Living in South Bend has been great for us! We moved from Chicago and were delighted to get a two bedroom/two bath apartment with a view of the East Race. The building is close to downtown, and the large industrial windows give off pleasant views. Exposed brick and wood laminate flooring gave our place a modern loft look at less than half the price of what it would have cost in Chicago. Although it is over 150 years old, the HVAC system works fine except in extreme weather conditions. Appliances are gently used yet dishes need extra attention because of hard water. A real bonus was being able to do laundry in our own unit! Countertops appear worn out but that's just minor detail when considering all other positives about this place. However, Cascade residences nearby altered the grounds quite a bit from when we first got here. Dogs are welcome but pet owners don't always clean up after them which can be unpleasant to walk around with your own pet (just watch your step). Street parking near Commerce Center gets taken up by people working there so private parking isn't enforced; on top of that, it's congested too which can be annoying at times (but in Chicago we'd sometimes have to walk blocks for a spot so this isn't bad). Most res Living in South Bend has been great for us! We moved from Chicago and were delighted to get a two bedroom/two bath apartment with a view of the East Race. The building is close to downtown, and the large industrial windows give off pleasant views. Exposed brick and wood laminate flooring gave our place a modern loft look at less than half the price of what it would have cost in Chicago. Although it is over 150 years old, the HVAC system works fine except in extreme weather conditions. Appliances are gently used yet dishes need extra attention because of hard water. A real bonus was being able to do laundry in our own unit! Countertops appear worn out but that's just minor detail when considering all other positives about this place. However, Cascade residences nearby altered the grounds quite a bit from when we first got here. Dogs are welcome but pet owners don't always clean up after them which can be unpleasant to walk around with your own pet (just watch your step). Street parking near Commerce Center gets taken up by people working there so private parking isn't enforced; on top of that, it's congested too which can be annoying at times (but in Chicago we'd sometimes have to walk blocks for a spot so this isn't bad). Most residents aren't friendly but they're nice enough; never exchanged greetings with strange neighbors even after years living next door! Our walls weren't very soundproof though - could hear people having sex upstairs while trying to sleep more ... hide ...