The livin's easy, but not enjoyable
-
10/15/2007
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.
Joanna | Niles, MI