South Bend (Indianapolis, Elkhart, Mishawaka: apartment complexes, rentals, student loan)

[atc_av8er]

Hello all, new here, first post. I may be accepting a job in South Bend that pays between 25k and 30k. Coming from South Florida, that salary won't get me very far. My question is, is this a livable income in this area? I know absolutely nothing about the city or Indiana as a whole for that matter. I never pictured myself living in the mid-west, but if the right job were to come along, I would certainly not say no. I would just like some input to everything going on. Thanks for the insight and help.

[claremarie]

Without knowing more about your personal situation (single? debts? etc.), I'd say that you could definitely live on that salary in South Bend. The median income in St. Joseph County (which includes South Bend and some smaller communities) is about $40K. There are many apartment complexes catering to students and entry-level workers with rentals starting at about $500 for a 1 BR unit.

[atc_av8er]

Hi Claire.

Thank you for responding. To give you a little bit better idea, yes, I am single, right now the only debt I am paying is student loan, which is slightly less than $200/ month. However, before I move, I will be buying a new car, payment to be determined. Other than that, I really can't tell you much more. I'm also thinking about working in South Bend, but living in Niles, MI, or a surrounding area where it may be cheaper.

[fallingwater]

Originally Posted by atc_av8er

Hello all, new here, first post. I may be accepting a job in South Bend that pays between 25k and 30k. Coming from South Florida, that salary won't get me very far. My question is, is this a livable income in this area? I know absolutely nothing about the city or Indiana as a whole for that matter. I never pictured myself living in the mid-west, but if the right job were to come along, I would certainly not say no. I would just like some input to everything going on. Thanks for the insight and help.

You should be okay. The cost of living is cheaper here. Personally I think owning a home here is cheaper than renting. Of course I would suggest you rent first but keep that in mind if you are here for the long haul. I would suggest living in Mishawaka. I wasn't very impressed with Niles. Lots of people drive to Mishawaka to shop. There are parts of Mishawaka I would stay away from but below is a link to some apartments that I think are in a good area. Close to shopping and restaurants that most people go to.

Be warned this is a lake effect snow area. Winters can be brutal. This past winter was my 3rd and it was the worst one thus far and I am no stranger to snow. So whatever car you buy, make sure it is either front wheel drive or 4 wheel. When I first moved here I had a rear wheel drive SUV. It was a nightmare!

Indian Lakes Apartments - Mishawaka Indiana - Edward Rose & Sons

Feel free to ask more questions!

[cdr18]

In this economy, take the job! South Bend has its ups and downs, but in general, the South Bend-Mishawaka area is not too shabby of a place to live, in comparison to other places. The winters are extremely brutal, as just last year South Bend received 36" of snow in a single lake effect snow event. It can be fun though too!
I would highly suggest living in Mishawaka, especially if you are single. Mishawaka is the more suburban atmosphere of the metro area. Not too mention, in Indiana, besides Indianapolis, it doesn't get much better in terms of shopping. The area is home to lifestyle centers, a fabulous regional mall, outlet stores, restaurants both local and national, and other entertainment venues. It is also literally right next door to South Bend. If you like the more quaint lifestyle, I would suggest Goshen. But that is quite a drive, so possibly not. HOwever, if you do move to this area, you have to visit Goshen and their amazing downtown. It is something to marvel at.

Regardless, I hope this helps!

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by atc_av8er

Hi Claire.

Thank you for responding. To give you a little bit better idea, yes, I am single, right now the only debt I am paying is student loan, which is slightly less than $200/ month. However, before I move, I will be buying a new car, payment to be determined. Other than that, I really can't tell you much more. I'm also thinking about working in South Bend, but living in Niles, MI, or a surrounding area where it may be cheaper.

I used to live in Niles, MI. It's a really great town, better than South Bend itself in my opinion. You can easily find a rental for around $400 to $500 per month in Niles or nearby Buchanan or Edwardsburg. Plus, living on the Michigan side puts you closer to the beaches of Lake Michigan. It's definitely doable to live on $25,000 to $30,000 per year in the South Bend area. I got by just fine on less than that after I graduated from college, and still had a little left over.

The South Bend-Mishawaka-Niles-Elkhart area (known locally as "Michiana") is a great place to live -- good people, beautiful trees and lakes, plenty of things to do. Notre Dame and Bethel University bring in a lot of young people to the area, as well as a lot of cultural and sporting events. Downtown Chicago is only 90 minutes away if you need your big city fix. It'll be an adjustment from South Florida (especially the WEATHER), but I think you'll really enjoy living in Michiana -- just keep an open mind and give yourself some time to adjust.

I ended up moving away from Michiana a while back because of the job market and because I was sick of the place, but now I realize how much I miss the area. It's home for me. I'm thinking about moving back.

[northstar22]

Originally Posted by cdr18

In this economy, take the job! South Bend has its ups and downs, but in general, the South Bend-Mishawaka area is not too shabby of a place to live, in comparison to other places. The winters are extremely brutal, as just last year South Bend received 36" of snow in a single lake effect snow event. It can be fun though too!

Ha! I thought the winters were brutal until I moved to western Minnesota! A Michiana winter sounds tropical compared to what we got up here this year. 50 mile per hour winds, -50 windchills, white-out conditions, unplowed streets . . . I'll take 30 degrees, light snow and plowed roads (that's the normal winter weather in South Bend) over that crap any day. They don't even use salt in western Minnesota!

I would highly suggest living in Mishawaka, especially if you are single. Mishawaka is the more suburban atmosphere of the metro area. Not too mention, in Indiana, besides Indianapolis, it doesn't get much better in terms of shopping. The area is home to lifestyle centers, a fabulous regional mall, outlet stores, restaurants both local and national, and other entertainment venues. It is also literally right next door to South Bend. If you like the more quaint lifestyle, I would suggest Goshen. But that is quite a drive, so possibly not. HOwever, if you do move to this area, you have to visit Goshen and their amazing downtown. It is something to marvel at.

Not to be a jerk, but I really don't get why people from Michiana glorify the suburbs so much -- especially for a young, single person. Everywhere else in America steers young people to the cities, this is the ONLY place I've ever seen (and I've lived all over the country) that pushes the suburbs so much. I understand parts of South Bend are run down, but most of the city is fine, especially for a young, single person who doesn't have to worry about school districts. Niles and Buchanan are great for someone wanting a smaller town closer to the city, and Berrien Springs, Dowagiac, Three Rivers, Three Oaks and New Buffalo (all in Michigan) are nice small towns a little further away from SB. Really, it's not that big of a deal to drive 15 minutes to UP Mall from Niles or downtown SB! Where I live now, people drive 90 (yes, ninety) miles to get to the nearest mall. Fifteen minutes is nothing.

To the OP:

I would suggest living in Niles or Buchanan (of course, I'm a blatant Michigan homer). Both are great places, and if you live near the bypass you'll have a five to ten minute commute to the airport (I'm guessing that's where you'll work, judging by your username). People from South Bend and Mishawaka think Niles and Buchanan are FAR AWAY, but they really aren't. I lived in downtown Niles (on the north side of the city), and I could make it to the UP Mall, Notre Dame, Mishawaka's shopping centers and Granger all within 15-20 minutes. Downtown SB and Elkhart were about 20-25 minutes away. The south side of Niles (pretty much anything below US-12) is much closer, about 5-10 minutes from ND, Mishawaka and Granger. It's not far at all, I believe people just think it is because of the state line.

On the Indiana side, I'd suggest living in the neighborhoods near Notre Dame -- pretty much anywhere within a mile of the campus is good for someone young and single. There are some nice apartments on Eddy St and Ironwood Drive near campus.

[northstar22]

Here are some listings for Niles, MI apartments. I'd recommend Parkview Apts., the places are really nice, the rent is reasonable and the staff there are very responsive. I speak from personal experience.

Niles Apartments for Rent - Niles, MI on ApartmentGuide.com

Here are the listings for South Bend and Mishawaka:

South Bend apartments - South Bend apartments for rent - ApartmentGuide.com
http://www.apartmentguide.com/apartm...ana/Mishawaka/

[cdr18]

Well, I wouldn't consider South Bend to get light snow. The snow plowing, I will agree, is next to none. They do an excellent job keeping the roads clean up here. The temperature might not be near as bad Minnesota, but the snowfall comes close. Believe it or not, Minnesota doesn't really get that much more snow than South Bend. In fact, South Bend averages more snow than Minneapolis or St. Paul. This year was a little different as Minnesota got pounded, but they also don't have to deal with lake effect snow (which is a yearly occurrence).

[claremarie]

Niles and Buchanan and the other Michigan communities are very nice, but they are also very rural. There are, literally, cornfields and farms surrounding the residential areas. If the OP is looking for a more urban/suburban community, then there is no reason to consider living in Michigan at all. South Bend and Mishawaka (a separate city but indistinguishable from South Bend) have a variety of apartment choices at different price points, and there are plenty of shopping and recreation opportunities nearby. And it only adds 10-15 minutes to your trips to the lake.