[kamra]

Hi everyone,
My wife and me are moving to Kalamazoo cause my wife has been admitted to the Western Michigan University for Fall 2009.
We are just looking for an apartment in a safe area.We tried surfing the net but we couldn't find anything,so please let us know what you guys think?!
1-What are the safest areas for living in Kalamazoo?Either in downtown ,
near WMU or anywhere else?
2-Are West,SouthWest and South sides of city good places to live?(As we have found some decent apartments in them.)
3-In what part of kazoo,Is the Shoppingcenter or Mall located?
4-How much is the average gas bill over there?
If there is anythingelse you guys come up with,I'd be glad to know.
Thanks so much in advance!

[flyingwriter]

Originally Posted by kamra

Hi everyone,
My wife and me are moving to Kalamazoo cause my wife has been admitted to the Western Michigan University for Fall 2009.
We are just looking for an apartment in a safe area.We tried surfing the net but we couldn't find anything,so please let us know what you guys think?!
1-What are the safest areas for living in Kalamazoo?Either in downtown ,
near WMU or anywhere else?

The west, south, and northeast sides are all safe places to be. The westside is overrun with students, so if that's not your thing, then look into somewhere else. Stay away from the Northside and Eastside neighborhoods. Rents in Kalamazoo proper are way more expensive than surrounding areas, so you could probably save money by living in Paw Paw, Plainwell, Otsego, or Schoolcraft. You definitely pay a preminum for living IN Kazoo.

2-Are West, SouthWest and South sides of city good places to live?(As we have found some decent apartments in them.)

See above. Stay away from The Landings Apartments, those places are a DUMP!

3-In what part of kazoo,Is the Shoppingcenter or Mall located?

The mall's in Portage, a town a few miles south of Kazoo. There's also several shopping centers along West Main and Gull Road.

4-How much is the average gas bill over there?

It varies by house/apartment. A newer, well-built place will use less heat than an old, large house. There are also several apartments that include heat in your rent.

[xlabel]

There are few nice Apt complexes on 9th st, just N of Stadium/Red Arrow highway in Oshtemo. Only about 4 miles from WMU. Target, Wal-Mart, a small mall,Lowes, meijers, about 3 miles away on West Main. There's a larger mall and just about anything other store you could want, on S. Westnedge. I'd stay on the west side, it's safer.

[Brian1383]

Yep........if you want to drive. (a short distance) to campus, I'd live in Portage or Oshtemo. Schoolcraft is quaint and safe, but a bit out of the way. Plainwell is OK too, but too far for a student. Paw Paw is where I live...........ummmm.......yeah.......they'd roll up the streets at 6PM, but that would require effort.

Nice apartments right in downtown KZO on the mall, but pricey. Otherwise think Portage and Oshtemo --- except the multitude of apartments on Drake Road. Lots of theft, apartment fires, and general street crime there. WMU is borderline Oshtemo.

WMU has married apartments on campus............any thought to that?

Gas bills are really dependent on insulation. I have a 2500 sf house, a teenager who does laundry daily with a gas dryer, and a wife who thinks the house should be warm enough to grow tomatoes in February. My gas bill in winter is $100. $30 in summer. I have good insulation.

[malamute]

With Michigan letting the prisoners free to save money, what areas will be safe any more?