Why live in Michigan?

[ControlD]

Sounds a lot like upstate NY... How are the taxes?

Property tax is high for residents and brutal for non residents.

 

[VoteQuimby]

1. Water sports in the summer. Lakes everywhere, sailing, jetskis, water skiing, fishing.
2. Hunting year round. Everything you can think of.
3. Skiing in the winter. Multiple locations.
4. Wilderness. Waterfalls. Yep, waterfalls. We gots 'em.
5. Schools. We've got some of the best in the country, both grade/mid/high and college.
6. Land. We're not jammed together, prices are low, and you can own a couple acres without bankrupting yourself.
7. Traffic. It's not nearly as bad as most 'built up' states.

+1

Check out the Leelanau penninsula/Traverse City/Petoskey areas. Very nice places to live, and on the water too.

I live and work in Traverse City. Very touristy in the summer but calms down during our other three seasons. Tons of outdoor things to do in the summer, though people who live in the northern lower peninsula tend to flee to the upper peninsula in the summer months. In the winter we cross country ski, snowboard, ski, and ice stake (outdoors). The latest boom up here are breweries, cider mills, and wineries.

 

[ControlD]

The main problem with TC in the summer is that it gets extremely congested traffic-wise. There really isn't any sort of bypass around the city (would have to be to the south anyhow) and you have a couple of major roads that connect right in the heart of everything. When you have a major event like the cherry festival or the film festival it can get pretty frustrating.

Still an awesome city though. When it gets busy in the city I just hang out at the lake anyhow (my avatar actually). We stay a few miles outside the city and it's peaceful out there.

 

[ra1nman]

My neighbor and several coworkers are Yupers (Upper Pennsula). I always laugh to myself when they come by to talk to me as they usually open with the same line:

....So what do ya know eh?

or

....What time you got eh?

 

[mcvickj]

Two words. West Michigan. Sure going to the east side for a Tigers, Red Wings, Lions, Michigan Wolverines and or Michigan State Spartans game is great but West Michigan is where it is at. Holland and Ludington are my two favorite places to go that are a very short drive for me being in Grand Rapids. I also love going up to Traverse City or Mackinaw City for a long weekend. I couldn't see myself living anywhere else. It would take a lot for me to move away from here.

Also for everything that Pulsar and ghost recon88 said too.

 

[TeeJay1952]

It makes you recall that there used to be a middle class. Working folks that were not desperate. Used to be jobs everywhere that produced a class of people who worked. not dependent on handouts and enough to share so that everyone felt in it together.
And there is all the Shawarma (chicken on a spit served in a pita with garlic & pickles.)

 

[glenn1]

Good winters and rural areas up north.

So it's like lesser Canada, but without the quirky charm, poutine, or saying prayers to the Queen. Got it.

 

[Oyeve]

Bruce "Ash" Campbell!

 

[boomerang]

if you want to pay double the reasonable price for car insurance, MI's a great place to live :awe:

This. 136% above the national average. Highest in the nation as of April of last year.

 

[Ns1]

This. 136% above the national average. Highest in the nation as of April of last year.

dem real estate prices tho

 

[VashHT]

They have some great breweries, drove up to traverse city a couple years ago and stopped at Bells and Founders and Vivant Brewery and went to a few of the vineyards around traverse city. The dunes are pretty fun to go see too, we went to glen arbor and went up the sleeping bear dunes and that was great, if you're into outdoorsy stuff then Michigan is great.

 

[boomerang]

dem real estate prices tho

dem property taxes tho

 

[BurnItDwn]

The lake Michigan coast of the Lowwer Peninsula is lots of fun.
Upper Peninsula i have only been to once, but it was wonderful, lots of forest and coastline, very few people.
Grand Rapids is an amazing city.

I like in IL, but plan to move to MI or WI if/when I get laid off when offshore or H1B finally push me out, or when I retire if I last that long. (Not gonna bother looking for another job as I've been here for 20 years and am generally content and good at what I do.)

 

[BarkingGhostar]

The craziest, freakiest women are always from Michigan.

So there's that.

And the mitten thing, which is neat too.

Evidence, please. How can I meet some of them.

 

[Homerboy]

WI is way better.

 

[boomerang]

Evidence, please. How can I meet some of them.

http://detroit.craigslist.org/search/okl/w4m

 

[Tweak155]

I have lived here all but 1yr of my life. Better is a point of reference and preference. If you like getting 4 seasons and being outdoors, Michigan is great. If you want sun all year look somewhere else. The fall season around here is hard to beat though.

And regarding the auto insurance - it depends greatly on what city you live in. The closer you get to Detroit, the higher the cost. I had my insurance go up almost 50% when just moving cities.

 

[96Firebird]

Property tax is high for residents and brutal for non residents.

Sounds even more like upstate NY...

 

[cliftonite]

In laws are from MI. It definitely has some decent areas (they are in Bloomfield Hills) but the job market kind of sucks. My wife will be moving to NJ once she finishes fellowship.

 

[Tweak155]

I don't agree with the comments about job market. Possibly I just picked a good field, but I get contacted regularly for positions in cities all over SE Michigan. Just got contacted yesterday actually.

 

[IronWing]

Two words. West Michigan.

One word. UP. One of the prettiest areas of the country and you can watch icebergs calf year round.

 

[IronWing]

http://detroit.craigslist.org/search/okl/w4m

Them womenz need to work on their self esteem issues. "I'm not much but I ain't expecting a whole lot either."

 

[master_shake_]

dem real estate prices tho

too rich for my blood.

 

[dphantom]

The main problem with TC in the summer is that it gets extremely congested traffic-wise. There really isn't any sort of bypass around the city (would have to be to the south anyhow) and you have a couple of major roads that connect right in the heart of everything. When you have a major event like the cherry festival or the film festival it can get pretty frustrating.

Still an awesome city though. When it gets busy in the city I just hang out at the lake anyhow (my avatar actually). We stay a few miles outside the city and it's peaceful out there.

Yes all true. We usually go to WI during Cherry Festival to avoid the crowds and spend time with the grand child or spend time on my boat up at Torch Lake.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Flyover state.