Cool Areas in Fort Wayne (Hope, Liberty: neighborhoods, theatre, construction)

[AliceandTheRabbit]

Hello there, there is a very strong chance that my family will be moving to Fort Wayne from Berkeley, CA for a job and I'm wondering what are the cool/trendy/up and coming areas? I'd love to be able to wake up on a Saturday morning and walk with the family to a local diner, do some window shopping, maybe visit a park. Are there areas where people know some of their neighbors? Is it a tight knit community? Are there any liberal or progressive areas? Do areas like that exist in FW? Thanks!

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by AliceandTheRabbit

Hello there, there is a very strong chance that my family will be moving to Fort Wayne from Berkeley, CA for a job and I'm wondering what are the cool/trendy/up and coming areas? I'd love to be able to wake up on a Saturday morning and walk with the family to a local diner, do some window shopping, maybe visit a park. Are there areas where people know some of their neighbors? Is it a tight knit community? Are there any liberal or progressive areas? Do areas like that exist in FW? Thanks!

Check out West Central neighborhood and the areas of the 46807 zip code. Calhoun Street between downtown and 46807 seems like a nice enough area when I've passed through. Calhoun Street Soups, Salads, and Spirits has been a nice place to stop and listen to music on the patio. There is also a fun record store (Neat Neat Neat) there if you are into that sort of thing.

I think you can make a nice life for yourself in FW, but Berkeley it is not.

[AliceandTheRabbit]

Thanks for the responses, though I'm not sure I care for the "flaming liberal" comment. Anyone else have some suggestions on where we could live and walk to breakfast on a Saturday morning and do some window shopping? Cool areas to live and play? Does the college or university have a strip of coffee shops, bookstores or such? Many thanks!

[belovenow]

You may be in for a bit of a culture shock. Things are different here, the city is unique to Indiana. There is no real place to do Window Shopping downtown (Fort Wayne's downtown is being revitalized but will need at least 5 more years of further investment and construction). If you are planning long term to be here (over 5 years), then living downtown may be your thing as you can get property as a real investment value.

The areas described above in this thread and perhaps a handful of others downtown are decent enough already, but they are not like what you have in California or in a big city... at least not yet. In fact I would question anyone moving out here for a job from California without first visiting and getting a feel for it - the weather is different and thus entertainment options are as well.

Most of the growth of Fort Wayne is in the Southwest portion of town... it is a suburban area though for sure. I've lived in a few different neighborhoods in the southwest area and if you look at places in the 46804 zip code by Liberty Mills Rd and Coventry Parkway, there are walking trails, great parks, a massive Y, some shopping, a theatre, and some restaurants over there as well as easy access to the highway (exit 302 of highway 69). Nearby, down the road on W. Jefferson Blvd. there is a lot more shopping (and restaurants) and there's a big outdoor/trendy mall nearby called the Jefferson Pointe Shopping Center.. Jefferson Blvd is also the main corridor heading downtown as well.

[AliceandTheRabbit]

Excellent. My husband has visited a few times but hasn't had a chance to really check out the town properly. Thank you all for your suggestions. Hope you have a lovely Christmas holiday.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

Fort Wayne is one of the more conservative cities in the country.

Not really. The state is quite conservative, agreed, but there are lots of cities scattered around the state that are more conservative than FW. I was surprised the last time I was there, for a family funeral in a nearby town, to see there was an exotic dancing bar downtown on Calhoun, and it had been there for some time.

[quote] Liberals and Progressives are few and far between.[quote]

I wouldn't say that. I'd say they aren't as "up front" as they are in big cities on the coasts.

Your best bet would probably to live in Downtown Fort Wayne or near IPFW.

What does IPFW mean?

However i would recommend before moving here to not try and go out acting like a flaming liberal as you wont get far here doing that.

I have no idea what that would look like. Seems like a strange thing to say.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by OpenD

Not really. The state is quite conservative, agreed, but there are lots of cities scattered around the state that are more conservative than FW. I was surprised the last time I was there, for a family funeral in a nearby town, to see there was an exotic dancing bar downtown on Calhoun, and it had been there for some time.


Not really. The state is quite conservative, agreed, but there are lots of cities scattered around the state that are more conservative than FW. I was surprised the last time I was there, for a family funeral in a nearby town, to see there was an exotic dancing bar downtown on Calhoun, and it had been there for some time.

I wouldn't say that. I'd say they aren't as "up front" as they are in big cities on the coasts.



What does IPFW mean?



I have no idea what that would look like. Seems like a strange thing to say.

An example of FW's more conservative nature, and I hate to be the guy that uses this. In 2008 when Indiana went blue for Obama, FW was the only large Indiana city to go red for McCain. It was not even a close vote.

IPFW is Indiana University/Purdue University/Fort Wayne. Anyone in FW would know what IPFW is.

[AliceandTheRabbit]

I assure you that liberals in San Francisco and Berkeley do not walk around waving a flaming liberal flag. They wear badges. :-) There are a lot of conservatives here too. We all get along. I hope FW is welcoming to all walks of life regardless of party or religious affiliation. We are all just people after all.

[Toxic Toast]

Originally Posted by AliceandTheRabbit

I assure you that liberals in San Francisco and Berkeley do not walk around waving a flaming liberal flag. They wear badges. :-) There are a lot of conservatives here too. We all get along. I hope FW is welcoming to all walks of life regardless of party or religious affiliation. We are all just people after all.

I am happy to report that in all my travels, I was never not once asked to show my voter registration.

[OpenD]

Originally Posted by Toxic Toast

IPFW is Indiana University/Purdue University/Fort Wayne. Anyone in FW would know what IPFW is.

But the OP is not in Fort Wayne, and wouldn't know what that meant. That was my point.

Originally Posted by McdonaldIndy

Liberals and Progressives are few and far between.

Take a trip to San Francisco or the University of Berkeley.

I have, more than once. I still have no idea what you're talking about, and don't know what you think is a problem. Don't expect others to understand what you mean if you can't explain it clearly.