[becki82726]

The people above saying you should not move here are right. Perhaps jobs will come back in a few years but Muskegon isn't a great place to live. I've lived in town for 5 years and before that I lived about 20 minutes outside. The town is run down and while we do have things to do here it's not somewhere I would suggest anyone move too. I am moving in March. I like Michigan even though prices are high but I'm definately not staying in Muskegon. There are plenty of schools out there. Maybe you can get your girlfriend to move somewhere else with you and offer a better future for the both of you.

[tenthmuse]

Dear Tuebor,Long Time New York city person with 22 year old son and I'm thinking of moving to Muskegon, where we spent so many summers in his and my own youth. He needs to finish college, (two more years to BA). He works in grocery store here and loves it. Also loves outdoor stuff, camping, hiking, kayaking, and swimming, but he isn't enthusiastic about winter. Winter in the New York area is no fun. It's lots of shoveling and bad driving. How bad is winter in Muskegon? Snow tires? Chains? Snow on ground from Dec. to April? Is there cross country skiing? You seem to like Muskegon, so I wonder what you think. Thanks for any advice

[tuebor]

tenthmuse,
Winters in Muskegon are harsher than in NYC, with plenty of lake effect snow and strong winds. Driving on the main roads is usually not too bad, but in Norton Shores, where I live, it can take a while for the city to plow the residential streets. I've been able to get by with all-season radials. There are places to cross-country ski. Last winter, the snow was gone by the end of March, and there were intermittent thaws before that.

I like it here, but Muskegon is not for everyone. Unemployment is above 15%. It's not a cultural desert, but of course it's not in NYC's league.

Without knowing more about your situation, I hesitate to say whether moving here would be a good idea for you. I'll venture this much: if you know what to expect and have some way of supporting yourself, then come on out. You can get a 3-br house in a decent neighborhood for under $120,000.

As for your son, it's time for him to chart his own path, isn't it? I would guess that your son would want to finish school in NYC, where he has lots of schools to choose from. If he has reasons for leaving NYC, but still wants to finish school, then he should figure out where he wants to get his degree, get accepted, and go there. If he has decided to drop out for a while (or forever), then he may as well stay where he is, since he has a job that he likes.

[tenthmuse]

I have a small income to support myself and my son. But, while he wants to go to school, he has resisted the temptation to go massively into debt to do it. I would love nothing more than for him to chart his own course, but it's very hard for young people today.The good jobs just aren't there, and prices are high here and so are taxes. Both his employer and his girlfriend's employer cut back their hours this year due to lack of business from the recession. They don't make enough together, to begin to afford to live on their own in this area, and both of them earn well over the minimum wage. Electricity costs are very high here, too. All of his friends live at home for the same reason. Even the ones with college degrees live at home while they try to pay off their debts. I know the unemployment is high there, but it's not great here, either. Winter does sound challenging, though, especially the wind. NYC has great culture, but a day in the city costs anywhere from $50 to $100 bucks, with transportation, food, museum fees, theater tickets, etc. He's done New York and wants a life. I think the outdoor sports and clean environment would be very appealing to the two of them. Plus, the cost of living looks like a person might actually be able to afford to rent an apartment on a low salary. Thanks so much for your response. And house price sounds incredible, so low for a three bedroom.

[tuebor]

tenthmuse,
Well, if the three of you are fed up with city life but not fed up with each other, then it might work. But research your options carefully. Muskegon would certainly put you close to outdoor recreation, but employment and educational opportunities are limited and may involve commuting. Rents are lower then NYC, but wages might be lower too.

I think Michigan is a great place to live, so I'm not going to talk anyone out of moving here, but I'm also in higher education, and that makes me want to tell your son to finish his degree as expeditiously as possible. He's only got two more years to go, and then he may need to move for a job, so at this point finding a university that meets his needs is more important than finding a community that he would want to stay in permanently. If he's currently attending a 4-year school that is satisfactory, then the default choice ought to be stay there and finish. By "charting his own course", I didn't mean to suggest that there was anything wrong with college students (or college graduates, for that matter) living with their parents. I just meant that he needs to figure out what he wants to do and do it, and that may or may not involve living on his own.

Let me propose a few alternatives:
(1) You all stay where you are for a couple more years while your son finishes his degree. If his hours have been reduced, he can take more classes and finish sooner. He may have to overcome his aversion to debt and take out some loans, but he can live rent-free with you and pay in-state tuition, so the debt will be manageable. Depending on what field he goes into, he may be better off incurring some debt now so that he can get a higher paying job sooner, which will allow him to pay off his debts and still come out ahead.

(2) You all move out of NYC but stay in NY state. SUNY has lots of campuses; maybe one of them offers what you are looking for in a campus and a community. Or maybe you can find a small private university that will negotiate with you to charge a tuition your son can afford.

(3) You all move out to Muskegon, and your son finds a job (hopefully) and works for a couple of years. By then he will have established residency (so he can get in-state tuition) and may also qualify for independent student status, which may make financial aid easier. But he won't finish until he's around 26. (By the way, if your son wants to live on the lakeshore while he finishes college, he might want to look into joining the Coast Guard Reserve.)

(4) Your son applies to a Michigan school, gets accepted, and you all move to Michigan. Your son could probably get into GVSU if his grades are ok; he could almost certainly get into WMU or FSU. Your son would be paying out-of-state tuition, so you'll have to look into whether the lower cost of living in Michigan (assuming you don't move to Ann Arbor) will compensate for the higher cost of tuition.

Crunch some numbers, weigh the pros and cons, and see how you feel.

[Coldjensens]

Teaching jobs in Michgan are scarce and draw a lot of applications. If you want a shot, you need to attend a school better known for teaching (eastern is supposed ot be the primary teaching school even though many other schools have teaching programs that are supposed to be as good or better, just not as well known for teaching). You will need every advantage that you can get, and even then, it will be difficult and time consuming to find a position. You may end up taking something out of state, gaining some experience and coming back later.

Good LUck.