Mourning Flint

[jaynarie]

Originally Posted by Meer1234

For those who feel and say Flint, Michigan is depressing or dead, I'm here to tell you different.

Talk to a teacher or one of the thousands of licensed teachers with out a job, and you may change your mind about that. No offense. I know you were reffering to the downtown rehibilitation, and that is wonderful. However, I fear it is all for naught since people are dropping like flies in the area.



I grew up in Davison and all my life I wanted to be a teacher in Davison schools. Namely, Central Elementary where I went to elementary and my grandma attended high school. I never wanted to leave. But, I tried for two years to get a job, subbed for the district and never even came close to a job. Nor did I come close to a job in any other district in about a 100 mile radius.

So, here I am in North Carolina. I definitely like the winter better However, I terribly miss my family and schools in the south can not compare to Michigan schools. Academically or cosmetically. Especially a district like Davison.

So, hopefully, Flint and Michigan can turn it around. A sooner better than later. I want to come home.

[cowpunkrva]

>Going to North Carolina....just like everyone else it seems

Why is everybody movin down South? I really don't like it. It's supposed to be the other way around! We're supposed to be the ones who have to move to make a living. I can't imagine why people think it will be any easier down here. Most of the South is significantly poorer than the north. Well anyway just remember, you're in our parts now, so you better get used to our culture and our way of life. And you better stop making fun of us on TV!

[treefrog]

I'm tired beyond words of those who so fervently criticize Flint. It's quite true that there's great need for improvement yet, I must say, that I'm quite content here (and that's coming from one who resides in the city limits). Both my parents are professionals (I'm 17) and we live in Flint's upscale Woodcroft community whose residents include various physicians, lawyers, engineers, executives, the Mayor, notable persons of Academia, and other such professionals. This community was (is) home to Flint's "Old Money" and as such, the architecture is amazing. Geographically, Woodcroft is close to Flint's best shopping, is easily accessible by freeway, and is only a quick 40-50 minute ride to the gorgeous Somerset Collection (which we frequent) and other parts of Metro Detroit.

Oh, and there's plenty of culture in Flint: Simply google the renowned FIM, Arts, etc.

And even better: the housing prices are so much less; estate homes in Woodcroft range from about $500K to about $800-$900K. In places like Bloomfield Hills, the Pointes, and in Chicago's upscale locales many would easily go for $2-$3MIL easily. This has allowed us to purchase a summer home in Key West and travel internationally 2-3 times a year as opposed to 1-2 when we lived in Metro Detroit and Chicago .

[nycjefftrain]

This may be appropriate for another thread but I noticed the "hard to get a teaching job" comments showed up so I'd like to make a comparison. I grew up in Metro Detroit(Farmington Hills) and a number of my teachers had southern accents. We asked them where they were from and their reply was always "Georgia, Alabama, North and South Carolina" I always wondered why they would move so far up north just to teach?? Then I met one of my mom's teacher friends. She too was originally from the south and I asked her why she moved and she said back in the 70s, the Michigan districts used to come down to the schools and recruit them because they were growing so fast and there weren't any jobs in the south. I find it quite ironic that the opposite is now happening. Everything seems to shift.

Also, anywhere that is considered an older community, its much tougher to find a teaching job bc the infrastucture is already there and they arent building anymore schools. Also, the teachers don't leave till they retire, unlike the private sector. It's not just Michigan, it's tough to find a teaching job in the NORTH USA, period. I live in NJ and people I know are subbing like crazy...but nothing permanent yet. I'd say the next 5 to 10 years it will get better bc the baby boomers will be retiring.

[jaynarie]

Teaching is cyclical. You have to go where the people are. Back in the 60s and 70s, there weren't good jobs in the South, so they were fleeing to the North. Now, it is the other way around. So, teachers are in demand in the South and a dime a dozen in the north. Hopefully, the retirement of the baby boomers will help things out. But, if the population decreases, nothing will change. Most districts aren't replacing retirees as is.

Unfortunately, many people can't wait 5-10 years for a job, either. I tried for two years, and was working 75+ hours a week to make ends meet. I graduated and those student loan bills started coming but I wasn't making any more money...

[deleckidesign]

Originally Posted by Nickc121

As for Flint.....my whole family back had worked in the GM plants and have all taken buyouts for early retirement. Those were the only high paying jobs left. Now there is no reason at all to move to Flint. There are a lot of smart people going to school at U of M Flint but can any of them hang around? Probably not

It's funny...I moved to Flint, Michigan (suburbs) when I was 12 because both of my parents jobs at GM/Delphi got transferred up here (the old office building on Grand Traverse and Hemphill(?)). My mom has since retired and my step-dad still works at Delphi in Troy (for how long, who knows?).

I have since stayed in the Flint area as I went to college at both Mott and UM-Flint...and so did my husband. We both worked menial jobs while going through college...and have always stayed in this area because of not wanting to move away from family. After my husband graduated from UM-Flint, we stayed in Burton. I was still going to school and he was working in Fenton...and we had no idea where I was going to be working after graduating. Turns out, I graduated and found a great job in Downtown Flint a month later! It's lucky that I found it...and somewhat ironic that I managed to find a job IN Flint. So...no plans to move out of the area. But, like you said, I doubt many people will be able to do that!

[Tricia819]

I would LOVE to see Flint rebound. A lot of people are suggesting that Flint will eventually become a second Ann Arbor. Afterall, Flint has one of the best engineering schools in the country, U of M-Flint is expanding, and there is a TON of affordable housing. However, Flint needs to replace all the old and decrepid (sp?) schools, we need to hire a lot more police officers, and we really need to find new industries to replace GM.

I've lived in Flint for 30 years and I've never had a problem. I lived downtown a couple blocks from U of M-Flint for two years and I LOVED LOVED LOVED it!!! I walked everywhere and we were able to watch the 4th of July fireworks from our living room. There used to be a carnival downtown every summer in the U of M University pavilion lot. We also used to walk through the waterways down by the river. We also used to ice skate at Water St. Pavillion when I was a kid. I really wish U of M would re-open the rink. Our apartment was bigger than our house is now.