Oshtemo is a buffer between the city and the country
Oshtemo residents live in two worlds. The Michigan township’s east side has several housing communities and a commercial corridor anchored by Maple Hill Pavilion. This area, now considered one of the Kalamazoo region’s leading shopping hubs, has fast-food restaurants, dessert shops, chain retailers and department stores.
However, rural land and woods make up the rest of this township. “You’re on the corner of civilization. You’re within 5 minutes of shopping and everything you can possibly think of. But then, if you go west, there’s nothing. It’s all country from there to Lake Michigan,” says Jared Stout, a Realtor with eXp Realty. “Oshtemo is the buffer between the city of Kalamazoo and the country, and a lot of people are looking for something like that.”
Oshtemo offers ranch-style, traditional and Colonial Revival homes
Mature pine, spruce and oak trees surround many homes in Oshtemo. The housing mostly consists of ranch-style, modern traditional and Colonial Revival homes. The area also has a few apartment complexes and communities of new condominiums. While the community still has many acres of rural land, Stout says builders are eyeing it for more housing. “There’s a lot of premium real estate once you get outside of Kalamazoo and into Oshtemo,” he says. “There’s some very nice and new developments in Oshtemo just outside of where the main shopping hub is.” Homes in Oshtemo mostly run between $170,000 and $500,000, but larger and more upscale ones reach $900,000. Condos mainly go from $170,000 to $400,000.
Restaurants serve comfort foods, wine and craft drinks
Local staples near the Maple Hill Pavilion include Latitude 42° Brewing Company. “It’s kind of a universal menu. There’s something for everyone there,” says Kelli Scheffers, a broker with Oshtemo-based Inspired Living Real Estate. “It’s got a good atmosphere.” Target and ALDI are a few of the chain stores in this area. A few miles west of the mall, D’Nicio’s Parlour is a classic diner serving burgers and ice cream sundaes. Other places in the township include the Lawton Ridge Winery and the VerHage Fruit Farms & Cider Mill. VerHage also has homemade pies and doughnuts and an outdoor play area.
Amenities include dog parks, nature trails and golf
Oshtemo Township Park has a disc golf course, a playground with swings and a climbing net. Meadow Run Dog Park has an open field for dogs to roam and a pond where they can swim. The Lillian Anderson Arboretum spans 140 acres and provides 5 miles of trails through a tall and mature forest. Cyclists may also access the Kalamazoo River Valley Trail. The more than 20-mile-long path goes to places like downtown Kalamazoo. The Prairies Golf Club and Ridgeview Golf Course provide more recreational options. The two public courses each offer 18 holes of play.
Oshtemo mostly falls under Kalamazoo Public Schools
Although three school districts serve Oshtemo, most of the township falls under the coverage of Kalamazoo Public Schools. The Kalamazoo system gets an overall C-plus grade from Niche. One Kalamazoo district program allows students to take dual enrollment Spanish courses from Western Michigan University. Mattawan Consolidated School and Otsego Public Schools are the other two districts, and both receive A-minus grades. Oshtemo is also home to the Heritage Christian Academy and Kalamazoo Christian School’s elementary and middle school campus. Heritage Christian covers kindergarten to 12th grade and gets a B-plus from Niche.
The community hosts Oshtemo Rotary Family Festival and summer concerts
During the spring, the Oshtemo Rotary Family Festival brings activity and excitement to Maple Hill Pavilion. The event provides food, prize booths and various carnival rides. During the summer, many people go to Flesher Field Park for the township’s monthly concert series. The bands play genres like bluegrass and R&B.
U.S. 131 connects commuters to Grand Rapids
Kalamazoo’s Metro has several bus stops in Oshtemo. U.S. Highway 131 goes to other cities like Grand Rapids, located 50 minutes north. “It’s not a bad commute if they’re on the west side,” Scheffers says. The township is also just north of Interstate 94, which takes travelers west toward Lake Michigan. Oshtemo is about 6 miles west of downtown Kalamazoo and institutions like the Bronson Methodist Hospital. The Kalamazoo Battle Creek International Airport is the region’s hub for commercial flights.
Region is prone to lake-effect snow
Oshtemo belongs to a region that can experience major lake-effect snowfalls. The area averages nearly 40 inches of snow a year and winter low temperatures of 11 degrees.
