Insider Guide: Nick Bond

Stephen N. “Nick” Bond is originally from Kalamazoo, only minutes away from the smaller city of Portage. He earned a Bachelor’s degree from Western Michigan University in Finance and graduated with his MBA in August 2011; he was hired in as a Registered Representative by Sanford Financial Services in Portage two months later.
 
“I see nothing but opportunity in this area,” Nick says. “There is huge growth potential here.” Portage offers more of a young family environment, but Nick says there is a whole range of people who move to the area whether for a job, to raise a family, or as college students. Many people, like him, come for work – Center Street is the financial district, home to several law, accounting and finance firms.
 
To appeal to the youthful energy of the area, Portage offers a variety of outdoor activities with numerous lakes, public parks, hiking trails, about a dozen golf courses within a 10-mile radius, and plenty of disc golf courses as well. “Disc golf is pretty big out here!”

The Kalamazoo Air Zoo is actually in Portage. It is the fifth-largest non-government-run aviation museum in the country, and offers an inexpensive day out with fun, quirky rides and “a really sweet disc golf course that’s free to play.” In the summer, Celery Flats is a big outdoor community “park within a park” (located within the Portage Creek Bicentennial Park) with historic buildings, an interpretive museum, play areas, walking trails, canoe and bike rentals, a gazebo and amphitheatre, and live performances. In the winter, Portage’s Millennium Park has an outdoor ice rink.

Sports fans will love Wings Stadium, where Portage’s semi-pro hockey team plays and any number of sporting events (like wrestling matches) happen when they’re not playing hockey.
 
There are a lot of sports bars and family dining options in Portage. Old Chicago recently opened in the city and offers handmade Chicago-style deep dish, New York-style thin crust and artisan pizzas and 110 different beers from around the world. LoDo Company is a small sports bar with excellent food that is busy every day of the week. And if you’re craving more of a party atmosphere, Nick says Kalamazoo with all its college bars is only minutes away and cabs are cheap.