thinking of relocating to that area ,within 50 mile radius.
how r rent prices ? any jobs for experienced cnc machine guys?
    THANKS

Do not live in the Kalamazoo City limits. WMU makes some of the rent prices high in the city limits.
Look into living in Portage, Vicksburg, Schoolcraft, PawPaw or Mattawan. You can look into Battle Creek but its
kind of a dive.

I live in Portage and the rent prices are between $550 to $900 based on where you live.

Please IM me if you want more details.

I went to school there and would highly suggest that you consider the Grand Rapids area first. I second what Dura said: do not choose to live within city limits. If you do settle on the area, look to the west in the Oshtemo and Texas Township areas.

Kalamazoo has two gun clubs and half way between Kazoo and Grand Rapids is South Kent gun club. The Kalamazoo Rod & Gun Club @ 7533 N. Sprinkle Rd Kalamazoo, MI is one of the nicest clubs anywhere. Initial membership is $100 the first years, $60.00 every year afterwards unless you forget to pay. Over 1100 members with all sorts of activities from bowling pin shoots to NRA highpower. You get an electronic gate key that records your comings and goings and gives you access 9:00 a.m. till dusk 365 days a year.

Battle Creek's north side and Post addition are a no go, anything south of Columbia Ave and west of 20th St. is pretty nice. The Urbandale, Springfield, Pennfield, Emmett Township and Lakeview areas of Battle Creek are all decent safe communities. Many firms in Battle Creek's Fort Custer industrial park need CNC operators located half-way between Augusta and Battle Creek just west of the Urbandale/Springfield area in Battle Creek. The local towns of Climax, Richland, Galesburg, Augusta are all central to both cities (Kazoo/BC) and only Richland is a little pricey out of the four.

Kalamazoo is a very nice city and more fun in my view than Grand Rapids. Every city has areas of crime and poverty, talk with some locals and do some day trips to see for yourself. Do not rent an apartment at the Pat/Wood complex located at the corners of Patterson and Woodward Ave. if you value your person or property. That little neighborhood and a half mile circle around it has been the main topic of the 6:00 o'clock news for decades. Don't rent in the high priced college area unless you enjoy endless parties, loud music, occasional riots and drunks. Kalamazoo's State Theatre is a nice concert location, not a bad seat in the house. Kalamazoo also offers "The Kalamazoo Promise", students that attend Kalamazoo K-12 and graduate are eligible for paid college tuition thanks to a grant put together by anonymous local businessmen (and probably a couple professional athletes think D. Jeter).

i pay $850 for 2 bed 2 bath with garage