[yju]

My husband is being relocated to Jackson. We are looking for small towns in/around the Jackson area. We are particularly interested in the areas a little south and west of Jackson. He doesn't want to drive much more than 30-45 minutes one way. We are moving from Chicago and are looking for pretty much the opposite of where we are coming from. Small, quaint, old historical towns, somewhat conservative, where we might be able to get a little land ( a few acres). We are looking to stay under $200,000. We are not terribly concerned with schools at this point. We know nothing about this area, so any information you could offer would be great. Thank-you!

[futruper]

Greetings from PA, since no one has replied to you, I thought I would put my 2 cents in. I grew up in the Jackson area and went to Northwest High School, but that was back in the '70's. I haven't lived in the area since 1988, but have visited and still have relatives there.
I don't know the SW side of the area that well, but most of the area outside of town is, or was farmland. You should have no problem finding acreage. If the economy is as desperate as other posts make it sound, there should be plenty of inexpensive property to choose from. Most of the smaller dots on the map have very small business districts or really none to speak of (Parma, Tompkins Center, Onondaga, Springport, etc.). Marshall may have a historic district and Win Schulers restaurant was always good for fine dining. It's 31 miles west right on I-94. Hillsdale would be a nice town to consider, but the drive would be longer. Chelsea to the East on I-94 has some positive qualities. You might consider looking there. If you want a nice quiet location, anywhere in the outlying areas of Jackson should provide ample choices. Again, the terrain will be mostly rural farmland/pasture and woodlots. Best wishes on your search!

[jegonda]

It is east (about 15 minutes), not west - but the Chelsea area is incredible. Good people, great schools. Good locally owned businessed and an incredible local hospital.

[Piggy]

Brooklyn and the Irish Hills are are very rural. The only time Brooklyn gets busy is when they have an annual car race.

[RedWingsFan]

Just curious to know if you realize that there is a maximum security state (Jackson State Prison) prison in Jackson? I don't know if that makes a difference to you but it's the first thing that comes to my mind when someone mentions Jackson.

[mcdoerr]

I have lived in the Lansing area for 6 years and in Michigan all my life. I would not want to live in the city of Jackson ! They have a high crime rate, alot of racial issues, unemployment is higher than the state average, and taxes are on the rise. The schools are all suffering and asking for more millage raises. Having said all that negaitive stuff, and you still need to move to the area, try living in any of the suburban cities surrounding Jackson. We moved a year ago from in the city of Lansing to NE of the city. We love it here, but that would be too much of a drive for your husband. We did look around the northern areas between Lansing and Jackson alot though because my husband works SE of Lansing. The Leslie area is nice and halfway between 2 larger cities and all the emenities. We also liked the Springport area. Parma, Spring Arbor, and Homer are nice quaint towns too. Good Luck !

[cmulder]

My daughter works for the National Guard and has recently moved to Jackson where her job is. Yes there is a state prison in Jackson. I believe the median housing cost is low also. Try living 30 or 40 miles out of Jackson not in Jackson.

Caroline

[yju]

Thank-you so much for all the advice. We are coming into this having very little knowledge of these areas so these ideas do help! I did know about the prison, and that is some of the reason we have no desire to live in the city of Jackson. We are definitely thinking more small town-ish, and more rural. We have lived in Chicago all of our lives, so this is our first opportunity to have some land. Now the Irish Hills, is that the name of a town, or an area? Someone recommended Marshall, and from what I have seen online, that is pretty much the type of place we are looking for. The only problem is that I don't see many properties with more than an acre or two. We would like to have atleast 5. Is anyone familiar with Manitou Beach, Cement City or Hanover? These are a few of the towns that I have been able to find houses with at least 5 acres in our price range.

[ReaderReader123]

I think the place you are looking for is Spring Arbor. I spent the last 4 years there as an undergraduate student at Spring Arbor University. It is a small town down M-60 about 10 minutes from Jackson, MI. It has some nice subdivisions right in town but is surround by rural country. There is a large Free Methodist Church right next to the college. SAU and the church often partner to provide community events such as choir or instrumental concerts, and the Hanging of the Greens celebration in early Decmber. There are often events held by the University as well, such as art shows and theater presentations. If you are looking for a small town feel, I highly suggest Spring Arbor. Concord, five minutes farther down the road, is even smaller.

[Maple48108]

I grew up and live in the northeast corner of Hillsdale County (about 18 miles south of Jackson) and love it; well worth my hour commute to Ann Arbor. People who move here from bigger cities usually like it provided they can sort out their kids' education. Schools are uneven (one bright spot is Hillsdale Academy, and Hillsdale now has a great Montessori preschool).

Cement City and Irish Hills have higher percentage of Detroit area transplants, which is fine, but these folks tend to bring with them a blue collar (i.e. union) outlook, which contrasts with the traditional agrarian conservatism of the area. Most areas west of US127 and south of I-94 are quite conservative. Spring Arbor is pretty nice. So is Jonesville but you will have a longer drive to Jackson. If you are a younger couple, you would probably find more to do and a wider selection of friends if you settled near Chelsea, which is near Ann Arbor culture. By the way, if you settle in a rural area you will have the best luck meeting compatible people through your kids' school or church. Good luck.