Interested in Living in the Ann Arbor/Chelsea Area (Detroit: chapel, house)

[aoconnor]

My family and I are interested in living in the Chelsea area NW of Ann Arbor. We are currently living in Chapel Hill, NC but have family up north around Toledo and want to live near by.

How is life in Washtenah and surrounding counties? We love Ann Arbor, the art festival and good food, but in town and close to the city seems to be a bit pricey. We are thinking of finding a lake cottage.

Any feedback appreciated.

[Grindsmen]

I like that area of the state but dont have much info for ya, sorry

[Teacher D]

My family and I are interested in living in the Chelsea area NW of Ann Arbor. We are currently living in Chapel Hill, NC but have family up north around Toledo and want to live near by.

How is life in Washtenah and surrounding counties? We love Ann Arbor, the art festival and good food, but in town and close to the city seems to be a bit pricey. We are thinking of finding a lake cottage.

Any feedback appreciated.

There's enough rural still left in Washtenaw County if you're looking for a bit of space. To the north, in Livingston County, the cost of living is higher and there are lots of new places to SHOP. The Chelsea area is beautiful and you're on or near the major roads that will get to you Lansing, Jackson, Detroit, etc. Our niece got married there last summer; the downtown is cute. There's alot of small towns nearby of roughly the same size...

[jxnmi]

Ann Arbor, and Chelsea are extremly pricey for anything on a lake, however five minutes from the Wastenhaw County line in Jackson County, is a little town called Grass lake. Grass Lake is becoming the next Chelsea, and Dexter, as prices are still low and land is very abundant. With many lakes around you should be able to find the perfect Lake House. The quality of living is excellent. Churches are all over the place, with many emergent fast growing protestant churches, to small protostent churches, along with several Chatolic churches. For education you have great Grass Lake Public Schools, however if you end up in East Jackson Public Schools, you may want to do school of choice. If you did school of choice it would be very difficult to get into Grass Lake, because they can hardly fit their currrent students in. In which event you may want to go to Jackson Public Schools which is known for its excellent art programs in the preforming arts such as band, Midi synth labs, orchestra, drama and choral programs, and in the many art class they offer. They also offer more AP college preep cources than any county high school. Their german program is also consistianly ranked as the top 3 programs in the nation. Well best wishes!

[aoconnor]

Thanks for the information. I hope to nice, yet affordable, place for my wife and I in the Grass Lake area.

-Adam O

[paintballer1708]

Good luck with your move. But i would personally live on the Ohio side of the border. Ohio's unemployment rate is not near as bad as Michigan's. I moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania. One of the best decisions i could have made. If you want to live by Toledo there are great cities on the Ohio side of the border. Check out some of these cities around Toledo. Huron on Lake Erie, Fremont, Bellevue, Williard, or Fostoria. The Ohio side of the border offers much more. And you mostly find people from Michigan on the Ohio side for shopping, restaurants, and not to metion Cedar Point. If you dont find anything in Michigan come check out the Buckeye State. Good luck with your findings.

[mhogan10010]

Dude,

Go to Ann Arbor. Grew up in the Western Suburbs of Detroit, but my Dad's business was in Ann Arbor for 43 years. I worked in Ann Arbor for 5 years too. You will love the area. Chelsea is almost too idyllic it is so quaint.
Don't go to Ohio. Ohio is like Michigan's ugly retarded half sister.

[chiroptera]

How close do you need to be to A2? If you don't mind being up to an hour away, there's some very affordable properties...I have a friend near Grass Lake/Michigan Center, not too far from Jackson. Rather quiet and rural, lots of little lakes. She lives on 1/4 acre, in a small older house - but she paid about $20K for it four years ago! And from her house to downtown A2 is maybe 40 minute drive at most.
The city-data pages give you a pretty good overview of various communities, and realtor dot com is the best way to check listings.

[mich2fla]

Ann Arbor is expensive and its probably similar to Chapel Hill. Good schools and a very nice town. It might be too liberal if you are conservative.

[M TYPE X]

You should look at the Whitmore Lake and Brighton areas, north of Ann Arbor.
Downside: commute down US-23.