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Hi,
We are considering the Ann Arbor MI area.......there is a potential good job opportunity there in the tech field. Supposedly there are a lot of tech companies in the area (Ysiplanti, AA,etc) as we don't want our "eggs all in one basket". The state looks nice and green and wooded,etc. Geographically it is good as we have family in the area towards IN,etc. We are in TX now. The main reason for relocating is family reasons more to a northern place. (The grandparents want to come and stay the summer months and TX is miserable in the summer). But the posts on this board about MI are a little scary. Plus what I've read elsewhere...they call MI in this economy a one-state "depression". Obviously Detroit is horrible. So is AA far enough away from Detroit to not be really affected? I understand that the collapse of the auto industry has ripple effects and this will be for MANY years to come....but this affects the state as a whole. I've read lots of articles about states going bankrupt, having to raise tax rates (which means more expensive for people to live),etc. Can MI go anywhere but up? TX is one of the few states not to be hit hard by the recession. So I have definite reservations about the state. But there are lots of people in there being successful, right? It can't be all bad? Other state possibly considering is Colorado Springs area.
Thanks for your insight.
No, don't move to Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is part of Detroit metro and has recently been playing catch up with Detroit when speaking of bad economy, increase in crime, bad schools etc... Your best optioins are to look at Grand Rapids. How do I know all of this information? Well I live in the state of Michigan, read and hear news on tv/ pc, and know a handful of residents in Ann Arbor who want out but simply waiting to jump at the first given chance. They are all young and educated.
Hi,
We are considering the Ann Arbor MI area.......there is a potential good job opportunity there in the tech field. Supposedly there are a lot of tech companies in the area (Ysiplanti, AA,etc) as we don't want our "eggs all in one basket". The state looks nice and green and wooded,etc. Geographically it is good as we have family in the area towards IN,etc. We are in TX now. The main reason for relocating is family reasons more to a northern place. (The grandparents want to come and stay the summer months and TX is miserable in the summer). But the posts on this board about MI are a little scary. Plus what I've read elsewhere...they call MI in this economy a one-state "depression". Obviously Detroit is horrible. So is AA far enough away from Detroit to not be really affected? I understand that the collapse of the auto industry has ripple effects and this will be for MANY years to come....but this affects the state as a whole. I've read lots of articles about states going bankrupt, having to raise tax rates (which means more expensive for people to live),etc. Can MI go anywhere but up? TX is one of the few states not to be hit hard by the recession. So I have definite reservations about the state. But there are lots of people in there being successful, right? It can't be all bad? Other state possibly considering is Colorado Springs area.
Thanks for your insight.
I'd definitely put my money on TX over MI. Why don't you look for employment, see what turns up and then decide?
The answer to the question in bold is a resounding YES! This means that Michigan can continue to decline, as is the case with any community/state/country, etc. People used to say that it couldn't get any worse than it was as Bush was leaving office? Well... it is much worse now than it was then. As bad as it is not, it can still get worse nationwide. In the vast majority of cases, things can always get better or worse. The true UE rate in MI is probably 20-3% or so, which leaves plenty of room for improvement. From what I hear, there is a ton of construction (roadwork, esp) going on in MI and that is stimulus funded. Those jobs will leave when the money runs out and state workers will be fired at that time as well (since the stimulus was largely a bailout to the states).
Ann Arbor is probably doing better than most of the "larger" cities within Michigan, mainly due to the U of M and hospital. Many of Ann Arbor's bigger companies have drastically downsized due to the decline of the auto industry and the housing bubble burst, and I see small businesses fold on a regular basis. That being said, there are many small businesses opening their doors on a regular basis too.
I am seeing local restaurants serve more patrons these days than last year, but I also see more people shopping at the more thrifty stores.
I know Michigan is going through a very tough time, and I believe the unemployment rate is considerably higher than what is being reported. My neighbor was very recently laid-off from her job, so the threat of unemployment is very real. But the job market in Ann Arbor is better than most other areas - at least based on the job advertisements in the papers, etc. However, the types of jobs are not of the highest skill requirements. It's hard to say which industry is doing better that others, but I think jobs in the technical field are still a fairly safe bet.
The Fed. Government is funding many road construction projects as part of the American recovery and Reinvestment Act, but these jobs won't last but a year or two. And, in my opinion, some of these projects are a waste of money at this critical time. In Washtenaw County (Ann Arbor), there are some (lightly used) roads that are closed due to crumbling bridges and the county does not have the funds to repair them. Hmmm...
All in all, Ann Arbor is probably one of the better cities to move to in Michigan. If you do land a decent job and move here, you are sure to be pleasantly surprised with the change of seasons, variety of cultures, and overall experience that is Ann Arbor.
Side note: the Ann Arbor Art Fair will be july 21-24 Great time!
Hmm...well, since I live 20 minutes from Ann Arbor and happen to work there, maybe I can balance all of the negativity of a few of the other responses with what I find to be true, which is that AA is a bustling, thriving city with many job opportunities and a world class university as its centerpiece. My husband and I both have terrific, well-paying jobs and can work all the hours that we want to. From where we sit, things here are booming. Have you visited the area? The wealth in Metro Detroit and areas farther west such as AA might surprise you. And it is not all doom and gloom in this region, not by a long shot. SE Michigan is home to a burgeoning movie industry and Hollywood movie people are actually relocating here because of the state's generous incentives to encourage movie making here. Betcha didn't know that both "Avatar" and the Drew Barrymore film "Whip It", among others, were filmed in the AA/Detroit area. The domestic automotive industry is having its best comeback in decades and the factories are rehiring and adding extra shifts to keep up with demand. Areas of Detroit that lay in near ruin as recently as 5-10 years ago are slowly being revived and made safe and desirable again. Michigan also has an abundant water supply, something that may literally be a life or death matter in the not too distant future.
Ann Arbor is consistently named the best college town in the country by various publications, and for good reason. It's a great city with tons of stuff to do. There are many, many school options and some wonderful smaller towns nearby with tons of charm and which are extremely safe. Instead of letting yourself be influenced by a few negative people on an internet forum, why not come on up and see for yourself why so many people love this part of the country and are extremely happy living here?
Last edited by canudigit; 06-13-2010 at 05:59 PM..
For those who have a job, Michigan is a very good place to live right now. Housing is very cheap, cost of living is very low.
If the job opportunity is good, you could take it, but be aware that if you want to find a different job you may have to leave Michigan. That depends on the field, your career type may be different.
Make sure you do not buy a house, which will make it difficult to leave town, if you have to.
Quality of life is very high if you have a job in Michigan. Ann Arbor is a great town.
The reason that Michigan has so many problems is that we have lost a lot of jobs AND PEOPLE LIKE IT HERE AND DO NOT WANT TO LEAVE. This should tell you something. People are willing to take much lower paying jobs rather than leave the state because this is a good place to live.
No, don't move to Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is part of Detroit metro and has recently been playing catch up with Detroit when speaking of bad economy, increase in crime, bad schools etc... Your best optioins are to look at Grand Rapids. How do I know all of this information? Well I live in the state of Michigan, read and hear news on tv/ pc, and know a handful of residents in Ann Arbor who want out but simply waiting to jump at the first given chance. They are all young and educated.
Sorry, I couldn't help but laugh at this post from start to finish. Ann Arbor is part of Detroit metro? LOL.
Playing catch up to Detroit with a bad economy? The just released April unemployment rates had Ann Arbor at 8.6%, the lowest in the state and down from March's 9.6% rate. Yeah, they're really catching up!
Schools are getting bad like Detroit? Really? Oh my Here's a link to an Excel file of the MEAP scores for Washtenaw County cities for the past five years. As you can see, Ann Arbor kids are posting upper-80 to mid-90 percent proficiency and many of the high scores were set this past year. Yeah, they're really going the way of Detroit
Ann Arbor is definitely a high tech city. On top of the major employers like the University of Michigan (where you can probably find even more tech jobs), there's plenty of small tech firms doing anything from video game and defense sector development to mobile software firm Mobiata, which Steve Jobs just gave some praise to for an app they developed for the iPad. Forbes magazine named Ann Arbor the top college sports town in the U.S. two years in a row (2009 and 2010). Educationally strong, culturally rich, big sports town (obviously), there's always something going on. It's a wonderful, diverse city. I was born and raised there and would move back in a heart beat if I could.
The only thing getting bad in Ann Arbor right now is that bridge on East Stadium Blvd.
I know Michigan is going through a very tough time, and I believe the unemployment rate is considerably higher than what is being reported. My neighbor was very recently laid-off from her job, so the threat of unemployment is very real. But the job market in Ann Arbor is better than most other areas - at least based on the job advertisements in the papers, etc. However, the types of jobs are not of the highest skill requirements. It's hard to say which industry is doing better that others, but I think jobs in the technical field are still a fairly safe bet.
The statement in bold isn't so much a belief as a fact. BLS even admits it. They report U3, but the broadest measure of unemployment is U6, which is somewhere around 16-17% nationwide. Many people think it's even higher than that, which is believable.
Ok, so first of all, Ive heard many things about the economy, but never heard MI being in a 1-state "depression". People generally seem to be happy, based on my experience, just spending less. Yes unemployment is high in MI, but it is high everywhere, and the whole "the "real" unemployment is probably higher" can be applied to everywhere, so whats the point of bringing that up?
But what floors me is this. IF you have a job offer in Ann Arbor, why on earth NOT take it? How many more people have to say on this board, if you have a job MI is a great place to live? Great scenery, lots to do, and very affordable cost of living. Would I advise someone to just pick a MI city without a job and move there? Absolutely not. But I wouldnt advise that for anywhere. But IF you have a good job prospect, go for it. Ann Arbor is an awesome city and you will find MI a beautiful state all around.
No, don't move to Ann Arbor. Ann Arbor is part of Detroit metro and has recently been playing catch up with Detroit when speaking of bad economy, increase in crime, bad schools etc... Your best optioins are to look at Grand Rapids. How do I know all of this information? Well I live in the state of Michigan, read and hear news on tv/ pc, and know a handful of residents in Ann Arbor who want out but simply waiting to jump at the first given chance. They are all young and educated.
We are blessed once again by the troll of the decade, but why do you continue to post such BS? Not only are you making yourself look like an idiot, you give the Michgian forums a bad image. Your posts are vile, downright ignorant, and I think its time you powered off your windows 3.1 computer and found somewhere else to spew your ignorance.
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Here's a link to an Excel file of the 
