Pondering a move back to MI (Detroit, Flint: appointed, real estate, car insurance)

[nutbushcity]

Grew up in Saginaw area - moved away first chance I got.

Just recently relocated back to the mid west in Chicago.
To me, this isn't like living in the mid west. People aren't' exactly friendly here, I can't stand the Chicago accent and most natives here are scumbags. (Illinois is also a very ugly state--just wanted to throw that in there)

The drivers here are aggressive and rude. I'll never be able to afford real estate here and the cost of owning a car (gas, tolls, parking, tickets) is way to beyond what the average person can manage.

The best part about living here is the neighborhoods and access to tons of city things to do....

Anyways, i been pondering a move back to my home state.....to metro Detroit. I've never lived there before.

I am gay. So naturally I prefer to live somewhere were there are gay people. Not like in a gay meca area .... I prefer to meet more non scene gays. I am 30 and go out once or twice a month but really am a introverted homebody. Here, there are MANY gays but most are not quality men.

I work in IT -- How is the IT market in Metro Detroit? Do the jobs pay well or do they low ball you?

Is a gay introvert better in Chicago or do you think I could be happier in the the D back in my home sate.

Any input would be helpful!

[ckhthankgod]

Royal Oak.......

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Take a look at Ann Arbor. I have a gay friend who settled down there after graduating from U of M. He had many of the same criteria as you -- gay friendly but not a "mecca" like Ferndale.

[animatedmartian]

Ferndale (and to a lesser extent, Royal Oak) as a "mecca" seems a bit over stated. The area is more liberal than other parts of Metro Detroit, but it's not like any part feels like a gayborhood, at least not yet. For the most part, it's still quiet suburban with more friendly than not neighbors and families.

But yea, pretty much Ann Arbor or Royal Oak and vicinity would be best for you.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by nutbushcity

Grew up in Saginaw area - moved away first chance I got.

Just recently relocated back to the mid west in Chicago.
To me, this isn't like living in the mid west. People aren't' exactly friendly here, I can't stand the Chicago accent and most natives here are scumbags. (Illinois is also a very ugly state--just wanted to throw that in there)

The drivers here are aggressive and rude. I'll never be able to afford real estate here and the cost of owning a car (gas, tolls, parking, tickets) is way to beyond what the average person can manage.

The best part about living here is the neighborhoods and access to tons of city things to do....

Anyways, i been pondering a move back to my home state.....to metro Detroit. I've never lived there before.

I am gay. So naturally I prefer to live somewhere were there are gay people. Not like in a gay meca area .... I prefer to meet more non scene gays. I am 30 and go out once or twice a month but really am a introverted homebody. Here, there are MANY gays but most are not quality men.

I work in IT -- How is the IT market in Metro Detroit? Do the jobs pay well or do they low ball you?

Is a gay introvert better in Chicago or do you think I could be happier in the the D back in my home sate.

Any input would be helpful!

And Michigan will be different because?

If you are moving for greener pastures, just remember that all pastures begin to look the same after several months.

Drivers here are nuts. Car insurance and gas is outrageous, Adolph Snyder wants to put TOLLS on the freeways and friendly people? LOL

If you have a stable job why move? If you do think the grass is greener, look at Royal Oak or there abouts---start searching for employment...I think that with Adolph Snyder's Right to be Poor (Work) attitude many salarys have been diluted...Google Government is operating in Ann Arbor..

[Bimmerfanboy]

On paper I don't see metro Detroit having any significant advantages over your current situation. Metro Detroit is also quite socially-conservative. The only reason it swings blue is the union/blue-collar influence, as well as majority black areas like Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, etc. These groups aren't particularly liberal.

[Tekkie]

Why not check out cities like Minneapolis, Madison, Ann Arbor, Denver, Portland, Austin, or Seattle?

The best place for you around Metro Detroit would probably be Ferndale or Royal Oak. However, these are very small towns that you'd probably easily get bored of pretty quickly. The
(good paying, white collar) job market is also not that great here yet.

[Tekkie]

Originally Posted by Seatown1

On paper I don't see metro Detroit having any significant advantages over your current situation. Metro Detroit is also quite socially-conservative. The only reason it swings blue is the union/blue-collar influence, as well as majority black areas like Detroit, Pontiac, Flint, etc. These groups aren't particularly liberal.

Good point. Metro Detroit is not a progressive mecca by any stretch of the imagination. It's still very socially-conservative.

[313Weather]

I have to agree with Seatown1 and Tekkie.

If you like (non-trendy) suburban living and can land a nice paying job, Metro Detroit is pretty livable.

Otherwise, if you don't have any ties (family) to the city/region, it'll probably be best to look elsewhere.

[IAmEverywhere]

Originally Posted by nutbushcity

Just recently relocated back to the mid west in Chicago.
To me, this isn't like living in the mid west. People aren't' exactly friendly here, I can't stand the Chicago accent and most natives here are scumbags. (Illinois is also a very ugly state--just wanted to throw that in there)

In many Chicago suburbs and in specific Chicago neighborhoods, you'll generally find decent people and few "scumbags". However, as a rule, these areas are not where the social life is (regardless of whether one is gay or straight). They also generally require driving to get anywhere except downtown Chicago. So this really is not a complete solution if you want a social life.

Unfortunately, even in the better areas of Chicagoland, people are not welcoming to newcomers as a rule. It's tough to build a social life there. It seems like even people who move to Chicago from elsewhere usually have a built-in social life of other people who moved their from their university, home town, or both. If you can't fall back on this, Chicago may be a lonely place for you. It was for me, even though I'd lived in the Chicago suburbs for a very long time.

I moved from the Chicago suburbs to Ann Arbor a few weeks ago. I'd been living in DuPage County, but the lack of a social life was starting to get to me. So far, I've found both Ann Arbor and metro Detroit to be preferable to Chicagoland. I like most of the people I've met here. On average, I've found people here to be quite open and welcoming.

One of the nice things about southeast Michigan is that there's a lot to do in areas that are also livable and functional. Ann Arbor and Royal Oak are good examples. In Chicagoland, either you live in a dysfunctional area with a lot to do, or you have a long commute from a livable area to the areas with a lot to do.

The Chicago suburbs have a few areas with good school districts. However, these areas are generally expensive, with a few notable exceptions. The public university system in Illinois leaves much to be desired. Michigan gives the middle class much better options for K-12 schools. Also, Michigan has one of the best public university systems in the country.

The Michigan state government generally has its act together despite limited resources. The Illinois state government is generally worthless.

Originally Posted by nutbushcity

The drivers here are aggressive and rude.

The real problem with Chicagoland drivers is the prevalence of DUI. It's extremely dangerous to drive late at night in Chicagoland. Some suburbs are marginally better due to no-nonsense traffic enforcement.

Michigan doesn't have the hard-drinking culture prevalent in Chicagoland, at least not to the same degree. For example, I feel comfortable walking near South University in Ann Arbor late at night, even though this area has many bars which cater to undergrads. I generally avoid the north side neighborhoods of Chicago which have many bars which cater to young professionals partly due to the hostile behavior which is common there.

Originally Posted by nutbushcity

I work in IT -- How is the IT market in Metro Detroit? Do the jobs pay well or do they low ball you?

I'm a software developer. I've been asking around and have been told by multiple people that the IT job market is good in Ann Arbor and metro Detroit. If you're into newer technologies, there are many startups in Ann Arbor and there is a growing startup scene in downtown Detroit. If you're into more established technologies, the Big 3 are hiring in droves.

I also looked for software development work in Chicago and was disappointed in my options. Positions which would have leveraged my current skills and moved my career in the right direction didn't respond.

Good luck, whatever you decide!