If you’re thinking about moving to Fort Wayne, IN, you’re probably wondering about the city culture, prominent industries, types of entertainment, and places to live. The Fort Wayne metropolitan area is home to around 420,000 residents in three counties. It received the All-America City Award three times in the past three decades, and has also been dubbed a Tree City USA. To get better acquainted with your future home, read about some of the things that make Fort Wayne unique and how you can find your niche in the northeastern Indiana cultural center.
The city has traditionally been subdivided into four quadrants: the northeast, northwest, southeast, and southwest. The city is further divided by the St. Marys River and St. Joseph River that merge to form the Maumee River, which eventually empties into Lake Erie. Choosing your neighborhood is crucial to what kind of atmosphere you prefer to live in. For example, the southwest quadrant is less populated than the rest of the city, and hosts beautiful outdoor attractions like the Aboite Trails, the Foellinger-Freimann Botanical Conservatory, many city parks, and two ice arenas. Additionally, the northeast is home to the Indiana-Purdue University Fort Wayne (or IPFW for short), which has an enrollment of about 14,000 students.
Regardless of your interests, you can find the perfect neighborhood to meet your needs. Key entertainment spots like the Embassy Theatre, Foellinger Theatre, Science Central, and Parkview Field are places to keep in mind when choosing where to find your apartment in Fort Wayne. For more information and tips about what to do in different parts of Fort Wayne, reference our city map that includes the must-see attractions.
The abundance of preserved nature and beautiful trails in Fort Wayne lends itself to being very biker-friendly, particularly in the northeast quadrant. The city has also recently expanded with its Citilink bus service, including a Central Station with 12 routes to various destinations in the area. “Downtown Revitalization” was in mind with Citilink’s new services, and connectivity is ever expanding in the urban area of Fort Wayne.
Historically, Fort Wayne was a manufacturing town, but the dominating employers of the area have diversified greatly. Now, the defense industry is a major employer in the former U.S. military town. Further, Fort Wayne is known as the Magnetic Wire Capital of the World since the industry began in the area in the ‘60s. IPFW, the university previously mentioned, brings thousands of students to the area every year and provides a rich culture of academia. Fort Wayne is also in an area with four distinct seasons, ranging from hot and humid summers to moderately snowy winters. If you enjoy all types of weather, then this is the place for you. For more statistics and information about Fort Wayne, visit an online community tool.