What About South Bend, Indiana?

Indianapolis would be more stimulating. So would Milwaukee. Or Madison. Or Champaign. Or Fort Wayne. Or Kalamazoo - and Kzoo is gay friendly.

I live in Indiana a few hours from South Bend, here's my $0.02

-The Indiana Dunes are a great place to spend a Saturday during the summer

-Be prepared to at least fake enthusiasm for the Fighting Irish.

-Overall, people are friendly, but a little traditional. BUT, let the "fight" over gay marriage fool you, most people aren't against it and a college town like South Bend would probably be more liberal and tolerant.

-Amtrak service is reliable, but avoid it around the holidays. There's only 1 eastbound train to NYC and it leaves Chicago around 11 pm. I've taken the train several times to NY and it's clean and comfortable. The only pain in the ass is when they get to Cleveland around 5 am and all the noisy people getting on wake you up. But overall, a comfortable way to travel.

-If you were to fly anywhere, I would suggest taking the train or a shuttle to Chicago and leaving from there. Much cheaper than flying out of South Bend

-Being right on the lake, expect a lot of snow and ice during the winter

Overall, I'd say the cost of living is cheaper in Indiana while the proximity to Chicago for any "big city" things you want to do makes it a place to consider. But the further south you go Indiana, the more ghetto it gets.

[quote]Or Fort Wayne.

Wear a bulletproof vest and carry an assault rifle if you go there.

My first wife was from South Bend. Her parents lived just off campus. You will get sick of fucking Catholics and the Irish.

"South Bend, why it sounds like dancing doesn't it ... ... ?"

The homosexual lurched forth, penis hanging out. "No," cried the innocent child, "I do not wish to be molested."

"Ha ha," continued the pervert as he indoctrinated the small child into the world of perversion, just like he had been indoctrinated twenty years earlier.

I grew up in Indiana and would NEVER recommend living there to any gay person. It is a backwater full of bigots who barely make an effort to hide their hatred and ignorance.

Are you from S. Indiana, R7?

Not r7 but I spent time growing up in Evansville and I concur with what he said. But Southern Indiana is practically Miami Beach compared to South Bend, temperature and snowfall wise. Who'd want to retire to that? I can see Maine or Cape Cod for cold weather retirement, but Indiana?

No, r8 , I'm from a "elite", supposedly more "educated" suburb of Indianapolis.

I have a relative in Evansville, and from I've seen in half dozen visits I concur with your assessment. Didn't Madonna call it a 'shit-hole' when she left ?

I just visited Indiana for the first time and loved it. (I was born and raised in MA and live in NYC.) I thought downtown Indianpolis was nice.

But the thing that struck me is how endless the commercial strips are. I was staying in Muncie and it felt like the road was 20 miles long, same as in Broadripple. I've never seen anything like it, not even in New Jersey.

But the farmland is beautiful- including the town Farm Land. And there are some beautiful homes near Ball State University that are ridiculously cheap.

Madonna is from Michigan, which is about 4 1/2 - 5 hours north of Evansville

Tracy for the win! Mother will be ever so amused.

[quote]R13

Yes, I know where Madonna is from.

Madonna also lived in Evansville while making A LEAGUE OF THEIR OWN. When she was leaving a reporter asked her what she would remember about Evansville. Madonna said that she was glad that she "was leaving this shit-hole !"

R10 It's "an elite".

I assume that your town did not go in big for all that readin' and writin' thang.

Madonna filmed A League of Their Own in Evansville in 1992 or so, r13, hence her comments. She was at the height of her fame then and the biggest thing to hit that burgh since the Ohio River flood of '37.

I wouldn't worry about it being "Too infested with Notre Dame kids." It isn't like you'd be seeking out 20-year-olds for their opinions.

Downside - likely all uncut.

r6

Then what?

There are plenty of shitholes in Michigan but Rochester Hills, where Madonna grew up, is certainly not one of them. He dad was an automotive engineer and they make good money.

Hotbed for KKK and white supremacist activity. If you are a white DLer of a certain age and demographic, you might like it. I'd keep the gay thing to myself if I were you though.

[quote] Downside - likely all uncut.

And why would they all be uncut?

Indiana? Are you nuts? Those people are neanderthals...stupid, hateful Republicans, is that what you want?

Michael Alig, murderer, was from there. Reminded of this fact while watching the recent, terrible netflix documentary.

R5, however, has the only appropriate answer, and I do not think I was R5.

Awful people from that neck of the woods.

I can't go back there.

I used to travel all over the US and could find something to enjoy in just about every town and state...except Indiana.

Horrible place. Made Iowa look glamorous.

Quick note about places that are 'close' to places you'd actually want to visit. You might do this in the first year, but once you get into a routine, you rarely venture more than 15 miles from home.

Women there still wear bad home permanents, complete with pinwheel bangs.

Hometown of our first gay president.

[quote] Or Kalamazoo - and Kzoo is gay friendly

I got a guy.... in.... K-A-L-A-M-A-Z-O-O....zoo...zoo....zoo ♫ ♫

Notre Dame produces conservative, jock-mentality students, who would be the heart of Trump supporters. Has always been that way.

The mayor is young and openly gay.

r6

Secret message perhaps?

Well, it's in INDIANA, so that's pretty much a dealbreaker isn't it? My recommendation - keep looking; there's plenty of lovely small towns elsewhere.

HORRIBLE place. There are no coffee shops, incredibly,

I'd like to know more about Kalamazoo. What makes it so gay-friendly? I've never been there but I've heard it's a nice town.

South Bend, it sounds almost like dancing.

you may bump into some sexy gay studs

If it was on the other side of the river would it be North Bend?

Do you really want to turn into Meredith Willson? What fun!!!!

No way. Are you sure you don't just want to stalk Pete and Chasten and become Pete's new bride?

South Bend is nowhere near a great lake and being on a lake moderates temperature.