[HarryBTL]

Which do you prefer? And more importantly why..

Back when i first arrived Kalamazoo appeared to be the obvious choice but that has changed. Back then Battle Creek did not seem like it was going anywhere but spiraling down unlike Kalamazoo which seemed to have alot going for it. In the past year or so that has changed dramatically.

One of the main things that has changed is the jobs front. They are exploding like crazy around here while in Kalamazoo things seem to be stagnating. So i am told by a few who moved to Kazoo from here and are now back here in BC. And this trend looks to continue for some time with the jobs.

Looking at this from a broader prospective BC has alot more going for it because of location for starters. It IS the halfway point between Chicago and Detroit. Next you have the I69 project which is really starting to move along further south. Everything will basically intersect this area. That is VERY appealing to business interest for starters especially with the new High Speed Rail etc.

BC downtown is going through a major overhaul. Alot of blight starting to be dealt with too all across this city which will make it more appealing. Also help with the crime. Ofcourse Kalamazoo has overtaken Battle Creek recently with that problem and thus crime. Alot of space becoming available for re-development too in BC. Besides the obvious ( Kellogs etc ) BC is now home to the new national Food safety institute and a few other places and soon to be others too. College courses/classes are being expanded as well at KCC etc. Once the downtown stuff is complete all who go there will enjoy free WiFi as well. Alot has been invested with that too and thus revamping the system to make it so Battle Creek will have the fastest internet speeds in the country which has already attracted some new businesses related to that. Alot more happening too but thats the short of it.

Also Battle Creek public schools ( as well as Pennfield and Lakeview ) will have their own Kalamazoo promise. Unsure of why but from what i heard it does not include Harper Creek? More on this here....Free college education could reduce poverty | Capital News Service
Some other big improvements on the way as well besides the new High School. Some have begun while others are on the way.


Personally i think Battle Creek is alot better laid out and thus alot easier to navigate unlike Kalamazoo which sucks especially in the Portage area. This could change though when people really start moving into the area. The one negative *for now* is public transportation in BC which is basically useless as is.

Other advantages too with the Zoo/Casino etc.

Yeah for NOW Kalamazoo has the better shopping alternatives but i suspect that too will change because of everything i mentioned above and thus clearly giving BC the clear advantage. Ofcourse you have those such as myself who are gonna help to make sure ( via even running for city Council IF need be ) it all goes well and thus is done correctly. Kalamazoo also has WMU which is a very nice perk for there. For the *moment* Kalamazoo has slightly better neighborhoods but again i am near certain that will change because of what i mentioned above. The crime trends says it has already begun as well as the getting rid of the blight.

Ofcourse i don't keep as close tabs on Kalamazoo so i may be missing some stuff too that is happening or soon to be there. Regardless BC's future is looking very bright and there is no other place i would rather be. Mind you i am from back east and lived at the coast ( MD/DE ) as well as the Washington area and born and lived in Philly too. And no i am not trying to suggest Kalamazoo is a dump or soon will be. Just saying that Battle Creek has alot more going for it into the future thanks to location etc. Kalamazoo as well as other communities along i94 will benefit greatly from the High Speed Rail via people moving from the Detroit/Chicago areas ( get away from the craziness/traffic etc ) that will be able to commute in via the new line. Keep in mind the line will eventually connect to Toronto/Montreal etc in Canada. That along with the I69 stuff will be huge for the area and even the region as a whole.

[leadsquirter]

You've got to be kidding! Battle Creek has more going for it than Kalamazoo...what have you been smoking? BTW the Sprinkle Rd. exit on I-94 is exactly half-way between Chicago and Detroit, thus BC is 20 miles closer to Detroit than Chicago.

Battle Creek is not a bad town, but Kalamazoo passed it by a long time ago.

[Tiger Beer]

I don't know either city that well. But I'm from Michigan and lived 'in the area' in the past, and have definitely been to both cities passively (meaning without thinking of living in either one).

I always kinda liked Kalamazoo. Always felt a bit more like a destination itself, a bit anyways. Not a lot, but a bit.

Battle Creek just struck me as a somewhat bigger city than what's around it, but not somewhere you'd ever make a road trip to go see or visit from somewhere else.

In short, what I'm saying is, Kalamazoo over Battle Creek, all the way.

[HarryBTL]

Originally Posted by leadsquirter

You've got to be kidding! Battle Creek has more going for it than Kalamazoo...what have you been smoking? BTW the Sprinkle Rd. exit on I-94 is exactly half-way between Chicago and Detroit, thus BC is 20 miles closer to Detroit than Chicago.

Battle Creek is not a bad town, but Kalamazoo passed it by a long time ago.

Re read my post again. That was the PAST..

Originally Posted by Tiger Beer

I don't know either city that well. But I'm from Michigan and lived 'in the area' in the past, and have definitely been to both cities passively (meaning without thinking of living in either one).

I always kinda liked Kalamazoo. Always felt a bit more like a destination itself, a bit anyways. Not a lot, but a bit.

Battle Creek just struck me as a somewhat bigger city than what's around it, but not somewhere you'd ever make a road trip to go see or visit from somewhere else.

In short, what I'm saying is, Kalamazoo over Battle Creek, all the way.

Again the PAST. I am talking about the future.

As said above i saw the decline when i first arrived. Re-Read my post. Alot has already begun to change and for the good.

Battle Creek is much better situated ( location wise ) then Kalamazoo is and that is a HUGE selling point. Which yes has started to FINALLY happen. Still some work to be done but it will be. Reasons why jobs are exploding here and a few i know have moved back to BC from Kalamazoo.

Again alot of this is very very recent. So chances are unless you are here and in the know you probably don't know about it.

Maybe i need to redo the thread. I am interested in the future not the past as far as these two places are concerned. Thanks.

[michigan83]

Sorry HarryBTL. I like Battle Creek, and I hope you are right that it is about to experience growth (haven't heard that anywhere else). I try to support downtown BC whenever I can.

But Kalamazoo has a lot more going for it. It has Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College, a lot more money in the area due to Stryker and Pfizer, a more attractive downtown with more restaurants, bars, etc, etc.

I like both cities for what they are. Battle Creek has a great downtown with great architecture, when you consider the size of the city and how much decline it has experienced. But it is NOT better than Kalamazoo.

[HarryBTL]

Originally Posted by michigan83

Sorry HarryBTL. I like Battle Creek, and I hope you are right that it is about to experience growth (haven't heard that anywhere else). I try to support downtown BC whenever I can.

But Kalamazoo has a lot more going for it. It has Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo College, a lot more money in the area due to Stryker and Pfizer, a more attractive downtown with more restaurants, bars, etc, etc.

I like both cities for what they are. Battle Creek has a great downtown with great architecture, when you consider the size of the city and how much decline it has experienced. But it is NOT better than Kalamazoo.

Again i am more talking about what the FUTURE Holds. Yes right now Kalamazoo has it's advantages over BC. Shopping still better in Kalamazoo too which you forgot. Atleast i think it is.. My point takes into consideration the plans for this area. As said BC's downtown is currently going through a huge revitalization project. For more on that see this Battle Creek Unlimited: Battle Creek, Michigan's economic development site

That talks a bit about it. Not everything but it gives a good idea about the direction it is all going. Alot of crap ( blight or whatever ) as well finally starting to be cleared/cleaned out which most knows usually spurs new growth as well. As you or anyone else from the area knows that has been a huge sore spot for BC for years.. Why many have referred to it as the Ghetto and or Ghetto town.. Which yeah it was well on it's way to becoming.

And i understand very clearly too what can happen if it is all done right and thus why i am starting to work towards making sure that happens. I have talked to some of those people and shared some idea etc. They wanted me more involved with them ( BCUnlimited who are a good group ) but i ( and others as well ) have other plans that will help the cause ( them too ) even more. Location wise it can't be beat for attracting new development/business etc. A matter of properly selling the whole area which is not as hard to do as some may think. As you and others mention there is plenty of area to do it for one. Even downtown/close to downtown which the tearing down of the blight will also help with. With high speed rail on the way and location to I69/94 it is hard to beat. Just a matter of putting the other pieces in place and thus where i and a few others come in. That relates more to the city government which yeah still has it's shortcomings as far as i am concerned.

I like both areas too but prefer here for a slew of reasons. Not knocking Kalamazoo either. I just think Battle Creek is better positioned to make a strong comeback and then some and some of it has already begun. That will bring alot of what Kalamazoo currently has as well as far as Restaurants/Stores etc go. Usually how that all works having lived in areas where i watched this sort of thing happen before.

[leadsquirter]

Harry, I know your post focuses on YOUR future views of Battle Creek and in your first post you said Kalamazoo seems to be stagnating. I looked up the historical population data for Calhoun County (BC) vs. Kalamazoo County. In 1960 Calhoun County had a population of 139,000 and Kalamazoo County had 170,000. Fast forward to 2010 and Calhoun County stood at 136,000 while Kalamazoo's was 249,000 (I rounded the figures off to the nearest thousand). I don't know what your definition of stagnating is but the census figures don't seem to point it out.

Also the big jobs boom in Battle Creek that you mention is due to the uptick in the auto industry. Battle Creek has more auto parts suppliers than Kalamazoo. Those jobs will be gone bye bye as fast as they came, as soon as the Fed stops printing money and this country gets serious about its debt.

I hope Battle Creek does well because it is good for both cities. Just in the last year both cities merged their hospitals into one system and last week the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo United Way merged creating the second largest United Way in the state behind Detroit.

[Tiger Beer]

Originally Posted by HarryBTL

Battle Creek is much better situated ( location wise ) then Kalamazoo is and that is a HUGE selling point.

What makes Battle Creek better situated location-wise?

Kalamazoo is closer to Chicago, closer to Lake Michigan...I can't think of any other way it would be 'better situated'?

What do you use for your criteria?

[skyl4rk]

Its good to hear that Battle Creek is getting better. From the tv news one gets the impression that there is a lot of crime. From driving through BC and Kalamazoo two weekends ago, I would say Kalamazoo looks a lot better.

[Tara0815]

I lived in Kalamazoo for 10 yrs and Ive visited Battle Creek rather often. I honestly perfer Kzoo to BC since I feel everything in BC is too spread out and to me Kzoo just seems more friendly, cleaner and fun. ( Must be all the college kids) LOL ...