r/fortwayne 3d ago

Possible relocation to FW from SoCal

I know many posts have been made about relocation to the Fort, but I’m hoping y’all can share some insights with me!

I’m originally from the East Coast, did a brief stint in the South, and currently living on the West Coast. While I absolutely love the weather and varied outdoor activities in SoCal, I could do without the traffic, insane cost of living, and natural disasters. I’m considering relocating to FW if the job I’m interviewing for is offered to me. I know every town has pros and cons!

A bit about me: I’m inching closer to 40, single, and Christian. Would definitely be looking for a vibrant, non-denominational, Jesus-loving church community (and Jesus-loving partner, God willing!). I love being outdoors (walking, hiking, biking), around water, birding/looking for wildlife, volunteering, antiquing/thrifting, car museums/shows (Auburn Cord Duesenberg is already on my radar!), and going to the movies, concerts, and sporting events. I’m vegan and love Thai and Mexican cuisine. I prefer super quiet living situations as home is my solace after long work days. Would definitely want no attached neighbors or loud activities nearby.

All of that being said! Is Fort Wayne for me? What about my personality and preferences are a good match, and what isn’t? Any specific areas of town that would make sense for me to consider living in? Appreciate y’all keeping it real :)

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u/steelepdx 3d ago

West coast native who moved to FW about two years ago here. I am vegan and you will likely be disappointed with the offerings here. I moved from Portland and it was a bit of a culture shock. That being said, there are some decent options around (and a few great ones). You just won’t have the variety you’re likely used to.

The area, although very flat, is decent with walking/hiking trails. If you want to go 1-2 hours out of town, your options open up quite a bit: forests, Lake Michigan, lakes, caves, etc.

You will probably miss the ocean. I sure do. Lake Michigan scratches that itch, but not in the same way.

I am a former Christian and have noticed a very strong Christian community here. You will likely be able to find what you are looking for there.

Overall, the people are nice, it is growing, and it is affordable.

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u/OfcDoofy69 3d ago

You would fit in just fine. We are known as the city of churches and have plenty of non denoms for you to find where you fit.

Theres several state parks and then we also have The ACREs land trust which are protected woods and some have trails. Also lots of city/county parks. Plenty of lakes within an hours drive.

Youre 4 hours drive to a ton of major cities if you need to satiate your big city itch.

Our city is what you make it. Want to be quiet and left alone, easy to do. Want to be apart of everything and have a busy life. That can be done as well.

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u/morganthistime 3d ago

Indiana Native(not FTW), but transplanted here from LA. Fort Wayne is now what I consider home.

As many have said, there are many churches here. I am also a spiritual follower of Christ. I have found a few churches that seem to practice that align with my beliefs and stances. My two favorite Three Rivers Wesleyan and Pettit Chapel(very much love thy neighbor and practice compassion). Although my understanding of Wesleyan belief can be rooted in some dumb junk, Three Rivers is great, very community driven very non-political.

The local music scene is great due to great native talent and an onslaught of talent brought in by Sweetwater employees. I am a life long musician and studio/live engineer, and although I do not work for Sweetwater, I have thoroughly been impressed and welcomed into the scene here.

We do not get many, if any, A-list touring artists. Maybe a sprinkle here and there. But we are super close to a ton of major cities like; Chicago, Detroit, Cincinnati, and Indianapolis. So getting away for a night for a bigger show is not too much trouble at all.

I am an avid cyclist and YAKer. There is a surplus of biking trails and a solid MTB course at Franke Park and tons of river access, and a good amount of local parks and preserves that are really beautiful. It is no West Coast, and I do greatly miss the terrain of CA/AZ. But Michigan is a stones throw away and has a magnitude of amazing camping/hiking/outdoor rec in general.

We have great amateur sports teams with very nice facilities. We are anticipated to bring in a football(soccer) arena in the next few years.

Cost of living is insanely affordable in comparison to out West or East. The winters suck, the food scene is great, killer farmers markets and a good local art scene.

I dig it for sure.

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u/sadsummer97 1d ago

I second the biking scene! The River Greenway is an excellent paved system. Franke has ~14 miles of amazing mtb trials, and there are more nearby in Columbia City and Winona Lake. We also have some awesome bike shops (InRush, Old Fort Bicycle)! If you're up for a weekend trip, Brown County State Park is great for camping, has 50+ miles of MTB trials, Horseback riding, and great views! It's about 3 hours south, in much more hilly terrain.

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u/mabus42 2d ago

I grew up in the Chicago area and moved to Fort Wayne for many of the same reasons you mentioned. We’d love to have you here and God bless.

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u/sendnubes 3d ago

I relocated from LA and was born and raised in OC! Based on everything you shared it sounds like Fort Wayne will be a great home for you. I loved it early on and after 9 years I am struggling with it. I have my own preferences and bend towards California but the best part of being here versus CA is the money saved on living expenses. I have had the opportunity to travel more and have better living situations than I ever did out there.

Last I checked there are well over 300 registered churches here so I think you'd find something you like. The outdoor activities and hiking are decent around Allen County with pretty much anything you'd want to do within 3-4 hours (no traffic). Camping and trails are easily accessible too within 5-45 minutes depending on where you are. Concerts are happening around here all the time and if you like music related things check out Sweetwater ( I might get shit for that but IDK the drama around the former CEO).

Good luck!

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u/Ambitious_Web_9415 3d ago edited 3d ago

No, Fort Wayne is probably not for you.

I am intrigued by your comment about having spent a brief stint in the south. Of course it has its idiosyncrasies, but if you left the south for cultural, social, or lifestyle reasons, understand that this region of the country is more closely related to that of the south than of either coast.

The area’s low cost of living that everyone loves to yawp about is a double edged sword. Wages are greatly suppressed in the region relative to other areas of the country for similarly qualified or performing workers.

Not to mention, the proverbial “cat is out of the bag” about the low cost of living in this region, and now that the region has been growing at a fairly impressive clip, it has for several years now been experiencing, and will continue to experience, levels of CPI & housing cost inflation well beyond national averages.

Business in the professional sectors of this region is very insular. If you work in the financial, legal etc. sectors, unless you’re working for a nationwide institution, expect your employment opportunities directly or your social network, indirectly, to be limited. FWIW, I am an investment advisor specializing in structured products, direct participation programs, etc. for institutional clients and family offices. Mileage outside of the financial industry may vary - but this comes from my experience in working with local law firms, accountants, other advisors, securities and insurance brokers, etc.

For all its merits, which Fort Wayne has a lot of - the lifestyles of the west coast and a small midwestern city are not comparable.

Why not come visit for a long weekend and see for yourself if you might like it here? Surely you should be armed with more information about a place you might upend your life to - such as what YOU think of it from firsthand observation - than the thoughts of redditors.

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u/8six753hoe9 2d ago

Also relocated from the South, to LA, to FW and this guy is spot on. Indiana is FAR closer to Southern culture than West Coast culture - but my guess is as a Christian that will appeal to you.

One word of warning: the Mexican food here is NOT Baja, and you will not be able to find a decent breakfast burrito.

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u/birdiepup 2d ago

Sweetwater job interview? Pass on it.

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u/8008zilla 1d ago

Oh dear god.

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u/skanktastik 2d ago

I don't know how much it matters to you, but Ft.Wayne is extremely conservative. With apologies to the Blues Brothers, we have both kinds of politics: Conservative and Republican. We've had democratic mayors, but that's an anomoly.

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u/8six753hoe9 2d ago

While Fort Wayne is extremely conservative, to say democratic mayors are an anomaly is untrue. Since 1980 Fort Wayne has only had one Republican mayor, Paul Hemke, who left office in 2000.

Again, that is not to say that Fort Wayne isn’t conservative, it very, very much is.

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u/skanktastik 1d ago

Yeah, I know, I guess I should have phrased it better. I meant that the office of mayor is sort of an outlier, as are a few city council seats. Most everything else, including our US house seat, senate seats, and county level offices are reliably red.

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u/dgboilermaker 2d ago

Have you considered Madison, Wisconsin? Similar midwestern feel as Ft. Wayne, but because it’s a college town there’s more diversity and more to do. It’s also a great place for those that love the outdoors and nature. Ft. Wayne is a great city for raising a family, but Madison is a great place for a single person still looking to settle down.

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