinac81;4042217]I grew up in Portage and really liked it. It's a pleasant suburb with little crime and excellent schools. There's lots of stuff nearby and it's very bike friendly, with plenty of trails. (Those are the basics) Kalamazoo is older more unique, and has a lot of the cultural amenities (The civic, Miller, WMU) that Portage doesn't have. They're doing a decent job revitalizing downtown.

The "bad" areas are the Northside, Eastside, and Edison neighborhoods. The Northside has improved, trying hard, but they're all pretty rough.

Good places? The Western/Northwestern half of Kalamazoo is nice. (Oshtemo, Westwood, Kalamazoo twp.,) Winchell and Westnedge Hill are more established (in the city proper) while Westwood, K Twp. and Oshtemo are more suburban. Property taxes, I think, are lower outside the city limits.

When you mentioned the "bad" areas as being the Northside, Eastside, and Edison, are you speaking about Kalamazoo or Portage?