SperlingViews - South_Bend, Indiana

Plan to immerse yourself in work or school, otherwise don't come here. Most people are friendly enough, although they blather too much to convey their point. Excellent Market for mediocre restaurant. Area residents unable to differentiate good or bad establishments. Either will be profitable. Among the numerous examples is a popular Mexican chain serving disgaceful microwaved food. TV dinner would be far better. Asking for service seems to violate an unspoken code of conduct. Customers quietly stand in long lines at stores without politely requesting manager open second register. Many drivers tailgate here. Often it is necessary to change into the fast lane to allow the driver tailgating to pass in the slow lane. Yes this is true when only two cars on road. [read more...]

I am a born and raised native of SB, for the last thirty-five years. I have lived on the West Side, Southside, and the Southeast side. South Bend was once a great place to raise a family, but I have seen my hometown slowly go downhill over the last fifteen years. My husband is an active person and enjoys going on walks, but he has since stopped since being mugged/jumped four times over a three-month period in 2008! I spoke with a police officer in March of 2010, and SB currently has 250 officers on payroll to police a city of over 100,000 residents. This could be part of the problem. The school corp is doing what they can to increase the quality of our education, and we do have a few awesome schools due to the curriculuum and the staff: Tarkington Traditional, Kennedy Academy and possibly Marquette Montessori. Marquette is a new publically-funded Montessori program and are still working out the bugs. They are building a new schoool which should be open for the 2010-2011 school year. So far though, I have found the education to be quite good. Overall, I am saddened by the quality of living in my hometown. Now that we have children and crime is on the rise, we are looking at moving to a safer city several miles away. The best way to get to know a town is to talk to the people. Most people (not all), are in South Bend because the cost of living is cheap, but don't really like it here. If they do like it, ask them where they live and how long they have lived there, or here in SB.[read more...]

Though not as tough as WI, MN, or MI, the winters here are long and cold. Lake effect snow lasts until April, short sketchy springs and fall, and hot and humid summers. The annual temp swing is around 120 degrees. I sometime wonder why the native tribes and early settlers picked this area.[read more...]

South Bend in the area I am in used to be a safer place to live. You didn't have to worry so much about locking your door at night, and could feel safe sitting outside on your patio at any time of night. I live in the county are of South Bend, which is typically set away from the crime that occurs in the city. It's now even reaching out into the county. I do not feel as safe as I once did, and with the city talking about making cuts, I fear that the protection factor is going to dwindle-leaving behind the rising crime sprees. It seems that at least a few murders happen weekly-just down the street. I am relocating in October, and this has become a main factor in my decision. I hope they do something for people living here so they don't have to be so fearful.[read more...]

This area can get lots of snow, partly because of Lake Effect Snow off of Lake Michigan.[read more...]

Wow, Joanna, if I didn't see your picture here I could have sworn I wrote this piece. I felt EXACTLY like you. My point of view changed after having a kid, who is now 2.5 years old. As a couple without kids, my husband and I felt the same as you. After we had our son it is not that our opinion on the place changed much, but our focus in life and point of view changed. I still think that night life here sucks, cultural events (with the exception of "The Morris") are slim to non, crime rates are high (dang, four branches of the bank I work for, were robbed in the last 3 weeks, one of them twice!)and restaurants are ridiculously and unjustly expensive, BUT - as a parent, anyhow all the night life I get is checking up on my son when he is crying, and the area is kids friendly, lots of parks to take walks at, lots of nice playgrounds, wonderful (and free) public library system, free admission to museums (just pick up a pass at the library), close to Lake Michigan (we go there whenever we can in summer), 25 minutes drive from Fernwood Botanical Gardens in Michigan, and close enough for day trips to the attractions of Chicago, without the madness and price of living in the big cities. Oh, and I forgot to mention, real estate prices are LOW. Tough, you should only buy a house if you are sure you want to stay L-O-N-G T-E-R-M, since even if you buy a house at dirt cheap price, you can't be certain that you will ever be able to sell it at a profitable price. You will probably be lucky to break even, if that. We changed our tune from: "we are out of here the moment my husband graduates", to "we are going to stay if my husband can get a decent job in the area". So - different strokes to different folks - and sometimes the same folk can be different when circumstances change. [read more...]

South Bend - what is there to say? This town is Notre Dame-saturated; if you like the college scene and more sports bars than you can handle, you'll like the area. If you're a fan of Wal-Mart and NASCAR, you'll like the area. If you're a gangbanger wannabe who'd rather spend your money on car rims and pit bulls than decent food and clothing besides sweatpants, you'll like the area. The preceding isn't really overly pessimistic - that's the general vibe this area gives off. Geographically, the area is nice - great beaches close enough to spend an afternoon, nice woods and preserves, decent distance from Chicago. And we do have the Morris Civic Performing Arts Center that attracts some big names, a minor league baseball town, and plenty of history because of our stopover distance between Detroit and Chicago. But the town itself isn't much. There's either the poor vibe of gritty, smoky bars incessently playing Guns n' Roses, or the trying-to-be-downtown-Manhattan socialite feel of overpriced restaurants and dinner clubs. Of course, you will have this in any decent-sized city, but it still stinks. I can say without hesitation that things of interest worth looking at are Tippecanoe Place (for the food and historical architecture), the Studebaker Museum, Fiddler's Hearth (for authentic Celtic lovers), the Humane Society dog park (technically in Mishawaka, but I had to give a shout out), and numerous other treasures hidden here and there if you can find them. But in my opinion, which probably isn't widely shared, it is not enough to keep me languishing here. If you're thinking of moving, think again and try St. Joseph, MI, 45 minutes NW on the lake, or perhaps farther north to Grand Rapids, MI for that city feel without the ickiness of South Bend, IN.[read more...]

South Bend. This area, geographically, is very nice, but culturally, it's nothing. It seems to be a lot of gang wannabes and NASCAR folk, with the community of Granger to the northeast providing the "Please don't breathe on me" aspect of high so-sigh-ettee. The preceding, of course, is a bit of a generalization, but it's not terribly far off. If you're me, a 23-year old with no interest in drinking, smoking, or sports, it's not the place to be. The only non-sports-oriented bar in the area seems to be Fiddler's Hearth, a refreshing breath of Celtic air to the stuffy and overwhelming football presence. Of course, I can always move somewhere that isn't saturated in every aspect of Notre Dame. There is also the Morris Civic Performing Arts Center, which attracts some big names. Some very good restaurants can be found, but there's just not much to DO. If you're thinking of moving, check out New Buffalo and St. Joseph on the lake; they have a nice marina feel to them and still within good time of Chicago. Or if you're still wanting big city, check out Grand Rapids to the north.[read more...]

I recently read Matt's comment that the crime rate was high in South Bend, Indiana. I have to agree to a point, although crime statistics show that many of the crimes are isolated into certain sections of town (as in most large cities) and it seemas as if (according to local media) that most of our violent crimes seem to be related-that is, the victim knew the offender. I honestly don't feel any less safe living here than in any of the other cities I have lived in during my life. Like any mid or larger sized city, you just have to be aware of your surroundings and get on with your life. I think most upstanding people can live here and have just as good a life as they would anywhere else in the United States. As for entertainment, cultural and dining opportunities, South Bend fares well with other cities in the 100,000-250,000 demographic. For those who like to moan that there is "nothing to do in the Greater Michiana area," they are OBVIOUSLY not lloking hard enough. We have a number of museums, five universities and colleges (Sorry Notre Dame-you're not the only game in town, so quit acting like you own the city.), many cultural opportunities such as local bands in bars on up to Broadway shows and national acts who frequently stop in our city on their way to Chicago. There are many city, county and state parks within a 30 minute drive of downtown offering many outdoor activities from hiking in the woods to skiing to kayaking on the East Race. Our library system is one of the top 3 librairies in the nation in cities of our size, and only continues to get better. Downtown is beginning to go through a re-birth of sorts, but more as an entertainment district than a shopping district. (Although there are many uniquestores downtown as well.) As far as shopping, I feel we have more than adequate resources on Grape Rd. an N. Main in Mishawaka, as well as the growth explosion on the far South Side of South Bend (Erskine Village, Erskine Commons, etc.) The cost of living in the South Bend-Elkhart area is great. It is very possible to get a nice house in a good area for well under $100,000. Job growth could be better, but a lot of the problem lies with a current city administration that hasn't had a new idea since the Reagan administration. New leadership is sorley needed across the board in our city and county. The schools could be better, but I know people who have been transferred here who have siad that their concerns with the South Bend schools eroded onc[read more...]

Cost of Living is low but crime rate is high.[read more...]

South Bend was a trading post along the St. Joseph River in the early nineteenth century. The local native American community are the Potowatami, after which South Bend's small zoo is named. Beginning in the nineteenth century, the city was a center for the manufacture of cars and farm equipment. The Studebaker mansion is now the home of Tippecanoe Place, one of South Bend's better restaurants; and Copshalholm, the Oliver Plowworks family home is now open to the public as part of the Northern Indiana Center for History. The city is home to the University of Notre Dame, the South Bend branch of Indiana University, and Ivy Tech, a community college whose courses reflect the job market of the city -- health care, technical fields, service, etc. The city has a public school system of four high schools, in addition to intermediate schools (grades 5-8), and elementary schools, including an intermediate school exclusively for honors-level students. Like with any bureaucratic system, reaping the best the South Bend school has to offer may require some research into who are the best teachers and persistence in securing admission to their classes, but the effort is well worth it. My own high school, John Adams has distinguished itself through the success of its Mock Trial program, and the work of many of its students in independent science research. (This success of course would be impossible without the efforts of its many extraordinary teachers.) There are several private schools spanning the range of pre-school through high school, both religiously affiliated and non. A hallmark of the city is the East Race, a human-make kayak run. In June, the city hosts the Sunburst Marathon. The South Bend Regional Airport includes flights, mostly to larger airports like Detroit, Atlanta, and Chicago, as well as the SouthShore train, which is part of the Chicago above-ground train system. (It's about a two-hour ride into the Chicago city-center.)[read more...]

I lived in South Bend for years and if you have ever lived anywhere where there was something to do.. then this is not the place for you. Big business lunches happen in dank dark places or Food Chain McFridays. There are maybe 10 real nice restaurants in the entire area. Weather is awful in Winter(But not as bad as Chicago). But the people are very real.. not too snobby and easy to get to know. Housing is Cheeeeeaap!!! and nice. You can get a plantation for $500k or at least a nice house for 200k... not like the rest of the country. Also plenty of lakes nearby with the nicest down to earth upper middle class people in the country.[read more...]

Especially known for it's main attractions "College Football Hall of Fame" and "Notre Dame University", South Bend is a small family oriented city. Full of friendly people and good private schools. South Bend is has nice summer and cold winters.[read more...]