[sugarland]

Currently living in SugarLand (a Houston suburb- ranked #3 best places to live)...What would life be like in Albion for family with elem. age children? Would Marshall or Jackson be better?

[pjmiami]

Let me preface this info by saying this is just my opinion and is not based on living in any of the three places but having spent some time in all three. Hopefully other people who have lived in these towns will log in and provide you a more in depth and expanded view:

1) IMHO: stay away from Jackson; rough area with a lot of crime and poverty;
2) Albion has Albion College so it is, in a sense, a college town but for some reason the college doesn't seem to make the town culture much more diverse, lively or dynamic in the way that a college normally does--perhaps that has changed over the years but Albion was always a bit uptight and depressing when I was there; 3) Marshall is picturesque, many beautiful historic homes and a nice small main street with a few cute shops, etc. but might also be termed a bit sleepy. 4) If you now live in a suburb of Houston, you may experience some serious culture shock; you won't have nearly as many amenities in any of the three places mentioned in your post--Marshall and Albion because they are small towns, and Jackson because it doesn't have a strong infrastructure that can support those kinds of amenities. Again, Albion may have changed since I was last there so hopefully someone with more current experiences will weigh in on this.

On a more positive note, Marshall and Albion offer some positives that a metro area can't: a closer knit community, less crime, smaller schools, and more access to nature. Marshall might be nice with elementary school kids because it is a nice small community with active involvement in the town; I'm sorry I can't provide any information about the schools though. You might want to see if greatschools.com has any info that helps.

[bubbagirl]

Your information on Albion is very close to be accurate. I was through there over the past 6 mths, and there are empty store fronts, quiet community, not much going on. I would think, especially in comparison to Houston suburb, it would be a very bland way of life...

Jackson does not have much going for it right now. I don't know enough about Marshall to make any comments other than it is a very small community. The area is very pretty, though.

[JessicaGM08]

I don't know much about Jackson, but I'm from around Marshall- Battle Creek actually- which is very close. Everyone knows everyone else. There is a wonderful restaurant there called Schulers- expensive, but good food. The downtown is very nice, but the people are not diverse.

Albion- I went to the college for English and Education and therefore spent many, many hours in the public schools. For elementary age children, I would send them to Harrington over Washington Gardner in a heartbeat or send them to Marshall. I have more experience with Hughes Elementary in Marshall, but the other one is newer and just as good! Albion is like many other small towns in America... the industry business went down, factories shut down, people lost their jobs, town became smaller. Also, when I-94 was built, Michigan Ave.-which was the main route for many people, became deserted-think of the movie "Cars" for a good comparison! Albion, like other towns, has good areas and also areas I would stay away from. All Albion professors are required to live in town so we have quite a diverse perspective and plenty of people who have resided in Albion their entire lives.

There are a lot of foster homes in Albion for children which makes the town even more diverse in it's needs. It's a good thing the teachers are so wonderful-for the most part, of course! Also, for more in depth background information you may or may not want- Starr Commonwealth is a major non-profit organization that does wonderful work in Albion and for priveledged children as well... but sends some pretty tough kids to Albion for schooling. these kids sometimes group together and need extra help to stay "on the right track."

I not only went to college in Albion, but it really feels like home to me. I rented two houses there and felt safe most of the time. I would not, however, walk by myself at night in a lot of areas but feel comfortable with my window open

If you have any other questions, let me know!!!


Jess

[JessicaGM08]

Also- Albion may not appear as great on greatschools.net or any of those places because statistics count the high rate of special needs children-as mentioned above...

So, in conclusion...Marshall is all set and definately a nice town to grow up in... but a bit sheltered. Albion needs help with it's downtown-which is also nice, but needs more business! Either way.. they are only 15 minutes away from each other!

Jess

[sugarland]

Thank you so much for this info- you gave me some hope that this potential move may not be as horrible as it seems.....given all the messages on this site that indicate a move to MI is not a good idea! My husband may have a job opportunity in the Albion school district ...which would be an incredible opportunity.....but now I need work...and again from reading this site... that sounds like an impossibility! I work with the Head Start program in Southwest Houston...anyone know of any job opportunities with the Michigan Head Start program? Thanks again!

[JessicaGM08]

What grade level is your husband looking to teach?

Also, I do not know of any opportunities, unfortunately. I do know that there are branches of the Head Start Program in Battle Creek and Jackson. Depending on what kind of work you do, you may want to check out Starr Commonwealth. They do send some "bad" kids to Albion, but they do a lot of good work as well. They are non-profit and are located in Albion. I am a nanny in the summer and my "boss" is head of Development there. She is living in Battle Creek and commutes. Everything is pretty close to everything else in Michigan


Don't hesitate to ask more questions

Jess

[TeacherMan]

Originally Posted by sugarland

Currently living in SugarLand (a Houston suburb- ranked #3 best places to live)...What would life be like in Albion for family with elem. age children? Would Marshall or Jackson be better?

Having looked at Houston for a spot to relocate for my wife and myself, I have some familiarity with Sugarland. I think, as others have said, you are in for a culture (and amenities) shock. I would also agree with others to "stay away from Jackson." Marshall is quaint, but may be too small for you. Unfortnately, there is nothing else really in the surrounding area, and nothing that will compare to Sugarland.
Best of luck to you in your move, especially in your job hunt! Michigan is a BEAUTIFUL state.
-TM

[Hughe Jass]

STAY AWAY FROM ALBION. dont let its small town image fool you. its loaded with crime, poverty, and drugs. as far as education is concerned for your children, it cant get much worse. I would consider something like Kalamazoo or Battle Creek if you are concerned about schooling. Honestly, I dont think any place in michigan can compare to sugarland.

[us2indaup]

I know nothing about how any of these communities would compare to a Houston suburb, but I wholeheartedly echo Hughe Jass - STAY AWAY FROM ALBION. It was bad enough when I was a kid in the 70's (I grew up in a small town 12 miles north of Albion), but back then there was at least some industry in Albion - a foundry, a Corning plant, etc. Now there is nothing except a couple Mom & Pop machine shops. Being right on the interstate, Albion is a funnel for drugs from Chicago and Detriot, and the entire town is unkempt. Dilapidated homes, cracked sidewalks, empty store fronts, etc. To work as a teacher in Albion might not be bad - even with the Starr Commonwealth kids it probably isn't any worse than Houston, but I wouldn't live there for a million bucks. Marshall is much more respectable and is closer to the shopping malls and culture (such as it is) of Battle Creek. Also there are some very nice small towns within easy commuting distance of Albion such as Parma, Springport (my home town), Homer, Concord, etc.
BTW - what is with referring to Marshall as "small"? With a population of over 7,000, its comparable in size to Albion and has the advantage of it's proximity to Battle Creek to offset it's size.
Don't even ask me about Jackson, I don't have one good word to say about the place.