This place is a the pit of humanity, wikipedia got it defined perfectly in this artical

From Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage%2C_Indiana

Details

Portage is a strange place. Go away before you get stuck in a weird vortex. This town has been occupied by a strange mix of tractor-driving-on-the-local-highway farmers, angry millworkers, crackheads, sad abused women, potsmoking hillbillies, religious castes, and other disturbed walks of life since it's inception.

Suddenly though, something new has been added to the mix. Portage is now the proud location of both a filthy freaking Super Walmart and oddly, an IMAX theatre.

On the positive side though, it is close to Chicago.