South Bend Advice (Michigan City, Granger, Buffalo: for sale, rental homes, crime rate)

[canonviewfinder]

Hello,

I'll possibly be relocating with my family to south bend. Where are the good parts to go for in terms of schooling/diversity/family friendly for a toddler? Would preferably like to be near the airport, but not a must. I'd like to rent a house first or duplex. I'm guessing its wise to steer clear of the UND area??


Thanks for your help

[claremarie]

We are also relocating to the South Bend area. We've found that, compared to the major metro area in which we live now, housing is incredibly affordable there. And there is not much traffic to speak of (though traffic is relative -- it depends upon where you've living now), so you don't need to live right next to the airport, or ND, or anywhere else because it really doesn't take that long to get around.
The South Bend schools are pretty bad, based on most objective criteria. You might look in the Granger area iif public schools are a concern. Many parts of South Bend seem to have crime issues, as well. The area immediately near ND seems to be fine, as the university has purchased a number of lots and built pretty nice homes for faculty and staff, and there is a nice residential area there. But several blocks away, it gets kind of sketchy, and of course there are many student rental homes you'd proabably want to avoid.
As far as diversity, if you're looking for Asian/Hispanic, there isn't much to speak of, though SB does have a sizable black population. Most neighborhoods we've toured in both Granger and the nicer parts of South Bend seemed to be all or mostly white.

[Chancelynn2002]

I've lived in the South Bend area all my life and I'm looking to leave. South Bend does have some nice spots - restaurants and entertainment, mainly - but this is primarily a town of Wal-Mart & NASCAR afficionados, people who love their sports and sports bars and weekends to get drunk. I'm not being terribly negative - that's just the general vibe of the area. Housing is cheap and plentiful, given the crime rate south and southwest of downtown. Check out craigslist classifieds: jobs, housing, personals, for sale, services, community, events, forums (http://www.southbend.craigslist.org - broken link) for housing, jobs, and general listings. Also check out South Bend Tribune, a very comprehensive and award-winning newspaper. That's probably the best place to start. If you're wanting a medium-large town feel that is a bit more upscale, try St. Joseph, 40 min. NW on the lake in Michigan, or even farther north to Grand Rapids, MI. Otherwise, I would also suggest some areas of Michigan City, IN or New Buffalo, MI. Good luck!