South Bend: A guide to short-term rentals
A former industrial hub that has become a health, education, and technology center, South Bend is a picturesque river city nestled up against the University of Notre Dame. A short-term rental is the best way to explore all that the city has to offer.
Kasa's short-term rentals in South Bend
With short-term rentals in the city’s most exciting neighborhoods, Kasa offers comfortable and convenient accommodations no matter what brings you to South Bend or where you need to go.
Kasa's short-term rentals in South Bend
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Kasa Downtown South Bend
- Outdoor pool
- BBQ
- Fitness center
Discover comfort in our modern apartments right on the bank of the St. Joseph River, ideal for vacations or extended stays. Enjoy fully-equipped...
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Discover South Bend
After booking your short-term rental in South Bend, here's everything you need to know for your trip.
A small city of 100,000, South Bend is located just south of the Michigan-Indiana border and 20 miles east of Lake Michigan. The city sits along the St. Joseph River, which bends through the city’s downtown and gives South Bend its name. The University of Notre Dame sits just outside of South Bend, and its 12,000 students and thousands of faculty and staff form a key part of the city’s greater metropolitan area and are integral to its cultural life.
Before European colonization, the area that now includes South Bend was inhabited by Native American tribes, including the Miami and Potawatomi. In the mid-nineteenth century, these indigenous inhabitants were forcibly expelled and European fur traders settled in the region, eventually establishing the city along the river in 1865. “Peace,” the city’s motto, is a reference to South Bend’s founding date, immediately after the conclusion of the American Civil War.
In South Bend’s early history, the river formed the center of the city’s economy. Industrial companies like Studebaker, the once-mighty car manufacturer, used the river for transportation, connecting South Bend to the major metropolises along the coasts of the Great Lakes. In the mid-nineteenth century, South Bend’s population peaked at over 130,000, but as industry jobs in the area gradually declined, the population fell as well. Education and healthcare have since risen in place of manufacturing, and in recent years the population has been back on the rise.
Technology companies are now making South Bend home, taking advantage of the University of Notre Dame’s proximity. The former Studebaker plant is also being retrofitted as a technology hub to attract businesses. In the 2019-20 presidential campaign, South Bend was a frequent topic of conversation thanks to the candidacy of former mayor Pete Buttigieg, and today the city counts tourism as a significant industry. Fortunately, there are great short-term rental options near all that South Bend has to offer.
South Bend is served by South Bend International Airport, one of the busiest airports in Indiana. The airport only has a dozen or so direct flights, but one connection should get you to just about anywhere else in the country.
If you’re coming from Chicago, you can take the South Shore train, an electric commuter train line that travels from Chicago to South Bend International Airport, making other stops throughout northwest Indiana along the way. If you’re coming from other Midwestern cities like Cleveland or Toledo, or even farther-afield cities like Pittsburgh or New York, you can take an Amtrak train to South Bend and watch the country race by out the window.
Once you’re in the city, you can take South Bend Transpo buses to almost anywhere you need to go, although it is typical for locals to rely on their cars. Biking is another great way to see the city, and South Bend has invested extensively in making the city bike-friendly, with miles of prioritized and protected bike routes, even winning some bicycling advocacy awards.
For a peek into South Bend’s industrial past and America’s transportation history, visit the National Studebaker Museum, with its exhibits featuring classic car models and military vehicles, as well as its collection of carriages used by U.S. presidents. One of the striking items in its collection is the barouche-style carriage Abraham Lincoln used to get to the theater where he was assassinated.
The University of Notre Dame’s campus, with its famous golden dome, is a wonderful place to walk around. The collegiate gothic architecture is imposing, and the grounds are immaculately well kept.
Art lovers should head to South Bend’s Museum of Art, with its strong regional collection.
For live performance, make your way to the Morris Performing Arts Center, a stunning building that hosts theater, music, comedy, and more.
On the Notre Dame campus, Basilica of the Sacred Heart is a notable Catholic church with intricate decorations and stained glass that’s open to the public.
Most of South Bend’s best restaurants are concentrated around downtown, within a few blocks of the St. Joseph River that bends north through the center of the city. You can find easy casual fare and upscale, white-tablecloth experiences separated by a short walk. The city’s food scene spread northeast from the city center toward Notre Dame, which has a student-friendly cluster of dining options, often focused on budget and speed, given their typical clientele. But there are tasty sit-down options here as well, great for parents visiting their student children or visitors interested in seeing another part of town.
Exploring the banks of the St. Joseph River is a great way to get outside in South Bend’s metro area. The city’s downtown has a lovely waterfront, and just outside the city center in either direction, you can follow the river to a series of small and large parks that provide some peace and quiet. Potawatomi Park, on the north side of the river, is a great place for a picnic, and while you’re there you can visit Potawatomi Zoo, with its collection of hundreds of animals.
In 1870, the Olivet African Methodist Episcopal Church was established in South Bend. It was the first African American church in the city, and more than a century and a half later, it’s still active.
In World War I, the first American shells fired on Germany were fired by a sergeant from South Bend.
The University of Notre Dame’s golden dome really is made of gold. It consists of over 1,000 strips, each of them 23 karats. Some of them are so thin that they’re only three microns thick (three millionths of a meter).