best UP city to move to? (Detroit, Grand Rapids: housing, rental, travel)

[lizmagee]

I was looking into moving from WI to the UP, but there are so many choices, so I was wondering if you guys had any opinions? I work from home, so my work follows where ever I go so that's not a problem. I'm looking for some place that rents affordable one bedroom apt., has some shopping, or shopping in a near by city, and community stuff year round. I come from a small town (about 12,000) and now live in a bigger one (about 60,000) so it doesn't matter how big or small it is, they both have their draws.
I was originally looking at the Calumet/Houghton area, any opinions?

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by lizmagee

I was looking into moving from WI to the UP, but there are so many choices, so I was wondering if you guys had any opinions? I work from home, so my work follows where ever I go so that's not a problem. I'm looking for some place that rents affordable one bedroom apt., has some shopping, or shopping in a near by city, and community stuff year round. I come from a small town (about 12,000) and now live in a bigger one (about 60,000) so it doesn't matter how big or small it is, they both have their draws.
I was originally looking at the Calumet/Houghton area, any opinions?

I can't claim to know myself, but I have heard nothing but good about Marquette. Look through some of the threads in this forum and you should get some answers.

Good luck!

[pjmiami]

Marquette, Marquette, Marquette . . . cool place, great people, shops, fun, well wired if your business happens to be internet based, awesome Lake Superior shoreline . . .

[jeeg]

I live in Marquette and do really like it here. However it's fairly expensive! I just spent the weekend in the Calumet/Houghton area. Wife and I both agreed that if we could (job-wise), we would move there as opposed to here (Marquette).
But we readily admit to being strange!

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by jeeg

I live in Marquette and do really like it here. However it's fairly expensive! I just spent the weekend in the Calumet/Houghton area. Wife and I both agreed that if we could (job-wise), we would move there as opposed to here (Marquette).
But we readily admit to being strange!

But I wonder what the comparison really is as far as expense...expensive compared to the L.P.? Other towns in the U.P.? NYC? Chicago? Detroit?

[jeeg]

Originally Posted by jeffncandace

But I wonder what the comparison really is as far as expense...expensive compared to the L.P.? Other towns in the U.P.? NYC? Chicago? Detroit?

We moved here from Grand Rapids, MI area. I was raised in San Diego, and have lived in Denver, Chicago, as well as many smaller towns.
I'm mainly talking about the city of Marquette itself when I say expensive. The majority of the work does not pay enough to support the price of housing here. Everyone blames it on "foreigners" (outsiders) coming in and buying up the houses for "summer homes" etc. and the rental market is tight due to being a university town.
You can commute 20+ minutes (Neguanee, Ishpeming, Gwinn etc.) and find housing costs much more comparable to the working wage.

As far as the costs of other things........ it varies. Gas is a little more expensive on average (unless you're near a reservation), foodstuff isn't that much more (we just shop the sales and stock up), vehicle purchases I would travel back to G.R. where I know how to play the dealers to get the best savings, etc. etc.
As far as costs of entertainment..... the kinds we're interested in (the outdoors) are all free so can't help ya there
I would say the average wage for the city is around $12hr with the average price of a decent home in a decent neighborhood in Marquette is around $140,000. It's very hard to find houses in decent areas much cheaper then that because they are snatched up right away. I say the majority fall in the $155,000 - $190,000 range. Of course you can go sky high from there just as you can anywhere. I'm just talking your basic 1400sq ft older family home.

[M TYPE X]

I like university towns and those with upscale restaurants, etc so the only UP city I really like is Marquette. I will be revisiting next week! yay

Houghton and the Soo aren't terrible. Escanaba feels cleaner than the Soo.
I would take Houghton over Iron Mountain.

[Great Lakes Pirate]

For all intents-purposes, Marquette is the "capitol" of the UP. Centrally located and the UP's biggest town, Marquette is the only town with growing & vibrant economy. It also has the best to offer for shopping, entertainment, and health care. If you want to be in the "hub", this would be place. Rents are probably about the same you'd expect in Stevens Pointe, Eau CLaire, Wausau or Ashland, etc -- and not nearly what you'd pay in Madison, Milwaukee, LaCrosse or Appleton.

Beyond that, I can really only speak about the Western UP -- as I don't know too much east of Iron Mtn.

With a lot of development in Mqt Twp on US-41, though, Marquette is IMO really beginning to look (if not feel) like Generic Town, USA.

Unless you land a job, or attend, Michigan Tech you'll probably find Houghton to a little too isolated and not necessarily warm to outsiders.

Tough-times in the post-mining era have hit towns like Ironwood, Calument and Ontonogan.

Iron Mountain-Kingford-Norway, which straddle the WI-MI border are doing pretty well economically. I wouldn't judge a book by its cover here, and really recommend you get off US-2 to see what these towns offer beyond the god-awful commericial amalgam on the hiway.

[baystater]

Originally Posted by Great Lakes Pirate

Tough-times in the post-mining era have hit towns like Calumet and Ontonogon.

Hi Great Lakes Pirate.

How are Calumet and Ontonogon in general. I look at the stats and know that a bit of the population has left since 1990. But what are the "feels" of those towns and are they Xenophobic to outsiders. I ask because I might be up that way this august and wanted to try to make sometime to visit those to towns.

Thanks
Baystater

[bryan61]

Delta county, I love the Escanaba Gladstone area. The only drawback is a weak economy doesnt produce alot of jobs whcih isnt a problem for you. On the northern end of Lake Michigan and Green bay this area has more fresh water shoreline than any county in the country. 7 Major rivers pass through the county on their way to Lake Michigan. Two peninsulas, Stonington and Garden surround Big and Little Bay De Nocs some of the prettiest lake and Bay views on the planet. Hiawtaha Natl. forest in the north and alot of dairy farms in the south. No lake effect snow, that breaks off right around Trenary. Winters are tough but not as bad as in some places further north. The Escanaba Gladstone area doesnt have as good of Malls and selection of restaraunts and so called entertainment but its adequate. I always do the 2 hour drive to Green Bay when I want to do real shopping or see a concert . Ive always thought the people in this area are very relaxed and easy to get along with. You might run into some rednecks in the small towns but that would be an exception rather than the rule. Beautiful area nice people and one of the cheapest places to live in the US which attracts alot of retirees on fixed incomes to Delta county.