[EddieOlSkool]

Hello Michiganders!

I am from Chicago and long story short, I am moving to Michigan. Now, I have narrowed my choices down to either Royal Oak or Holland. I am a 27 year old single guy and wondering which place is better for someone to start life? If you pick one place, what would your reasons be?

[4DM1N]

I haven't spent much time in Holland. But I'd say Royal Oak has the biggest reputation in Metro Detroit for being a hotspot for young professionals. It's also closer to other growing hotspots like Ferndale, Plymouth, Novi, Ann Arbor, Midtown, and Downtown. You'll probably have more economic opportunity in Metro Detroit as well.

Be careful, though; that area has been known to be progressive and diverse (if you catch my drift).

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Those...are two very different places very far away from each other. What's your criteria for a place to live? How did you arrive at those two?

[mjlo]

Eddie you seem to be subtly (or not so) trying to do a City vs. City in the Michigan forum. Are you trying to drum up discussion? Or are you in automotive and being offered a job in both cities? Because that's about all they may have in common.

[detwahDJ]

Holland is quaintly staid and conservative. You would be advised to research and fit in with the religious culture. It is also more touristy. Worlds apart from RO really.

[mjlo]

Well I worked in Holland for two years, Its religious reputation is over stated. So is it's touristy reputation honestly. It's definitely got the seasonal outdoors side of things and a quaint downtown with some decent restaurants. Outside of that it's full of industry, but not in the way people think of industry cause all of the factories are newer and well kept. If someone were taking a job in Holland and they were in their mid 20's I'd recommend living in GR as it's only a 25 minute commute from downtown GR to Holland.

You can barely compare the two. Royal oak is a trendy oasis in a larger metro area, and when people say its "diverse" they mean it's frequented by the gays . Hollands gay community has been in a battle with city leadership to make the city more accepting of the gays. I dated a guy who ran as the first openly gay candidate for Holland city council, and I met 4 of the city commissioners or councilmen, who were actually very liberal.

Holland has a bright outlook and it is changing, but it's not going to offer the amenities a 20 something is looking for. Unless you want a more family oriented urban area with great mexican food. Royal Oak definitely has trendy covered. Which is why this thread is so odd to me because these cities are so opposite in orientation.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by mjlo

Well I worked in Holland for two years, Its religious reputation is over stated. So is it's touristy reputation honestly. It's definitely got the seasonal outdoors side of things and a quaint downtown with some decent restaurants. Outside of that it's full of industry, but not in the way people think of industry cause all of the factories are newer and well kept. If someone were taking a job in Holland and they were in their mid 20's I'd recommend living in GR as it's only a 25 minute commute from downtown GR to Holland.

You can barely compare the two. Royal oak is a trendy oasis in a larger metro area, and when people say its "diverse" they mean it's frequented by the gays . Hollands gay community has been in a battle with city leadership to make the city more accepting of the gays. I dated a guy who ran as the first openly gay candidate for Holland city council, and I met 4 of the city commissioners or councilmen, who were actually very liberal.

Holland has a bright outlook and it is changing, but it's not going to offer the amenities a 20 something is looking for. Unless you want a more family oriented urban area with great mexican food. Royal Oak definitely has trendy covered. Which is why this thread is so odd to me because these cities are so opposite in orientation.

For those asking why I chose those two cities; it's because out of all the Michigan cities/towns I applied to in my industry, those two are giving me a call back. So GR is not an option.

Seems to be that Royal Oak has the better opportunities for a single guy. I am trying to get my life started, basically. And if I go somewhere where everyone is married it'll suck to live there. I think Royal Oak has more singles, but it doesn't seem by much.

[mjlo]

GR doesn't have to be an option, I was saying if you took a job in Holland to commute from GR. I did it for two years. But yeah you'd prolly prefer Royal Oak. It's a suburb so there's a ton of places you can live within proximity.

[walker46]

I've lived in the midtown area of Detroit and I've lived in Grand Rapids and worked in Holland, they are both in their own ways both cool and annoying.

I agree pretty much with what mjlo writes but here are some additional things to think about with Holland:

I just spend the day at the beach at Holland State Park today, nothing like it in Royal Oak or anywhere in the Detroit area. It’s a good place Eddie to see some of those beautiful west Michigan women that you wrote about in an earlier post.

If you or anyone were interested in a “diverse” community in the code word sense that mjlo mentions, Saugatuck which is famous for being “diverse” is just fifteen minutes down the highway (and has another great beach.)

If you intend to keep up whatever ties you have with Chicago, getting there from Holland is a lot faster than from Royal Oak.

However Holland or even Grand Rapids doesn’t have the big city vibe that Detroit has.

[detwahDJ]

Originally Posted by mjlo

Well I worked in Holland for two years, Its religious reputation is over stated. So is it's touristy reputation honestly. It's definitely got the seasonal outdoors side of things and a quaint downtown with some decent restaurants. Outside of that it's full of industry, but not in the way people think of industry cause all of the factories are newer and well kept. If someone were taking a job in Holland and they were in their mid 20's I'd recommend living in GR as it's only a 25 minute commute from downtown GR to Holland.

You can barely compare the two. Royal oak is a trendy oasis in a larger metro area, and when people say its "diverse" they mean it's frequented by the gays . Hollands gay community has been in a battle with city leadership to make the city more accepting of the gays. I dated a guy who ran as the first openly gay candidate for Holland city council, and I met 4 of the city commissioners or councilmen, who were actually very liberal.

Holland has a bright outlook and it is changing, but it's not going to offer the amenities a 20 something is looking for. Unless you want a more family oriented urban area with great mexican food. Royal Oak definitely has trendy covered. Which is why this thread is so odd to me because these cities are so opposite in orientation.

Well actually, it's not just what goes on inside city borders which shapes my opinion - there is also location. Yeah, Holland is amidst a larger touristy area while RO is amidst a larger urban area. Also the area from Holland to G.R. is something of a Reformed bible belt - something a new resident should absolutely consider imo.