MSU Red Cedar Message Board

You are a snob.

Ignore this crap above. I have lived in Portage for the last 14 years, and feel that I have a good understanding of just about everything it has to offer, which is overwhelmingly positive. The school system is consistently rated as excellent, from elementary through the high schools. MEAP and merit scores of both high schools are usually in the upper 10% of schools across the state. Both high schools offer IB programs if your kids are high achievers, and have state level athletic programs. Mattawan also has a excellent public education system, very similar to Portage's in terms of performance. Opportunities for culture and the arts are numerous, both in Kalamazoo and Portage. With WMU, Kalamazoo Valley, and Kalamazoo College, the area also has a higher education emphasis. Overall, a great place to live in Michigan and bring up your kids. PM me if you'd like some more specifics.

I live in Portage.

We selected it mainly for the school system. It's a nice place to raise a family. All of West Michigan is conservative, but there is plenty of diversity in Portage. In general, the Portage Central people are more "snooty" than those at Portage Northern. Athletics are pay to play, but not outrageously expensive.

As a Spartan, be aware that Mattawan is a VERY UofM oriented community. Blue and gold school colors, Block M symbol for Mattawan.

There are many activites in the Kalamazoo area: Youth sports, civic theatre, good restaurants, outdoor festival events, art community, Bell's, live music scene is okay. Grand Rapids is under an hour away and offers even more. Chicago is two hours away and makes a good weekend trip.

PM if you want to talk more about it.

Yes, there are pretentious people in Portage. I know some. There are also lots of other people there.

I knew a couple adventurous commuters that lived in the GR area and did the commute to KZOO. Usually, the wife had a job in GR and the husband got a job at Upjohn, WMU, or Stryker. For me, the lines between GR and KZOO have blurred whenever I visit the area.

Knew of a couple people that lived in Byron Center and did the commute in about 35 minutes and EGR in about that 45. Also, knew of a family that commuted from South Haven.

PS. Growing up in GR decades ago, I knew of about the KWings before the Red WIngs and Wing Stadium was the concert mecca of our world.

Portage is a great place to live and it is better for a family like the OP's than Kalamazoo. There may be some people (a small %) who feel they are better than everyone else (they are probably Michigan grads). Everyone else is very kind and it is a very safe area with solid schools.

I love Kalamazoo and West Michigan in general, but to say Portage is even remotely as bad as you make it seem is delusional.

Went to Portage Central in the 90s. My mom lived on West Lake for a long time. She just recently moved to get out of town after she retired from Upjohn/ Pharmacia/Pfizer. She didn't like all the new mass of commercial stuff and all her new neighbors were snobby snowbirds who made douchey comments about her Ford Escape.

Seemed pretty harmless back then, I didn't hang with the bad crowd but never heard or saw much of any major trouble with anyone aside from some drunk stuff like fights. But that was a long time ago

. I was happy to get out because I didn't follow the super religious trend at the school and that didn't go over well with a couple of teachers. Had a much better experience at MSU, but that's a given.

Looking back it was safe and clean and a good school overall, if you think your family would fit in with everyone.

I'd definitely check out Mattawan too, though I haven't been there in a long time.

Haverhill fo life

Woodland, bitch.

I'm actually an Angling Road Runner. But I spent my formidable years at that basketball court...a lot.

It's not a huge problem, but my kids have mentioned the drug stereotype (Northern = weed / Central = heroin) to me.

As we all know, these kinds of notions originate from a relatively small number of actual instances. There were a couple of heroin related teen deaths in the last few years.

Allegan. Move to Allegan

WOOOOSHHHHH. Over the head.