What’s in a name? In the case of Kalamazoo, the answer is a mystery. The origins of the city’s handle are uncertain, though the most widely accepted theory is that it was derived from a Potawatomi Native American legend. Located halfway between Detroit and Chicago in the heart of the Great Lakes Region (there are 83 lakes in Kalamazoo County alone), the city prides itself on prioritizing education: the Kalamazoo Promise is a pledge by a group of anonymous donors to cover tuition at any of Michigan’s universities or colleges for all graduates of Kalamazoo public high schools. Pharmacy and medical sciences are major industries here, and the city is home to Fortune 500 medtech giant Stryker: it ranked #7 overall for Prosperity, landing in the top 100 for Household Income (#98), which sits at a median of $42,759. Downtown revitalization is coming: the Kalamazoo City Commission has approved the Downtown Economic Growth Authority and a plan to reinvest $66 million in state and local taxes for infrastructure, business retention and building rehabilitation during the next 30 years.