[MainStreet]

Virginia1, congratulations on your job offer and pending move to the Grand Rapids area. I lived in Michigan 25 years and the last 20 in Indianapolis. My roots and home will always be Michigan and I look forward to moving back in the next 2-5 years.

I frequent SW Michigan constantly. Drive up in groups with other displaced Michigan natives and sometimes alone. I spend equal amounts of time all along the west coast from Traverse City on down and have always believed Grand Rapids to be the gateway to the fantastic. You've made a wise and wonderful choice.

I have many ties in Michigan and we often swap war stories about our local economies and foreclosures. I have friends in Ohio too, as well as Colorado....this is a nationwide condition and why so many act like Michigan is the only state suffering right now is beyond me. We are all in the same boat and anyone in the boat on a Great Lake is blessed to me.

You can't beat Michigan for quality of life, even if you have to reinvent that life in order to stay.

Best of luck on your new home and have fun exploring....it's that great.

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by khfar

I can't believe I'm saying it, but it's true. We've been here for 3 months now, and while MI will never actually be "home" to me, I like it.

With the exception of this board, I never hear the doom and gloom that people on here like to complain about so much. I'm starting to figure out that the midwest is very different from the south. Yes, I'd prefer neighbors that walked over to talk to you when you are out in the yard. But, I have figured out that just because my neighbors aren't coming over every time I'm outside, doesn't mean they are rude and they suck. I think people up here just keep to themselves more, and I'm starting to get used to it. If I ever need anything or have a question, those same neighbors are MORE than happy to help out or give me advice.

I am loving the apple orchards right now, and next weekend we're taking the kids to a pumpkin patch. This will be the first "real" fall they've ever experienced, and how neat for them!

I guess I'm lucky that everyone in my area seems to be happy here. Many of my neighbors were born and raised in MI, and they have all said they wouldn't live anywhere else. It gives me hope that perhaps their good attitudes might rub off on some of the unhappy people!

I am so curious about this. Lots of Southerners I have known find Michiganders breathtakingly rude, and they take offense at a totally different set of things from what I think of as rude, as if being born a few hundred miles away from here meant you had a totally different set of factory-installed etiquette tripwires. I understand why Americans and the French have that problem, but Northerners and Southerners? Weirdness, man.

There is just about no place cooler than Michigan in the fall. You and your kids are going to look around in astonishment and say, "Man, how long has this been going on w/o us knowing about it!?"

[khfar]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

I am so curious about this. Lots of Southerners I have known find Michiganders breathtakingly rude, and they take offense at a totally different set of things from what I think of as rude, as if being born a few hundred miles away from here meant you had a totally different set of factory-installed etiquette tripwires. I understand why Americans and the French have that problem, but Northerners and Southerners? Weirdness, man.

There is just about no place cooler than Michigan in the fall. You and your kids are going to look around in astonishment and say, "Man, how long has this been going on w/o us knowing about it!?"

Ya know, this could be a WHOLE different thread. LOL! But yes, if you have ever spent much time in the South, you will find that things are VERY different.

I don't find Michiganders to be breathtakingly rude. Abrupt, is probably a better word. But on the flip side...at least they say what they feel! It's kind of interesting.

Also, going into stores up here is SO different. No one really greets you, or asks if you need help. They just assume that if you need help, you'll ask. In the South, it's pretty common to be greeted immediately when you walk into a store (retail, that is) with a "Hi, how are you today?"

The other thing that I just CANNOT get used to up here, is the lack of the term "you're welcome" after you thank someone. 9 times out of 10, when I say "thank you" to someone, here is the response I get: "yuuuup". It's fine and all, but it IS different.

Spicy food. It is SO hard to find up here. Also, I can't find crawfish tails anywhere (my mom's side of the family is from Louisiana, so you can see why I like my crawfish). No hamburger joints serve jalapenos with their burgers. And wings...NOT spicy.

See? This really could be another thread. And I'm not complaining. I'm actually learning to cook a lot of things that I used to just order out, or go to restaurants for! And while I agree that Michiganders are not rude, it is very different up here, when you are born and raised in the South.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by khfar

Spicy food. It is SO hard to find up here. Also, I can't find crawfish tails anywhere (my mom's side of the family is from Louisiana, so you can see why I like my crawfish). No hamburger joints serve jalapenos with their burgers. And wings...NOT spicy.

Yikes, you really need to get out of West Bloomfield. There are some great burger places out here toward Woodward Ave and most if not all have jalepenos as an option, and some even have burgers specifically designed with them as a topping. I just had a great burger with jalepenos at the Red Coat Tavern, but even a chain like Max and Erma's has them. Another great place is Prontos in downtown Royal Oak. Their outdoor seating is great, though it's a bit cold for it now. If you want Belgian, there's the Cadieux Cafe in the city. Personally, I have never found wings anywhere in the US that can hold a candle to Buffalo Joe's in Evanston, IL - they prove that heat is only one vital component. For all out spicy, try one of the many good Thai places around - to me, it's the spiciest food in existence. Crawfish? Can't help you there.

[J. Randi]

I like Michigan. And think Cato is just the greatest. I vote we make this the Cato forum.
Cato stands for truth,and the american way.
Who else has stood up for Michigan?
I am a ditto head for cato.
Dittos to the new Cato Michigan data web page.
Three cheers for Cato the Elder. He is a shining example of where educated people can lead us. Every one in line behind Cato..

[ladyeve]

been there done that. i too lived in flint all my life. and i mean right in the middle ofthe hood,as we call it!had a nice home on the northwest side of town and worked for gm(retired)sold my home in 2005,finally got out.neighbor hood turned into a war zone over nite.slum lords,buying homes,low income for profits.home sold fast(lucky)she lived there less then 2 years and tore it up bad!!!now it is bored up everything stripped from it.glad i went when i got the chance,at last i can sit outside,shop,ride my bike,visit,best move i made..people here very friendly.there is nothing in flint i want to go back and see.quiet and peaceful here..

[khfar]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

Yikes, you really need to get out of West Bloomfield. There are some great burger places out here toward Woodward Ave and most if not all have jalepenos as an option, and some even have burgers specifically designed with them as a topping. I just had a great burger with jalepenos at the Red Coat Tavern, but even a chain like Max and Erma's has them. Another great place is Prontos in downtown Royal Oak. Their outdoor seating is great, though it's a bit cold for it now. If you want Belgian, there's the Cadieux Cafe in the city. Personally, I have never found wings anywhere in the US that can hold a candle to Buffalo Joe's in Evanston, IL - they prove that heat is only one vital component. For all out spicy, try one of the many good Thai places around - to me, it's the spiciest food in existence. Crawfish? Can't help you there.

We do get out, lol! I actually was referring to just local burger chains like Burger King, etc. that don't offer jalapenos on their burgers. Also, there just aren't any GOOD burger chains. LOL! We don't eat fast food often, but if we do, we like to get jalapenos on our burgers.

Thanks for the other referrals, though. They sound great! Hey - are there any good Tapas restaurants in RO?

[magellan]

Originally Posted by khfar

Ya know, this could be a WHOLE different thread. LOL! But yes, if you have ever spent much time in the South, you will find that things are VERY different.

I don't find Michiganders to be breathtakingly rude. Abrupt, is probably a better word. But on the flip side...at least they say what they feel! It's kind of interesting.

Also, going into stores up here is SO different. No one really greets you, or asks if you need help. They just assume that if you need help, you'll ask. In the South, it's pretty common to be greeted immediately when you walk into a store (retail, that is) with a "Hi, how are you today?"

The other thing that I just CANNOT get used to up here, is the lack of the term "you're welcome" after you thank someone. 9 times out of 10, when I say "thank you" to someone, here is the response I get: "yuuuup". It's fine and all, but it IS different.

Spicy food. It is SO hard to find up here. Also, I can't find crawfish tails anywhere (my mom's side of the family is from Louisiana, so you can see why I like my crawfish). No hamburger joints serve jalapenos with their burgers. And wings...NOT spicy.

See? This really could be another thread. And I'm not complaining. I'm actually learning to cook a lot of things that I used to just order out, or go to restaurants for! And while I agree that Michiganders are not rude, it is very different up here, when you are born and raised in the South.

Haha! This post is too funny khfar. You're totally right. Although our Meijer has greeters at the door who say welcome and goodbye. I always try to say "you're welcome" when people say thank you, and people always seem surprised when I say it. Personally I find the Southern bubbly-ness to be artificial and grating, but it's probably just because I'm not used to it.

The only instances of rudeness I run into are when you are at a store like Target, and a new lane opens up, and people from the BACK of the line jump over to the new cashier. HELLO!! We've been standing in line for five minutes lady!

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by khfar

We do get out, lol! I actually was referring to just local burger chains like Burger King, etc. that don't offer jalapenos on their burgers. Also, there just aren't any GOOD burger chains. LOL! We don't eat fast food often, but if we do, we like to get jalapenos on our burgers.

Thanks for the other referrals, though. They sound great! Hey - are there any good Tapas restaurants in RO?

Ok, I see what you mean now. I'm not a big fast food person, but I've had jalepenos on a burger at Wendys and I believe Checkers. There are chains like Fuddruckers with decent burgers, but for that price, we head to one of the aforementioned places.

Tapas in RO? That's easy - Sangria Tapas Cafe - Royal Oak

[Cato the Elder]