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.
What does it mean to live a well-lived life? Ask your mom, your grandmother, and other important elder people in your life. That's what filmmaker Sky Bergman did. Come hear what she found in the final event of Kalamazoo's series "A Life Well Lived" on March 15.
“In Kalamazoo, we have a proven track record of turning community vision into action: Ninety-nine percent of the actions in Imagine Kalamazoo 2025 have been completed or are in progress. This wouldn’t be possible without our community showing up and sharing their voices, ideas, and energy to help shape our community.”
“Very few nonhuman climate migrants are moving fast enough [and] the rate of movement is going to increase [which] leads to the conclusion that to avoid extinction, many species are going to require us to intervene via assisted migration."
“Kalamazoo is a beautiful place, but it’s also very small in some ways. People can live in their own bubbles, never seeing or acknowledging the unhoused community. This play keeps the humanity of people in focus. It does not pretend that this group does not exist.”
The once-crumbling 1890s brick buildings on Fulford in the Edison neighborhood have been revitalized and vow Jerico's spaces are full. The hub for businesses and artisans has grown from its beginnings as a place to build electric scooters to one where projects are shared between those who make Jerico their business home.
Rootead's Youth Drum and Dance Ensemble showcased their incredible talent and artistry on the Comstock Community Theatre stage on February 9. Check out Fran Dwight's vibrant photographs!
Iridescent Health, a welcoming, inclusive clinic with a focus on LGBTQ+ individuals and underserved communities, celebrated its Grand Opening on February 12 in Kalamazoo.
"What I've noticed in Kalamazoo is, the city has been taking action to make some changes that in the short term some people might find uncomfortable, but in the long term are going to set the city on course for more vitality, more health, more equity, and I would say more happiness for the people who choose to live here."
Kalamazoo Rx Kids will provide participants a one-time, lump-sum, prenatal allowance of $1,500 and an additional $500 per month for the first 12 months of a newborn's life. Sponsored by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and partners, the program will begin in February.
Shonda Buchanan, poet, memoirist, and Western Michigan University Professor of English, returned home to Kalamazoo where her family has deep roots. Her upcoming book, "The Lost Songs of Nina Simone" will be released in May 2025.
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