Allegan

It is nearly impossible to visit Allegan and not fall in love with the area. Although an extremely small city with less than 5,000 residents, this may be the perfect place to call home. The downtown area is quaint, lined with resident-owned business, restaurants and boutiques, but it is the waterfront plaza that just makes you feel all warm and cozy.

Park benches under gorgeous shade trees dot the length of the river front walking area. This is a clean city where you can tell the residents take pride; it is highly unlikely you will find any litter anywhere.

Much of the architecture in Allegan dates back to the Civil War era and the city is voted as being one of America’s best preserved residential, small-town districts. There are fantastic public schools as well as seven colleges and universities within driving distance. Allegan even has a small 24-hour hospital and there are larger hospitals about 20 miles away in Holland, Kalamazoo and Paw Paw. So, what’s wrong with Allegan? Nothing, except for the fact that there are 70 registered sex offenders! That is a pretty high number considering the small population. Still, their crime rate is low, so no one seems to be complaining.