South Bend: #20 Most affordable cities to live in

[forkbeard3777]

Market Watch: Most Affordable Cities to Live in 2023

 

[stpeteirish]

Not sure what their definition of "city" is but I don't think a single one on the list has a million people.

Having been in Alexandria La I can say it would take more than cheap housing to get me to live in that hellhole.

 

[forkbeard3777]

Not sure what their definition of "city" is but I don't think a single one on the list has a million people.

Having been in Alexandria La I can say it would take more than cheap housing to get me to live in that hellhole.

Worst city in LA..

 

[phillyirish]

Go to O’Rourkes and get a 9$ Yeungling with your 26$ “Irish” meal.

 

[forkbeard3777]

Go to O’Rourkes and get a 9$ Yeungling with your 26$ “Irish” meal.

Fiddler’s Hearth is where it’s at

 

[BeatSC]

Worst city in LA..

Worst city is LA!

 

[BeatSC]

Is living in South Bend really living? Unless you are on or within 100 yards of campus?

 

[NDdomer2]

Not sure what their definition of "city" is but I don't think a single one on the list has a million people.

Having been in Alexandria La I can say it would take more than cheap housing to get me to live in that hellhole.

The North American definition:

an incorporated municipal center.

 

[GowerND11]

Not sure what their definition of "city" is but I don't think a single one on the list has a million people.

Having been in Alexandria La I can say it would take more than cheap housing to get me to live in that hellhole.

So it has to have a million people to be a city? If that's the case there would only be 9 in the entire country...

Either way, people can always say what they want about South Bend (and many other Rust Belt cities), but affordability can really matter to a lot of people. Add in that many of these cities are at least TRYING to rebuild themselves, and it gives some kind of hope and affirmation that you can enjoy the area.

 

[FDNYIrish1]

The whole list sounds like you can throw a pebble and hit a meth lab or crack dealer

 

[GowerND11]

The whole list sounds like you can throw a pebble and hit a meth lab or crack dealer

Yeah... Let's not get people to come to these cities and help community building and clean them up!

Oh, and yeah meth labs and dealers only exist in poor cities/communities...

 

[Irish du Nord]

The whole list sounds like you can throw a pebble and hit a meth lab or crack dealer

Green Bay is completely docile, unless your name is “Sharp Cheddar”

 

[Hautian Domer]

Is living in South Bend really living? Unless you are on or within 100 yards of campus?

It was tough for four years...Eddy Street hadn't been developed, Granger and Mishawaka are "white flight" soulless, suburbia wastelands, the Potawatomi Zoo needed revitalization and new exhibits, 4 Winds wasn't there, Chicago was just far enough to be a pain in the ass.

St. Joseph county and the city have put in effort though with not much help from Notre Dame. Improvements have been made to the Zoo, which is pretty nice, and the surrounding Sunnymede neighborhood greatly improved, Harter Height's has improved and is pretty safe less some petty crime, the casino has employed a good amount and brought alternate forms of entertainment, obviously the Twyckenham Hills and Deer Run area have always been nice and established.

I know the Studebaker plant closure was the backbreaker, but I always felt South Bend could have pivoted and reinvented itself with the tri-campus and IUSB. That didn't happen and Notre Dame didn't help facilitate that.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

It was tough for four years...Eddy Street hadn't been developed, Granger and Mishawaka are "white flight" soulless, suburbia wastelands, the Potawatomi Zoo needed revitalization and new exhibits, 4 Winds wasn't there, Chicago was just far enough to be a pain in the ass.

St. Joseph county and the city have put in effort though with not much help from Notre Dame. Improvements have been made to the Zoo, which is pretty nice, and the surrounding Sunnymede neighborhood greatly improved, Harter Height's has improved and is pretty safe less some petty crime, the casino has employed a good amount and brought alternate forms of entertainment, obviously the Twyckenham Hills and Deer Run area have always been nice and established.

I know the Studebaker plant closure was the backbreaker, but I always felt South Bend could have pivoted and reinvented itself with the tri-campus and IUSB. That didn't happen and Notre Dame didn't help facilitate that.

We duel at noon

 

[Irish du Nord]

It was tough for four years...Eddy Street hadn't been developed, Granger and Mishawaka are "white flight" soulless, suburbia wastelands, the Potawatomi Zoo needed revitalization and new exhibits, 4 Winds wasn't there, Chicago was just far enough to be a pain in the ass.

St. Joseph county and the city have put in effort though with not much help from Notre Dame. Improvements have been made to the Zoo, which is pretty nice, and the surrounding Sunnymede neighborhood greatly improved, Harter Height's has improved and is pretty safe less some petty crime, the casino has employed a good amount and brought alternate forms of entertainment, obviously the Twyckenham Hills and Deer Run area have always been nice and established.

I know the Studebaker plant closure was the backbreaker, but I always felt South Bend could have pivoted and reinvented itself with the tri-campus and IUSB. That didn't happen and Notre Dame didn't help facilitate that.

There is a lot of blame to go around, but simply blaming Notre Dame/SMC/HCC for not facilitating the reinvention of South Bend seems misguided to me. The amount of community work done by these schools exceeds schools that are much larger and there are a ton of organizations on campus that offer pretty unique services to South Bend and Michiana in general.

The clear path to improvement is to get people hiring grads in South Bend right out of college. Get people to stick around before everyone moves away.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

Market Watch: Most Affordable Cities to Live in 2023

I would not consider visiting these let alone live in any of them.

 

[GowerND11]

I would not consider visiting these let alone live in any of them.

I'd visit Green Bay. Would be cool to see a game there...

Also, a lot of small cities people don't always want to visit. Doesn't make them bad to live in. Not wanting to visit doesn't equate to not wanting to live.

 

[Jiggafini19Deux]

I'd visit Green Bay. Would be cool to see a game there...

Also, a lot of small cities people don't always want to visit. Doesn't make them bad to live in. Not wanting to visit doesn't equate to not wanting to live.

I've known myself for a while. I would probably have zero intention in settling somewhere that I would not want to spend 48 hours. That's just me.

The destinations on that list I would neither visit nor settle in. Green Bay is three hours away from me. That's an in and out for a game, which I could crank out no problem.

 

[IRISHDODGER]

I'd visit Green Bay. Would be cool to see a game there...

Also, a lot of small cities people don't always want to visit. Doesn't make them bad to live in. Not wanting to visit doesn't equate to not wanting to live.

I think South Bend is similar. ND has always had a national fanbase. A lot of those fans try to make a pilgrimage to South Bend to experience a game weekend in all its pageantry. Then add in the fact that it’s a “bucket list” experience for most CFB fans, you see another portion of tourists who come for the “bucket list” experience or to experience it as a great road game should their favorite team have ND on their schedule.

I’d love to check off my bucket list some phenomenal game-day experiences at other venues that I wouldn’t normally visit: Columbus, OH; Athens, GA, State College, PA; Tuscaloosa, AL; Baton Rouge, LA; Norman, OK; Madison, WI among others.

 

[GowerND11]

I've known myself for a while. I would probably have zero intention in settling somewhere that I would not want to spend 48 hours. That's just me.

The destinations on that list I would neither visit nor settle in. Green Bay is three hours away from me. That's an in and out for a game, which I could crank out no problem.

No I get what you're saying, but I do think there are places worth living in, but not visiting and vice versa.

Many wouldn't want to visit where I live, but I enjoy living in a small borough where my family is. Not much to do around here, but there are things if you look well enough. Add that we are anywhere from an hour to 3 hours from more populated regions it isn't so bad.

 

[GowerND11]

I think South Bend is similar. ND has always had a national fanbase. A lot of those fans try to make a pilgrimage to South Bend to experience a game weekend in all its pageantry. Then add in the fact that it’s a “bucket list” experience for most CFB fans, you see another portion of tourists who come for the “bucket list” experience or to experience it as a great road game should their favorite team have ND on their schedule.

I’d love to check off my bucket list some phenomenal game-day experiences at other venues that I wouldn’t normally visit: Columbus, OH; Athens, GA, State College, PA; Tuscaloosa, AL; Baton Rouge, LA; Norman, OK; Madison, WI among others.

As someone from PA, I can tell you State College is a great college town, even if I hate Penn State. That said, it is literally in the middle of the state and so hard to get to.

My wife and many friends are PSU fans, and they all just love the atmosphere for a game weekend.

 

[Hautian Domer]

There is a lot of blame to go around, but simply blaming Notre Dame/SMC/HCC for not facilitating the reinvention of South Bend seems misguided to me. The amount of community work done by these schools exceeds schools that are much larger and there are a ton of organizations on campus that offer pretty unique services to South Bend and Michiana in general.

The clear path to improvement is to get people hiring grads in South Bend right out of college. Get people to stick around before everyone moves away.

No, it's not strictly the Tri-Campus and IUSB's fault. South Bend and St. Joseph County bears a lot of responsibility. What I meant is that UND du Lac, for the longest time, didn't really help facilitate much growth or, maybe it could do more. I recognize that the ND, SMC,HCC, and IUSB employ less than 10,000 combined, and there is only so much they can do. The major project, Eddy Street, took a long time to plan, develop and build - arguably too long given the total scope of the project in my opinion. But what happened when they did? Suddenly, the Northeast Neighborhood became one of the most desirable areas in South Bend.

South Bend and St. Joseph County redeveloped the zoo. What happened? Sunnymede improved and it would likely be my choice neighborhood should I ever relocate to South Bend. 4 Winds came in and has to be one of the city's top employers.

I understand that Eddy Street, 4 Winds, and such are big undertakings, but little steps also go a long way, and can change neighborhoods and communities overtime. Encourage faculty to live and invest in the area (as opposed to Mishawaka-Granger). When I was there, students were more or less indirectly "guided" to stay on campus, instead of being more immersed in South Bend. Volunteering time at the Robinson Community Learning Center, Center for the Homeless, Camp Millhouse, or St. Margaret's House are all great, noble causes (ignoring the fact that many students, obviously were just doing it as résumé "filler"), and I participated in some as well as at St. Stanislaus. That's one of the places where I directly learned and/or experienced the disconnect between South Bend residents and the universities.

South Bend and the universities working together are a quid pro quo. They all stand to benefit.

 

[Hautian Domer]

I think South Bend is similar. ND has always had a national fanbase. A lot of those fans try to make a pilgrimage to South Bend to experience a game weekend in all its pageantry. Then add in the fact that it’s a “bucket list” experience for most CFB fans, you see another portion of tourists who come for the “bucket list” experience or to experience it as a great road game should their favorite team have ND on their schedule.

I’d love to check off my bucket list some phenomenal game-day experiences at other venues that I wouldn’t normally visit: Columbus, OH; Athens, GA, State College, PA; Tuscaloosa, AL; Baton Rouge, LA; Norman, OK; Madison, WI among others.

Yeah, but despite having 4 college and I'd guess 25,000 college students, South Bend doesn't feel like a college town. It certainly could, though (which is a part of my venting). Interject more coffee shops, cafes, bakeries, restaurants, bars, music venues. That hires more locals and you have students eager to spend money and have entertainment - shit, how many trips do you make to Chicago or Windsor for "something to do?"

 

[irishandy]

Notre Dame is South Bend. If Notre Dame wasn't in South Bend this city wouldn't matter.

The only other thing that stands out to me is the South Bend Cubs and the name "Cubs" draws people.

We have things everyone else has- zoo's, casino's, restaurants, colleges, etc.

We hardly get concerts as they go more to surrounding areas.

I've lived in South Bend my whole life and if my wife would be open to moving I would.

 

[Irish#1]

We duel at noon

I didn't see either of you at the Irsay Y. What happened?

 

[Irish#1]

As someone from PA, I can tell you State College is a great college town, even if I hate Penn State. That said, it is literally in the middle of the state and so hard to get to.

My wife and many friends are PSU fans, and they all just love the atmosphere for a game weekend.

You poor soul.

 

[Irish#1]

No, it's not strictly the Tri-Campus and IUSB's fault. South Bend and St. Joseph County bears a lot of responsibility. What I meant is that UND du Lac, for the longest time, didn't really help facilitate much growth or, maybe it could do more. I recognize that the ND, SMC,HCC, and IUSB employ less than 10,000 combined, and there is only so much they can do. The major project, Eddy Street, took a long time to plan, develop and build - arguably too long given the total scope of the project in my opinion. But what happened when they did? Suddenly, the Northeast Neighborhood became one of the most desirable areas in South Bend.

South Bend and St. Joseph County redeveloped the zoo. What happened? Sunnymede improved and it would likely be my choice neighborhood should I ever relocate to South Bend. 4 Winds came in and has to be one of the city's top employers.

I understand that Eddy Street, 4 Winds, and such are big undertakings, but little steps also go a long way, and can change neighborhoods and communities overtime. Encourage faculty to live and invest in the area (as opposed to Mishawaka-Granger). When I was there, students were more or less indirectly "guided" to stay on campus, instead of being more immersed in South Bend. Volunteering time at the Robinson Community Learning Center, Center for the Homeless, Camp Millhouse, or St. Margaret's House are all great, noble causes (ignoring the fact that many students, obviously were just doing it as résumé "filler"), and I participated in some as well as at St. Stanislaus. That's one of the places where I directly learned and/or experienced the disconnect between South Bend residents and the universities.

South Bend and the universities working together are a quid pro quo. They all stand to benefit.

This goes back a long ways when many South Bend citizens had a dislike for ND due to it being a Catholic University.

 

[GrangerIrish24]

I didn't see either of you at the Irsay Y. What happened?

I got caught up having brunch with the other soccer moms

 

[Hautian Domer]

This goes back a long ways when many South Bend citizens had a dislike for ND due to it being a Catholic University.

Interesting. I'm not saying you're wrong, but I grew up Catholic in Terre Haute, as did my father. Both my father and I went to ND. I'm not necessarily young anymore and my father never expressed to me any negative discourse or connotation amongst the locals and Notre Dame students due to its Catholic affiliation.

Sure, Catholics were looked down upon for quite some time, but historically, European immigrants migrated to the northwestern portion of Indiana and the Ohio River. Saint Meinrad and Japer speak for themselves, but South Bend, while maintaining a Protestant / Methodist presence, always had its share of Italian, Irish, Polish, and other ethnic parishes.

 

[IrishTusker]

The area around ND is growing, there are new homes, apartments, and a Trader Joe's. Indiana is the fastest growing Midwestern state other than Minnesota, I believe. (But that is mostly in and around Indianapolis, admittedly.)