relocating to Holland, need help

[Lion's Head]

I have lived in Michigan for 24 years. i have found that since I am now living in Alabama I want to go back to Michigan. There is a lot of things to do and places to go and see. Yes granted the winter months are cold but the summer months are filled with alot of going to the many lakes. Holland is especially nice. the pople are friendly and it is a clean and beautyfull town to live in. Holland is a dutch community with lots of tulips and wind mills and tons of dutch clutre. I have visited Holland many times in my youth and I would go to the veltdeer deklomp tulip farm and delft factory and saw the making of the wooden shoes and alot of other things. My dad used to take me to windmill Island and we would go arround and look at all the many things that they had to offer. during the summer my dad also took me to tunnel park and i would go swimming there alot allmost every day that I could. The schools there are really good and I can't remember the name of the school but if public schools are not what you are looking for then the private schools are also good.

[joedekock]

For anyone moving to the Holland area, now is the time. Great prices on homes than cannot be beat for the lifestyle Holland offers. With so many homes on the market and not moving fast, you have a ton to choose from at excellent prices. Just plan on staying more than five years. Hopefully after that the economy picks up again and home values go up. But if you do not forsee staying longer than five years... rent, do not buy. I service realty companies as part of my services for my job, and they are working second jobs, finding new careers, consolidating and committing suicide because of how hard the market is right now.

If anyone is moving to Holland they need to beware it is a family oriented area first. Do not expect a night life of lavish clubs and restaraunts like a Chicago suburb. We have fine dining establishments, but being a conservative family friendly area, you sacrafice that "night life" some of the young people ask about. I am a young family man myself, and I do not mind the sacrafice. I figure I have kids now, and my night life consists of catching up on sleep to run them around the next day.

If anyone is seriously considering moving to Holland and has kids, please avoid Holland Public Schools and West Ottawa public schools. They are both going down hill fast. Holland is already in dire straights. West Ottawa is on its way down. My wife is a school teacher and has taught in these two districts in the last three years. She now teaches in Zeeland Public Schools, and it is a night and day difference. So if you are going to move and schools are a major factor into your move, move into the neighboring town of Zeeland, just East of Holland. The quality education is one of the best public schools in the state.

If you choose to live in Holland you can send your kids to Holland Christian Schools, Calvary Baptist Schools if you can afford it. (Tuition is usually $5900 per child). If you are lucky enough, you can get your kids enrolled in one of the charter schools which is free and a highly regarded educational environment, but the waiting list is long. The big problem with the Holland and West Ottawa schools is that the environment and education is getting so bad parents are pulling kids out at a rate of 100 per year in those districts, they are now starting to lose money from the state. So the facilities are going down hill, books and supplies are getting old, and programs are getting cut. Also teachers pay and benefits are getting cut so the teachers are not happy to work in those schools.

If moving to Holland avoid 14th st. to 18th streets for home shopping in the city limits. This tends to be where the higher population of mexicans are living and there are gang problems. However, the entire Holland and Ottawa County police departements are highly funded and the last time there was gang activity it was put to a kabosh quickly. It only recently this last year started coming back, so I do not suspect it to last long. Any time there is a stabbing, murder, assuault, the police are good enough that it gets solved quickly, and criminals rarely do not get caught... even for petty crimes. It really is the quint essential safe place to live.

Holland and Zeeland are very conservative. So if you have any liberal views or promote and support democratic or liberal candidates, you tend to have problems making friends. That's just the nature of the game. If you are an outgoing freindly person, who loves to chit chat and invite your neighbors over, and can keep your political views under wraps if they do differ... you will have no problem. It is not un-common here to have random people in a store, restaraunt, or on the street say "hi" and start a conversation with you. It really is a nice asset!

If you have any question you can ask me. I am the traditional life long Dutch heritage Zeeland native who knows a lot about the culture and business' and history of Holland and Zeeland!

Take care!

[15 years W. Mich]

It all depends on what you are looking for in a school district. If you look at the data, all the kids do about the same in any district (public/private, charter/traditional) when you compare like sub groups. (Same race, economics, etc) Zeeland and West Ottawa has newer buildings, but if that was important for education, Havard would be in trouble. Percentage wise, Holland Christian lost more students than Holland Public last year. Student loss for any of the area schools probably has more to do with the economy than other factors. My kids go to Holland and we are thrilled with the education they are getting. They will have the opportunity to get into the best colleges if that is what they choose to do. The rich population diversity was a real selling point for us also. But I understand that is not for everyone. The best way to learn about the schools is to actually get in their buildings. Talk to staff, students, and parents. Relying on message boards would be a bad idea.

[allbusiness]

My kids went/go to Holland Public Schools, lived within a few blocks of the high school, , and both graduated with honors and attended/are attending great colleges. I wish some of you would stop this infernal criticizing of Holland public schools. You are perpetuating a myth and by doing so, scaring away a lot of parents who may be just the involved, caring types that this district needs. A school is simply what the kids and parents make of it. Your racism is showing too with your "Mexican area" comments. Many Hispanics are middle to upper income professionals and others are working hard to get there. Maybe you just need to get out and meet a few?

Holland high school has a large number of National Honor Society Scholars, award-winning theatre and sports teams and a large percent of college-bound graduates.

Zeeland, Hamilton and other "white" suburban districts are headed in the same direction, my friend; as the lower-income, non-white population grows. These are nothing more than challenges. You can run away, but it will catch up to you very soon. Best to stay and contribute to the betterment of the newly diverse district than to put up walls to keep people who don't look like you away from your kids.

As for night life, have you never heard of the Curragh? Holland Brewing Company? City Vu? Downtown Holland is jumping until 2am these days. And more pubs and restaurants are being developed as we speak. Plenty of conservatives and liberals enjoying each other's company too!

Gone is the all-white, CRC-dominated, starched-shirt, looking-down-your-nose, conservative Holland of old. Born is the new, diverse, dynamic, invigorating, exciting Holland of the future!

Go ahead and say nice things about YOUR town, but why not leave Holland to those of us who KNOW it and LOVE it! Plenty of us would not care to live anywhere else..or send our kids to any other schools.

[deslok]

The holland forums crack me up! There is always some supposidely nice person giving what appears to be diverse, open thinking advice, such as avoid the mexicans. Oh but if you ain't dutch you ain't much, that never crosses the minds of folks in Holland now does it?

[allbusiness]

Hey, I'm not Dutch, but do have a positive self image. Does that count? ;-)

[faulkx6]

Few Questions:

Tossing up between Zeeland and Holland and can't decide. We are a conservative christian family that homeschools. Any homeschoolers in either area?

And - can anyone tell me where in Zeeland would be a great place to live?