Is Marquette really that bad??? (Ann Arbor, Houghton: housing, rent, motel)

[egrandma]

I was thinking of moving to the Marquette area to retire but now i'm not so sure.A friend of mine who vacations in the area told me that for such an isolated city Marquette gets its share of crimes like robberys assaults and even murder.She also said the UP has the highest prices in the state.I also found out it the second snowiest and fourth coldest in the entire nation.Sounds like a hell hole to me.

[kovolev]

Your friends assertion that Marquette is ridden with crime is completely absurd. I lived in that area for five years (well, Ishpeming), from 1999-2004, and it was VERY rare to hear of any type of crime like robbery or assault, let alone murder. Not that these things never happen, but it's INCREDIBLY rare.

As for the home prices, sure for the U.P. Marquette is one of the more expensive areas, but compared to areas of Michigan like Petoskey/Harbor Springs and the Grand Traverse region, Marquette a bargain.

There's no arguing with your friends assessment of U.P. winters. Marquette gets TONS of snow.

Overall, Marquette and the surrounding area is absolutely beautiful. For a town of its size, Marquette is quite dense and urban, and aside from the US 41 corridor connecting Marquette to Negaunee/Ishpeming, there isn't much sprawl either.

If you can handle long winters with lots of snow than you can handle Marquette. Don't let that crime BS your friend says deter you from moving to the U.P.

[Torrid]

The only murder that makes news around here is the murder of a DOWNSTATE woman...Her and her husband were 'vacationing' here and he pushed her off a cliff (Pictured Rocks). Other than that, the morning news is loaded with weather reports.....the same weather report all morning lol. Marquette does not get as much snow as surrounding areas. Ishpeming/Negaunee get more snow than MQT does becuz they're in a higher terrain. Yeah, it IS COLD right now but, it's winter and everywhere is colder than usual right now. MQT, opposed to its surrounding areas, is extremely expensive on the housing becuz it is a college town.....No one wants to rent to the wild college kids lol. But, anywhere outside of MQT is EXTREMELY cheap, IMHO. It's not uncommon to be able to rent a 3 bedroom place, in the surrounding areas, for $350-$400 a month. In fact, I live on the base and rent a pretty nice, 3 bedroom house for $400 a month. So, IMHO, I don't feel your friend is giving you adequate information. I hope this helps.

[us2indaup]

Having lived in the U.P. for almost 2o years, I can only remember hearing of four murders in all that time, only one of which was in Marquette (and that one was an out of town guest at a motel n 1990). Don't listen to your friend. Marquette is, by and large, still a city where you can leave your doors unlocked and your keys in your car.
But if you don't like cold and snow, the U.P. isn't for you, my friend

[bellaL]

Why would any one want to live there? cold wet and nothing to do.

[us2indaup]

Nothing to do?? Snowmobile, ski, ice fish, go to the Y, attend classes, etc in the winter. In the summer you can fish, hike, sail, camp, sightsee, etc. There are several clubs and restaurants, some good shopping, and the casino is open year round.....
What do you want to do???

[jeeg]

Originally Posted by bellaL

Why would any one want to live there? cold wet and nothing to do.

I see people making comments like this frequently and I'm always perplexed!! I live just outside of Marquette itself. I can't find enough time to DO all the things I wish to do!! There are tons of things to do both within the city itself as well as outside the city. And they always vary as the seasons change. If you can't keep yourself occupied here then I dare say the problem lies within yourself, not the Marquette area.
The only part of your statement that has any accuracy is that yes, we can get a little chilly up here.......... but we love it!

[baystater]

[UpperPeninsulaRon]

Originally Posted by bellaL

Why would any one want to live there? cold wet and nothing to do.

I suppose it depends on your definition of "nothing to do". As far as "cold and wet", that's why they invented GoreTex. I see people from outside the area walking from the parking lot to the casino in sneakers and a "chic" ultra thin leather jacket with no gloves and then complain about the cold. Whatever!

As for me, I am thrilled that I'm going snowshoeing tomorrow with the dogs, seeing incredibly unspoiled terrain, and totally enjoying the experience.

[tuebor]

Marquette is like a UP community with a little bit of Ann Arbor DNA spliced into its genome. In addition to the usual advantages of UP living, it has shopping, cultural events, and gray-haired hippies to liven things up. It's less isolated than other UP towns, but it also has higher rents (which you can avoid by living 10 minutes away in Negaunee). I lived in Houghton/Hancock for 5.5 years and Negaunee for a season. I liked the Marquette area and would have stayed if I could have found work in my field there.