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Put in Bay too apparently. Both places get flooded by people from Detroit. Btw, while Detroit wilds out on PIB, they get an unfair rap. Yeah, they get rowdy but PIB has pretty much become a punch palace every weekend in the summer and it's been that way even before the dozens of bus loads of people from Detroit started going and scrapping on that last ferry off the island.
They are my two favorite Midwestern states hands down.
I would say Ohio narrowly beats Michigan, but just narrowly. Here's my breakdown:
Big Cities (metro areas of 2 million+) About the same.
Ohio's 3 C's = Metro Detroit (particularly when Ann Arbor is included).
Collectively, Ohio's 3 C's are unique, and collectively if they were merged geographically and had all their selling points combined they would be a city nearly equivalent to Chicago. (Cincy's compact walkable, east coast style urban core, Cleveland's cultural amenities in and around University Circle along with its historic ethnic enclaves, and Columbus's booming, youthful, and new immigrant attracting economy) However, they are not, they are spread out on an axis each two hours apart. So that is a strike against.
Meanwhile, metro Detroit is double the size of any of the individual 3 C's, has one of the richest pop music heritage and Black history that rivals any American city, is the center of a whole history changing industry. Collectively it doesn't equal what the the 3 C's have, however its ONE metro area which means its more than the sum of its parts. On the flip side, despite Detroits renaissance, vast tracts of its city proper still resemble a Mad max-like war zone, which is no joke, but there is still more than enough there to work with.
So its a draw/tie.
Small towns: (under 30,000) Most of them are too conservative and have no opportunities, but among the small towns that are really cool and awesome (liberal/welcoming and prosperous/educated)- its close to a tie, with Michigan edging out Ohio slightly.
The only reason why I say this is because Michigans best small towns (those along the Lake Michigan on the west side of the state) are beach/resort towns (Grand Haven, South Haven, St. Joseph, Saugatuck, Traverse City, etc.) , while most of Ohio's best small towns are beautiful college towns (Oxford, Kent, Oberlin, Yellow Springs, Granville, etc.) and while I love college towns, one is still more likely to visit beach/resort towns for a vacation, than college towns.
Mid sized metros (between 500,00-1,000,000 here is where Ohio wins.
Sure, Michigan has Grand Rapids, and sure its booming, but historically its been more conservative than Toledo of Dayton in Ohio with GRs influence of the Dutch reform church. The other mid-sized metro areas are a bit on the small side (K-Zoo, Lansing), small as well as rough very economically depressed (Flint, Saginaw), or are practically part of Metro Detroit (definitely part of the CSA) like Ann Arbor. Toledo and Dayton give Ohio the win in this category.
So, there you have it.
Ohio edges out Michigan, but only slightly. Third favorite midwestern state for me is Illinois, followed by a distance 4th and 5th would be Wisconsin (for Milwaukee and prettiest rural scenery on average), and Missouri (for St. Louis metro and maybe, maybe Kansas City)
Minnesota, as awesome as it is, oddly enough I find too different from the rest of the Great Lakes states to be compared with. Its almost culturally more like the Pacific Northwest, but in the Midwest, if you get what I'm saying.
The Great Plains states, as well as Iowa and all rank last.
LOL since I am moving to Ohio, after touring many states but not Michigan, I am voting for Ohio! I absolutely love the Cincinnati area, which is where I'm moving. Honestly, I don't see how it can be improved upon overall. Apparently lots of other people feel the same way since it's an incredibly hot, and affordable, real estate market.
Michigan is one of the most attractive states in the country whereas Ohio is... well,Ohio.
Not quite sure what you mean by this. Most of Ohio's lakefront areas are breathtaking naturally. Have you ever been to Cedar Point and/or the Laker Erie islands?
Also NE Ohio has some of the best forest lands in the entire Midwest - and rivals those of anywhere in the Country. The Cuyahoga National Park and the Emerald Necklace string of parks around Cleveland are amazing, esp with their many hills, ridges and valleys. Then there's Nelson's Ledges park between Cleveland and Youngstown... These are just a few.
For academics, I'd say the 2 states are about even.
Michigan is stronger state school wise (with both MSU and U-M), but Ohio beats out Michigan private school-wise by miles. The combination of Case Western, for universities, and Oberlin, Kenyon, Ohio Wesleyan, Denison, and Wooster have no match in Michigan.
btw, while the University of Michigan is a very, very good state U, it tends to be overrated, while MSU and Miami-Ohio are underrated.
I totally agree. I don't know about Michigan, but Ohio needs to run some ads or something to showcase its beautiful points. But after I close on my house - LOL.
I personally think that the midwest is poised to become the next place to boom in our nation.
- Preferred Location - Ohio... it's more centrally located with respect to the rest of the country and more landlocked so you have quicker access to the Mid-Atlantic, Appalachia, the South, and the lower Midwest.
- Brighter Future - Michigan... I think Detroit's renaissance is the best storyline to come from either state recently so this tips the scale for me.
- Best Major Cities - Ohio... 3 C's > Metro Detroit
- Best Secondary Cities - Michigan... Ohio's secondary cities are generally bigger (Toledo, Dayton, Akron) but I think their urban landscapes punch below their weight. Grand Rapids is the best city of the bunch and I'm a big fan of Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo too.
- Topography & Landscapes - Michigan... I don't think this one is close. Ohio has some nice things going on along Lake Erie and some eastern parts of the state but it still pales in comparison to Michigan's best natural offerings.
- Economy - Even
- Higher Education - Ohio... Ohio's private offerings blow Michigan's out of the water and the lack of a major university presence in Metro Detroit hurts too.
- Weather - Ohio... The milder winters in southern Ohio edge this one for me.
- The State I Prefer is? Michigan... Michigan's intangibles win out for me. It's a better vacation destination, has better state politics, and has a richer statewide culture/identity.
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