Life in Marquette

[dsawinski]

I lived in Marquette while attending NMU in the late '80s, and it was terrific. The area's snow measurements, at the time at least, were taken from the airport, which always got slammed with lake-effect snow much more than the immediate downtown Marquette area. So the stats you see and hear about aren't so accurate. I have some great memories of walking to class through a tunnel of snow...so cool. A previous poster was so right when saying that the roads are plowed very well--and that includes the sidewalks through NMU's campus. I rode a mountain bike to class nearly all year round.

[M TYPE X]

It's the same as Cleveland in NE Ohio: lake storms hit the hills further inland and drop the snow. Marquette Mountain is in the 'snowbelt' compared to downtown Marquette, only a few miles away.

[Milliano]

You don't necessarily need FWD, but it depends on how good and experienced of a driver you are in the snowy winter. Myself and plenty of people I knew drove small 2WD cars all winter in areas that averaged 150inches of snow a year. It just depends on the driver.

[M TYPE X]

Originally Posted by villagefish

Hey Jack,

I lived in Marquette for 3 years. It's a very snowy city, but plowing is good. 4wd isn't a must, but RWD is probably out of the question unless you have a locking rear differential and very good snow tires. My wife and I drove a 90's AWD Subaru Legacy without any problems in the winter, besides starting it on the -20 windchill days. When it was in the shop we borrowed my parents' RWD Ford Econoline: driving that was scary-we had to plan a special route without any hills to go shopping.

We're walkers and have gone walking on above 10 degree days in Marquette. However, there were stretches where we couldn't get outside because of the cold; we bought Dance-Dance Revolution to beat our cabin fever.

Marquette is a very safe place to live...however, watch out for the Matrixx bar and nightclub on weekend nights when it closes. There's usually a circus of drunk college students walking in the streets.

My wife and I hated living in Marquette. It was too isolated for us and we were not accustomed to the slow life style. Also the drinking associated with a college town was not to our liking. Winters were very long and there were stretches for months without sunshine. We both developed seasonal depression. There were a lot of partiers and slackers at NMU when we attended, most left during the summer, but we both received an awesome education for the money. We came across several people who obviously did not know how to drive in a city-they turned right when their left blinker was on, or pulled out in front of us. It happens everywhere in the US, but seemed unusually frequent on US 41. In retrospect, Marquette isn't that bad of a place to live. We live in Laramie, Wyoming and never knew how good we had it.

Despite being a small town there are things to do. The natural scenery is awesome! Town library is brand new and has many good selections. There's a magazine shop downtown. It has a mall, Kohl's, Walmart, Target, and a staples. Getz's downtown has a lot of outdoor clothing. A GorTex jacket is a must if you're planning on living there. Getz's has a great selection of Northface.

BTW-don't consider living in a town close by to MQT. I worked in Ishpeming and drove through Gwinn and Negaunee on a regular basis: they're run-down, po-dunk, and littered with abandoned mines.

We never owned a home while there, but I did rent an apartment for a summer, which seemed kind of steep for the upstairs of a 100 year old house. I paid $200/month and lived with 2 other guys. Kind of steep for a nasty old house!

If you have any more specific questions message me.

Subaru is a must, culturally if not practically. My Acura is totally out of place. Yes, there exist all the shopping you will really need, and the guys at the Wal-Mart are even helpful. Chalk it up to being a small town.

Most importantly, though, I would want to live in the city, near where the professors at NMU live. Near the water, surely! Ishpeming, etc are there for when you want to take a short drive, but I would not want to live there. I like visiting the UP (just watch out for speed traps, especially in the Soo), but MQT is the only city where I would even consider to live.

I took a lot of photos earlier this month on my most recent visit. Lake Superior was very clear. The NMU campus is larger and more beautiful than I remembered. Downtown looked ok.

[Giesela]

Just curious - is it windy in Marquette? When Villagefish mentioned Laramie my first reaction to "how good we had it" was - I thought WY was really windy? I lived in Nebraska on a hill with no trees and the wind drove me nuts. I guess its all down to individual genetics or upbringing because I feel I can handle cloudy days/no sun better than constant high winds. Of course its one thing to go out occassionally and hike in a windy area vs. live in one, mayve Villagefish lived in a valley with trees?

[goat]

Originally Posted by M TYPE X

Subaru is a must, culturally if not practically. My Acura is totally out of place. .

As true as the above is, I find that so funny yet so small minded. Sheep-like.

Nothing against the Subaru, I was close to getting a Forester.

[M TYPE X]

I feel really bad that I can't post my MQT pics from August 1st. It was really beautiful that day.

Originally Posted by goat

As true as the above is, I find that so funny yet so small minded. Sheep-like.

Nothing against the Subaru, I was close to getting a Forester.

The last time I seriously considered a Subaru Legacy sedan was when I was looking at them in Crown in Marquette (MQT's Subaru dealer is now Fox) several years ago. The current generation wants to be upmarket, but the interior is smaller than my little Integra.

We're talking about foreign cars in Michigan! Don't tell the UAW!

I'm not terribly far (here in mid-state Illinois) from the Subaru plant in Indiana. Indiana is not really Subaru country.

[jeeg]

I only know a couple of folks with 4WD (most of us have front wheel drive) and don't know anyone personally who owns a Subura

Some people still consider Gwinn a podunk town. Ishpeming depending on who you talk to. Negaunee is quite nice.

I have yet to experience strong winds here in Marquette county unless it's in the middle of a storm.

[Torrid]

Podunk?!?!?! Quaint and small sounds SOOOOO much better, hehehehehe!!!!!!

Originally Posted by jeeg

I only know a couple of folks with 4WD (most of us have front wheel drive) and don't know anyone personally who owns a Subura

Some people still consider Gwinn a podunk town. Ishpeming depending on who you talk to. Negaunee is quite nice.

I have yet to experience strong winds here in Marquette county unless it's in the middle of a storm.

[Jen Cosco]

Originally Posted by Jack Straw

Last week I posted about possibly relocating to the U.P. Most everyone agreed that the jobs are in Marquette. Are winters there as brutal and snowy as Ive been told? Is 4wheel drive a must? How are housing prices and property taxes? Is crime a big problem?

CRIME IS NOT A BIG PROBLEM AT ALL.

Houses are more expensive within the city of Marquette, but the conveniences of living in town are compelling.

Property taxes also depend on the area - West Branch township is the cheapest around 18 mills, city of Ishpeming is the most expensive around 43 mills, most of the townships are in the low to mid 20s. City of Marquette I think around 34. (I only know all of these because I used to be in Mortgage Banking and had them all memorized at one time )

As far as the four wheel drive - my first car at 16 yrs old in Marquette was a Honda Accord. I've also driven a Geo Spectrum, Pontiac Grand Am, and a Mercury Sable in U.P. winters. We have a truck now, but it's only because my husband is a Realtor and he has to show camps, raw land, etc in the middle of nowhere (the two track road type). The roads stay plowed and you can do just fine with a car for just "day to day" to work and back stuff.

Yes - there are jobs in Marquette - but also in Manistique, Munising, Iron Mountain, Houghton, etc. it really depends on your skill set/career field. Marquette's largest employers are Northern Michigan University, Marquette General Hospital, Marquette Branch Prison, City of Marquette government, etc. Pioneer Surgical Tech is a newer up and coming company that has done a lot of hiring also.

The winters are doable. You have to be a fan of snow though. If you like snow than you'll like the winters. There's so much to do up here during the winter cross country and downhill skiing, snowmobiling, ice fishing, dog sled races, snowshoeing. I have lived in areas of the country that basically shut down when a little snow falls. In the U.P. we run like a well oiled machine in the winter. Roads are open, schools are open, sidewalks are cleared - life goes on. We're made of tougher stuff.

Bight the bullet - come join us in the U.P. - you'll love it!