[Heather67]

So, in my long-standing quest to move back to Michigan, I've applied to a job in Albion. My sister graduated from the college in 1982, but I'm assuming things may have changed considerably in the 39 years since. Does anyone know anything about the area? From what I've seen online, it looks like a nice small town, within an easy drive of Battle Creek or Ann Arbor if I need something from a larger city.

I'm a single, 53-year-old woman with a couple of cats, a ton of books, and a desire to live somewhere walkable with decent coffee. I'm hoping to get back into cross country skiing (although I'm happy to drive a couple of hours north for that) and live a quiet, geeky life. While I'm fairly liberal, I'm also fine with having neighbors whose opinions differ, as long as my Biden bumpersticker doesn't get my car egged.

So, what do people think of Albion? Does it have a deep, dark heart of unknowable evil that just hasn't shown up in my googles? Is it a Hallmark Holiday special of a small town made real? Something in between?

[beachmouse]

The college tries hard to be an engine of economic development in the town, but it’s also a place that started losing industrial employment in the 1970s and has had its share of issues ever since. So some still nice areas around campus and also some troubled spots. You might also look at Marshall, which is about 15 minutes away and seems to have managed to keep its historic core together well.

Cross country skiing in southern Michigan can be somewhat hit or miss once you get east of the Lake Michigan snow belt around US 131.

[Heather67]

Thanks, beachmouse! Yeah, I'm happy to drive a couple of hours for cross country skiing. Right now I'm in NC, so the drive would be more like 14 hours, which is less appealing.

Marshall does seem to have the apartment options.

Colleges can be good for the local economy, but one "industry" towns are a bit vulnerable. That's worth thinking about. I grew up in Alpena, where if the construction industry was having a bad year, the whole town was having a bad year.

[Nattering Heights]

College grads can't get jobs that pay enough for their student loans. Loan default and dropping enrollment are starting to shut down colleges. I see another career possibility: private libraries and reading rooms, as public libraries cut their book inventories and become electronic media centers.

[Heather67]

That's certainly a concern, Nattering Heights. But as I'm moving toward the latter stages of my career arc, a college that's around for 10 or so years will be sufficient for my needs. And Albion's endowment is still pretty solid.

[DTWflyer]

I haven't been to Albion in about 15 years since one of my good friends graduated from there. Visited her out there, it was so different coming from a big, large State-U to a small liberal arts small town college. Was fun though.

Honestly a part of Michigan I spend very little time in other than driving through to the west side of the state.

Like said, the college is really the anchor to hold the town together. Industrial decline, racial integration issues, and other small town generational poverty typical of many rust-belt communities where its industrial hey-day peaked in the 1950s-1960s.

This article gives a bit of detail, recently written earlier this year:
https://www.freep.com/in-depth/news/...wn/3905778001/

[Heather67]

Thank you, DTWflyer. I’ll check it out.