Dowagiac provides a lakefront retreat from large Midwestern metros
Dowagiac is a small Michigan town of under 6,000 residents, surrounded by waterfront communities such as Sister Lakes and Twin Lakes. What was once a resort community has since become a second home for people from cities like Chicago and Detroit who can work from home several days a week. “Sister Lakes is about 95% Illinois people. It used to be all secondary homes. There were only 10 of us who were year-round. Now there are 36, mostly as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic,” says Tim Mitchell, a Realtor and the co-owner of Cressy & Everett Real Estate, who has lived in Sister Lakes since he was six years old.
Diverse housing in Dowagiac proper and surrounding lake communities
Dowagiac encompasses a wide variety of housing styles across multiple communities. Within city limits, Craftsman bungalows, farmhouses and traditional homes built from the 1850s through the 1920s range from $75,000 to $475,000. Prices depend on condition, updates and lot size. Minimal Traditional bungalows and ranch-style homes from the 1950s through the 1970s fetch between $100,000 and $725,000. Lots can go up to 20 acres in size, allowing for storage sheds, pole barns and pools. Split-level, ranch-style and New Traditional homes, mostly from the 1990s and the early 2000s, can go from $135,000 to $450,000.
The Twin Lakes and Sister Lakes communities offer waterfront views and aquatic recreation. Lake houses surrounding the former fetch between $175,000 and $480,000, while those in Sister Lakes start at $200,000 and go up to $1.3 million. “There are billboards up by O’Hare that say, ‘Sister Lakes is Chicago’s Playground,’” Mitchell says. Most properties come with decks, porches or other outdoor living spaces with views of the water; many have piers and private beaches, especially those on the upper end of the price range.
Fishing, lake recreation and the natural spaces surrounding Dowagiac
Outdoor recreation in Dowagiac mostly takes place on the water, especially in Twin Lakes and Sister Lakes. “On hot days, they go to Lake Michigan for the cooler water,” Mitchell says. Heddon Park, east of town, is one of the most popular fishing spots in Dowagiac. Named after the inventor of the first wooden-body fishing lure and founder of one of the largest fishing bait manufacturers of the time, the park is where James Heddon found inspiration for his “Dowagiac” tackle design, patented in 1902.
Farther south, Rotary Park has softball fields, skateboard ramps and a playground. It’s also where some of the trails that continue into the Rudolphi Wildlife Refuge begin. The 155-acre refuge is carved with 8 miles of hiking, cross-country running and skiing trails. On the other side of town, a roughly 1.5-mile trail leads through the Dowagiac Woods Nature Sanctuary. Never plowed or planted, the sanctuary has retained the natural landscape it had before the area’s first settlers arrived.
Stores and eateries around Sister Lakes and historic downtown Dowagiac
Most of Dowagiac’s local eateries are clustered in its historic downtown, which is lined with ornate brick storefronts. “They’ve kept it alive and well for a small town in the Midwest. It’s really thriving,” Mitchell says. The Wood Fire Trattoria occupies a 150-year-old building with exposed brick walls and tile ceilings, where Italian cuisine is prepared in an authentic wood-fire oven. A Harding’s Friendly Markets is about three blocks away, while Save A Lot and Family Fare are on the outskirts of town.
“In Sister Lakes, there are breweries, there are several bars, ice cream shops, a local grocery store and a gas station,” Mitchell says, adding that residents occasionally travel to downtown Dowagiac to register their boats and shop at its larger grocer. The Timberline Inn is an upscale Sister Lakes restaurant that’s been part of the community since 1939. “That’s probably the favorite. In fact, I was there last night,” Mitchell says. “One of the local guys bought it just so it wouldn’t close down and he’d have somewhere to eat.”
Dual credit at Union High School through Southwestern Michigan College
Most children in Dowagiac are zoned for Dowagiac Union Schools, which collectively receive a C grade from Niche. Students from the district’s four elementary schools may come together at C-rated Dowagiac Middle School and B-rated Union High School. Career technical education courses at the high school include business management and technology, accounting, welding and automotive technology, among others. Students may also take up to 10 dual credit courses covered by the district and offered through a partnership with Southwestern Michigan College.
Southwestern Michigan College sprawls across a 240-acre campus southeast of town. The college offers various degrees, professional certificates and credentials, as well as clubs, intramural sports and on-campus housing.
Amtrak trains to Chicago and Detroit, and a road leading to South Bend
Michigan state Route 51 is one of Dowagiac’s main thoroughfares. It travels southwest through Niles toward South Bend, which is about 25 miles away. The thoroughfare passes through the community of Decatur before intersecting with Interstate 94 to the northeast of Dowagiac. Michigan state Route 62 also traverses Dowagiac, connecting to Cassopolis in the southeast. There’s an Amtrak train station in town with service to Chicago and Detroit, though there’s no fixed-route public transit.
