[slowdawg]

There is an active thread right now on the Texas forum about “what’s the first thing that comes to mind”….
I realize Texas is more diverse than Michigan. Vast differences in landscape, lifestyles, even climates. But it made me think, Michigan isn’t all that one-sided and we do have a few places that definitely have their own identity. But, they were asking residents about what the first thing is that comes to mind when they think of other regions or cities in the state.
This could even apply to suburbs. People from Oakland County commenting on Macomb county communities, for example.

Like, for me, the first thing that comes to mind when I think of Ann Arbor is left wing activism. For Battle Creek, I think of Tony The Tiger. Port Huron, I think of an under-utilized waterfront. For Taylor, I think of all the common “redneck” stereotypes people make fun of the city for that are not even accurate. Royal Oak, I think of nightlife. Traverse City, I think of downstate vacationers and retirees. And so on.
Maybe we can make this challenge work for Michigan too.

[keraT]

I am not very good at this but will give it a try

First thing that comes to mind...
Troy - the school district, the school district. but the school district.
Royal Oak - people in their mid 30's partying like they are still in their mid 20's
Ferndale - hippie of our time, organic everything
Hazel Park - the old horse race track they get rid of
Hamtramck - Immigrants & food
Warren - suburbia ranch house
Sterling Heights - the gold ring and "butt" joke online
Shelby Township - Stoney creek Metro park
Wyandotte - river and downtown

[Coldjensens]

Detroit - secretly one of the best downtowns in the USA. Sports, theater, music and food. Also greektown.
Ann Arbor - Art Fair and football. Also, bluehair liberals yell at you after listening in to your conversation. Also roofhopping.
South Lyon - McMansion USA - what happened to all the horses?
Birmingham - Trophy wives and pedigreed pocket pets. Trendy nouveau riche
Farmington - Marvins Magical Mechanical Museum.
Dearborn - the Henry Ford, an orchestra and community theater.
Wyandotte - Up and comer cool town with waterfront. Whiskeys on the water. Dave and Chuck's .5K run/walk. If only it has better schools and less crime. Crew clubs.
Ferndale - If Royal Oak and Ann Arbor had a baby. Only more blue collar and more fun. Does not take itself too seriously. Michigans home for LGBTQA. . . etc.
Troy - fancy mall for rich people from Bloomfield hills. Traffic tickets.
Bloomfield Hills - hidden mansions. Home of the truly wealthy families. Cranbrook students.
Northville - almost preserved cool small town; or Halloween Skeletons. Mayberry Park.
Novi - shoppers mecca, chain stores and restaurants. Indoor skydiving.
Wixom - is there really a town here? Planned giant waterpark. Freeway exit.
Milford - cool and inaccessible;also Kensington Metropark. The Shutter Shop.
Brighton - great downtown, too far away.
Brighton township - Kensington Metropark
New Hudson - Dump Hill Park, Kite festival. Gateway to Kensington, Walbridge's yard. Dad's church.
Plymouth - worthwhile downtown, Hines Park. Ice Sculptures.
Livonia - early soulless suburbia. Tiny older homes in the wouth, mid-sized newer homes in the north. Where did the malls go? Did we really live in that tiny house with 6 people?
West Bloomfield - recent soulless suburbia.
Rochester (City not hills) - cool downtown in the distance.
Rochester Hills - Irvine with snow. Christmas lights McMansion subdivisions and chain restaurants in strip malls.
Franklin - a neat place if you realize it when you are there. I drive through it at times and wonder how I missed it.
Clawson - Wunderground Magic Shop.
Dexter - Dairy Queen. Camera store. Nice city on a park.
Chelsea - too bad it is so far away. Purple something theater.
Grosse Ile - beautiful 1950s throwback.
Wayne - Half the downtown is missing. A step up from Taylor. (Maybe)
Westland- government fines and corruption. Apartment complexes.
Romulus - airport and traffic tickets. Stripper joints.
Ypsilanti - so much wasted potential, giant penis Bezos spaceship. EMU.
Hamtramck - GM plant imminent domain. Punk rock and pacyz or however you spell them (I am stuck in the 1980s with this city).
Grosse Pointe(s) a wonderful suburban island surrounded by blight. Each city has a unique feature for residents only. Former old money home.
Howell - KKK (yes I know it was never true and the nearby farm has been gone for over 20 years, but the thought is still ingrained in me from the urban legend of the past).
Fowlerville - where you go to buy chickens or hay/straw. Also a horse auction (probably not there anymore)
Taylor - tucky. Heritage Park. Former home of Masco. Southland mall.
Southfield - K-9 cops (they came and did a demonstration at my Dad's church that I will never forget).
Redford - being erased. Cool theater in old Redford.
Walled Lake - killed by a freeway.
Royal Oak - Recent college graduates who did not grow up. Awesome zoo. Decent Downtown. Good Symphony Orchestra.
Woodhaven - a place to go shopping.
Southgate - people who can not afford Woodhaven.
Allen Park - used to be neat. Dollar theater. More people who cannot afford Woodhaven. Giant closed shopping plaza (this might technically be in Lincoln Park - not sure, but I associate it with Allen Park).
Lincoln Park - People who cannot afford Allen Park.
Flat Rock - small town. Farmer wannabees. Fitness center with an indoor pool.
Huron township - secretly nice place to live with decent schools.
New Boston - Canadian trash (not talking about people, there is a huge dump in New Boston that takes primarily Canadian trash). Line of car haulers (there are always a line of car haulers going into New Boston. Not sure where they go, there must be a facility there).
Trenton - Decent little waterfront town, good marching band, downtown with unfulfilled possibilities. Elizabeth Park.
Gibraltar - Pregnant 13-year-olds (my wife was a substitute teacher there for P.E. and two of the middle school students had to be excused from PE because they were pregnant). Also a great pizza place.
Monroe - Opiate addition and cool houses. (I know the opiate thing was mostly from the past, but it sticks with you in your mind). Also garage sales.

Wider area:
Charlevoix - Mushroom houses and Petoskey stones.
Petosky - chocolate.
TC tourists and kitsch.
South Haven - Kirk Park dog beach.
Grand Rapids - Art festival and pyramid schemes.
Holland - Tulips, Prevosts and if you ain't dutch, you ain much.
Grand Haven - who says Michigan does not have beautiful beaches? Kirk park dog beach. Crew Racing.
Marquette - possibly the ideal small city, but snowfall is measured in feet not inches.
Munising - Big Foot. PIctured Rocks. Camping.
Frankenmuth - outkitsches TC. Salty Fried chicken. Christmas ornaments. Ear Candles.
Atlanta - Elk Capital of Michigan. One restaurant. (Who knew we had elk? who knew we had a city named Atlanta?)
Oscoda - incredible Au Sable camping. Beautiful Beach.
Bay City - cool B & B mansion.
Saginaw - Makin Bacon food truck.
Midland - chemical pollution.
Lansing - Lame capital city next to that nasty Green university that keeps beating us at everything.
Coldwater - surprisingly cool housing stock.
Colon - magic capital of the world.
Hell - first date picnic. Ice Scream shop. Bikers wedding location.
Paradise - Blueberry Fesitval.
Christmas. Scary horror movie motel. Paradise point park.
Leland - awesome fishing village. Great Brisket.
Silver Lake - dunes and camping.
Ludington - ferry to Wisconsin. Decent beaches.
K-zoo. Elvis at McDonalds. Suicidal college (When I was entering college K college had the highest suicide rate of any college in the country. Stuck with me.).
Mt. Pleasant CMU. Soaring Eagle. Flooding. Attractive Co-eds (way too old for that now, but when I was looking at colleges, CMU was known as the school where all the hot girls went. During college I discovered that to be true. Stuck in the back of my mind)
Tekonsha - antique stoves.
California - they are lying. It is cold and there are no beaches.
Algonac - beautiful affordable waterfront (shhhh).
China - beautiful mansion. Horrible schools.
POrt Huron. Residents call it Port Urine. THere is a cool waterfront tavern. Also a bridge with less traffic.
Battle Creek - Funny FBI tv show. Kellogs.
Dundee - Cabellas and a water park. Also one of my favorite CD posters.
Tecumseh. - Cute town with a train running through it. Excellent small engines. Cute older homes. Home of a great house painter. Inaccessible.
Jackson - neat fountain and a prison.
Grass Lake - if only they had better schools.
Bay Harbor - beautiful place for rich people's summer homes.






Sorry thoughts do not come into my head one at a time, they tend to come en-masse, so I do not have first things pop into my head.

[lbj42]

Wow, that's impressive. I've been in Ann Arbor the bulk of my life but don't know what "roofhopping" is. I remember the story about the guy falling through the glass of Nichols Arcade, but not sure if that is what you are referring to. Fowlerville always used to be about the Fowlerville Farms Family Restaurant to me (it used to be called something else, but I forget what is was). It might have been a Stuckey's, but I think it was something else. I still remember the gift shop and the Invisible Ink books.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by lbj42

Wow, that's impressive. I've been in Ann Arbor the bulk of my life but don't know what "roofhopping" is. I remember the story about the guy falling through the glass of Nichols Arcade, but not sure if that is what you are referring to. Fowlerville always used to be about the Fowlerville Farms Family Restaurant to me (it used to be called something else, but I forget what is was). It might have been a Stuckey's, but I think it was something else. I still remember the gift shop and the Invisible Ink books.

In high school and early college we used to go to Ann arbor, climb up on the rooftops and then jump, climb rappel or whatever from building to building. There were always other people up there. Some lived in tents on top of buildings, especially Nichols Arcade. Seemed like there was always someone living up there.