Western Michigan People (Grand Rapids: 2009, good schools, quality of life)

[GMonkey]

Originally Posted by windfarmer

I don't know if you are being sarcastic, but if you are, I had a darn good laugh! I haven't personally found GR conservative and uptight, as I previously worked for a Detroit company run by evangelical christians – by which I sadly was considered a "heathen." They had prayer meetings that at lunch which they attempted to bring me into. I respect their beliefs, but I don't want to feel ashamed or guilty for my own beliefs or lack thereof. CRCs have nothing on the evangelical brand.

I worked for a company exactly like this in Grand Rapids.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by GMonkey

I worked for a company exactly like this in Grand Rapids.

I worked for a company like that in Holland, except they didn't really push anything on anyone.

[huckster]

There are no differences.
Battle Creek is filled with Adventists. Just read up on the differences.
The end of the underground railroad, yes, the last stop before Canada.
All just Yankee nonsense.
Go and take a walk in Downtown Detroit, preferrably near the intersection of Livernois and the Davidson Freeway.
Then you will se a very marked diference.
You all must be narrowminded to the extreme not to see what is happening here.

Originally Posted by njohnson491

I grew up in Eastern Michigan, specifically the Flint, MI area and for all the downside of the Flint area, I generally felt that most people had that "blue-collar" almost southern niceness about them.

After moving to Kalamazoo and visiting with a lot of people throughout Grand Rapids, Holland, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo I have observed that people are not generally very openly nice or probably a better term would be "unapproachable." Battle Creek and Kalamazoo have some exceptions to this.

My theory as to why is the reformed-Dutch underpinnings of the culture. Although there are a lot of liberals for example in Kalamazoo, I believe native Western Michiganders have a weird underlying judgementalism about them and thus do not socialize well with new individuals. Of course there are exceptions to this. However, I often find that coincidentally the people I meet who aren't of the persuasion to act like this are often from somewhere else and have transplanted to Western Michigan. Most native Western Michiganders are quite offish in their manner and personality.

I would posit that this is somewhat due to a lack of diversity culturally and from the Reformed elements of the Dutch Christians.

This has been further backed up in my opinion by my travels and from working in Chicago. In Chicago I have noticed much more openness to talking with people and people are more likely to "meet you half-way" in a conversation. People in areas like Detroit, Flint, Chicago, etc. are more likely to wave, say hi, etc.

In closing, I believe this makes Western Michigan somewhat challenging for new people moving to the area to meet people, etc.

[beiarluis]

Thinking of moving to Michigan for school. I am neither Dutch nor Hispanic, I am Asian, Thought about moving to a place like Cali, but, I do not like it there. Been to Michigan in the past. Watched "8 MILE". but, still not sure, should I end up at the East or at the West? I want to be a nurse. and raise a family of my own, so safe neighborhood is very important. I came from a multi-cultural society. I have friends so diverse that we can form our own NATO. any advices?

[windfarmer]

Beiarluis, come move to Grand Rapids. I moved here last summer and I love it! It's very diverse, people are very friendly, and the cost of living is quite reasonable compared to California. Sure it doesn't have the glitz and glamor of Chicago or NY, but that's exactly why I'm here and NOT THERE. Come to west Michigan. It is very welcoming.

And btw Hafa Adai to you too. You are Guamanian, no?

[deslok]

Try California for way more diversity and better weather.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by deslok

Try California for way more diversity and better weather.

Have you talked to the 300,000 people leaving California every year about that?

[burgler09]

Originally Posted by beiarluis

Thinking of moving to Michigan for school. I am neither Dutch nor Hispanic, I am Asian, Thought about moving to a place like Cali, but, I do not like it there. Been to Michigan in the past. Watched "8 MILE". but, still not sure, should I end up at the East or at the West? I want to be a nurse. and raise a family of my own, so safe neighborhood is very important. I came from a multi-cultural society. I have friends so diverse that we can form our own NATO. any advices?

Grand Rapids would be the perfect place for you to do school and be a nurse! Have you looked into the growing health fields in GR? It is going to be one of the biggest in the USA.

[deslok]

Originally Posted by magellan

Have you talked to the 300,000 people leaving California every year about that?

Interesting numbers, where do they come from? The one's I looked at stated California has been growing at about the same rate the past few years, with the larger cities still growing, but not as fast. San Jose is poised to be over a million people, San Fran at about the highest it has ever been.
It depends on what part of California we are comparing the conservative city of GR to. I'd say San Fran is much more diverse, as is LA. I don't think New Port Beach is more diverse per say, but it certainly isn't as conservative as far as fashion, money, and trends are concerned. That does not mean they do not vote for republicans, it means their outlook socially isn't as sheltered.

[xlabel]

Here's an example of diversity. Where I work in Kentwood, I'd say out of 40 people they are all white except for one white/black girl up front. They do packaging for a large GR bakery and most of this stuff ends up on Wal-Mart shelves which is known to be a non-discrimination workplace. How they get away with it I don't know because I worked for a WM supplier down South and WM pretty much dictated who was hired and it had to be diverse. Heck, I was listening to my CB driving around GR the other day, and a lot of small businesses, particularily snow plow outfits, will use channel 19 to communicate. I heard so much racism and the n word ,it would have made an Alabama KKK member cringe.