Cute town, but not for everyone
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9/26/2014
I went to school at Andrews University in the 1990s and have now moved back to work at the university starting in 2012. My views on living here as a 20 year old vs. a 40 year old are somewhat different, as you would expect. The boringness of this tiny town now seems charmingly quaint. If you are Seventh-day Adventist, it is a great place to live because there are many SDA churches to choose from and many SDA events on campus every week. There is also an excellent health food store (Apple Valley) that is a major pull to anyone who grew up SDA.
For people who aren't drawn by SDA things, we have 2 bars downtown, several passable restaurants, and a lovely park overlooking the river. The roads are well-maintained in the winter and the downtown area has lots of nice walking because everything is sidewalked. We have a very nice library and some historical events sponsored by the Historic Courthouse. Our public schools are excellent. You are also in very close proximity to some excellent wineries, something this area is known for. The Howard Performing Arts Center (on the Andrews campus) has top-notch musical acts (Canadian Brass, Jars of Clay, etc.) who perform year-round. And Berrien Springs is only 25-30 minutes from gorgeous Lake Michigan beaches.
Because of the proximity to the university, there are some issues. Housing prices are much higher than they should be here because many home-owners live in their house just while they're in school and then try to sell their house and make money. Property taxes and water bills in "the village" proper are very high, IMHO, though you get free garbage & recycling service and the village cleans off your sidewalks in the winter, as well as removes dead trees from your property. This small town has a much higher international population than other small towns not near a university. I find this appealing, but it might be off-putting to some people. Your kids will go to school with kids from around the world. Your likelihood to live next to renters is also very high. Many of the people who own rental houses here do NOT keep them up (slumlords) and so many of the properties you may live next to can look pretty dodgy, especially as you get closer to the university.
After being back two years, my complaints are somewhat the same as when I was a student: there is not enough art & culture here for me to feel stimulated. The university does have some, but it is of a more traditional nature because of the religious influence of the university. Also, anything that the town doesn't have is 30 minutes away, so driving to South Bend is a common event.
I still think this is a cute town to live in and I've felt very safe here, but I may need to come back in 20 more years to feel that the pace of life is what I'm looking for.
Lisa | Berrien Springs, MI