Richland

One might assume that Richland is a stuffy village when they venture there for the first time, but it’s really not. Yes, the homes are gorgeous, streets are clean and you can tell residents make more than the state average, but this is a really nice place to live.

This is where you live when you work in Kalamazoo, but want to get away from the constant chaos of the city. It is amazing that this quiet, small village can exist 10 minutes away from a city that has it all. This means that there is always something to do just a few miles up the road.

There is virtually zero crime here in Richland; it is really a fantastic place to have a family, if you can afford the housing. The class sizes are extremely small and you are about 11 miles away from Western Michigan University.

If you need to pick up necessities and groceries, there are a few small grocery stores and gas stations, but you will need to go into the city for a mall, specialty store or a place like Whole Foods. Surprisingly, there are quite a few restaurants in this small city on North 32nd St and D ave. Blackhawk Bar & Grill is where everyone meets up after golfing and Richland Pub has a great happy hour with daily specials, not that many people in Richland need a deal.