Welcome Home to Valparaiso
The Porter County seat
Less than an hour from Chicago
Minutes away from Lake Michigan's magnificent beaches and sand dunes
Distinguished Valparaiso Community Schools and home of Valparaiso University
Thriving downtown business and dining district
Exceptional community festivals and special events all year long
Lovely established neighborhoods with tree-lined streets nicely compliment an array of quality new home developments
Named Community of the Year by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce in 2009
In the quest to find an ideal place to live, work and raise their families, over 30,000 residents choose to call Valparaiso home.
"When people are looking for areas to relocate to, they look for a city that has top-rated schools. Valparaiso has that and also offers so much more," Jeanne Sommer of the Century 21 Alliance Group said. "The vibrant downtown area has lots of great restaurants, street-side cafes and plenty of shopping for everyone. When you get tired from shopping, you can always visit one of our 15 parks throughout the city."
Education Excellence
Through a broad-based curriculum, special programs and extracurricular activities, Valparaiso Community Schools have earned a reputation for excellence in all areas of learning. The district's many distinguished schools have earned full Performance-Based Accreditation and Four Star School Awards from the Indiana Department of Education as well as North Central Association of Colleges and Schools Accreditation for Valparaiso High School.
Such a tradition of excellence endures when talented and creative teachers consistently develop relevant learning experiences to challenge students at all levels. In Valparaiso, the range of programs offered and the individual attention provided gives each student ample opportunity for success.
The involvement of parents and the partnerships developed with local organizations and businesses are also integral to the success of Valparaiso Community Schools. Shared expertise, additional learning resources and community service allow the Valparaiso community to meet the needs of the whole student, to invest in the children and build a lasting bond between student and community.
There's also Valparaiso University's proud history of more than 150 years. With five colleges for undergraduate study, including the College of Arts and Sciences, College of Engineering, College of Business Administration, College of Nursing and Christ College (an honors college) as well as graduate studies and a law school, Valpo offers a comprehensive and ambitious visual and performing arts program as well as Division I athletics. You may recall Valpo advancing to the Sweet 16 in the 1998 men's basketball NCAA tournament.
"Several news articles have documented that towns with colleges are great for real estate values and in fact, hold their resale values better than towns without colleges," Sommer said. "We are very fortunate to be the home to Valparaiso University which is currently at 4,000 students and has plans to grow in the near future. And the fact that we also have Ivy Tech and an extension of Purdue North Central located in our area just gives you more options in regards to education."
Endless Opportunities
Along with an ongoing selection of activities that welcome the public to Valparaiso University, the city provides residents with an impressive array of offerings, starting with a flourishing downtown business district.
"We serve as ambassadors for the area when many of our local organizations are looking at serious candidates for positions they have open," Larry Hitz of the Prudential Executive Group said. "We often take the spouses and families around, and they are always impressed by how beautiful and unique the downtown area is, along with the fact that Valparaiso is a little dining mecca for northwest Indiana. When you consider all the opportunities downtown and on the perimeter, plus Strongbow which has been a landmark for over 50 years, there really is a great selection of restaurants in Valparaiso."
You'll also find an attractive mix of locally-owned and operated retail shops, service providers, professional businesses and government offices for your convenience downtown.
In addition, you can enjoy numerous community festivals and events throughout the year, including the well-known annual Popcorn Festival which honors the late Orville Redenbacher, Popcorn mogul and former Valparaiso resident.
Plus, with a wide variety of community and neighborhood park sites, leisure opportunities, special events, educational programs, trips and athletic activities, the Valparaiso Parks and Recreation Department offers something for everyone. For example, families with children have the opportunity to participate in seasonal preschool classes and youth sports, single adults may be searching for affordable fitness classes close to home while retired couples can always find new ways to stay active and make new friends.
"I've spent my whole life in Valparaiso, got started in real estate in 1978 and opened this office in 1982," Hitz said. "There's so much here now. It's amazing. We're extremely fortunate to have a number of quality housing developments as well as many beautiful and unique homes available for buyers throughout the city."
Learn more about living in Valparaiso and some of the best opportunities for making a move there tomorrow in The Times' homes section.
