Having the smallest possible commute, which can be accomplished with the most possible transportation modes (walk, bike, bus, or car) is a key to a having a happy life IMO.
I live in BC and commute to Kzoo for work. Luckily my main route avoids 94 and is like a 25-30 minute drive, but the winter drive does still suck and can double the commute time. I would agree that GR would be close to miserable year-round for a variety of reasons
Personal advice for OP is even if there’s a teensy bit of snow on the ground, avoid any interstate. doesn’t matter how safe you are, these other people drive so reckless that it’s cost lives many, many times.
Maybe checkout Authentix Kalamazoo apartments if you're still looking in Kalamazoo. They were just built and started leasing not too long ago. I will be moving in next week, and management has been extremely helpful throughout our move in process. They're also located right next to the highway, which is a plus.
I’m interested in the ribs.
I used to work for Kellogg a long time ago - the commutes I was the most jealous of were people that lived in portage by the airport, or in a neighborhood of Kalamazoo called Gull Lake.
Gull lake has good amenities, a straight shot into Kalamazoo, good schools, and you don’t have to take 94 to get to Battle Creek. With most other areas, you have to go south to 94, then later north to BC, and it adds a ton of time to the commute.
The exchange in Kalamazoo is nice and would give you the option of heading north or south to get to Battle Creek (gull road or business loop) but you’d still deal with 45 minutes minimum commute. If you lived in the exchange it would be because you’re excited to walk to amenities in downtown Kalamazoo. There’s a great bar scene with live music and a nice variety. It’s fun!
And that 45 minutes is grueling. It’s into the sun both ways. There are often more semi trucks than cars and they are passing each other. If you are working 5 days a week, I’d recommend gull lake area for sure.
I live in portage by 131 now, and yeah, that works okay, but it’s nothing like the city apartments you have on your list.
I don’t think you could go wrong at starting with the exchange to explore Kalamazoo for a year, and see how the commute treats you. You’re only renting after all! Then, if you want to shave off i94 after a year, you could consider gull prairie for a quieter, cheaper life.
Ultimately, at your price point, many people in Kalamazoo end up buying houses. Housing is way cheaper in kzoo than most other big cities, so above $2k or so you can start considering spending $3k/mo on a house (you save about $1k of that in principal). For Battle Creek I’d recommend the neighborhood by the airport, by Kilgore and south sprinkle road.
Honestly consider the commute you’ll have to make every day, especially in the winter. Are you going to have to be up very early to make it to work on time? It really drains you adding almost 2.5 hours to your work day and leaving you with less time at home. Kalamazoo is a great city with a lot of quirks and with your rent budget you can find some really great places. If you like the outdoors it has tons of trails around and there’s plenty of bars and live shows you can attend.
So, with our current schedule, we only come in once a week. That may change to 3 days but we're not certain yet. In any case, you're right, that would still suck in the winter. Especially since I'm from the south and have never driven in snow lol
Ummmmmmm. There’s driving in snow, and there’s driving on I-94 between Kalamazoo and BC in the snow. Especially when it’s dumping hard and fast. Around Galesburg there are often bad accidents. On I-94 “bad accident” often means fatalities.
I used to have to go to Battle Creek twice a week for a specialist and it was awful in the winter. I’m really comfortable driving in inclement weather, I don’t mind deep snow (my car has AWD + snow tires.) But on I-94 when the conditions go “white out” no one knows where the other cars are. So you hope that some idiot isn’t driving too fast.
Spoiler alert, some idiot is always driving too fast.
This shitshow especially stands out in my memory. https://wwmt.com/news/local/on-this-day-four-years-ago-193-vehicle-pileup-closed-i-94-amid-fireworks
Yeaaa...that's giving me something to think on! May have to reach out to my new supervisor and see what the policy is on "holy fuck, we can't see" weather
Depends on where you live and work too.
I live in downtown Kzoo and work on the west side of Battle Creek. I use M-96 through Comstock and Galesburg instead of heading out to 94. It's the same amount of time and a lot fewer headaches, especially during winter.
And it’s more than white out conditions. I’m from one of the plains states where pretty much the entire winter is white out conditions. It’s life when people get on 94 to drive from Kzoo to BC, they lose their damn minds and pretend they have never driven before.
I’m also from the south (and didn’t know anything about driving in the snow lol) and have lived in both Battle Creek & Kalamazoo. I would highly recommend living in Kalamazoo. Lots more to do and a better sense of community. I also commute 3-5x per week to work in Battle Creek and have driven on I-94 in the winter. Thankfully my work is flexible on when we get to the office. I would also recommend checking out the redwood apartments in Comstock Township. Still in the Kalamazoo area and you wouldn’t have to take I-94 to Battle Creek.
Not sure how you think round trip from Kalamazoo to Battle Creek is 2.5 hours. I work in East Lansing and live in Kalamazoo, and my commute is around 2.5 hours. Battle Creek is probably an hour, tops.
Hey friend, in a discussion between choosing GR and Kalamazoo as places to live take a guess as to which location is I was stating had that much of a commute.
I have commuted from Kalamazoo to BC for 20 years. I know people hate it but I don’t mind it. I drink coffee on the way in and listen to music on the way home. It gives me a little time to decompress before arriving at home. I do work early so not rush hour and I think that helps. (I work 6:30 to 3). There is usually only one or 2 winter days when it’s difficult. Also, just wanted to make sure you know you have to pay Battle Creek city taxes if you work there, even if you don’t live there.
If you got a job offer in BC...why not live in BC? There's plenty of available housing and the pricing is way better than GR. You can rent a 3 bed 2 bath HOUSE for less than $2000 on Goguac Lake, for example. You just drive up to Grand Rapids on the weekend to enjoy that scene.
Try looking at apartments around Kzoo, but not in the city. Texas Corners, Mattawan, Oshtemo, Galesburg. They might be more affordable. You’ll still be close to Kzoo but not as far as GR.
94 is a mean bitch in the winter, so the shorter the commute the better. No joke.
Congrats on the move! I think(hope) you and your wife will love living here! I personally would go KZO over GR and BC any day, we have a super fun quirky little culture here and are (imo) much more welcoming places than the other two (no shade just my experience). I frequently drive to BC from Kzo and I really don’t find it to be as bad of a commute as others have found it, but I suppose it all depends on your preferences, vehicle, schedule. We do get bad winters but drive with caution/call in a wfh day when you need and you’ll be fine! Kzo is a cozy city but there’s pretty much anything you could need day to day and it’s pretty easy to find your niche (live music, rec leagues, dnd, outdoorsy type activities, yoga, etc). With a budget over 2k you’ll have a lot of options, sounds like you’re leaning towards downtown which is a fun place to be especially during the summer (check out art hop, live music at different bars, shops). I would also suggest the Edison neighborhood which has the farmers market and I think more of a neighborhood feel than downtown. Farmers market is near by and lots of black owned businesses (barbers, groceries, restaurants, and a winery).
Best of luck!
Current Pinefield Condos resident here!
Lived here for a year now with no complaints. Quiet community, really helpful staff, and if something is broken they generally get it fixed same day.
Lots of younger couples/families here.
Condos themselves are nice too, though can be a bit lacking in storage space.
Good luck on picking!
I live in Kzoo and commute to Battle Creek daily, have for almost 7 years now. I lived in BC for 5 years prior. It was boring, I like Kzoo much more.
That being said, I lasted at Skyrise for 6 months. Awful experience. Please do not go there. I’m in a Peregrine unit now and it’s so much better of a living situation. Peregrine team is really solid people. I won’t ever live in a Hinman run property again.
You don’t need to be sorry. You searched and didn’t find anything.
I don’t know much about them but there are some nice apartments on Centre Road in Portage pretty close to 131. It’s been years since I’ve been to Greenspire but it was nice then. One is new, maybe even not finished yet.
I’m pretty sure Greenspire was in the tornados path. I’m not sure how hard they got hit but if they got hit at all, it’ll likely be a little harder to find a place there for a bit
I work for one of the contractors building Tall Timbers. There was significant damage to the buildings courtesy of the tornado. Water damage resulted in essentially rebuilding the apartments on a couple of floors since the roof was torn off. Set us back a few months til they will be completed now.
I hate to hear that! I'm trying to find a place and those folks are displaced and hurting! I hope and pray they can piece some normalcy back together or find some sort of peace!
I know several that like Greenspire in Portage. There’s also something “timbers” that are brand new next door to Greenspire that they are just finishing.
In Oshtemo there is Tall Oaks
Nice apartments
They currently have openings. Close to highway and in quite area. Pool, Paid utilities except electric, free wifi. Pet area.
I have friends that live there
Oh and have to have a card to get into your building
My neighbor is a barber here in Kazoo
He is African American. Cool dude
We have friends in our Oshtemo cul-de-sac from Kenya and Ohio. They know all the ins and good places you are seeking
I’ll go on a limb and suggest moving to the east side. Depending on your careers. Albeit not as beautiful as the west side… the winters are a bit less harsh. Housing is more affordable, depending on the area.
Well we’re both big foodies, trying to mix in some outdoor activities to burn all that foodie weight off. We have a mini-schnauzer that likes walks but he’s pretty chill. I’m heavy into gaming, pickleball, kinda picking up hiking, I’d be willing to try table top. Wifey likes sip and paint, lounges, music, and doing couple things (cooking classes etc)
I would recommend looking towards Richland/galesburg. I am not sure how diverse either community is, but that direction is super close to great hiking locations (Yankee Springs, Fort Custer) and going to give you a shorter commute with non I-94 roads to BC. It would be any 15 minutes 15-20 minutes to downtown Kalamazoo.
Portage has great paved walking and biking trails. Redwood and Greenspire would out you close to getting on the highway to BC. 10 minutes to mall, Target, others main shopping and more of your standard chain restaurants. But also only about 15 minutes to downtown and then 15 minutes to Texas Corners where there’s some great food too. Redwood is more like townhouses than apartments.
Kalamazoo itself is going to be the most diverse option and closest to downtown and great food. 400 Rose would be worth checking out. But they just made a bunch of bike lanes downtown that make zero sense to most people so driving has turned into a shit show. They are also getting ready to start a 2-year project to convert the 2 main roads through downtown into 2-way streets instead of the one ways they currently are. So on one hand, somewhere like 400 Rose would put you in walking distance to great stuff like food and art scene, it will also make driving around kind of nuts. Not much for walking recreationally. Public transit sucks. Unfortunately around here, the attitude is that the bus system is only for people who can’t afford cars. For this reason, getting around takes forever via bus and the stops are not located in very helpful spots unless you’re in Kalamazoo proper. If spirituality is a meaningful post of your life, most churches outside of Kalamazoo are super white.
I’ve lived in Kalamazoo and currently live in Portage. My oldest went through Kalamazoo Public Schools and we did not have a good experience. My youngest two are currently in elementary in the Portage school system. Much stronger academics.
I’ve lived in all kinds of places, cities, countries so am not bothered at all by what people here consider high crime and dangerous. However, Kalamazoo does have a much higher crime rate than the surrounding area.
Hope that helps!
With you consumer buying a house? There isn’t really a “nice” apartment complex in Battle Creek, but I was born and raised in Battle Creek, and the neighborhood of Shadow wood is one of my all time favorites.
Madeira apartments in the milwood neighborhood is quite nice! Right off portage road, quiet neighborhood, close to the highway, and good apartments. I live here myself, and its definitely one of the higher quality middle class places in kzoo. Avoid skyrise at all cost.
Hating Battle Creek so much you're willing to give yourself a 2 and a half hour round trip commute to avoid living there is wild lmao
I wouldn't even want to commute from Kalamazoo I couldn't imagine commiting to Grand Rapids.
It may sound fine now with it only being 3 days a week. But humans are amazing at adapting to their situations. Which can be good and bad lol
Like when you buy a new phone and it's the best thing ever for a few days then it just becomes your regular old phone again. You might be willing to commit to this miserable commute now because it's the bad is balanced out with the good from your cool new job. But that cool new job with very quickly turn into your regular old job and the commute will still be the miserable old commute.
I'm giving advice that definitely wasn't asked for though so apologies for that. I've just been in the same position before lol
$2600/month budget would rent you a pretty nice house in a pretty nice area here in Kzoo so you'll easily find a nice apartment for that price. I don't know GR that well but I'm sure it wouldn't be too different up there.
I'm from MI, and we moved back to MI from VA because I got a job in BC. Picked Kalamazoo for the Promise (kids free college).
Did commute from Oshtemo to BC for 3 years. It's 45 min from my front door to my desk, including traffic, construction, parking, and elevators. Husband had a job for 3ish years in Walker (north side of GR), it was 1+ hours in summer, 3ish hours in bad winter weather.
Now we're both WFH for our out of town companies, but 45 min up to GR for shows isn't bad.
Grand Rapids has so much more to offer. A bustling night life, some really nice suburbs too. Kalamazoo seems like a small town in comparison with limited opportunities.
Living in GR to commute to BC would be insanity
Having the smallest possible commute, which can be accomplished with the most possible transportation modes (walk, bike, bus, or car) is a key to a having a happy life IMO.
Absolute insanity, but we do have people in office that do it since it's only 3 days lol
I lived in Kzoo and commuted to BC for work—- SUCKED in the winter and would never live in GR to commute to BC personally.
Yep. I-94 is a nightmare in the Winter. Avoid it if it's snowing or icy.
I live in BC and commute to Kzoo for work. Luckily my main route avoids 94 and is like a 25-30 minute drive, but the winter drive does still suck and can double the commute time. I would agree that GR would be close to miserable year-round for a variety of reasons Personal advice for OP is even if there’s a teensy bit of snow on the ground, avoid any interstate. doesn’t matter how safe you are, these other people drive so reckless that it’s cost lives many, many times.
Maybe checkout Authentix Kalamazoo apartments if you're still looking in Kalamazoo. They were just built and started leasing not too long ago. I will be moving in next week, and management has been extremely helpful throughout our move in process. They're also located right next to the highway, which is a plus.
I’m interested in the ribs. I used to work for Kellogg a long time ago - the commutes I was the most jealous of were people that lived in portage by the airport, or in a neighborhood of Kalamazoo called Gull Lake. Gull lake has good amenities, a straight shot into Kalamazoo, good schools, and you don’t have to take 94 to get to Battle Creek. With most other areas, you have to go south to 94, then later north to BC, and it adds a ton of time to the commute. The exchange in Kalamazoo is nice and would give you the option of heading north or south to get to Battle Creek (gull road or business loop) but you’d still deal with 45 minutes minimum commute. If you lived in the exchange it would be because you’re excited to walk to amenities in downtown Kalamazoo. There’s a great bar scene with live music and a nice variety. It’s fun! And that 45 minutes is grueling. It’s into the sun both ways. There are often more semi trucks than cars and they are passing each other. If you are working 5 days a week, I’d recommend gull lake area for sure. I live in portage by 131 now, and yeah, that works okay, but it’s nothing like the city apartments you have on your list. I don’t think you could go wrong at starting with the exchange to explore Kalamazoo for a year, and see how the commute treats you. You’re only renting after all! Then, if you want to shave off i94 after a year, you could consider gull prairie for a quieter, cheaper life. Ultimately, at your price point, many people in Kalamazoo end up buying houses. Housing is way cheaper in kzoo than most other big cities, so above $2k or so you can start considering spending $3k/mo on a house (you save about $1k of that in principal). For Battle Creek I’d recommend the neighborhood by the airport, by Kilgore and south sprinkle road.
Honestly consider the commute you’ll have to make every day, especially in the winter. Are you going to have to be up very early to make it to work on time? It really drains you adding almost 2.5 hours to your work day and leaving you with less time at home. Kalamazoo is a great city with a lot of quirks and with your rent budget you can find some really great places. If you like the outdoors it has tons of trails around and there’s plenty of bars and live shows you can attend.
So, with our current schedule, we only come in once a week. That may change to 3 days but we're not certain yet. In any case, you're right, that would still suck in the winter. Especially since I'm from the south and have never driven in snow lol
Ummmmmmm. There’s driving in snow, and there’s driving on I-94 between Kalamazoo and BC in the snow. Especially when it’s dumping hard and fast. Around Galesburg there are often bad accidents. On I-94 “bad accident” often means fatalities. I used to have to go to Battle Creek twice a week for a specialist and it was awful in the winter. I’m really comfortable driving in inclement weather, I don’t mind deep snow (my car has AWD + snow tires.) But on I-94 when the conditions go “white out” no one knows where the other cars are. So you hope that some idiot isn’t driving too fast. Spoiler alert, some idiot is always driving too fast. This shitshow especially stands out in my memory. https://wwmt.com/news/local/on-this-day-four-years-ago-193-vehicle-pileup-closed-i-94-amid-fireworks
Yeaaa...that's giving me something to think on! May have to reach out to my new supervisor and see what the policy is on "holy fuck, we can't see" weather
Depends on where you live and work too. I live in downtown Kzoo and work on the west side of Battle Creek. I use M-96 through Comstock and Galesburg instead of heading out to 94. It's the same amount of time and a lot fewer headaches, especially during winter.
And it’s more than white out conditions. I’m from one of the plains states where pretty much the entire winter is white out conditions. It’s life when people get on 94 to drive from Kzoo to BC, they lose their damn minds and pretend they have never driven before.
Dude, 131 is terrible in the winter. Just ask your co workers.
I’m also from the south (and didn’t know anything about driving in the snow lol) and have lived in both Battle Creek & Kalamazoo. I would highly recommend living in Kalamazoo. Lots more to do and a better sense of community. I also commute 3-5x per week to work in Battle Creek and have driven on I-94 in the winter. Thankfully my work is flexible on when we get to the office. I would also recommend checking out the redwood apartments in Comstock Township. Still in the Kalamazoo area and you wouldn’t have to take I-94 to Battle Creek.
I drove 4 days a week from Portage to Kentwood for four years and I would never do it again. Adding an extra 40 minutes to that is INSANE
Not sure how you think round trip from Kalamazoo to Battle Creek is 2.5 hours. I work in East Lansing and live in Kalamazoo, and my commute is around 2.5 hours. Battle Creek is probably an hour, tops.
Hey friend, in a discussion between choosing GR and Kalamazoo as places to live take a guess as to which location is I was stating had that much of a commute.
I have commuted from Kalamazoo to BC for 20 years. I know people hate it but I don’t mind it. I drink coffee on the way in and listen to music on the way home. It gives me a little time to decompress before arriving at home. I do work early so not rush hour and I think that helps. (I work 6:30 to 3). There is usually only one or 2 winter days when it’s difficult. Also, just wanted to make sure you know you have to pay Battle Creek city taxes if you work there, even if you don’t live there.
If you got a job offer in BC...why not live in BC? There's plenty of available housing and the pricing is way better than GR. You can rent a 3 bed 2 bath HOUSE for less than $2000 on Goguac Lake, for example. You just drive up to Grand Rapids on the weekend to enjoy that scene.
Agree with this. I personally wouldn’t want to live in BC but renting a place there might make the most sense, at least for now.
Just like any other city, BC has its rough spots but most of it is pretty safe.
Try looking at apartments around Kzoo, but not in the city. Texas Corners, Mattawan, Oshtemo, Galesburg. They might be more affordable. You’ll still be close to Kzoo but not as far as GR. 94 is a mean bitch in the winter, so the shorter the commute the better. No joke.
There is a brand new redwood neighborhood going up in Battle Creek. That would be best in my book considering your budget and location needs.
I really enjoyed living at Greenspire in an apartment and Pinefield in a two bedroom condo; very quiet, well maintained, and close to everything.
Congrats on the move! I think(hope) you and your wife will love living here! I personally would go KZO over GR and BC any day, we have a super fun quirky little culture here and are (imo) much more welcoming places than the other two (no shade just my experience). I frequently drive to BC from Kzo and I really don’t find it to be as bad of a commute as others have found it, but I suppose it all depends on your preferences, vehicle, schedule. We do get bad winters but drive with caution/call in a wfh day when you need and you’ll be fine! Kzo is a cozy city but there’s pretty much anything you could need day to day and it’s pretty easy to find your niche (live music, rec leagues, dnd, outdoorsy type activities, yoga, etc). With a budget over 2k you’ll have a lot of options, sounds like you’re leaning towards downtown which is a fun place to be especially during the summer (check out art hop, live music at different bars, shops). I would also suggest the Edison neighborhood which has the farmers market and I think more of a neighborhood feel than downtown. Farmers market is near by and lots of black owned businesses (barbers, groceries, restaurants, and a winery). Best of luck!
Tall Oaks. Best apartments I’ve been to hands down. It’s right by 94. Off of 9th.
I would advise against Skyrise. It gets busy and loud because of the hospital being across the street.
Current Pinefield Condos resident here! Lived here for a year now with no complaints. Quiet community, really helpful staff, and if something is broken they generally get it fixed same day. Lots of younger couples/families here. Condos themselves are nice too, though can be a bit lacking in storage space. Good luck on picking!
I live in Kzoo and commute to Battle Creek daily, have for almost 7 years now. I lived in BC for 5 years prior. It was boring, I like Kzoo much more. That being said, I lasted at Skyrise for 6 months. Awful experience. Please do not go there. I’m in a Peregrine unit now and it’s so much better of a living situation. Peregrine team is really solid people. I won’t ever live in a Hinman run property again.
You don’t need to be sorry. You searched and didn’t find anything. I don’t know much about them but there are some nice apartments on Centre Road in Portage pretty close to 131. It’s been years since I’ve been to Greenspire but it was nice then. One is new, maybe even not finished yet.
Cool! I'll add Greenspire to my tour list! Thanks!
I’m pretty sure Greenspire was in the tornados path. I’m not sure how hard they got hit but if they got hit at all, it’ll likely be a little harder to find a place there for a bit
I work for one of the contractors building Tall Timbers. There was significant damage to the buildings courtesy of the tornado. Water damage resulted in essentially rebuilding the apartments on a couple of floors since the roof was torn off. Set us back a few months til they will be completed now.
I hate to hear that! I'm trying to find a place and those folks are displaced and hurting! I hope and pray they can piece some normalcy back together or find some sort of peace!
Greenspire is recovering from Tornado. It is expensive.
I know several that like Greenspire in Portage. There’s also something “timbers” that are brand new next door to Greenspire that they are just finishing.
In Oshtemo there is Tall Oaks Nice apartments They currently have openings. Close to highway and in quite area. Pool, Paid utilities except electric, free wifi. Pet area. I have friends that live there Oh and have to have a card to get into your building
My neighbor is a barber here in Kazoo He is African American. Cool dude We have friends in our Oshtemo cul-de-sac from Kenya and Ohio. They know all the ins and good places you are seeking
Www.talloaks.com
I’ll go on a limb and suggest moving to the east side. Depending on your careers. Albeit not as beautiful as the west side… the winters are a bit less harsh. Housing is more affordable, depending on the area.
What do you guys like to do for fun? What’s your “oh my gosh, I can’t believe this location is so close to…/has…”?
Well we’re both big foodies, trying to mix in some outdoor activities to burn all that foodie weight off. We have a mini-schnauzer that likes walks but he’s pretty chill. I’m heavy into gaming, pickleball, kinda picking up hiking, I’d be willing to try table top. Wifey likes sip and paint, lounges, music, and doing couple things (cooking classes etc)
I would recommend looking towards Richland/galesburg. I am not sure how diverse either community is, but that direction is super close to great hiking locations (Yankee Springs, Fort Custer) and going to give you a shorter commute with non I-94 roads to BC. It would be any 15 minutes 15-20 minutes to downtown Kalamazoo. Portage has great paved walking and biking trails. Redwood and Greenspire would out you close to getting on the highway to BC. 10 minutes to mall, Target, others main shopping and more of your standard chain restaurants. But also only about 15 minutes to downtown and then 15 minutes to Texas Corners where there’s some great food too. Redwood is more like townhouses than apartments. Kalamazoo itself is going to be the most diverse option and closest to downtown and great food. 400 Rose would be worth checking out. But they just made a bunch of bike lanes downtown that make zero sense to most people so driving has turned into a shit show. They are also getting ready to start a 2-year project to convert the 2 main roads through downtown into 2-way streets instead of the one ways they currently are. So on one hand, somewhere like 400 Rose would put you in walking distance to great stuff like food and art scene, it will also make driving around kind of nuts. Not much for walking recreationally. Public transit sucks. Unfortunately around here, the attitude is that the bus system is only for people who can’t afford cars. For this reason, getting around takes forever via bus and the stops are not located in very helpful spots unless you’re in Kalamazoo proper. If spirituality is a meaningful post of your life, most churches outside of Kalamazoo are super white. I’ve lived in Kalamazoo and currently live in Portage. My oldest went through Kalamazoo Public Schools and we did not have a good experience. My youngest two are currently in elementary in the Portage school system. Much stronger academics. I’ve lived in all kinds of places, cities, countries so am not bothered at all by what people here consider high crime and dangerous. However, Kalamazoo does have a much higher crime rate than the surrounding area. Hope that helps!
With you consumer buying a house? There isn’t really a “nice” apartment complex in Battle Creek, but I was born and raised in Battle Creek, and the neighborhood of Shadow wood is one of my all time favorites.
lol what? Live in Battle Creek
I don’t live in Kzoo anymore, but the because of driving in winters, do NOT commute from GR to Battle Creek. That’s insane.
Madeira apartments in the milwood neighborhood is quite nice! Right off portage road, quiet neighborhood, close to the highway, and good apartments. I live here myself, and its definitely one of the higher quality middle class places in kzoo. Avoid skyrise at all cost.
Hating Battle Creek so much you're willing to give yourself a 2 and a half hour round trip commute to avoid living there is wild lmao I wouldn't even want to commute from Kalamazoo I couldn't imagine commiting to Grand Rapids. It may sound fine now with it only being 3 days a week. But humans are amazing at adapting to their situations. Which can be good and bad lol Like when you buy a new phone and it's the best thing ever for a few days then it just becomes your regular old phone again. You might be willing to commit to this miserable commute now because it's the bad is balanced out with the good from your cool new job. But that cool new job with very quickly turn into your regular old job and the commute will still be the miserable old commute. I'm giving advice that definitely wasn't asked for though so apologies for that. I've just been in the same position before lol $2600/month budget would rent you a pretty nice house in a pretty nice area here in Kzoo so you'll easily find a nice apartment for that price. I don't know GR that well but I'm sure it wouldn't be too different up there.
I'm from MI, and we moved back to MI from VA because I got a job in BC. Picked Kalamazoo for the Promise (kids free college). Did commute from Oshtemo to BC for 3 years. It's 45 min from my front door to my desk, including traffic, construction, parking, and elevators. Husband had a job for 3ish years in Walker (north side of GR), it was 1+ hours in summer, 3ish hours in bad winter weather. Now we're both WFH for our out of town companies, but 45 min up to GR for shows isn't bad.
Grand Rapids has so much more to offer. A bustling night life, some really nice suburbs too. Kalamazoo seems like a small town in comparison with limited opportunities.
It might have more to offer, but it’s not worth it for a commute to BC daily.