Life in Kalamazoo, Michigan, explained by people who’ve lived in Kalamazoo:
*Click here to share your experience living in Kalamazoo*
*Response format = Answer (Your name, How long you’ve lived in Kalamazoo)
Kalamazoo Favorites
What’s your favorite thing about living in Kalamazoo?
- A city with good food and arts on one hand but also a place with many nature escapes and outdoor adventures on the other. (Amy, 12 years)
- Connection with others. (Amy, 39 years)
- Farmers Market, Art Hops BREWERIES. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo Least Favorites
What’s your least favorite thing about living in Kalamazoo?
- Wish it had a better selection of concert venues. (Amy, 12 years)
- Lack of adventure. (Amy, 39 years)
- Condition of the roads, the rust in the water. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo Things To Do
What are fun things to do in Kalamazoo?
- Farmers Market, Borgess run camp, KalHaven Trail, Mountain Bike at Fort Custer, Brewery Hop, Downtown Art hop. (Amy, 12 years)
- Climb Kalamazoo, karaoke. (Amy, 39 years)
- Art Hop. KIA, Museum..events in the parks. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo’s Reputation
What’s Kalamazoo known for?
- Bell’s Brewery, Kalamazoo Promise and Pharmaceuticals (Upjohn/Pfizer). (Amy, 12 years)
- Pubs/beer. (Amy, 39 years)
- WMU, Upjohn, Air Zoo. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo Crime
What’s the crime like in Kalamazoo? (hot spot areas, etc.)
- Typical for a city but not too bad. Northside poverty struggles, west campus college drinking and noise/party related crime, random waves of car and home break ins everywhere, downtown homeless leaving trash and asking for money. (Amy, 12 years)
- North, east and south side have more crime, but it’s not as bad as Battle Creek. (Amy, 39 years)
- Getting worse ☹️. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo Advice
Any advice for people moving to Kalamazoo?
- Beware of the one-way streets. We have a few that are deceptive and look like two-ways, but they aren’t. (Amy, 12 years)
- Get out and meet people. (Amy, 39 years)
- Enjoy. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo Stories
Share an experience you’ve had in Kalamazoo (fun, crazy, dangerous, etc.).
- Midnight ropes course at Pretty Lake Adventure Center during a full moon night was super cool. (Amy, 12 years)
- Way too many. (Amy, 39 years)
- DoDah parade .. sporting events. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo’s Future
How do you think Kalamazoo will change over the next 10 years?
- No idea. I’d love to see it grow like Grand Rapids with a cultural shift towards unique venues, eats, arts, etc… But, honestly, 10 years isn’t that far away. We’ll probably gets a few more condos, parking ramps, and some outskirt areas built up with more big store shopping/chain restaurants. Oooh…maybe some of those one-ways will become two-ways. (Amy, 12 years)
- It’ll become more like bigger cities. (Amy, 39 years)
- Not sure. (Linda, 44 years)
Kalamazoo Facts
Any other interesting facts about Kalamazoo?
- It’s pretty diverse. (Amy, 39 years)
- Tornado didn’t knock us down. (Linda, 44 years)