Welcome to City-Data.com Forum!
U.S. CitiesCity-Data Forum Index
Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Michigan
 [Register]
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
View detailed profile (Advanced) or search
site with Google Custom Search

Search Forums  (Advanced)
Reply Start New Thread
 
Old 11-02-2015, 12:13 PM
 
14 posts, read 16,553 times
Reputation: 20

Advertisements

What are some important considerations to be made regarding living in any of these cities versus the others?

A little about myself:

I am 26 year old, single dude. I am a creative and I have a pretty strong case of career A.D.D. which I don't expect will be going anywhere anytime soon. I also have an ever-increasing interest in self-employment and various entrepreneurial types of endeavors. So, I think I really need a place that is rife with employment and business opportunity. A place with a strong foundation in the arts would also be spectacular if not crucial, as this where many of my true interests lie. (For example, one of my interests is paid theater acting, and I know opportunities for this type of thing can be quite sparse depending on the location.) I'm really looking to maximize my opportunities in a location, both in career and in life. Another consideration that may be relevant: I hate driving and am quite terrible at it, so I'm looking to minimize the need for it as much as possible. I don't mind occasional twenty minute drives on side streets or whatnot, but having to constantly get on the freeway or drive long distances is a deal-breaker for me. So, I think I really need a place where there is a lot of opportunity available in a somewhat centralized location. Lastly, I didn't mention it much, but the fact that I'm single is an important consideration. It's important to me to be in a place where I'm apt to meet friends and romantic partners while engaging in my interests. I'd be nice to find myself somewhere where I can live happily long-term.

If none of these cities meet these needs, then I'm open to that as well. But it'd be helpful to have an idea of how I can best meet these needs between these options. I have family in the state, and it'd be nice not to live a world and a half away.

Lastly, I don't mean for this thread to be exclusive to my needs... any general considerations comparing these three cities are very much appreciated as well! (You never know what you might learn.)

Thanks everyone
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message

 
Old 11-02-2015, 05:35 PM
 
447 posts, read 493,919 times
Reputation: 478
Kalamazoo is perfect for you.
-Very artsy....just made the list 10 ten cities in America for young artist

-Easy to get around without a car........great public transportation system, strong bicycle culture with the city being both friendly and accommodating to bike commuters, very walkable urban city, and if you need to get your big city fix then hop on the high speed rail downtown and go to Chicago (137 miles away) or Detroit (142 miles away)

-Entrepreneurial culture......19 breweries in it's metro - 0 of which are downtown within walking distance + 6 distilleries in the works. most of these were created in the past five years

-Huge college population......the average age of the city is 26, so you will find plenty of peers your age.

-Huge theater seen.......I have not been an active goer the theatre for several years, so I may be missing some but i know of 13 in Kalamazoo (The Kalamazoo Civic, The Barn Theatre, The New Vic Theatre, Farmers Alley Theatre, Miller Auditorium, Family Center for the Arts, Center Stage Theatre, Face Off Theatre Co, WMU Theatre, Fancey Pants Theatre, All Ears Theatre, ***** Theatre Kalamazoo, and Festival Playhouse Kalamazoo College)
...........Also check out the Park Trades Center downtown. Huge, 4 story, old factory building that has been converted into an artist's paradise. They even have a Ballet Co. located there.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-02-2015, 06:38 PM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,809,568 times
Reputation: 3920
Oh no.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-02-2015, 07:44 PM
 
447 posts, read 493,919 times
Reputation: 478
Quote:
Originally Posted by magellan View Post
Oh no.
Oh no?

Did I not address the points of interest that he had as well as answer his question on what other cities might be a good fit for him?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-02-2015, 08:24 PM
 
14 posts, read 16,553 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by westernwilly View Post
Kalamazoo is perfect for you.
-Very artsy....just made the list 10 ten cities in America for young artist

-Easy to get around without a car........great public transportation system, strong bicycle culture with the city being both friendly and accommodating to bike commuters, very walkable urban city, and if you need to get your big city fix then hop on the high speed rail downtown and go to Chicago (137 miles away) or Detroit (142 miles away)

-Entrepreneurial culture......19 breweries in it's metro - 0 of which are downtown within walking distance + 6 distilleries in the works. most of these were created in the past five years

-Huge college population......the average age of the city is 26, so you will find plenty of peers your age.

-Huge theater seen.......I have not been an active goer the theatre for several years, so I may be missing some but i know of 13 in Kalamazoo (The Kalamazoo Civic, The Barn Theatre, The New Vic Theatre, Farmers Alley Theatre, Miller Auditorium, Family Center for the Arts, Center Stage Theatre, Face Off Theatre Co, WMU Theatre, Fancey Pants Theatre, All Ears Theatre, ***** Theatre Kalamazoo, and Festival Playhouse Kalamazoo College)
...........Also check out the Park Trades Center downtown. Huge, 4 story, old factory building that has been converted into an artist's paradise. They even have a Ballet Co. located there.
Awesome, westernwilly! It definitely seems like Kalamazoo would meet a ton of my criteria - thanks for the great thinking.
I would be curious about the overall amount of employment opportunities and the presence of different industries in the area. Is this something that you could speak to at all? Of course, there are always trade-offs and Kalamazoo is definitely a place I'm going to put more consideration into now.

Ironically, I actually lived there for under a year, but I was incredibly insulated at the time. I spent virtually all my time at the university and visiting my girlfriend at another university... so I can't exactly say I got a good feel for any of the criteria mentioned.
Quote:
Originally Posted by magellan
Oh no.
Haha! Did I open up a can of worms?
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-02-2015, 08:37 PM
 
14 posts, read 16,553 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by westernwilly View Post
Oh no?

Did I not address the points of interest that he had as well as answer his question on what other cities might be a good fit for him?
No reflection on you, I'm guessing - I think I might have opened pandora's box.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-03-2015, 12:41 AM
 
Location: Detroit
3,671 posts, read 5,864,524 times
Reputation: 2692
Quote:
Originally Posted by erablink View Post
What are some important considerations to be made regarding living in any of these cities versus the others?

A little about myself:

I am 26 year old, single dude. I am a creative and I have a pretty strong case of career A.D.D. which I don't expect will be going anywhere anytime soon. I also have an ever-increasing interest in self-employment and various entrepreneurial types of endeavors. So, I think I really need a place that is rife with employment and business opportunity. A place with a strong foundation in the arts would also be spectacular if not crucial, as this where many of my true interests lie. (For example, one of my interests is paid theater acting, and I know opportunities for this type of thing can be quite sparse depending on the location.) I'm really looking to maximize my opportunities in a location, both in career and in life. Another consideration that may be relevant: I hate driving and am quite terrible at it, so I'm looking to minimize the need for it as much as possible. I don't mind occasional twenty minute drives on side streets or whatnot, but having to constantly get on the freeway or drive long distances is a deal-breaker for me. So, I think I really need a place where there is a lot of opportunity available in a somewhat centralized location. Lastly, I didn't mention it much, but the fact that I'm single is an important consideration. It's important to me to be in a place where I'm apt to meet friends and romantic partners while engaging in my interests. I'd be nice to find myself somewhere where I can live happily long-term.

If none of these cities meet these needs, then I'm open to that as well. But it'd be helpful to have an idea of how I can best meet these needs between these options. I have family in the state, and it'd be nice not to live a world and a half away.

Lastly, I don't mean for this thread to be exclusive to my needs... any general considerations comparing these three cities are very much appreciated as well! (You never know what you might learn.)

Thanks everyone
Pssh, welp, scratch Detroit off the list. There's plenty of possible opportunities due to the size of Detroit's economy but you can barely leave your neighborhood without getting on a busy freeway. Ann Arbor is more or less part of the Detroit area so you can still be near many of the opportunities and be in a smaller more compact area.

I would also add Kalamazoo to the list for the reasons another poster has mentioned.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-03-2015, 06:13 AM
 
Location: Grand Rapids Metro
8,882 posts, read 19,809,568 times
Reputation: 3920
Quote:
Originally Posted by erablink View Post

Haha! Did I open up a can of worms?
These West Side vs East Side of the State discussions sometimes get a little "touchy."
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-03-2015, 09:23 AM
 
447 posts, read 493,919 times
Reputation: 478
Quote:
Originally Posted by erablink View Post
Awesome, westernwilly! It definitely seems like Kalamazoo would meet a ton of my criteria - thanks for the great thinking.
I would be curious about the overall amount of employment opportunities and the presence of different industries in the area. Is this something that you could speak to at all? Of course, there are always trade-offs and Kalamazoo is definitely a place I'm going to put more consideration into now.

Ironically, I actually lived there for under a year, but I was incredibly insulated at the time. I spent virtually all my time at the university and visiting my girlfriend at another university... so I can't exactly say I got a good feel for any of the criteria mentioned.

Haha! Did I open up a can of worms?
The unemployment rate in West Michigan cities are very low - Ann Arbor is also low.
As for Job opportunities in Kalamazoo? There are a lot of jobs in R&D, Medical, Engineering and White Collar jobs in general. The Blue Collar/Factory jobs are also available, but if you are looking for something in this field then you might do better looking for jobs in Battle Creek. They have had strong growth in manufacturing over the past few years.
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
 
Old 11-03-2015, 03:48 PM
 
14 posts, read 16,553 times
Reputation: 20
Quote:
Originally Posted by MS313 View Post
Pssh, welp, scratch Detroit off the list. There's plenty of possible opportunities due to the size of Detroit's economy but you can barely leave your neighborhood without getting on a busy freeway. Ann Arbor is more or less part of the Detroit area so you can still be near many of the opportunities and be in a smaller more compact area.

I would also add Kalamazoo to the list for the reasons another poster has mentioned.
Thanks MS313, I was afraid of that. It seems like there isn't really a central cultural and business district in Detroit Metro. Am I wrong about that? I'd probably have no problem living downtown, or in Midtown commuting to downtown or maybe the Ferndale area. However, I'm not sure this area alone really qualifies as "rife with employment opportunity" by any means? (Though I do hear good things about entrepreneurial opportunity in the area.) I'd also feel a bit restricted in my ability to meet "friends and romantic partners" in the area. I really don't know how the area fares in terms of art or an art scene, though I've heard talk about it. I appreciate all the things that are happening, but I just don't yet feel the energy of being in a cultural and commerce center when I'm in the area. So perhaps that's biasing my opinions?

I really like your thought about "killing two birds with one stone" by living in Ann Arbor. However, if there aren't a generous amount of opportunities in Ann Arbor alone, then I'm afraid that I'll wind up constantly driving an hour outside of AA to get to the opportunities in Metro Detroit. I have a very similar concern with Kalamazoo, and I really don't know how to go about judging the matter. That is, do these economies themselves really offer an exceptional amount of opportunity? I fear that I already know the answer, but I would be happily humbled.
Quote:
Originally Posted by westernwilly View Post
The unemployment rate in West Michigan cities are very low - Ann Arbor is also low.
As for Job opportunities in Kalamazoo? There are a lot of jobs in R&D, Medical, Engineering and White Collar jobs in general. The Blue Collar/Factory jobs are also available, but if you are looking for something in this field then you might do better looking for jobs in Battle Creek. They have had strong growth in manufacturing over the past few years.
Thanks again, westernwilly, this is definitely helpful!
Quote:
Originally Posted by magellan View Post
These West Side vs East Side of the State discussions sometimes get a little "touchy."
Haha, well hopefully it won't get too personal. Might you have any input for me on the topic? Other than a couple brief visits, I'm largely unfamiliar with Grand Rapids (though I liked it a lot those couple times!), so anything you can offer as to whether it might be a good fit would definitely be a huge help!
Reply With Quote Quick reply to this message
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.

Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.


Reply
Please update this thread with any new information or opinions. This open thread is still read by thousands of people, so we encourage all additional points of view.

Quick Reply
Message:


Settings
X
Data:
Loading data...
Based on 2000-2020 data
Loading data...

123
Hide US histogram

Over $104,000 in prizes was already given out to active posters on our forum and additional giveaways are planned!

Go Back   City-Data Forum > U.S. Forums > Michigan

All times are GMT -6.

© 2005-2024, Advameg, Inc. · Please obey Forum Rules · Terms of Use and Privacy Policy · Bug Bounty

City-Data.com - Contact Us - Archive 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 - Top