[Republic of Michigan]

I moved to Michigan from Southern California. Where to begin? Well, the weather is very different.

If you can enjoy cold weather for a few months, then you will be fine.
There are enough restaurants, cultural attractions, theaters etc to keep you entertained.
I'm from LA so its a bit different than SF, that being said, Metro Detroit is spread out with a lot of downtown areas around the metropolitan area like back home.
Downtown and Midtown are areas which are improving. The rest of Detroit...forget about it.
Housing is exponentially cheaper and nicer here in Metro Detroit. Trust me, if you see the difference in housing you would be amazed. Basically, most three bedroom houses in southern California with no basement and (many with an unattached garage) would be substandard to people in Metro Detroit. Homes in California which cost over $400,000 if brought to Michigan would be placed in lower working class areas and would cost no more than $60,000 -$100,000 depending on the area. I own a house in LA which most people in Michigan would consider to be a piece of **** and I could sell it and buy a huge 6000 square foot house here.
California has a beautiful coastline, beaches, etc. Michigan does have a coastline, but it is a very different feel. It's more Americana here with lighthouses, small downtowns, and have festivals..etc.

But you should visit and see if this is a place you would be happy. There are malls, upscale stores, nice restaurants, nice and affordable housing, clubs, farmer's markets, festivals..etc. But visit to make sure you will be happy.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by SageCats

I have the option of transferring to Detroit, MI within my company. I live near the Silicon Valley. I'd take a pay cut but to be honest, I am priced out of this region in California and it is crowded.

How much of a pay cut? Overall, in terms of housing costs, even with a pay cut it might be a standard of living increase since the cost of housing is so much lower. Are you going to be OK with living in a four seasons state that doesn't have the glamour and sunshine of California? If it were me, I'd do it, but I'm a native Michigander. I've always enjoyed living in Detroit's northwestern suburbs.

[Giesela]

I'm not familiar with the Bay area. You say you disagree with it being the be all end all and stay home a lot. So I think you could move to another city fine.
Detroit? For me it would be mostly about the weather. Its not that it snows so much but that its cold and grey for a loong time. I have fantasies about the sun.
California's climate is just so gorgeous. I'd have a hard time leaving that.
One other thing to consider. Being in silicone valley you are probably in a job position that is on the "cutting edge" or at least seen as such. If you move to Detroit will you lose that? Will you still be considered competitive by outside companies or your company for positions in other cities should you decide you want to move?

[Rothwells mum]

Originally Posted by SageCats

I purposely didn't state my preference so as to not bias the question too much. :-) But, I will say that I'd rather not ask in the California forum because I tend to not agree with people's sentiment that living in the bay area is the greatest thing in the world. We aren't California natives and aren't tied down to any place.


My spouse and I are "DINKS" in our late 30s - 40s. We're homebodies and prefer medium sized cities over large crowded ones. We are both from the Northeast but have lived in different states for short stints.

We are thinking about visiting the Detroit area sometime soon.
Thanks for your responses.

Definitely visit first but I think you will be fine. My spouse and I are in the same age bracket as you are and we moved away from the bay area by choice. However, we have kids so what we were looking for may be different from you.
We didn't take a pay cut so it is very reasonable to live here compared to our costs in California. Car insurance is the only thing that is more -much more but everything else is so much more reasonable.
I do miss being able to spend the weekends in the city. I'm not sure what some people are talking about with the gray as it seems super sunny here in the winter to me most of the time. Portland, Oregon is much grayer than Mi, different perspectives I guess.
There is plenty of diversity here although people seem a little more self segregated than what you are probably used to in the bay area.
There are places in Detroit to explore but many areas still feel like downtown LA was in the year 2000 or parts of NYC in the mid 80's. It's still in the early stages of a turn around and hasn't discovered its modern true size yet.
It took about a year for our bodies to adjust to the cold winter weather. This winter has been pretty mild though- it was 47 today, not 5 like last year at this time.
It's less crowded and a slower pace than the West coast. People aren't as fit and more people smoke cigarettes here.
Midwest people overall are pretty polite until they get on the road -beware if you don't know where your exit is on the freeway. I've had to become a much more defensive driver since moving here.
The Michigan left turn takes some getting used to...
Be sure to check out Ann Arbor if you visit- its a vibrant college town with lots of places to explore.

[ironlady]

I moved from Southern California to Michigan. It was a tough move. My husband and I had moved a lot in our marriage, so I didn't think moving to Michigan would be a big deal. For me, it was. Turns out, I hit the SAD lottery--but living all my life in the Southwest, I didn't know it until my first Michigan winter. On cloudy days in Los Angeles, I would daydream about living in Seattle or some other cloudy, stormy place. In Michigan, I daydreamed of deserts. It really wasn't the snow. We live in Denver now, and I love the snow, but the cloudiness of Michigan really made me feel like I was going crazy.

But I knew people there who loved the clouds of winter. And if you're from the Northeast, that just may be your cup of tea.

[SageCats]

Thanks for your responses, everyone.
I enjoyed hearing your perspectives.
Cost of living is a huge issue and I'd like to be a homeowner again.
Someone said something about the desert... I used to live in AZ and loved it there. I did feel a huge lack of green, though. Green and 4 seasons are important to me. Easy going, laid back lifestyle, too.
Thanks

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by SageCats

But, I will say that I'd rather not ask in the California forum because I tend to not agree with people's sentiment that living in the bay area is the greatest thing in the world.

Some of us who are Bay Area natives agree with you .


(the title of this thread caught my eye because one of my relatives was offered a Darrow Scholarship at U of M's law school, and thus considered moving from the Bay Area to Ann Arbor. She later secured a similar scholarship at a law school ranked higher within the top 10, so decided against this move on that basis only...nothing against the State of Michigan or the area)


If you do make the move, travel upstate and visit Petoskey, Traverse City, and the Straits of Mackinac/Mackinac Bridge . I didn't make it out to Mackinac Island, but I hope to the next time I visit Michigan.

[RMESMH]

Originally Posted by Rothwells mum

Car insurance is the only thing that is more -much more but everything else is so much more reasonable.

I imagine this is largely because Michigan has a no fault insurance system (Florida does as well), whereas California does not.

pretty polite until they get on the road -beware if you don't know where your exit is on the freeway. I've had to become a much more defensive driver since moving here.

LOL. I found this to be especially true in some small towns in SW Michigan and in Warren near Detroit.

[VM1138]

Originally Posted by chh

Ask this in the Michigan forum, people will tell you to move to Michigan. Ask this in the California forum, people will tell you how much they don't like Michigan. I don't know your preferences, so I can't tell you whether you'd rather stay lol. Do a little research on the area and see what you think

I'm from Michigan and I would emphatically urge the OP to stay in California. The absolute only reason to leave California would be cost of living. That's it. Everything else it would beat Michigan.

[Rothwells mum]

Originally Posted by VM1138

I'm from Michigan and I would emphatically urge the OP to stay in California. The absolute only reason to leave California would be cost of living. That's it. Everything else it would beat Michigan.

Actually, I find that to NOT be true at ALL