8 Reasons You’re Lucky To Live in Kalamazoo

Stop complaining.  We have it pretty darn good in Kalamazoo.  Here's why.

From traffic to the cost of living, I hear a lot of people throwing the blame on Kalamazoo.  The fact is, the people who are complaining might not know how good they have it.  Let me give you a handful of examples.

8 Reasons You're Lucky To Live in Kalamazoo

8. No Traffic

I hear people complaining about traffic in Kalamazoo all of the time.  I have been lucky enough to live in 7 states and close to a dozen cities in my lifetime.  I can tell you that Kalamazoo has lighter traffic during road construction than most states have without road construction.  Take a breath, we got it pretty good here.

7. Kalamazoo has 33 Public Parks

Kalamazoo has 33 public parks and dozens of beautiful nature trails like the Kal-Haven Trail and the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail for hiking, biking, or riding your electric scooter. Many of the parks and trails have places to launch your kayak in bodies of water like the Kalamazoo River.

6. Lots of Wildlife

It's not unusual for me to see Deer, skunks, raccoons, and opossums in my work parking lot every morning.  Sometimes I also see Turkeys, Coyotes, and Foxes.

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5. A Plethora of Art

If theatre is your jam may I suggest the Kalamazoo Civic Theatre or Miller Auditorium?  There are many different kinds of art in Kalamazoo.  For example, you can check out Kalamazoo Art Hop and the Kalamazoo Institute of Art.

4. The Kalamazoo Promise

It is possible for your kids to go to college on a free ride if they go to a Kalamazoo public school for their entire high school career according to the Kalamazoo Promise,

The Kalamazoo Promise is a scholarship for each Kalamazoo Public School's resident graduate that provides up to 100% tuition for post-secondary education.

3. Dog Friendly

With trails for dog walking and bars and restaurants like HopCat and Green Door Distillery that will accept dogs, Kalamazoo is a more dog-friendly community than most. And...Kalamazoo has the largest no-kill animal shelter in Michigan.

2. So Many Dispensaries

The Kalamazoo area is the Cannabis capital of Michigan.  Kalamazoo has nearly 30 dispensaries.

1. Cost of Living is Low

I hear a lot of people complaining about how much they pay for rent, or how much groceries cost here in Kalamazoo.  There's no question that the cost of living has risen nationwide...even worldwide.  However, when comparing Kalamazoo to other cities around the country, we are the best according to the Council for Community and Economic Research,

The Kalamazoo-Portage Metro ranked as the lowest cost of living in the country in the first quarter of 2022, according to the Cost of Living Index (COLI).

Do you agree or disagree?  Let me know in the comments.

READ MORE: MICHIGAN CITY EARNS NO. 1 RANKING FOR MOST EDUCATED