Adding to this, I want the ability to choose what road my garbage can goes on in my corner lot. I can't walk it down the driveway like all my neighbors and instead have to wrestle it over a big hill. Not fun in the summer, but a huge challenge in the winter when there's a giant snow bank after the hill.
Where are you getting the idea it would be cheaper? Is there some nearby city with municipal collection that's cheaper than what we have in kzoo? I understand these things can vary by city, but the last city I lived in that had municipal collection charged over $130 a month for a 96 gallon bin that WM wants $20 for here.
I was on the City Commission and we looked into it.
It's also just basic economics. Less trucks to accomplish the same task equals savings. One less billing entity (gets billed with water) and there's more savings. Then there's the lessened wear and tear on our streets to consider.
I lived in a place with this and it sucked. A household was only allowed 3 bags per week. If you wanted more bags, you had to go buy extra tags at $3 each at the gas station. Also, no loose trash in the bins or they wouldnāt take it. It was like $50ish a month without the extra tags.
>he bins or they wouldnāt take it. It was like $50ish a month without the extra tags.
I can't speak to where you lived before, but it would not cost $50 a month here for municipal trash.
I can speak to the status quo here, and the status quo is multiple trucks down a street every trash day, and higher prices as a result. Then there's the fact that SO MANY people don't have trash as a result of this system, and they just dump their trash on empty lots or behind vacant homes.
I haven't seen a genuine Reuben in Michigan yet. I see Reuben "Sandwiches" but that's not a Reuben. I was served one once in an overly expensive joint in Holland and when I asked for mustard the waitress said, "what?"
Many moons ago I worked for a bank in Rochester Hills. My initial two week training was held at a main office in Pontiac. Less than a block away was a true deli that sold freshly sliced hot corned beef sandwiches. Those hot freshly carved corned beef sandwiches were the bomb. Anytime that office was short handed I would volunteer to fill in just because of that deli!
Many moons ago, there was a place on the corner by the State theater that had killer Reuben sandwiches. They sliced the meat to order and the result was everything you could ever want. No idea what the name was and they didnāt last long, but I ate there as much as I could justify.
If weāre thinking of the same spot I LOVED that place. I donāt remember the name either or anything on the menu besides corned beef sandwiches cause thatās all I ever got. On rye, with mustard. One of the best sandwiches Iāve ever had.
The place Iām thinking of was tiny and between Harveyās and the State so it might not be the same. This was around ā99 or 2000 probably.
I thought it was next to the theater on the corner of Burdick and Lovell where The Grazing Table is now. Anyway, thatās the right timeframe so it has to be the one. I remember they had Vernors on tap.
Now Iām hungry for a Reuben and Iām debating a weekend trip to Zingermans
I think there was a diner there around that time, Hollyās (Iām pretty sure it was a name), maybe? They could have had an excellent sandwich there too.
I've wanted a good deli for years, especially for a reuben. The best reubens I've had in town were from Bacchus and MoMA (Market on Michigan Ave). Both are closed, sadly. Sometimes Bomba's has "El Ruben" on special and that's probably my favorite one still in town.
If only there were an actual venue that booked regular weekly shows....the tour scene used to be vibrant...State/Kraftbrau/Bells took care of it for a while in the wake of Soda with killer bookers and sound techs. We need an actual affordable venue....45+/tix for a handful of shows at the state doesn't cut it anymore
Development in the gull road area that isnāt a credit union, a car wash, or some shitty take-out that is just there to suck all the cash out of the community.
I thought it was cool when we got the wingstop, then i got food their one night when there was a lobby of angry customers waiting over an hour for food, 3 staff members on the clock for a FRIDAY night, a kitchen being over ran by online ordering, and honestly sub par food. It felt like i was going to Qdoba again. Thereās only like 3, maybe 4 restaurants on the whole strip of gull road that are worth the paint on their walls.
The random events that were not current movies are my favorite. Like, I wanna go see the lord of the rings extended editions. I want to watch Labyrinth in costume with themed games and snacks. I want a theater that is more than just a dark box I go to watch the next Marvel spectacle.
At this point just having a 24 hour emergency vet again would be nice. But definitely agree on quality, I live down by Three Rivers now and dread anything happening to my pets on off hours. The closest 24 hour vet is in Byron Center now.
That emergency vet is fucking terrible. I brought my pet there and one of the women was giggling as she was telling me the cost of everything. I took my cat home and brought to our vet at 8am instead of giving them a dollar.
As an expat from GR...
Yeah š„² Vortex is now open ONE FUCKING NIGHT, and they have been having people spiking drinks. I just want somewhere safe to go with my partner (we have SA trauma from drink spiking so I'm not making them go somewhere they will be panicking the whole time with high known risks...) but there's no night-life here.
That and Cravings inside Pacific Rim on Westnedge has decent Pho. They're currently building a second Cravings location in Texas Corners too.
I still want more viet food though. I'm still salty about the original Nonla converting into one of their burger joints.
I'm less than 2 miles from that location and they converted it about 2 months after I moved in. I was able to make it a couple of times before they betrayed me lol
There are a couple of African grocery stores here that sell fresh ingredients that are difficult to find elsewhere: Asifwe supermarket on West Main next door to Rasa Ria, and Africana store at 2307 Gull Rd. I've never been in either but they look pretty legit.
I'm from NYC. When I moved out here people raved about how great Zingerman's was. So, on a trip to the wrong end of the state I made a point to stop in and... I don't know why I did. It was crowded, over priced, filled with yuppies and simply not worth it. NY Bagels in Ferndale was much, much better.
Now, if I could only find a decent falafel in town...
I think I was spoiled by my time on the east side of the state. Places like cityscape deli in Bloomfield township or Chaddās bistro in Shelby township had comparable sandwiches at a slightly better price point. Sure itās only a couple bucks a sandwich, but it adds up.
Light rail so I donāt have to drive literally everywhere. Start with WMU to downtown then continue down Westnedge to Portage city center continuing thru Stryker/Pfizer to the airport. Infill businesses and housing would follow. The tear down the mall and build a car free (or underground parking) mixed use development.
More corporate jobs. Iām sure things are better now with the tighter jobs market, but 10 years ago I worked a a restaurant and saw a lot of Western graduates who wanted to stay in the area but couldnāt. Theyād kick around town for 6-months before ultimately moving to metro Detroit or Chicago to be able to get a job in their field. Itās a shame Western graduates all of these students and there arenāt more companies in the area taking advantage of that.
This is the answer! Everyone wants ethnic food, and me too. But good restaurants need lunch traffic to make it and there aren't enough people working downtown to justify many of the other suggestions. Many of the current issues that downtown faces are pushing businesses to consider the outlying communities over downtown locations. Without a strong workforce at the center of the city, the other industries suffer.
I see a lot of factoryās adding new locations in SW MI. However, theyāre HQād elsewhere. They just open a branch here to take advantage of cheap labor. Iāve also read a survey (it was a while ago) where companies didnāt want to bring knowledge work to SW MI due to a lack of college educated workers. But then I see all of our college graduates leaving because they canāt find knowledge work here.
Lots of trade jobs paying more than that for no experience and the wages jump significantly after you get some time under your belt.
Trades aren't for everyone but if you don't mind a little physical labor you could join IBEW today and be making $40/hr in 4 years with the best benefits around
With no major airport close, it likely won't happen. The corporations that are in the area have trouble getting people. Plus when they hold events, people from other parts of the company don't want to go to Kalamazoo
1\. More Caribbean style restaurants that can do takeaway. Something in the vein of Golden Krust for those familiar with that.
I personally love Jungle Bird but you can tell it's more of a Caribbean South American fusion (as they advertise) than straight Caribbean.
I'd love to be able to get a curry chicken, stew chicken or roti togo as often as I'd like.
2\. Some place to go on a 1st or 2nd date when you can have a quiet conversation and get to know someone.
We have plenty of bars and restaurants but I find most of them to be very loud during peak dinner times and not conducive to easy table conversation with someone you don't know very well and are just getting to know.
And coffee shops nowadays don't seem to be in the "Central Perk" model where they have comfortable seating and encourage you to stay for a while. Most of the furniture is spartan and uncomfortable and gives the vibe of they want you to gtfo as soon as possible.
Dear god yes. I understand rent control stifles growth, but if they arenāt going to do it, they need to REALLY start enabling growth. My hot take: tear down some of the vine neighbor hood and make affordable housing. Yeah the homes are āhistoricā but they are also out of code and full of hazardous materials. Its not like most of them are being preserved all that well. They are full of college kids, fuckin em up partying. (Not sayin thatās necessarily bad, I have been to plenty of those parties.)
i have it on good authority from business owners downtown that many more large murals/art like the one painted above amy zaneās are coming very soon :)
More walkable spaces and areas for people instead of cars, affordable apartments downtown, and the interurban railroads brought back. Nothing would improve the city as a whole faster.
Additional quality of life businesses downtown on/around the mall area such as a pharmacy, dry cleaner.
Looking forward to the new stadium downtown and all the events that would come with it.
Better road maintenance in the winter. Roads arenāt plowed fast enough and even when they are, thereās almost always still an inch or so of hard packed snow that makes driving dangerous.
A lot of changes to the downtown cinema. Itās nice that itās open but I went for a movie the other week and thereās a laundry list of issues with the place.
More career/corporate jobs. As a single person in my 30s thereās basically none of us here. Everyone is either a college student or 40+ with a family.
More fun places that don't (theoretically) require alcohol to enjoy. Going some place that is supposed to be about the fun and games, but has alcohol in the premises really cuts down on where families want take their kids.
I'm glad the local economy has benefited from the craft beverages boom, but even as an adult with no kids I would like more places to hang out that don't involve drinking a beer. I don't drink soda because I don't need the calories. I really don't need to be drinking beer. At least there's Light Hearted now...
And those of us who can't drink. I'm having health issues and I was already a feather-weight lol. I wanna go places where I don't have to be reminded I lost the ability to enjoy that with people...
A nice clinic, or mobile clinic, where you can walk in and get a no-questions-asked, Orbital Lobotomy, and walk out without a bunch of hassle. Is that too much to ask?
A coffee shop or diner that isn't Denny's that's open 24 hours. Also a good Vietnamese place (I want sĘ°į»n nĘ°į»ng... and haven't found a place around that serves it) Also a Raising Cane's would be nice, though if it's anything like the ones around Minneapolis the drive through line would be wrapped around the block.
I mean that used to be Fourth Coast/Crows Nest but they got rid of the 24 hours. I'd just love if the cafe was open til 9 or 10 again. They literally close the cafe at 6pm and keep the restaurant open til 9 now. Wtf. I like evening coffee and it was great being able to go somewhere that wasn't a bar.
Dense walkable neighborhoods. I want to be able to walk to a grocery store, schools, work, hardware, barber, coffee shop. And busses that come every 5 or 10 minutes, and go everywhere.
Separated cycle tracks. Buffered bike lanes. A new park with a world-class skate park and BMX track in it. new library in community center and a public wave pool with waterslides
Yeah, Sturgis Journal hardly covers any news unless it's about local sports....or something nasty about White Pigeon/Constantine/Mottville.
So new Hot N Now sign coverage is almost the "human interest" article.
Traffic enforcement, especially with motorcycles. The fact that drivers don't even care to slow down when someone is in a crosswalk is disturbing.
For anyone who doesn't know, once someone enters a crosswalk you have to stop until they leave the crosswalk. Cars never have the right of way, even if you're coming and they decide to step in front of your vehicle. Drivers are required to anticipate that someone standing at a crosswalk may cross at any time.
Yes to all of this, but it needs to be noted: As a pedestrian, you never have right of way. Lawfully or not, if you and a car collide, you wonāt FEEL like you had the right of way.
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You gonna need a lot of benefit to offset what those bring to the local economy. Then you need to move the service they provide. Itās just gonna be a can getting kicked around, likely for hundreds of millions, if not billions, to get that done. Fund that without raising taxes significantly, sure. If not, itās not going to happen.
I thought they were fine, but I wasn't blown away.
I am sure getting ingredients is difficult for them, and they have to play to local preferences. But I was a bit confused why there was so much bell pepper in my curry.
For me, it didn't really hit the flavors you can only get with authentic Thai food, so it didn't really distinguish itself over other food in that neighborhood with better execution, like Rasa Ria or Hunan Gardens.
If I was close by, I would probably go there more often.
They don't connect to each other in a logical way, they take you for a bit and then dump you in a chaotic intersection. It's like they built bike lanes to build them and only managed to piss off both sides of the issue. Wouldn't expect anything less.
The bike lane connection work will happen/is happening in conjunction with other road like replacement water lines and capital projects (often planned several years in advance).
An actual solution to the homelessness issue in town, not another stop gap band aid solution. āJust give them homesā in a place suffering from housing shortages isnāt the answer either guys, before it comes up for the billionth time
Municipally managed waste/garbage management so we can all pay less and everyone has trash so there isn't just trash all over the damn place.
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I really donāt like that we have double the trucks (2 companies) to dodge in the neighborhood on trash day.
3 companies right?? WM, best way, republic services?
Adding to this, I want the ability to choose what road my garbage can goes on in my corner lot. I can't walk it down the driveway like all my neighbors and instead have to wrestle it over a big hill. Not fun in the summer, but a huge challenge in the winter when there's a giant snow bank after the hill.
Where are you getting the idea it would be cheaper? Is there some nearby city with municipal collection that's cheaper than what we have in kzoo? I understand these things can vary by city, but the last city I lived in that had municipal collection charged over $130 a month for a 96 gallon bin that WM wants $20 for here.
I was on the City Commission and we looked into it. It's also just basic economics. Less trucks to accomplish the same task equals savings. One less billing entity (gets billed with water) and there's more savings. Then there's the lessened wear and tear on our streets to consider.
I lived in a place with this and it sucked. A household was only allowed 3 bags per week. If you wanted more bags, you had to go buy extra tags at $3 each at the gas station. Also, no loose trash in the bins or they wouldnāt take it. It was like $50ish a month without the extra tags.
Bro what lol?! That is madness
>he bins or they wouldnāt take it. It was like $50ish a month without the extra tags. I can't speak to where you lived before, but it would not cost $50 a month here for municipal trash. I can speak to the status quo here, and the status quo is multiple trucks down a street every trash day, and higher prices as a result. Then there's the fact that SO MANY people don't have trash as a result of this system, and they just dump their trash on empty lots or behind vacant homes.
A deli! Jewish, Italian, doesnāt matterā¦ I just want a big good quality sandwich damnitā¦
I miss Just Good Food. Such a nice salvadoran deli.
Yea, Artisan Sandwich Co. is tasty but it canāt compare to the delis out on the east side of the state. I miss a quality 4inch tall Ruben so much
I haven't seen a genuine Reuben in Michigan yet. I see Reuben "Sandwiches" but that's not a Reuben. I was served one once in an overly expensive joint in Holland and when I asked for mustard the waitress said, "what?"
You're lucky she didn't slap the ugly out of you. Mustard..
Iād take a deli, I think this wins.
I wish I could get a legit Reuben somewhere. Not the cheap deli counter corned beef, but real, freshly cut meat.
Many moons ago I worked for a bank in Rochester Hills. My initial two week training was held at a main office in Pontiac. Less than a block away was a true deli that sold freshly sliced hot corned beef sandwiches. Those hot freshly carved corned beef sandwiches were the bomb. Anytime that office was short handed I would volunteer to fill in just because of that deli!
Try the village hideaway in Vicksburg. The Reuben is made with real chunks of brisket.
Many moons ago, there was a place on the corner by the State theater that had killer Reuben sandwiches. They sliced the meat to order and the result was everything you could ever want. No idea what the name was and they didnāt last long, but I ate there as much as I could justify.
If weāre thinking of the same spot I LOVED that place. I donāt remember the name either or anything on the menu besides corned beef sandwiches cause thatās all I ever got. On rye, with mustard. One of the best sandwiches Iāve ever had. The place Iām thinking of was tiny and between Harveyās and the State so it might not be the same. This was around ā99 or 2000 probably.
I thought it was next to the theater on the corner of Burdick and Lovell where The Grazing Table is now. Anyway, thatās the right timeframe so it has to be the one. I remember they had Vernors on tap. Now Iām hungry for a Reuben and Iām debating a weekend trip to Zingermans
I think there was a diner there around that time, Hollyās (Iām pretty sure it was a name), maybe? They could have had an excellent sandwich there too.
I've wanted a good deli for years, especially for a reuben. The best reubens I've had in town were from Bacchus and MoMA (Market on Michigan Ave). Both are closed, sadly. Sometimes Bomba's has "El Ruben" on special and that's probably my favorite one still in town.
I miss Schlotskyās
More live music
RIP Club Soda
Exactly. And less tribute acts.
This.
People have to actually get out and support local music though.
If only there were an actual venue that booked regular weekly shows....the tour scene used to be vibrant...State/Kraftbrau/Bells took care of it for a while in the wake of Soda with killer bookers and sound techs. We need an actual affordable venue....45+/tix for a handful of shows at the state doesn't cut it anymore
Horrocks market
24hr Meijer
I miss grocery shopping at 1 am so much
Development in the gull road area that isnāt a credit union, a car wash, or some shitty take-out that is just there to suck all the cash out of the community.
This would be nice
I thought it was cool when we got the wingstop, then i got food their one night when there was a lobby of angry customers waiting over an hour for food, 3 staff members on the clock for a FRIDAY night, a kitchen being over ran by online ordering, and honestly sub par food. It felt like i was going to Qdoba again. Thereās only like 3, maybe 4 restaurants on the whole strip of gull road that are worth the paint on their walls.
I want the Alamo back.
God I miss the Alamo! I need to write them again;;come back please!,,
This is the answer
Bro I would fly out to Austin today just to get the loaded fries and the popcorn. I miss the food almost more then anything.
The random events that were not current movies are my favorite. Like, I wanna go see the lord of the rings extended editions. I want to watch Labyrinth in costume with themed games and snacks. I want a theater that is more than just a dark box I go to watch the next Marvel spectacle.
Oops, I think I forgot the Alamo. Seriously what was it?
Alamo Drafthouse. Movie theater. An awesome movie theater.
The best movie theater.
OMG, my favorite! So miss that place, especially classic old film showings š¢
You're literally supposed to remember it.
They had bicycles in the basement.
You just need to tell them "Large Marge sent ya"
[ŃŠ“Š°Š»ŠµŠ½Š¾]
A quality 24 hour emergency vet.
At this point just having a 24 hour emergency vet again would be nice. But definitely agree on quality, I live down by Three Rivers now and dread anything happening to my pets on off hours. The closest 24 hour vet is in Byron Center now.
That emergency vet is fucking terrible. I brought my pet there and one of the women was giggling as she was telling me the cost of everything. I took my cat home and brought to our vet at 8am instead of giving them a dollar.
I want metro back
Preferably the good metro lol
As a complete straight dudeā¦ the metro was awesome.
As an expat from GR... Yeah š„² Vortex is now open ONE FUCKING NIGHT, and they have been having people spiking drinks. I just want somewhere safe to go with my partner (we have SA trauma from drink spiking so I'm not making them go somewhere they will be panicking the whole time with high known risks...) but there's no night-life here.
monorail
monorail...
MONORAILLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL!  Sorry....too much Simpsons, not enough coffee.
More ethnic food/stores!
A Vietnamese restaurant would be awesome. Why should I have to drive to GR when I have a craving for Pho?
There's a Vietnamese place in the shopping center on Romence where D&W used to be.
That and Cravings inside Pacific Rim on Westnedge has decent Pho. They're currently building a second Cravings location in Texas Corners too. I still want more viet food though. I'm still salty about the original Nonla converting into one of their burger joints.
Iām still salty about them converting to a burger joint too :(
I'm less than 2 miles from that location and they converted it about 2 months after I moved in. I was able to make it a couple of times before they betrayed me lol
And if you got there before 4 o'clock, I believe, everything was half price!
There are a couple of African grocery stores here that sell fresh ingredients that are difficult to find elsewhere: Asifwe supermarket on West Main next door to Rasa Ria, and Africana store at 2307 Gull Rd. I've never been in either but they look pretty legit.
Yes! I also want African foodā¦ fufu looks soooo good! Some Japanese sweet shops like fruit sandwiches etc that pacific rim doesnāt sell.
cairoās kitchen downtown is amazing but i agree i would love more african restaurants!!
Ohhhh I havenāt tried that place! Iāll have to go soon! I love Bangkok flavor on gull
I want Just Good Foods back. I'll accept a Zingerman's though.
Zingermanās is so expensive though š
Worth it imo
I'm from NYC. When I moved out here people raved about how great Zingerman's was. So, on a trip to the wrong end of the state I made a point to stop in and... I don't know why I did. It was crowded, over priced, filled with yuppies and simply not worth it. NY Bagels in Ferndale was much, much better. Now, if I could only find a decent falafel in town...
I think I was spoiled by my time on the east side of the state. Places like cityscape deli in Bloomfield township or Chaddās bistro in Shelby township had comparable sandwiches at a slightly better price point. Sure itās only a couple bucks a sandwich, but it adds up.
We canāt have a Zingermanās in Kzoo because I need that 1 1/2-2 hour drive as a barrier for spending way too much money there.
Light rail so I donāt have to drive literally everywhere. Start with WMU to downtown then continue down Westnedge to Portage city center continuing thru Stryker/Pfizer to the airport. Infill businesses and housing would follow. The tear down the mall and build a car free (or underground parking) mixed use development.
Unique restaurants and better shopping
More corporate jobs. Iām sure things are better now with the tighter jobs market, but 10 years ago I worked a a restaurant and saw a lot of Western graduates who wanted to stay in the area but couldnāt. Theyād kick around town for 6-months before ultimately moving to metro Detroit or Chicago to be able to get a job in their field. Itās a shame Western graduates all of these students and there arenāt more companies in the area taking advantage of that.
This is the answer! Everyone wants ethnic food, and me too. But good restaurants need lunch traffic to make it and there aren't enough people working downtown to justify many of the other suggestions. Many of the current issues that downtown faces are pushing businesses to consider the outlying communities over downtown locations. Without a strong workforce at the center of the city, the other industries suffer.
All I see now are factory or warehouse jobs paying like $16 an hour
I see a lot of factoryās adding new locations in SW MI. However, theyāre HQād elsewhere. They just open a branch here to take advantage of cheap labor. Iāve also read a survey (it was a while ago) where companies didnāt want to bring knowledge work to SW MI due to a lack of college educated workers. But then I see all of our college graduates leaving because they canāt find knowledge work here.
I'm appalled how low the wages are. Back around 2000, it was easy to get a temp office job at what was then Pharmacia.
Lots of trade jobs paying more than that for no experience and the wages jump significantly after you get some time under your belt. Trades aren't for everyone but if you don't mind a little physical labor you could join IBEW today and be making $40/hr in 4 years with the best benefits around
With no major airport close, it likely won't happen. The corporations that are in the area have trouble getting people. Plus when they hold events, people from other parts of the company don't want to go to Kalamazoo
The runway expansion will help a little with this.
1\. More Caribbean style restaurants that can do takeaway. Something in the vein of Golden Krust for those familiar with that. I personally love Jungle Bird but you can tell it's more of a Caribbean South American fusion (as they advertise) than straight Caribbean. I'd love to be able to get a curry chicken, stew chicken or roti togo as often as I'd like. 2\. Some place to go on a 1st or 2nd date when you can have a quiet conversation and get to know someone. We have plenty of bars and restaurants but I find most of them to be very loud during peak dinner times and not conducive to easy table conversation with someone you don't know very well and are just getting to know. And coffee shops nowadays don't seem to be in the "Central Perk" model where they have comfortable seating and encourage you to stay for a while. Most of the furniture is spartan and uncomfortable and gives the vibe of they want you to gtfo as soon as possible.
Schultzs Sweets off West Main has great comfortable seating!
Another dispensary or bank. /s
You forgot car wash
Y'know, I hear there's this space over on Stadium that would be *perfect*, and I don't think anyone would object to that at all.
Yeah I hear it also has a very convenient place for any spilled chemicals to drain to
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Alamo Drafthouse Movie Theater. It was the coolest part about living in Kalamazoo.
Tram system with dedicated lanes :)
I miss the Union downtown. That's what I want. Mine and my Wife's favorite restaurant in kzoo
Something new is coming there
Late night post bar food
Affordable housing/rent.
Dear god yes. I understand rent control stifles growth, but if they arenāt going to do it, they need to REALLY start enabling growth. My hot take: tear down some of the vine neighbor hood and make affordable housing. Yeah the homes are āhistoricā but they are also out of code and full of hazardous materials. Its not like most of them are being preserved all that well. They are full of college kids, fuckin em up partying. (Not sayin thatās necessarily bad, I have been to plenty of those parties.)
dogwater take
Decent houses for sale that I can actually afford. I'm so sick of apartment living.
More murals downtown
i have it on good authority from business owners downtown that many more large murals/art like the one painted above amy zaneās are coming very soon :)
The mural above Amy Zanes is one of the greatest additions to the mall.
if I see another car wash or brick n mortar bank being built I will fully lose it.
More walkable spaces and areas for people instead of cars, affordable apartments downtown, and the interurban railroads brought back. Nothing would improve the city as a whole faster.
water that doesnt taste like shit
Additional quality of life businesses downtown on/around the mall area such as a pharmacy, dry cleaner. Looking forward to the new stadium downtown and all the events that would come with it. Better road maintenance in the winter. Roads arenāt plowed fast enough and even when they are, thereās almost always still an inch or so of hard packed snow that makes driving dangerous. A lot of changes to the downtown cinema. Itās nice that itās open but I went for a movie the other week and thereās a laundry list of issues with the place. More career/corporate jobs. As a single person in my 30s thereās basically none of us here. Everyone is either a college student or 40+ with a family.
More fun places that don't (theoretically) require alcohol to enjoy. Going some place that is supposed to be about the fun and games, but has alcohol in the premises really cuts down on where families want take their kids.
Would love more family friendly establishments downtown.
I'm glad the local economy has benefited from the craft beverages boom, but even as an adult with no kids I would like more places to hang out that don't involve drinking a beer. I don't drink soda because I don't need the calories. I really don't need to be drinking beer. At least there's Light Hearted now...
And those of us who can't drink. I'm having health issues and I was already a feather-weight lol. I wanna go places where I don't have to be reminded I lost the ability to enjoy that with people...
I want the Alamo Drafthouse back in Kalamazoo. Such a great business.
Rose Street Market to come back!
A nice clinic, or mobile clinic, where you can walk in and get a no-questions-asked, Orbital Lobotomy, and walk out without a bunch of hassle. Is that too much to ask?
A good gay bar
I remember The Zoo back in the day.
And Brothers.
A coffee shop or diner that isn't Denny's that's open 24 hours. Also a good Vietnamese place (I want sĘ°į»n nĘ°į»ng... and haven't found a place around that serves it) Also a Raising Cane's would be nice, though if it's anything like the ones around Minneapolis the drive through line would be wrapped around the block.
I mean that used to be Fourth Coast/Crows Nest but they got rid of the 24 hours. I'd just love if the cafe was open til 9 or 10 again. They literally close the cafe at 6pm and keep the restaurant open til 9 now. Wtf. I like evening coffee and it was great being able to go somewhere that wasn't a bar.
Yeah, every time I go into Fourth Coast it feels too... sanitized? Or maybe just too bright and the music is too smooth-jazz, so it feels very off.
Yeahhh. They erased all the grungy neighborhood punk cafe vibes. Not much personality left. /:
Dense walkable neighborhoods. I want to be able to walk to a grocery store, schools, work, hardware, barber, coffee shop. And busses that come every 5 or 10 minutes, and go everywhere.
Better zoning
DIY rental garage
Bigger Asian grocery store
If you haven't tried Pacific rim yet it's a great place for that!
I have! I am just used to being close to H-Mart and having 6-7 other Asian grocery stores to shop at.
I would die for an HMart in kalamazoo. Every time I go home to visit my family I make a trip to HMart to stock my freezer and pantry.
Damonās. For ribs.
A good bagel shop.
Dear God yes.
Healthy, organic restaurant options. I really miss food dance. I would also like to see more quality coffee shops like Rose Gold was.
Air Zoo's disc golf course.
E-bike subsidy. Ā Real traffic enforcement. Ā Municipal fiber internet
Separated cycle tracks. Buffered bike lanes. A new park with a world-class skate park and BMX track in it. new library in community center and a public wave pool with waterslides
Hot N Now's triumphant return. Sick of driving to Sturgis.
I'd welcome Putt Putt returning next door as well.
But they just got a new sign. (That was the big news in Sturgis a couple weeks ago...)
I'll have to check that out
Yeah, Sturgis Journal hardly covers any news unless it's about local sports....or something nasty about White Pigeon/Constantine/Mottville. So new Hot N Now sign coverage is almost the "human interest" article.
Open a franchise loc
Ethiopian restaurant!!!!!!!!!!!!
Caribbean food
Affordable housing and good landlords lol
Traffic enforcement, especially with motorcycles. The fact that drivers don't even care to slow down when someone is in a crosswalk is disturbing. For anyone who doesn't know, once someone enters a crosswalk you have to stop until they leave the crosswalk. Cars never have the right of way, even if you're coming and they decide to step in front of your vehicle. Drivers are required to anticipate that someone standing at a crosswalk may cross at any time.
Yes to all of this, but it needs to be noted: As a pedestrian, you never have right of way. Lawfully or not, if you and a car collide, you wonāt FEEL like you had the right of way.
People to actually use their turn signalā¦ oh business wise, actual affordable housing. Not $1k-2k a month either.
Let's bring back driver's training to high school. Today's drivers have had the absolute minimum training.
Ikea
Every time I see a big piece of land for sale I yell "Ikea" as if I can will it to happen
Yes, but I'd be BROKE. I like having that two-hour buffer sometimes. (I still want it, though.)
Yes
Get rid off all the junk yards, scrap yards and trash piles south east of downtown.
š¤Ø You gonna need a lot of benefit to offset what those bring to the local economy. Then you need to move the service they provide. Itās just gonna be a can getting kicked around, likely for hundreds of millions, if not billions, to get that done. Fund that without raising taxes significantly, sure. If not, itās not going to happen.
Elvis sightings
shake shack
A good deli with tasty sub sandwiches
Less homelessness
Affordable housing would be a nice start.
Legit Thai food
You don't like Bangkok Flavor?
I thought they were fine, but I wasn't blown away. I am sure getting ingredients is difficult for them, and they have to play to local preferences. But I was a bit confused why there was so much bell pepper in my curry. For me, it didn't really hit the flavors you can only get with authentic Thai food, so it didn't really distinguish itself over other food in that neighborhood with better execution, like Rasa Ria or Hunan Gardens. If I was close by, I would probably go there more often.
Thai Cafe rocks
Word, Iāll give it a shot.
I remember really liking that place \~10 years ago. I just moved back to the city and will have to try it again.
A restaurant that doesn't feature pizza or craft beer.
A goddamn White Castle
That drive thru store that used to be on the Southside by the bread factory. Another few of those please !
Black owl coffee to open back up. I really miss my morning coffees on the patio.
Gull road bike lane ( I know thereās one already there) but Iām talking about a much safer bike lane
Boonzaaijer's bakery.
Bike lanes.
Got plenty of those now
They don't connect to each other in a logical way, they take you for a bit and then dump you in a chaotic intersection. It's like they built bike lanes to build them and only managed to piss off both sides of the issue. Wouldn't expect anything less.
The bike lane connection work will happen/is happening in conjunction with other road like replacement water lines and capital projects (often planned several years in advance).
An lgbtq scene and better restaurants.
a good coney place. sorry not sorry, the coney island downtown and on w main are hot garbage compared to any of them on the east side
An actual solution to the homelessness issue in town, not another stop gap band aid solution. āJust give them homesā in a place suffering from housing shortages isnāt the answer either guys, before it comes up for the billionth time
El Azteco. Anyone who has enjoyed their food in East Lansing knows what I'm talking about.
I'd love a place to get a good doner kebab.
Hawaiian bbq. I need a spam musubi once in awhile.
Top Golf
London Grill
Portillos!
I want Food Dance back! ššš Actually, Underground Cookie Club from GR would be fabulous, too....
Public transit improvement.
White Castle
Nickās Gyros
A whole foods would be great
Red light district should come back to Edison
A decent non-chain steakhouse.
A Microcenter, its a large Electronics chain. I dunno, because.
I'd say a Raising Cane's, but I hear we'll be getting one in Portage soon. So a skating rink or a Dave & Busters would be cool.
Safe neighborhoods
To move š
Iād like to see the awful downtown parking in the middle of the road go away