Out of State Plates in Metro Detroit (Ann Arbor, Charlotte: rentals, insurance)

[DTWflyer]

I don't put a lot of stock in seeing out of state license plates as any sort of major trend one way or another, especially around the zoo, or Woodward Ave, or I-696 which is in the midst of major crossroads of Metro Detroit.

I chalk it up to it being summer and a lot of people are traveling this time of the year.

I grew up here and still keep in touch (some meet-up and others just via Facebook) but many people I grew up with moved out of state post-college. Some due to just due to wanderlust, others due to the fact that it was hard to get jobs here in many professions in the 2005-2010 era when everyone was figuratively burning the furniture.

Just this past week I have friends that DROVE back to MI to visit family and friends for the week from places like VA, IL, MO, and TN. They live out of state, their parents still live in their childhood homes in Metro Detroit. Not surprised to see out of state plates in MI this time of the year. Its the best time of the year to visit, and if they've got kids, they fit their time off into summer vacation season.

Not to mention people from out of state attending weddings, bridal/baby shower, bachelor/bacherlorrete parties, passing through from Northern Mi, etc.

[slowdawg]

I wonder how many of the cars with out-of-state plates are company/fleet cars registered to a corporation headquartered out of town? For instance, a "company car" belonging to an employee motor pool at the Michigan branch of a company headquartered elsewhere?

For those taking inventory, today I saw Iowa, Georgia, Wisconsin, 2 South Carolina,2 Texas, and even a Nebraska. Nebraska was interesting because they are so rare here and so few people in Michigan migrate to Nebraska (though with their low unemployment rate, that could change soon). SC and GA are popular migration destinations for northerners, but Iowa and Nebraska certainly dont come to mind.

[Clayton white guy]

Newnan, Georgia is a southwestern suburb of Atlanta with all the trappings, BUT it is also a lovely southern style county seat town with a gorgeous, historic courthouse square with many quaint shops and restaurants and beautiful tree shaded residential historic districts (Greenville/ LaGrange Streets and Temple Avenue) with gorgeous old homes with welcoming porches that range in style from antebellum white columned mansions (Sherman never made it here, lol) to quaint Victorian cottages and mansions. Next time you are in Newnan, get off their main drag (Bullsboro right off of Interstate 85 that I KNOW they were describing) and explore the historic neighborhoods and downtown of that lovely, charming little city.

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by Clayton white guy

Newnan, Georgia is a southwestern suburb of Atlanta with all the trappings, BUT it is also a lovely southern style county seat town with a gorgeous, historic courthouse square with many quaint shops and restaurants and beautiful tree shaded residential historic districts (Greenville/ LaGrange Streets and Temple Avenue) with gorgeous old homes with welcoming porches that range in style from antebellum white columned mansions (Sherman never made it here, lol) to quaint Victorian cottages and mansions. Next time you are in Newnan, get off their main drag (Bullsboro right off of Interstate 85 that I KNOW they were describing) and explore the historic neighborhoods and downtown of that lovely, charming little city.

Yep, we drove all around the historic district and got out and walked around the square downtown. It is a lovely city, it must have been quaint before it became the next big thing for commuters from Atlanta.

[f5fstop]

People who escaped moved to another state, and back visiting their friends/family?

[Geo-Aggie]

Originally Posted by f5fstop

People who escaped moved to another state, and back visiting their friends/family?

Escaped? Heh. So you're aware, my wife escaped Idaho, I escaped Utah, and we both escaped a cult to end up in Metro Detroit.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Geo-Aggie

Escaped? Heh. So you're aware, my wife escaped Idaho, I escaped Utah, and we both escaped a cult to end up in Metro Detroit.

Potato cult? I have heard they can get nasty if you leave. They send their little chips around to tempt you and make you fat.

[Geo-Aggie]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Potato cult? I have heard they can get nasty if you leave. They send their little chips around to tempt you and make you fat.

Worse.

It's a cult that believes God is an alien from the planet Kolob who has many, many wives. They produced billions of spirit offspring who fought a huge war where the losers became demons and the winners got to come live on Earth where they're required to pay 10% of their income to God's corporate real estate empire, which manages luxury malls, upscale condos, suburban housing developments, and religious castles where you can learn some secret handshakes and phrases to repeat when you die, so that you can get rewarded with a planet of your own.

You may think I'm exaggerating, but I literally just described the theology of the predominant religion of Utah and Idaho, which I spent 28 years as a member of. After that, I would gladly join a potato cult.

[DTWflyer]

You want to see out of state license plates, just spend a summer weekend in Northern Michigan. 50%+ of the cars around Petoskey / Harbor Springs have out of plates this time of the year. Lots of farther away states too that aren't adjacent to Michigan.

That said, you look at the family cabins and resort properties that are used and shared by extended families that now live all over the country.

[Geo-Aggie]

Necromancing a bit of a dead thread here today, but this summer I have seen so many New York plates that I wanted to bring it up again. I know some are still skeptical that this observation has anything to do with net migration, but given the state's growth (and the metro area's growth) as indicated by the 2017 census estimates and a number of other less tangible factors, I still believe it's valid and indicative of state migration in-migration.

Certainly some are visitors or here for business travel, but the number of New York plates I've seen over the last 4-5 months stuck in incredibly non-touristy areas makes me believe that there's a heavy migration element to this as well. I understand Detroit lost a ton of people to New York in the 1990s/2000s, I can't help but wonder how many are moving back?