Kalamazoo, MI Reviews

For your own good do not live in Kalamazoo - 4/11/2021
I have lived in Kalamazoo for over 17 years. Originally from Grand Rapids, and lived in the Zeeland / Holland are for quite a while. In comparison I absolutely hate Kalamazoo. The people, especially the older women, are horrible, rude, condescending, self centered, and that is saying the nicest things I can say. They act entitled, like they are to good to breathe the same air as you. The crime rate is horrible. There is very little entertainment for your family. If you are an alcoholic or meth head, then you will love Kzoo, the meth capital of Michigan. I do not recommend raising your children here at all. Worst place I have ever lived by far. If you say put college is free, yes the Kalamazoo promise. It is free because they were trying to bring more families to Kalamazoo, in hopes of turning this place around. From my experience, the younger crowd is good people. It is the older crowd that is horrible. I have never encountered the rudeness I have experienced here. But Read More

Kalamazoo has its ups and downs - 7/10/2016
I moved to Kalamazoo 20 years ago from Chicago. Coming from a large city, this is a nice change once you get use to the small things like lack of ethnic culture, any food other than college pizza and craft beer and any store-outside of a chain store will be closed on Sunday.

The upside is, the ability to own a home is very real. Many neighborhoods offer an affordable option to own. The cost to rent is high due to the college student population and families moving in for 4 year, so their kids can attend high school in Kalamazoo and still be able to take advantage of 65% college tuition due to the Kalamazoo Promise. The Kalamazoo Promise will award students who have completed K-12 in the Kalamzoo school district and who live in Kalamazoo a 100%, 4 year college tuition...lots of smaller details to the program but that's the basis of the plan.

The Kalamazoo Promise is the reason I stayed in Kalamazoo, as a single parent with no child support, I could not offer a Read More

Best Schools - 2/29/2016
Hi,

My husband and I are considering relocating to the Kalamazoo area for his job and I'm just starting to do some research. We have elementary-aged children so good schools are our first priority when it comes to choosing a neighborhood. We would prefer public schools that are walking distance from the neighborhood. We would consider outlying towns or suburbs of Kalamazoo.
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College Town... not much else - 8/19/2012
Kalamazoo is a trap. The only thing that has kept me here so long is family and free college. I don't want to sound like I'm taking that for granted - free tuition is a huge blessing, but that's about the only thing about Kalamazoo worth writing home about.

The art and music scene is small, but vibrant. Go to the Union, Globe Theatre, or walk the mall downtown on Art Hop night and you're sure to hear a decent band or two. There are a few small galleries on the mall, and the KIA is a great place to experience art. Good food downtown, although way overpriced for what it is. Go to any major city and you will experience yummy ethnic food for cheap... since it is such a rarity here in SW MI, it is not nearly as authentic and comes with a cost.

Unfortunately, when it comes to work - especially if you are young and going to college - you have two choices. The mall or a restaurant. Maybe a bank if you're lucky. Don't kid yourself, you'll have to work HARD Read More

Kalamazoo Facing Challenges, but Gets a Bad Rap - 1/17/2012
I have lived in Kalamazoo for most of my life. I went to school and college here. I have lived in Great Britain and travelled throughout the country, and I have found few places with such good day to day liveability as Kalamazoo.

I recently lost my job and the economy is tough. I'm fortunate that my husbands job is reasonably stable. However, because the cost of living is lower here than many other places, our house is paid off. We live in a great neighborhood in the middle of the city within walking distance of the local Farmer's Market (which has been going strong since the 1970's) and a small library branch. The neighborhood children will have their college paid for by the Kalamazoo Promise, if they attend public schools.

The downtown has rebounded well since the late 1980s and early '90s, when one could hear crickets after 6 p.m. Now there are a multitude of restaurants, a performing arts center, and quite a bit of night life. Kalamazoo has Read More

Nice place, lots of culture and academia. - 3/11/2010
Like most towns, there is the older inner city that should be avoided, obviously.

However, between WMU, Kalamazoo College and other universities, a lot of intellectual people and interesting things happen in this midsize town.

Not a bad place to live! Winters in this area of the United States, long and depressing. But it brings out new forms of culture and entertainment.Read More

K'zoo has my heart always - 2/16/2010
For its size, Kalamazoo is fairly rich in the arts. While I lived there, I was active in the local scene and used to attend shows several times a week---jazz, classical, folk, country, indie rock, blues, bluegrass, and spoken word mainly. There are many talented local artists, too, and even live radio theatre. The library and a local movie rental have great selections of art film, independent movies, foreign flicks, and classics. K'zoo is an educated community, so it's fairly easy to strike up a stimulating conversation with strangers, share some writing or sketches in local coffeehouses and such.

Chicago and Detroit are only about 2.5 - 3 hours away when you need a big city fix. Grand Rapids, Lansing, and Ann Arbor are within a 1.5 hour drive, too.

The cost of living is very reasonable especially for starving artists and college students. I never really had much trouble finding a job in health care and human services in the 6 years I lived there, but Read More

Fun place to be! - 11/30/2009
Kalamazoo is a really great place to live. Western Michigan University and other local colleges make this place full of young people that seem to be very laid back and friendly. The downtown area suprisingly has a lot to offer including a brand new cinema, resturaunts, a retail shopping mall, pubs, and Bell's beer. Year round recreation is available including two ski areas within 15 minutes, and a 30 mile bike trail to the Lake Michigan coast and South Haven. The city also offers parks with disc golf courses. Motorists seem to respect pedestrians and cyclists pretty well and there are designated bike lanes. The city also seems to have more landscaping and trees than other cities in the midwest, making life more comfortable. Kalamazoo has some of the best looking friendly women in America. Kalamazoo is also one of the most accessible cities for the blind because of the Michigan Commission for the Blind training center and WMU's blind rehab program. Amtrak provides service to Read More

Kalamazoo is a great place to live - 8/4/2009
Yes, winters are bad, but there's more livable outdoor weather year round than Texas where your forced into air conditioning 90% of the year. People are progressive but not too liberal. The town is balanced with Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Davenport University and industries like Stryker, Pfizer, Perrigo (Allegan), among other industies. The area has four sushi restaurants, three Indian restaurants, Malaysian food, Thai food. Schools are improving, not declining but have room for improvement. Every parent will need to make their own choices - but go to the school and talk to the principal to see for Read More

Moving as soon as I get a chance - 10/15/2008
Well, I'd admit that I'm spoiled because I moved from Atlanta. I miss the big city, but I moved to Kalamazoo to be closer to family. Well the economy is horrible and the unemployment rate is staggering. I've been here a little over a year and I'm still looking for a permanent job. Also, being from the south, I don't find people in the north to be as polite. Maybe the depressing weather makes them irritable. I'd say the cost of living is pretty reasonable. Certain things are definitely cheaper than they were in Atlanta, but then again salaries are very low. If you're thinking of moving to the area, I'd definitely consider Grand Rapids. Jobs, especially the higher paying ones, are much more plentiful in the bigger Read More