[green_mariner]

I would never imagine Battle Creek as "ghetto" in general. The home of two famous cereal companies, Post and Kelloggs. I could never imagine. Then again, I have never been there.

[JessicaGM08]

Originally Posted by deslok

How so? Marshall has lost a bunch of employers in the past few years, and are quite happy to be the size they are for the rest of time. Kalamazoo isn't doing much better, and does not have an 85 million dollar expansion going on downtown.
No jobs are safe in any place. The downtown area of BC at least is going to expand, in fact the new casino has applications for I think around 2500 new jobs coming to the area, of all different kinds. Kellogg's is going to be bringing in new positions in the near future as well. I don't agree that Battle Creek is any worse off then the other areas mentioned, in fact it is taking steps in a more positive direction then those 2 are at this time.

Well the first few posts, from the guy who actually wants to move to a SMALL town, tell me that he might like Marshall, whose citizens are "happy to be the size they are for the rest of time." There are still jobs at Oaklawn hospital in Marshall and the schools are actually hiring for once VERY few positions... but what's new.

I didn't say kalamazoo had an 85 million dollar expansion hm. Kazoo just has the college scene-which can be good OR bad depending on who you are The downtown isn't bad. Cute piano bars...

I agree- not many jobs are safe at the moment. The casino jobs may not bring in the best people to Battle Creek... In my humble opinion. i hope it does though. I also hope it provides jobs to citizens of bc who actually need jobs and who have been laid off of jobs they've been in for almost their entire lives...

Thank you for sticking up for Battle Creek-- I'm really happy my hometown is doing better than I thought!!! I miss it and would move back in a heartbeat if there were more english teacher jobs!!!

[deslok]

I wasn't reading your post wrong, or interpreting that you thought Kalamazoo had an 85 Million dollar expansion going on. I forget that not everyone realizes that Battle Creek has this expansion going on from Kellogg's in place as of now. In fact, they are building a new facility to put food marketing jobs in place as we speak.
When you mentioned both Marshall and Kalamazoo, one town larger then Battle Creek, the other one much smaller, I figured I would stick up for the positive things going on in the city. As far as a company, even a casino, bringing in "not the best people" I am not sure how this is so. We see on the news all of the time people of all professions doing not the best things, whether employed at a casino or not. To say that a company is going to people not of the best kind is just speculation, and a reaching one at that! Both the new jobs from the casino and Kellogg's in a year or so will be good things for the city. As part of the downtown expansion, Kellogg's is hoping to attract more of their workers to live in the downtown area. By doing this though they realize they have to improve the eating and shopping areas before this can happen. That is the plan though. I'll post a link to an article covering it later on.

[JessicaGM08]

Originally Posted by deslok

I wasn't reading your post wrong, or interpreting that you thought Kalamazoo had an 85 Million dollar expansion going on. I forget that not everyone realizes that Battle Creek has this expansion going on from Kellogg's in place as of now. In fact, they are building a new facility to put food marketing jobs in place as we speak.
When you mentioned both Marshall and Kalamazoo, one town larger then Battle Creek, the other one much smaller, I figured I would stick up for the positive things going on in the city. As far as a company, even a casino, bringing in "not the best people" I am not sure how this is so. We see on the news all of the time people of all professions doing not the best things, whether employed at a casino or not. To say that a company is going to people not of the best kind is just speculation, and a reaching one at that! Both the new jobs from the casino and Kellogg's in a year or so will be good things for the city. As part of the downtown expansion, Kellogg's is hoping to attract more of their workers to live in the downtown area. By doing this though they realize they have to improve the eating and shopping areas before this can happen. That is the plan though. I'll post a link to an article covering it later on.

I moved to Maryland and haven't kept up with kzoo

As you can see from my other, earlier posts I did realize that Kellogg's was expanding. My mom actually works for them. The expansion will be wonderful.

As far as the casino goes, as I said before, that is simply my opinion and it is not far-reaching based on other casinos around the state. Gambling seems to bring more seemingly negative events than, say, other professions "not diong the best things." I agree that there are undesirable people in every position, anywhere you go.

That would be great if you had an article on the expansion--I will pass it on to my family and friends still in the area. I'm glad Kellogg's didn't end up moving to Chicago... can you imagine the devestation???

Thanks

Jessica

[deslok]

Jessica- Was not referring to you when mentioning people may not be familiar with the expansion from Kellogg's. A link the the article from December is here. Zimbio Pilot - The Kellogg Foundation

[WheredoIlive?]

Originally Posted by deslok

I wasn't reading your post wrong, or interpreting that you thought Kalamazoo had an 85 Million dollar expansion going on. I forget that not everyone realizes that Battle Creek has this expansion going on from Kellogg's in place as of now. In fact, they are building a new facility to put food marketing jobs in place as we speak.
When you mentioned both Marshall and Kalamazoo, one town larger then Battle Creek, the other one much smaller, I figured I would stick up for the positive things going on in the city. As far as a company, even a casino, bringing in "not the best people" I am not sure how this is so. We see on the news all of the time people of all professions doing not the best things, whether employed at a casino or not. To say that a company is going to people not of the best kind is just speculation, and a reaching one at that! Both the new jobs from the casino and Kellogg's in a year or so will be good things for the city. As part of the downtown expansion, Kellogg's is hoping to attract more of their workers to live in the downtown area. By doing this though they realize they have to improve the eating and shopping areas before this can happen. That is the plan though. I'll post a link to an article covering it later on.

Well Battle Creek does seem to be having some expansion stuff, in ways that is better then Kalamazoo. But still the town is known for having a pretty bad ghetto. Battle Creek Central High School is not known as a fun place. I subbed there. I have stories galore. That was 17 years ago. I dont want to know what things are like now.

I am bothered they are bringing in a casino, dont want to turn this thread into a debate on gambling, but all we have to do is look at Atlantic city, this does bring in a seedier cliente. One question I have, is how are unemployed people and a state where the economy is crashing, going to keep all these casinos going. One needs money to gamble. I have been very poor all my life, no expendable income to gamble, it does take that unless you are gambling rent money away and there you have an increase in social ills and crime.

[WheredoIlive?]

Originally Posted by Gal2

My biggest concern regards safety and crime.
What are the good areas of Battle Creek?
Is every area north of downtown BC a bad area?
What areas in Pennfield are safe?
What about Emmet Township, is it safe?
What are the best areas to live regarding low crime and safety in Battle Creek?

Lakeview is pretty good.

Pennfield is ok, more working class.

Problem is for Lakeview especially you need money to live there, but I have heard even apartment complexes that used to be nice in Lakeview have gone downhill in last years.

[WheredoIlive?]

Originally Posted by Giesela

I lived in Battle Creek till 2003/4. I went to school in Ann Arbor. HUGE difference in all ways.
As a fairly quiet person whose sort of a homebody I liked Battle Creek ok. Lakeview area is fine.
You can buy a small house in one of the neighborhoods bounded by Riverside and Capital, south of Columbia for pretty cheap compared to A2. There may be some to rent too.

Ann Abor you better be rich to live in.

One can be working class or lower middle and make it in Battle Creek ok, but with all jobs going, this is harder and harder.

I actually looked up disabled housing in Ann Arbor, all they had was this one giant rookery place, where they stack up apts 20 stories high..and nothing more.

So much for all those "progressives", it was shocking to see how little was offered there.

The smaller towns have far nicer disability housing. Isnt that weird?

[WheredoIlive?]

Originally Posted by JessicaGM08

Battle Creek is not that bad... a lot of my family still lives there and the downtown is undergoing some positive renovations through new business owners and Kelloggs. Pennfield is a good small town choice They just got a new high school. If you want to go a bit bigger-town, try harper creek or lakeview but i would personally stay clear of central... not terrible, but not great. Compared to a lot of the rest of the country and A2 Battle Creek is cheap and you can get a lot for your money!

If not, try Marshall- wonderful small town, or a little bit bigger- Kalamazoo.

(I grew up in Pennfield from 1 month old until 23 years of age)

I worked in Marshall years ago. The people are friendly but it can be an insular provincial place. It was far more "closed down" then other small towns I have lived in.

[Mtbboy1998]

If you want to live somewhere safe, then the further away from Downtown Battle Creek, the better...Places like Lakeview, Urbandale and Pennfield are ok. If you're poor and can't afford to live in those areas then try a suburb of Kalamazoo or live in the smaller cities in the area. For those who say battle creek is not ghetto: then you don't know what you're talking about and you must be from the outskirts...It is extremely ghetto if you live in the Southside, Northside or Westside of Downtown.