Portage Real Estate
Interested in the Portage area? There are almost an unlimited number of reasons to be! Just South of Kalamazoo, Portage residents (numbering over 46,000) enjoy affordable housing with low taxes, safe and well-maintained neighborhoods with low crime rate and nationally accredited Public Safety services, world-class health care, enriching activities and entertainment including a wide variety of shopping, dining, and consumer services, award-winning public schools, and a unique parks system that connects citizens to each other and to the natural world.
If you value education, you can’t help but be impressed by the City of Portage résumé. Residents of Portage enjoy four excellent school systems, numerous colleges and universities and other life-long learning opportunities.
The City of Portage also has a Historic District Commission to recognize and help preserve some of the older architectural beauty and diversity in the city. Briefly touching on the city’s rich history, this lush land had originally been ignored by the early westerly migration of settlers due to the mistaken belief that it was an uninhabitable swamp, unfit for cultivation. Surprisingly, settlers later discovered the rich soil made a perfect growing environment for celery. By the 1880s, Portage had earned the distinction of “Celery City” of the nation. The area remained prolific in celery production until the middle of the twentieth century. The City of Portage began its rapid transformation to its modern form during the post World War II era. But this modern city has a past, preserved in architecture at Bicentennial Park and celebrated in history at Celery Flats Interpretive Center.
This city also offers a variety of leisure activities to its residents. Portage is home to the largest retail center in Southwest Michigan, and is just minutes from Downtown Kalamazoo nightlife. The City of Portage is also home to numerous outdoor recreational opportunities. With five lakes, fourteen parks, two nature preserves, a city-wide bikeway system, and the Celery Flats Historical Area, residents have many options for enjoying time outdoors.
For Senior Citizens, the Portage Senior Center is Michigan’s first nationally accredited senior center. It is a vital, busy place offering a variety of services and activities that change with the needs and desires of its members.
The City of Portage is the largest retail center in southwest Michigan. Local, regional and national retailers all find Portage an excellent location to do business, which means more choices for shoppers. The South Westnedge Avenue Commercial Corridor is the retail heart of Portage and the location of the areas only regional mall – Crossroads Mall. A continuous influx of new retail businesses makes Portage an ever-changing, always invigorating retail landscape.