South Bend

Why South Bend:

I was traveling to Chicago for a work conference and noticed that flights to South Bend were weirdly cheaper than Chicago. Having only been to South Bend for a Notre Dame football game, I decided to take the opportunity to spend a day here before the conference. Additionally, a business school friend just moved to South Bend recently so this would be a fun opportunity to catch up. 

October 16, 2024: Multimodal

My flight landed at South Bend International Airport (yes International) at 22:30. The airport while small is unique in that it is a multimodal terminal. Not only is there the airport but it is also a train station and bus terminal.

I took a taxi into town. It was a 12-minute ride but cost $20 which seemed high. The cab driver told me that the taxi fares all double when there is a Notre Dame football game. 

I stayed at an Airbnb which was an extra bedroom in a two-bedroom apartment. The building used to be the old central high school. A few of the apartment entrances and hallways are weird but in general, but overall, a great adaptive reuse. 

October 17, 2024: God, Country, Mayor Pete

After waking up and checking out of the Airbnb, I headed to the downtown. It looked like a typical Midwest town. There are office buildings, restaurants and a historic theater, but I would not call the place bustling. 

For breakfast, I ate at Peggs where I ordered the famous cinnamon roll. I couldn’t help but notice a photo of Pete Buttigieg, aka Mayor Pete, the former mayor of South Bend turned Democratic presidential candidate turned Transportation Secretary. While I like his ideas and believe he is very smart, I realized that being mayor of South Bend, Indiana is not enough of a resume item to be President. 

Besides Notre Dame, South Bend is best known for being the former home of Studebaker, an iconic auto manufacturer. The company started in 1852 as a covered wagon manufacturer. During the dawn of the automobile, they transitioned and were the only company to successfully make the jump. Studebaker continued to make cars all the way up until 1967 when they shut down due to financial reasons. 

Studebaker was always based in South Bend and its demise was a huge loss for the community. Its former factory buildings are still dotted around the area. Throughout the Studebaker’s history, they collected special vehicles. When the company shut down, they donated those vehicles to the city to create a museum. The museum is one of the most impressive car collections of all time. Among the vehicles on display are: the covered wagon the family took to South Bend in 1835, the last Studebaker ever made, Studebaker cars that competed in the Indy 500, a 1922 child’s hearse, military vehicles built during WWII and numerous concept cars including a 1911 electric car. The collection is so special.

Additionally, the company also collected numerous important carriages including those used by the Marquis de Lafayette and Abraham Lincoln. 

After spending two hours in the museum, I met my friend Phillip for lunch at a local Irish pub. Phillip went to Notre Dame and recently moved back to work for the University. He is one of the smartest people I know, and it was really fun to catch up. 

Philip then drove me to the Notre Dame campus so I could wander around to see the campus on a normal day. The campus is just beyond walking distance from downtown. 

Notre Dame, founded in 1842, is the most famous Catholic university in the United States. It is best known for its football team, the Fighting Irish, which uniquely has a national fan base (rather than a city or statewide) but is also one of the top academic institutions in the country. The campus is centered around the Golden Dome, which houses administrative offices.

Next door is the basilica. I unknowingly walked into a funeral being held there.  Whoops!

I also got to visit the library, which has a giant mural of Jesus with his arms outstretched. The mural is visible from the football stadium, giving it the nickname “Touchdown Jesus”. 

The football stadium, Notre Dame Stadium, was not open for tours today but I was able to visit classrooms, and a student center built into the side of the stadium. 

With that, I got an Uber to the train station to head to Chicago. South Bend is at the end of a regional commuter line that takes 2 hours and costs just $15. 

Final Thoughts:

Notre Dame is obviously the key attraction in South Bend and the university’s presence makes it more than just a normal small Midwest city. The city is doing the best it can, given its situation: the transit infrastructure is impressive and there is still some semblance of life in the downtown. 

The Studebaker Museum is seriously impressive, even for people who are not car fans. The Studebaker Museum is attached to a local history museum so you could easily combine the two to make a nice day trip from Chicago or Indy.