"Lived here for five years" a Kalamazoo Travel Page by KalamazooJohn

Moved to Kalamazoo in 2002 when my wife got a job here. I transferred with my job and worked here, too. We both have found the town much to our liking. However, I have retired from my 26 years at the Post Office and my wife has accepted a job in Aberdeen, Washington state starting mid-2007. So long Kzoo!
Urban dwellers don't expect much from small rural cities like this. However, Kalamazoo has what any urban area's suburbs have. With a large university (Western Michigan) and a number of smaller schools, this town has a good many restaurants and nightclubs. Brewpubs are a Kalamazoo specialty, with three downtown. Unlike a typical city of this size, the downtown is not a mass of old vacant buildings, but is quite nice and prosperous. Cost of living is quite low, as the average home in the area runs about $125,000. My neighborhood grew in the 1920's and 30's when there was a paper mill boom here. We have sold our home in anticipation of our move. The well publicised "Kalamazoo Promise" may well bring more jobs to the city in the near future. If you are travelling east-west on I-94, stop by sometime and visit our city. Please have a look at the pictures in my Travelogue, linked at the bottom of the page.