Kalamazoo’s name is so distinctive strangers around the world have been known to break into song at hearing the name. With such a recognizable moniker you’d think Kalamazoo wouldn’t need nicknames, but through the years changing names have reflected the city’s refusal to stand still. The Zoo, Celery City and the Mall City are a few. The innovative thinking that brought downtown K’zoo the nation’s first pedestrian mall in 1959 continues to work today. Innovators have developed thriving life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. They build on the expertise of Kalamazoo’s universities. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Davenport College all are centers of research, development and technology. They surround a downtown vibrating with condos, apartments and homegrown, top-notch restaurants. The universities are woven into the city’s social fabric and contribute to a cultural scene that Kalamazooans love to boast about. The Kalamazoo Symphony, Kalamazoo Institute of Art and a vibrant local theater community are a few of the offerings. Locals also love their festivals that fill the air with music and the scents of ethnic foods wafting over the Arcadia Festival grounds and the Kalamazoo River. Outdoor activities from biking on the Kal-Haven trail to disc golf and standard golf on a nationally-acclaimed course in Milham Park are the start of the city’s leisure side. Sports fans have competitive college teams, minor league baseball and hockey to follow. And it all comes with a Promise. All high school graduates who live in Kalamazoo qualify for a scholarship that pays 100 percent of their tuition at any public university or community college.
Extensive roadwork, utility upgrades, and major development projects in downtown Kalamazoo this summer will cause short-term travel disruptions but aim to create a safer, more accessible, and community-friendly transportation environment long term.
How do you define "affordable housing"? It turns out there is a precise definition.
Kalamazoo Women2Women, a growing local network founded in 2016, is fostering mentorship, collaboration, and business growth by connecting professional women across industries in a supportive, no-dues environment.
Amid rising nationwide immigration enforcement and fear, a Kalamazoo youth interviews El Concilio CEO Adrian Vazquez to explore how local organizations support immigrant families facing detention, uncertainty, and community-wide impacts.
Acclaimed Southwest Michigan artist David Small reimagines "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" through a limited-edition collaboration with Kalamazoo Book Arts Center.
Kalamazoo residents are invited to a lively night of music, community conversation, and climate action at “Groove for Good – Climate Action Night,” a fundraiser at Old Dog Tavern supporting local environmental efforts.
Community members will gather March 28 at Urban Exposure Garden for the Kalamazoo Cookie Exchange, a Women’s History Month event celebrating baking, neighborhood connection and three Black women-owned local businesses.
Blending symphony, rap, poetry and dance, the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra’s “Symphonic Beats” celebrated women in hip-hop culture while showcasing the strength of Kalamazoo’s local scene.
Born into a planet in crisis, Gen Z carries the weight of climate anxiety. Planet Z, our yearlong series created by Gen Z writers, explores what it means to come of age in the climate crisis — and how they’re meeting it with collective resolve.
During March for Meals Month, Milestone Senior Services is hosting a baking-themed fundraiser while highlighting how its volunteer-driven Meals on Wheels program delivers nutritious meals and vital wellness checks to hundreds of senior residents each day.
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