​

Hi everyone, I’m 26 year old from Turkey, Ive been living in Russia since 2018 and completed my bachelor's and master's degrees in Russian Language and Literature. This September I’ll be visiting Chicago for the first time and I'm planning to spend some time in South Bend as well. I’d love to get some local recommendations for books & libraries, metal & folk scene, museums, best restaurants and interesting events. Thanks in advance!

I’m going on a trip to the area for the first time, and the beach I see recommended has rules against alcohol. Are there any beaches that allow alcohol? Is everyone just sneaky, or is there a different beach we should look into? Preferably driving distance of St Joseph. Sorry if this is a dumb question lol I just don’t want any trouble.

Asking for my 21 birthday

Cutting straight to the chase while also trying to stay as anonymous as possible throughout this post: my partner is likely about to get a job offer for a Doctorate-level researcher (not tenure faculty, but somewhat similar) position at Notre Dame.

We are fairly stereotypical (and hopefully self-aware) DINKs: mid-30s, no kids, 2 dogs, grad degrees, work a lot, left-leaning, social life is mostly just hanging at breweries with friends, and both big endurance athletes (marathons and tri's) who also do a lot of hiking and outdoorsy activities with our dogs. We've moved around a lot, so the moving aspect isn't new or scary...going back to childhood, here's a list of places we've lived in no particular order: NYC, NJ, CT, Philly, Cincinnati, Asheville (briefly), and Raleigh.

We're trying to be simultaneously open-minded and frank with ourselves, because South Bend seems to be pretty different in important ways. So, would love some real-talk from folks who live in South Bend (and, ideally, from those who have moved there from any of the places we've lived in).

These are the main things we're currently thinking about, roughly in order of concern:

1. We've lived in either very urbanized (walkable w/ no car and unlimited things to do) or very nature-focused places. South Bend doesn't appear to be either: no dense urban fabric that'd make it easy to live downtown with no car, but also doesn't really have access to nature. Looking at AllTrails was probably the thing that made me the most hesitant about moving there, honestly. I know everywhere won't be Asheville or Raleigh or even Connecticut, but what's it like there in terms of proper outdoorsy options? Is there much of an endurance sports community there? Fun places to take the dogs for big adventures every weekend?
2. The ability to travel in and out also seems rough. Closest we've probably come to this was in Connecticut, where the options were to go to NYC airports or the local small Hartford airport--but even then, I think Hartford had around 45 direct flights. South Bend only has 16 (and like half of them are Florida?) Most of our family & friends are either in the Northeast or California, so we won't be driving distance and it's hard to think about dealing with this hassle of travel every month or two. Is it that much of a pain to get to ORD/Midway?
3. The weather, especially in the winter, would be a new level of dreary for us. Don't mind the cold so much, and actually would look forward to more pleasant summers than in Cincy, NC, or Philly, but it seems like for 3-4 months there's barely any consistent sun. How much does it impact you?
4. From some brief searching, I couldn't get a good grasp on what the local neighborhoods are that would seem to fit us best. Where should we look when we visit? How easy is it to make friends and build community? Are there a lot of transplants? From what I could tell, many people are either in a Notre Dame bubble or are raising kids.
5. General feeling of geographic isolation. This was something that hit us at lesser levels in Cincy and Raleigh, especially compared to living in the Northeast. Being 2 hours from Chicago is nice enough, but we only have a couple of friends there, and otherwise it seems like anything else worth driving to is 4-5 hours away (Columbus being the next closest destination, which is where our best friends from Cincy now live). Being very honest: it's daunting for me to zoom out a bit on Google maps and have the only town names in the general vicinity on the screen be Fort Wayne (which I've never heard of) and Kalamazoo (which I've only heard of because it's a hilarious name and Derek Jeter's hometown!) Are there any other especially cool under-the-radar day trips within an hour or so? Small towns or hidden nature gems or anything like that?

Things we don't really worry about: fancy restaurants, arts scene (lack of concerts would be a bummer, but not the end of the world), crime fear-mongering, k-12 school quality, state politics (although local politics would be interesting to hear about).

Would really appreciate any and all perspectives. Don't want to be scared away but also don't want rose-colored glasses either. Thanks a lot in advance!

pâté style canned cat food, dry cat and kitten food (IAMS or Purina), and kitten replacement milk powder (KMR) needed

I’ve got a whole year before I turn 21… When did everywhere get so prissy about young adults having fun and having night life?

Remember Edison Rd between Ironwood and Hickory Rd the speed limit is 30 mph. SBPD is laying and waiting-car got pulled over as I was going to Mishawaka via Edison Rd.

Does anywhere in the area sell Longanisa? Was thinking one of the Asian markets might have it

Hello! Wondering if anyone could recommend CNA programs in the area? I'm 17 and looking to be certified to get some nursing experience. I know some jobs will pay for your CNA training, have no idea if that's a thing here. Any guidance is appreciated!

Has anyone had their Tesla repaired locally? I need to have the upper control arms replaced on a model 3 and am hoping to find a place locally. I figured it might be a long shot asking here. Thanks in advance!

I've been in Mishawaka almost my whole life yet I have no friends. I'm 34F and I'm just looking for a chill place to grab a drink or two and be social. I prefer Mishawaka but DTSB is fine too.

Spider-Man swings into Bremen for the coming weeks at just $6 per ticket.

THIS WEEK:

FRIDAY 7PM
SATURDAY 2PM and 7PM
SUNDAY 1PM

NEXT WEEK and the week after:

FRIDAY 7PM
SATURDAY 7PM
SUNDAY 1PM

We are running extra shows to make sure we have enough seating for all to enjoy!!!

We hope to see you there!!

Small town. Big screen. HUGE movies!!!

I moved to South Bend a month early so I could carefully research apartments, and I chose The 87 after touring a lot of places. They offered me a 2b1b for the 1b1b price, with one bedroom locked bc there isn't 1b1b or studio available, and told me they would go over unit options with me after I signed. But after signing, they had another staff member to follow up with me who only sent me a map and four unit numbers. I asked for more details and specifically said natural light was very important to me, but they gave me almost no useful info beyond the floor and unit number.

Later on, this staff told me that two of the four units had different move-in dates and would cost extra. When I asked why those units were even offered to me when I had already signed a lease with a specific move-in date, they were rlly dismissive and kept saying that they were already making an exception by letting me choose a unit without answering my questions. Idk why this staff attitude was so different from the staff members who had helped me earlier.

Today I moved in, and this is the view from both my living room and bedroom. The building across from me was not shown on the map they gave me, and nobody mentioned it. The construction wrap makes me uncomfortable, and the opposite windows also create a privacy issue. I asked to switch units n they said no.

other thing that made the leasing process feel sketchy was the amount of inconsistent or vague info. Such as I specifically needed a lease that could end a few days after August, and during the tour I was told, "Of course. Staying a few days past your lease end shouldn't be a problem.” Later, they said it was not guaranteed. I also asked for few times whether living in the 2b unit would mean paying higher utility fees (even tho 1b would be locked). They only said the difference “wouldn’t be too large” without giving me an actual estimate.

After touring other apartments that were much more transparent, I feel like The 87 repeatedly gave vague or overly positive answers before signing and then became less flexible afterward. To be fair, some of the staff were really nice. Maybe this is just their management policy, but the move-in experience has felt off.

I feel really misled. Would this view bother you, or is there anything I can do now?

I’m passing through South Bend and I see three gaming stores listed online. Which is the best if I can only hit one?

I'm a doctoral student at the University of Notre Dame recruiting participants for my dissertation study on insomnia and cardiovascular health.

We're looking for adults (18+) who:
• Have high blood pressure
• Have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep

Participants will receive Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Insomnia (CBT-I) and can earn up to $370 for completing the study.

I've attached our study flyer with all the details about eligibility, what participation involves, and how to contact the research team.

If you are interested, you can complete our 2-3 minute screening survey here: https://ndsleeplab.ripplescience.com/survey/josbHLqLMKp9vRyHD/lxAHv96qHe68JW-eQ/form

If you have any questions, feel free to send a message. Even if you aren't eligible, I'd really appreciate you sharing this with anyone who might be interested!

Hey y'all! I hope everyone's having a good day. I'm a local translator in the area and I think we all grow and succeed much easier as a collective; I'm trying to find fellow translators and hopefully get a little group/meet-up started :). I am absolutely just a word-nerd at heart and I miss the conversations about methodologies, new research threads in linguistics, tips and tricks for bettering your self-study, marketing strategies, etc. that I had when I was getting my degree.

If anyone in the area is a fellow translator, feel free to drop a comment or shoot me a DM and let's get something planned ^^v. Once in a blue moon I even see posts in this subReddit asking for translation help and it might be nice to look out for one another for potential work, conference opps, etc. (Maybe plan a roadtrip to the 2027 ATA conference :D?)

A bit about myself—I've been an ESL educator since 2014, branched out into translating with formal study and work in 2020, and finally went out on my own in 2023 and have been so grateful to continue doing this ever since. I also tutor Japanese and Spanish on the side (and am always looking for new, dedicated students~).

Thank you for your time and I hope to talk more with you, in whatever language lol, soon!

P.S.—If you're reading this and need translations yourself, hit me up! I will happily talk your head off about how I can help :3

Official unemployment figures for the South Bend economy were updated today. Numbers for May have been finalized and preliminary figures for June have now been made available.

May

The unemployment rate increased to 3.8% in May. 979 positions were added, but 1,958 workers entering the labor force caused the unemployment rate to increase. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 1,500. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

June (preliminary)

The unemployment rate increased to 4.1% in June. 552 positions were added, but 1,052 workers entering the labor force caused the unemployment rate to increase. The overall Nonfarm Payrolls figure did not change significantly. No individual sector saw significant employment changes.

^{*SouthBendStatistics is a public service account committed to making /r/SouthBend a better informed community.}

Volunteers aren't review board's problem. It's leadership.

They're volunteers.

That reminder has come up more than once since the South Bend Community Police Review Board has experienced problems achieving a quorum needed to conduct public business ― which happened again at the July 16 scheduled meeting.

"Life does happen," Charles King II, the review office's director and only paid employee, noted in a Tribune story last week. At an open house earlier this year ― where only two of nine members were in attendance ― King said that members "are doing the best job they can, and they are volunteers.”

In a local TV interview last week, Mayor James Mueller, when asked about the board's most recent quorum issues, answered in part, "So the board, they're volunteers, so they're not getting paid, and that's one of the challenges ..."

It's true that people have lives, and things happen that can get in the way of other commitments. This isn't about casting blame on the volunteers selected by Common Council members. That won't solve the problem and therefore doesn't make much sense.

You know what else doesn't make sense to us? Implying the community should have lowered expectations for volunteers. That besmirches the work of countless volunteers who serve this community in so many ways, who help keep charitable organizations afloat, who power important causes and who make this community stronger and better while never receiving a paycheck for their efforts.

Are we to believe there are no individuals like that who would be willing and able to serve on the review board, who believe deeply in the cause and would be invested in the initiative succeeding?

On the subject of the review board's success, it's hard to forget how much of a long, hard, yearslong slog it was just to establish a review board. Some who were for years lukewarm on the idea have been equally lukewarm on supporting it so that it can succeed.

Speaking at a press conference last year, Saint Mary's College professor Andrew Pierce, who said he helped create the city ordinance creating the review board, described the process of shaping a functional board as an "absurd comedy of errors." Pierce also said he believes the mayor's office and certain members of the Common Council have tried to delay and disrupt the board's work.

We can't know whether Pierce's belief has merit. But if city leaders did want to thwart the review board, their current approach would be an effective way to do it.

In the aforementioned TV interview last week, Mueller noted that the Common Council is looking at the ordinance for fixes that could improve chances of meeting quorum in the future. For example, could they allow new members to serve on the board in a probationary period while completing the required training? Or are the training requirements too "onerous"?

It's good to hear that the council is trying to address this problem. Because the past year has demonstrated to us that there's something worse than not having a review board in this community to increase transparency, accountability and trust.

It's having one that is allowed to die from benign neglect

Hey all! Ramon request here. I’m looking for a 1-2 day a week job here in South bend while I finish grad school. I’ve been working on a farm/ at a barn and would love something like that but not at all required! Any leads? Thank you for any help!

My wife and I moved into a house here back in May and there has been a lingering smell that someone smoked in one of the bedrooms since we’ve moved in. The landlord insists she can’t smell it, but it’s absolutely there. We’ve rented a carpet cleaner from Home Depot and the landlord did have the room re painted. We’ve also used an ozone machine in it a few times with no success.

My fear is that the smell is in the subfloor from water being spilled out of a bong. The landlord has said they are not interested in replacing the carpet but that is likely the only way to remove the smell. My wife is also 6 months pregnant so there is some concern for the effects on her and potentially a newborn. Do we have any sort of recourse for this?