A Gem in the Midwest - 12/10/2023

Fort Wayne is what America used to be. Hardworking, unpretentious, welcoming. There are problems, like anywhere, including crime on the east side, but nothing like Indianapolis. Also, they had some flooding downtown a few years ago, so be careful buying a house near the river. W inter is a thing here, but not as cold and windy as Chicago and less snow than cities on the Great Lakes. Summers are fairly comfortable, though a/c is still a great thing to have. There are plentiful jobs, and the cost of housing is one of the lowest in the country. Schools are good overall, and SW Allen schools are excellent. There are some universities, but it's not a college town. It's not a big city, but has enough to do for most people, and if not, there are bigger cities close at hand (Indy, Chicago). Try to live west of downtown, though (46804 or 46783, which is technically Roanoke)

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Yee-haw - 9/3/2019

Moved here from Buffalo, NY. Ft Wayne is a big city with lots of greenery and things to do. It is not congested and cost of living is cheap. One complain-drivers with road rage issues.

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Fort Wayne, not so great anymore! - 8/27/2019

I lived in Fort Wayne from 1962 until 1988 then moved north. Fort Wayne was a nice city at one time. It's sad to say, but today, it's become to highly populated with more crime and tons of crazy road rage drivers. Not such a great place to raise a family anymore, but this is mostly true anywhere today!

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A gem in the midwest - 5/3/2019

I've lived here my whole life and it's a great place to raise a family. Lots of stuff to do,either it be sports,music,festivals, art or drama scene, outdoor activities galore. Lots of churches for people of faith,lots of bars and clubs for people who like to party. Fort Wayne had alot of job opportunities as well. Great schools and colleges as well. It's within 300 miles of alot of bigger cities in the midwest for close getaways. Love Indiana I just hate the winter. If ya like the cold you'll live it here year round.

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City of Future - 4/14/2019

I've lived in the city for 5 months now. The city is definitely growing. Lots of jobs opportunities, incredibly affordable, best location ever and slowly turning into nice vibe city. It's slowly getting there and I enjoy every day being part of it and helping FW to one day be shoulder to shoulder with the biggest and strongest cities in the US. Not because that's important but because FW deserves it. MAGA

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Thriving Fort Wayne - 4/2/2015

I have lived here since August 2013 due to a new job. My $82,000 salary affords me a very comfortable life style. About 20 years ago, Fort Wayne lost a lost of manufacturing industry and since 2010, the city government has been working hard to reshape the businesses that call Fort Wayne home. Many upscale retail businesses are doing well here. Slowly, businesses are moving to the area. Consequently, more job options are becoming more available. There is a thriving community college (about 12,000 enrolled annually), Indiana University and Purdue University share a Fort Wayne campus (called IPFW), and private colleges with campuses are Trine University, Indiana Tech University, and University of St. Francis. With that many colleges in the area, cultural options abound. Growth is to the southwest and northwest sectors of town. The original areas of Fort Wayne are well maintained and provide old world charm. There is enough population (approx 250,000 within city limits; another 250,000 in surrounding suburbs) to provide lots of options for something to do.

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At least it changes all the time - 7/27/2013

Fort Wayne has a lot of cloudy humid days but just when you start to get sick of the bad day an almost perfect weather day will slip in to help make up of the otherdays

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Fort Wayne is not a place to live! - 10/22/2011

The city is ran by greedy morons and does everything to line pockets of the city council members and do their personal agenda. The city, council, politicians, especially mayor Tom Henry, uses the city for his/hers personal gain and affluences. They do not treat the citizens with equally or with justice. I don't blame major corporation for pulling out. The city treated them (as citizens living in this city and the company) as bad as it does its tax paying blue collar workers/ citizens (us the 99). Fort Wayne has to be one of the worst places to live. Surely do not come here for the weather. It may have cheap housing here, but tell me why do we have such a high rate of homeless here? Something is really wrong here in Fort Wayne. Air and water quality is bad here(look at EPA statistics). Stress level for this city is about the highest in the nation and there is no quality here, just cheap house, but jobs here do not pay enough to make it worth it. A Lousy City and a poor excuse for "All American City" as they once claimed.

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is there any african braiding shop in Fort Wayne? - 6/17/2011

In my search for the best place to live I found Fort Wayne. I am an african lady and I do braids, african braids. I hear that there is no african hair braiding shop in Fort Wayne, I dont know if my information is true or not. If someone can tell me how black ladies manage to get their hair done. I am planning to open an african hair braiding shop in Fort Wayne. I would like to know if it is a good idea. I need your advices Thanks.

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Good place to live - 2/17/2011

I grew up here wanting to live in the southern US; however, as I raise my family here I'm realizing it is very nice. The county schools rank pretty good. There are parks everywhere with several bike trails popping up everywhere. Theaters and shopping are ample. Cost of living is very low. And there is easy access to several major cities within 2-4 hours ie. Indianapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, Columbus, Toledo, etc. We are also within a couple hours of the Lake Michigan and Lake Erie. If you like lake activities there are several clean lakes scattered throughout to the west and north of all sizes and price ranges. The only negative is that winters can drag on but if you dress right and drive responsibley you can manage with good spirits. I love how diverse our city is getting as minorities are making up close to 1/3-1/2 of our population. People are very helpfull and friendly in general with the southeast side of town as the exception. For business owners as myself it can make or break you. Reputation means everything here as people tend to rely on word of mouth more than most cities of similar size. So, if your business survives a couple of years you'll find it's a very great place to live as there is low cost, easy travel, and your money can go pretty far.

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Great Place to live. - 8/24/2010

I got out of the Navy in 2003 and moved to Fort Wayne. I was a MN native and my wife was a VA native. We both within a couple years fell in love with the city. It has that small town feel with the big city amenities. We love going to the new Tin Cap stadium to watch a baseball game. The festivals start in May and don't end till November. We have 3 kids and it is hard to think about raising our kids in another place. Chicago is only 3 hours away, Cincinatti is 4, and many other close places to get to. There is a wonderful Zoo and Science Museum. If any one is looking to come it is great. Maybe not for the young people looking for a big city life.

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what are safe areas - 8/3/2010

Ok so I am 24 and I am moving to Indy. I'm from Fort Wayne. I am having the hardest time finding a Safe place to live. I am a mother of three young children and I am also a loving foster parent. I am on a budget as far as rent goes. I am looking for a home apartment-house whatever is in the price of 700-850 range. I am told the eastside is bad and southside. I've heard pike is a good area but can anyone give me advice as to where to move or what areas/townships are safe and family oriented. Also what charter or magnet schools are good. Thank you, Kandace :)

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My thoughts after 6 years in Fort Wayne - 7/16/2010

After living in Fort Wayne for 6 years, and now just recently moving off to Indy, one of the largest things I've noticed so far is the change in traffic patterns. I loved Fort Wayne traffic in general because there very rarely any bottlenecks, even during rush-hour, even on the freeway. Plus, as a bonus to my lead foot (and as a consequence of not having a lot of congestion and cops that have better things to do), you can get away with speeding pretty much everywhere you go. In fact, I'd take that one step further in saying that although the people in Indy 'speed' more, it's because the speed limits seem to be considerably lower in Indy than in Fort Wayne. In terms of gay life, although Indiana is in 'The Bible Belt' of the country, and general attitudes are on the conservative side, I never once felt unsafe displaying gay PDA. There are two primary gay bars in Fort Wayne - Babylon (Babs) and Afterdark (AD). They're owned by the same person, who is almost always a cheap-ass. One important thing to note though is that the crowd and the number of people there in general varies quite a bit from day to day and week to week, so you might be there one time and it's dead as a doornail, and then come back a week later and have it packed to the gills. I believe cover is $3 at both places, and drinks are generally about $5.25. They're not always super strong (remember to tip your bartenders well and they'll take care of you), but very rarely weak. In terms of other nightlife, I've been really impressed with the number of big-name performers that have come to town, which usually perform at Pierres complex (a huge complex of many different bars, all in one area). In terms of venues, it's beyond me why such big names choose such a small arena, but they must pay them well. I mean, in terms of bars, the place is huge, but in terms of concert venues, it's minuscule. My favorite of the bars in the complex (especially since I lived in Canterbury Green Apartments, which is directly next door) is a small hole-in-the-wall bar called Peanuts. They've got cheap beer ($5-$6 pitchers of domestic) and generally cheap beer (check out their specials), plus sever pool tables and electronic dart boards too. My only complaint is that the music is solely from the jukebox, which means none of it is free, and although I normally went there on weekdays, I've been told that it can get pretty crowded on the week unless you show up earlier in the evening (8p-10p). There's generally plenty of street parking downtown, and even if not, there are several garages which due just fine. Taxis aren't abundant, but they're around if you call ahead of time. And to get from downtown to the edge of the general city limits, it's about $20 or so. There always seem to be plenty of events downtown during the summer months, and during the winter, they at least keep the streets well-plowed and salted the majority of the time. Some out-of-state people worry about the roads, but unless you're driving in really extreme conditions, you learn how to deal with the wintery conditions. Namely, you test your traction before you get on the road to see how long it will take you to come to a stop, then you give yourself plenty of stopping distance between you and the next person. Also, when approaching lights, you have to decelerate slower than you would normally otherwise. If you do these things, you should be just fine. Anyway, that's all I can think of, but feel free to post any questions you may have, and assuming I get notified of a comment, I'll respond as best I can. Cheers, Tim G.

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born and raised - 5/9/2010

I left Fort wayne when I was 18 and have lived in arizona for 33 yrs.I wish now I would have raised my kids in Fort Wayne.In Phoenix you have non-stop traffic, crime,Air pollution is terrible.Yes Fort wayne might be a little boring compared to other places but the quality of life beats Phoenix hands down.When I visit Fort wayne the stress I have from living in phoenix just goes away.The education I received in Fort Wayne was excellent.A lot of you complain about the weather just be careful what you wish for .I know I regret it.

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Gray, gray, gray - 9/23/2009

No one lives in Fort Wayne for the weather. Winters are the worst - not cold or snowy enough to be recreational - just chilly, wet and monochromatic.

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Great cost of living! - 7/12/2009

While Fort Wayne doesn't have a lot to offer when in comes to quality of life, the cost of living can't be beat!! Housing is incredibly low but salaries are pretty moderate and stabile...life here affords us the luxury of traveling to more exciting places.

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Fort Wayne is OK..... - 6/4/2009

If you moved here from one of those crowded and busy East Coast cities, you will probably find Fort Wayne to be very dull. However, it has a superior cost of living and the schools are pretty good, making it a good place to raise a family. It’s also within just a few hours drive of major Midwest markets. And its near many small lakes in Northern Indiana. But that’s probably where the good ends. There are not many high paying jobs and not much to do, especially if you are single. Crime has been on the increase a little. On a scale of 1 to 10, Fort Wayne would get a 5. But the only reason Fort Wayne has ‘grown’ a lot is because it annexed Aboite Township to the west several years ago. I actually like Fort Wayne; it seems similar to Lansing or Grand Rapids, MI.

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Culture - 11/20/2008

I really like living in Fort Wayne. There are many culturally exciting things to do such as, visit the museum, Science Central, Embassy Theatre, Fine Dining, walking trails, safe neighborhoods (which are getting safer all the time), pretty scenery and a town that takes pride in recreation and culture.

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Bwah ha ha ha!!!! - 9/27/2008

Did you see that percentage of republicans to democrats?!?! If anything should speak about the open-mindedness and culture of this city it's that. Really?! This country is riding on a Bush-shaped turd down the toilet and that many people still claim republican? Whew... that one really gave me the giggles!

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the weather pretty much sucks - 9/27/2008

I've lived in this area for about 22 years, and I have to say the weather is one of the main reasons I'm leaving. The winters are horrible! We get a ton of snow, and it gets bitterly cold. The best time of year is summer and early fall. There's really only good weather here for about 4 or 5 months out of the year, but granted I don't like cold. Maybe if you enjoy a good romp in the snow this is your place. Maybe not though, because the summers get to be pretty hot and humid. Usually in the high 80's and 90's, and very muggy most of the time.

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