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.
Lucinda Stinson, the new president of the Rotary Club of Kalamazoo, aims to broaden the organization’s community outreach, increase its diversity and engage members more directly with people and neighborhoods in need.
Marissa Harrington, founder of Blue Horizon Real Estate, advocates for breaking down communication silos among Kalamazoo’s housing stakeholders to address systemic barriers to affordable homeownership.
Gull Meadow Farms is giving adults their turn at fall fun with the return of Adult Only Night on Oct. 1, featuring classic farm attractions, hard cider, food and games for guests 18 and older.
The annual Senior Expo brings more than 150 organizations together to connect older adults, caregivers and families with information, services and resources available throughout Kalamazoo County.
Milestone Senior Services’ annual Celebrate Aging Together Dance Party brought about 90 community members together to raise funds for aging-in-place programs and honor local leaders, volunteers, and advocates for older adults.
Under the leadership of new Executive Director Dr. Sophié van der Westhuizen, Fontana Chamber Arts kicks off its 25th season featuring four premier ensembles — from innovative early music to vibrant global sounds.
As the statewide housing crisis continues, communities of all sizes are looking at how to increase affordable housing options for current and future residents. In Kalamazoo County, the Portage Community Land Trust is helping residents become homeowners affordably with their new workforce housing development, Stanwood Crossings.
Kalamashoegazer, Kalamazoo’s 17-year-old celebration of dreamy, guitar-heavy shoegaze, proves the genre is less about standing sadly in a corner than getting lost together in a transcendent wall of sound.
The Strong Leader Series offers Southwest Michigan professionals a three-part, hands-on opportunity to strengthen communication, strategic thinking and team-building skills while learning to lead more effectively.
A ceremonial groundbreaking took place recently on North Pitcher Street for the expansion of the Zone 32 residential and commercial complex.
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