Lake views, vibrant shops and rich history shape life in Winona Lake
Kosciusko County has more than 100 lakes and plenty of waterside communities, but the town of Winona Lake stands apart. It has ample recreation on and off the water, a vibrant shopping and dining district, and a laid-back atmosphere just a few miles east of Warsaw's employment hubs. “A lot of people come here for a job and end up staying in the area for the lifestyle they’ve come to enjoy,” says Brian Peterson, a lifelong resident and broker and owner of Brian Peterson Real Estate. “With Warsaw being the orthopedic capital of the world, local people are used to seeing new faces and people quickly get acclimated. There are a number of ways people can get connected through organizations, churches and social activities. It’s a very community-oriented place.”
Winona Lake served as a religious retreat for evangelicals in the early 1900s, and faith continues to play an important role in daily life for many residents, including students at the private Grace College. The Village at Winona — the town’s historic canal-side commercial district — sits on the grounds of the former Winona Assembly, which hosted Bible conferences, camps and educational programs. “We don’t have very much industry, but we have a lot of green spaces and a lot of churches,” says Nick Hauck, a Winona Lake native and managing director of The Village at Winona. “It’s not an industrial town by any means. It has a slow, kind of relaxing pace. You’re not getting the hustle and bustle that you do in larger cities.”
Parks, trails and year-round recreation by the water
The namesake lake has nearly 600 acres for boating, fishing and other activities. “Winona Lake is widely known to be the first lake to open up and the last one to close in the area,” Hauck says. “Since we have more residents who live here full time, the piers go out sooner. Most Lake Wawasee piers close after Labor Day — ours open up in March and stay on the water until November.” Limitless Park hugs the shores and features a beach, swimming area, splash pad and a new ADA-accessible playground. The community also has a celebrated trail system that ranges from beginner-friendly treks to a rugged 9-mile mountain biking path. Miller Sunset Pavilion hosts the Winona Lake Farmers Market during the summer and transforms into an ice rink in the winter.
Homes at a higher median than nearby Warsaw
There’s a variety of home styles and prices, ranging from cottages built in the early 1900s to new builds in subdivisions and custom-built estates on the water. “The majority of people on the lake are year-round residents, or they live here in the summer and go somewhere else in the winter,” Peterson says. “The housing market is doing well, and there’s not a lot of turnover here.” The median price of a single-family home is $370,000, a significant jump from Warsaw’s median of about $260,000.
Shops and restaurants fill historic homes in The Village at Winona
The Village at Winona played a major role in elevating the town to a vacation destination after hitting the scene in 1994. “The Village and the downtown area are all old houses that have been transformed into businesses,” Hauck says, noting that some homes are 100 years old. “We have 21 shops and restaurants, and all the shops are independently owned and run. We curate who comes in, so we don’t have a lot of overlap. Everybody kind of has their niche.” Cerulean is a standout; it serves Midwestern-inspired Asian cuisine with a slightly upscale atmosphere. Locals can drive a few minutes to Warsaw for groceries and more options.
Public schools and private Christian education
Warsaw Community Schools serves about 7,000 students across 13 schools and receives an A-minus rating from Niche. The district offers more than 100 dual credit and Advanced Placement courses at Warsaw Community High School and Warsaw Area Career Center. Lakeland Christian Academy is a private prekindergarten through 12th grade school in town with an enrollment of about 400 students. Winona Lake is home to Grace University, which offers more than 100 programs and majors.
Certified bike-friendly town with easy access to big cities
Winona Lake is a certified Bicycle Friendly Community by the League of American Bicyclists, meaning that biking is considered a safe mode of transportation with plenty of bike lanes and convenient places to park a bike. Traffic, bikes and cars, peaks from Memorial Day to Labor Day as people flock to the water during the hot summer months.
Chicago and Indianapolis are both about 125 miles away, or within a 2 1/2-hour drive. U.S. Route 30 leads to Fort Wayne about 40 miles away. Medical care is nearby at Lutheran Kosciusko Hospital in Warsaw. Peterson notes that Warsaw will soon have an electric vehicle manufacturer that will bring 2,000 new jobs to the area. “There are a lot of things I think coming down the line that are going to be attractive to people looking to relocate or find a different community to move to, retire to, or get a new job in,” he says.
Annual events at The Village
The Village hosts numerous events throughout the year, including the Fat and Skinny Tire Fest, which draws cycling enthusiasts from across the country for a weekend of racing and family-friendly activities every May. Canal Days marks the end of summer with vendors and a cardboard boat race. The Village Art Fair has been a tradition for more than 25 years and features artwork from creators across the country.
Written By
Leslie Klosterman
