Moving to Michigan!

pixiesis

pixiesis

Cathlete
Hi all,

My husband recently accepted a wonderful job in Western Michigan (Manistee county area). We are so beyond excited. He is about to graduate with his PhD and we are finally about to start our lives as real grown-ups! Yay!!!

I'm sharing this because I'm so excited :p , and also because I know that there are lots of people who live in Michigan on the forums. To all you Michiganders: please share anything you can about Michigan and about the area specifically. I've never been there, but we are going there this Wed. to house/apartment hunt. I know that there are tons of beautiful beaches and lots of bike trails in the area, so I've very excited about that. Living near the water is really a dream to me. I also know that the winters are pretty harsh. But, I've seen that there's a lot of cross-country skiing trails in the area and that's something I've always wanted to try. So anyway, please share! TIA!

Amy
 
Hi Amy! I hope a Michiganer answers for you! I'm interested in the feedback as well seeing that I'll be visiting there very soon!:)

Carolyn
 
Hi, Amy. I live in Ottawa County Michigan. I love it here. I used to live in Montana and Colorado but moved back years ago because I missed Lake Michigan and the 4 seasons. Yes winters can be bad, but they are fun and very beautiful. You will soon discover tons of outdoor things to do. I would just start asking the locals. When Lake Michigans water temps are warm make sure you go swimming. They can go from 70 degrees to 50 degrees overnight depending on the wind direction. Oh, and if you really want to burn those quads try running up a sand dune....lol. I am not familiar with your area but you will most likely love riding a bike in the fall with all the vibrant colors. There is also good fishing and canoeing. In the summer we can get some very humid days but they usually don't last more then a couple of weeks. I am very fortunate that I get the Lake Michigan breezes. I hope you have a very smooth move and with time you'll learn of all the wonderful things to do. Welcome Home...Peggy
 
Welcome to Michigan! The west part of Michigan is very beautiful, IMO. You are very fortunate in that you will be close to/or on Lake Michigan and all the attractions it has to offer. Manistee is a smallish town, but gets busier in the summer. It has many Victorian style buildings. There are many lovely parks in the area. The midwest and Michigan is known for the friendly people, so it's realitely easy to meet new people. The west side of Michigan tends to be a bit more conservative and really into family values; I think it's a great place to raise a family. The largest city on the west side is Grand Rapids, which is a fun, growing city. If you recall, Gerald Ford was buried at the Presidential Museum this past winter, so it has had some national exposure. On the flip side, west Michigan can also seem very rural with all the appeals of nature. Michigan's economic environment is poor/struggling; the government can't agree even on this year's budget yet; and of course the automobile industry's problems have a ripple effect throughout the state. One of West Michigan's major industries is office furniture, which is also struggling. Health care seems to be growing. We also have the unfortunate distinction of being one of the states with the poorest health and fitness levels. All in all though, I enjoy it here and hope you do too! Deb
 
Hi! Welcome to Michigan. It is a beautiful state, I've lived here all my life. There is a nice mix of nature and city living. You get the best, and the worst of the 4 seasons. Hot, muggy summers, pretty, wet springs, cold snowy winters, and colorful, brisk autumns.

Some not so nice things about Michigan. Our economy is in an ever downward spiral. Factories are closing all the time and big businesses are closing leaving 1,000's of people laid off at one time. Our gas prices are near the highest in the country and we pay crazy taxes. Our government is in a huge deficit. Detroit is the number one city in the country for home foreclosure. As the previous poster mentioned, we are a very fat state.

On the bright side, I can't see how things could get much worse (knock on wood). So, hopefully this means you are coming at the right time, things can only get better.;-)

Good Luck!

Sally
 
Welcome! I live in the Detroit area and can't say much about the west side of the state, except to concur that it is beautiful!

I love Michigan and am proud to have been born and raised here.
 
Welcome to MI! We love it here (Lansing area). We never vacation outside of MI because there is just so much to do in our state. Autumns are the best in our state.

I would so much love a fellow Cathe fan near me...anyone from Lansing area here?

Congrats on hubby's job!
 
Thanks so much for all the welcomes and for all the great information! My DH was so impressed with the beauty of the area and the friendliness of everyone he met when he was there for his interview.

That's too bad about the economy and the high taxes, and the problem with obesity. Aside from taxes, that's where it's like here (in Southern Illinois). I guess one positive is that home prices seem pretty low. I've actually got a few part-time jobs (distance education courses, and possibly a few other things) that I'm taking with me. And there's a good chance that I'll get to teach as an adjunct at DH's school. But, other than that, I did notice that there wasn't much in the way of jobs. So I guess we'll just have to see.

Thanks again everyone! I'm so excited about going somewhere new. Like I said, we are going to be spending wed-sat in the area and I really can't wait.

Amy
 
Hi Amy-

I'm a Michigan girl too!!! And, I actually lived in Manistee about 20 years ago. ( I currently live in Kalamazoo, but have lived all over Michigan.)

I loved Manistee, it was a great place to grow up. If you are into the outdoors you will love it too. Not sure where you will end up living, but Manistee is a really friendly place, much more so than many of the other places in Michigan I have lived.

Its definitely "small town", but the schools are pretty good, and the cost of living isn't too bad. Plus, there is great golf, skiing, fishing, hunting, beaches, hiking.. anything you could imagine all around.

I still go up there every year around the 4th of July. If there is anything you want me to "scout" out for you, let me know. ( if interested I'll send over my private email to you)

Take care, Lynn M.
 
Hi Amy

Welcome to our humble state! I'm so glad someone is moving here. I thought everyone was leaving.:eek: I live in northern Michigan and the economy is really bad here. It seems like a new business is closing every day and people are leaving to find work. We own a trucking company and will probably be laying off a driver next week. I can't think of an industry that is not hurting up north right now. I'm glad I have my nursing degree to fall back on.

But, on the bright side for you - you should be able to find a house at a reasonable price. There's houses for sale everywhere. If you find a great house, you will probably find that you have a lot of bargaining room (depending on the area). I think things will eventually get better, but we're still in for a rough road. :(

However, if you have a stable job, you have the battle won! Michigan is a beautiful place to live. I grew up in central Michigan and then moved to northern Michigan when I met my hubby. Both areas are beautiful and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. The rural life is definitely for me and you'll love it too.;-) Congratulations and I love your enthusiasm!!

Angie
 
Hello Amy.
Welcome Home to your new State! I am from MI, originally the Detroit area then northern MI and now western MI.
All the previous posters are all true to the tee on both the good and the bad of our state.
Hope you enjoy your new life here and maybe we can all do lunch too.
 
Welcome to our state! Yes, the economy is bad now, but hopefully it will turn around soon. As others have said, there's so much natural beauty and something for everyone here. Winters can be cold, but they're beautiful, too.

Kate, I'm in the Lansing area. Do you live in the city or outside it?

anne
 
hello Amy and welcome to Michigan!! I live in the Detroit area. The west side of the state is beautiful- actually the entire state is beautiful. I love that we do have 4 seasons.

Start practicing using your right had to show people exactly in where you live in Michigan! LOL!!! If you don't understand what that means, Michigan is shaped like a mitten and us Michiganders will show where a place is by using our right hand as a map- it is a Michigan thing! Welcome!!
 
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