I have seen many improvements over the years including the addition of tennis courts and soccer…read morefields. The staff is always friendly here and willing to work with you if you have any problems. The student center is a little small and needs a little updating.

We used to absolutely love this place but since COVID it has gone downhill. 5 stars for facilities…read moreand the improvements they have made . 2 stars for the level of management of bad behavior in the pool and on the deck. 3 years ago, the lifeguards didn't put up with any unsafe or inappropriate behavior. If you didn't listen- you got kicked out. I felt safe with my young kids there that they were being watched by effective guards and other people weren't putting them in uncomfortable positions. We went yesterday and today and there was so much rough horseplay, terrible language and unsafe behavior and no one did anything about it. At one point a lifeguard asked the manager to kick people out and he didn't follow through with it. Today there was a huge intact Mastiff dog on the pool deck- what? I want to love this Kalamazoo institution, but someone in charge needs to not worry about being everyone's friend and start taking action on poor behavior.

Very nice pool. The water felt very warm on a 75 degree day with wind. The meet went smoothly with…read morenot issues. The only problem was the locker room was not very clean with toilet paper all over the place and confusing. Also one end of the pool is very shallow not ideal for flip turns but it works. But in all I would recommend this pool for meets or just to go swim with your family in the summer.

I paid a visit to this place on my first stop during the 2018 Wine and Harvest Festival, and I have…read moreto say, I was really intrigued with what I found there! The Southwest Michigan Artists' Association is a group of wonderful people who not only all love what they do, but they also make it possible for the artistically-inclined to have a place where thier creations cannot only be displayed for all to see, but also a place where anyone willing can come to learn how to make their own art. As I wandered on up, I noticed a number of people were clustered around someone who was throwing clay on a wheel. It was practically spellbinding- I mean, we all remember the smell of clay and paint and the like from our days in elementary school, but I never really developed the skills beyond 'mash clay and mold it until it looked vaguely humanoid, add three holes and it's a little ghost figure' bit. But just watching the artist make those pots, well... it makes me wonder if I could do the same thing. I also saw some very nice berry bowls (the clay bowls with holes in the bottom), and they seem like they'd be good either to use or just to put up on a shelf and use as a conversation piece! A little closer to the entrance, I found someone doing something I remember doing for fun waaaay back when I was a kid- placing a piece of paper in a machine that would spin it around rapidly, and then dripping paint on it from a height and letting gravity and centrifugal force do their thing. I still don't remember what the machines were called, only that we had one and it apparently got tossed because nobody carried the paints for it. But seeing that kind of thing made me think a lot of fun thoughts- but I kind of doubt the ones on display were as inexpensive as the toy one I had! After that, I stepped inside to take a look around. There were a few people inside- as well as plenty of art already on the walls to glance at, as well as some wonderful jewelry inside a case that was hand-made and looked really pretty! They were a bit out of my price range, though... Everybody looked to be having a lot of fun, though- there were a few painters in there, and someone else making what I thought was some kind of flower-arrangement (I could be wrong on that, but it looked really nice)! Maybe I'll drop in again and take some classes here- I'd like to think not all of my artistic talents lie with the written word! If you see something you like, there's also a display of business cards with contact information that you can use to contact the artist you're looking for! They're also looking to expand- but I urge you to stop on in and take a look around, and maybe give some classes a shot- or if you fancy yourself an artist, come on in and take a look around and do some networking to get your things shown!

After being frustrated with YMCA, shanondale, Bronson and other local swim programs I was referred…read moreby a friend to Brittany Schmall and her swim school - Brittany's Swim School. I went in to the lessons trying not to get my hopes up as I had been disappointed with other area lessons, but after the first lesson I was pleasantly surprised. The lessons take place in her back yard and she employs several staff members. Brittany and her staff are very professional and give the best lessons in the Portage/Kalamazoo area. My children have participated in her group and private lessons and have been very satisfied with both. If you have children with special needs, Brittany's Swim school does a great job accommodating for all types of students. My oldest daughter is autistic and I am truly amazed how well Brittany and her staff work with her. The schedule is posted each summer in April/May on Brittany's website (www.brittanysswimschool.com) The lessons fill up quick, so if your interested in lessons, it's important to call right away!

Ballet Arts Ensemble, founded in 1982, offers dance education and performance opportunities in…read moreballet in Kalamazoo. They perform "The Nutcracker" yearly at Chenery Auditorium around the Christmas holiday as well as other productions throughout the community.

I've been a long-time fan of Underground Creations founder Cathy Germany's artwork, so it was…read morereally informative to see her speak at a Park Trades Center event this year about how her medical struggles have informed her artistry (much of her work is anatomical anomalies, and one piece pictures an insurance card and a butcher's knife). She does both large and small-format paintings, mixed media, jewelry, you name it, and most of her works are also available as super-affordable prints and cards. Other talented artists are often featured in the Underground Creations space as well, but Germany's the mainstay. She also offers classes and commissioned works.

I was completely and utterly terrified to give birth, but I was pregnant, so it needed to be done…read more A friend recommended Birth Kalamazoo, and I'm so glad she did. At first, I didn't think I needed a doula because I wanted a hospital birth with a doctor and ALL the pain meds they could give me. But after talking to some friends and exchanging emails with Jessica, the owner, I realized that a doula could still support me despite the fact that I wasn't planning on a natural birth with a midwife. After I reached out to request a doula, Jessica set up an appointment for me and my husband to meet one. She made it clear that this was to see if we would be a good fit, and it was totally acceptable to decide we weren't. And that was great because while I'm sure she was totally competent, we didn't feel comfortable with her. When I relayed this to Jessica with some reasons why, she said it wasn't a problem and set up a meeting with a different doula. This is when we met Teresa, and she was wonderful. After we officially hired Teresa, in addition to the first casual meeting, we had two meetings to discuss what I was looking for, draft a general birth plan, and answer any questions I had. I had tons. When it all went down, Teresa was a calming presence. My husband and I had never been through any of it before, so having an expert there, advocating for us and helping us through was tremendously helpful. Teresa also did a follow up appointment and provided us with a timeline of what happened when--it was great because everything was a blur for us.

Part of WMU colleges, they have good cafe inside that sells healthy sandwiches and juices…read more They have good area to relax and study for wmu students.