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Old 06-01-2014, 01:57 PM
 
Location: Loving life in Gaylord!
4,120 posts, read 8,867,278 times
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Tawas...Oscoda?
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Old 06-01-2014, 02:09 PM
 
Location: west mich
5,739 posts, read 6,899,387 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by twelvepaw View Post
So many interesting replies- thank you all!
I was hoping to find a neighborhood area where I wouldn't have to rely so much on a car. I am 62 and will be semi-retiring, so ideally would like to transition to using my bicycle more than my car
I hadn't really considered areas near Detroit, but will have to take another look at some of the smaller cities in that area, e.g. Royal Oak.
I am very open to small cities in western and northern MI. I love the idea of Marquette and Sault Ste. Marie as well as some of the other smaller coastal cities. It is very important to live in an area that offers wonderful parks, green spaces, and hiking trails. Any other suggestions or cautions on these areas? My only concern would be any limits on employment opportunities.
Would Grand Rapids offer the neighborhood vibe that I am looking for?
Any thoughts on Muskegon?
I clearly need to do more research. Maybe my best option is to take an extended road trip through your beautiful state next year and maybe rent a home for a year rather than jumping right into purchasing right away.
Snoopygirl, thank you for clarifying the political landscape. It certainly makes sense that definitions of left, right, and center are flexible and subject to various factors
A couple of points:
* Driving through is nice, but you won't discern any politics from it. A better resource IMO is to check editorial opinion of local newspapers - probably can do that online. Be cautious of smaller towns built around a single church or religious denomination.
* Sounds like you don't need big-city amenities of Detroit suburbs. The coastal towns are all quite touristy - meaning crowds - and there is nature everywhere. Some towns like Onekama (or less so - Frankfort and Pentwater) are more laid back and not quite so developed for tourism as, say, Traverse City.
* Public transportation can be iffy, for instance Saugatuck has it's own system which serves the township only. Then they have a separate system for the county only which requires a 24-hour notice for pickup. Both operate within rather narrow defined boundaries and the schedules depend on how many addresses they must service on a given day - not like larger cities which run predictable routes.
* How do you like snow and cold? Further north you may have need for a snowmobile.

Last edited by detwahDJ; 06-01-2014 at 02:23 PM..
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Old 06-02-2014, 09:19 AM
 
Location: Grand Rapids, MI
67 posts, read 146,621 times
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I've been in the Grand rapids area for close to 25 years. I think an area that you would like: small bungalow, relatively safe, walkability to a market, etc. would be Alger Heights. The homes are a little smaller and have lots of charm and character and are reasonably priced.
Near downtown Rockford would be another area, but the homes may cost a little bit more up there. It's just north of Grand Rapids. There are many lovely walking trails there you would love and it has a charming downtown area that hosts some fun festivals.
West Michigan is great! I just took a 3 hour walk yesterday along the shores of Lake Michigan. Pure heaven!!
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