[15 years W. Mich]

Originally Posted by deslok

Don't mess with Holland unless you are of dutch decent. Otherwise go for it. =)

I'm Irish (no, I'm not the Mayor) and have lived in Holland for 20 years. I have never felt like I don't belong or am not welcomed. My kids have friends that are every color of the rainbow, some of them are even Dutch.

[michimaize]

I would second Traverse City. I'd also throw in Gaylord, Midland, and Alpena, depending on what exactly you're looking for.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by BadgerNut

I'm considering a move to either Michigan, Maine or New Hampshire and would appreciate some suggestions about Michigan cities.

What I'm looking for: a community of 10k to 40k people, good places to eat, shop and entertain - not too busy but not too slow either - job opportunities (background is sales/management, I'm currently a Chaplain at a max prison).

I appreciate the help.

Grand Haven would meet pretty much all of your needs, including being within a 30 minute drive of Grand Rapids (jobs).

[BadgerNut]

There are 3 cities that I've narrowed it down to: Grand Haven, Port Huron and Walker (outside of Grand Rapids). I'm most curious about Walker and then Grand Haven, can anyone give me some information on these communities? Thanks.

[michigan_girl]

I am originally from Holland, MI, but spent the past 10 years of my life in Grand Rapids until I had to move to Florida to get a teaching job. Holland is a nice city for families. I was bored as a college grad and moved to Grand Rapids. G.R. has MUCH more to offer in terms of entertainment, jobs, and diversity than the smaller cities of West Michigan. (I don't recommend Muskegon - Very blue collar and has a run-down feel. Traverse City, Charlevoix, Harbor Springs, nice and quaint, but small.) The crime in G.R. is relatively low for a medium sized city. It is still less than an hour's drive to the beaches, which are very beautiful! The only thing I do NOT miss is the weather. Summer is beautiful, but once fall sets in, expect a lot of clouds and drizzle from the lake effect. That lasts into April at least. It gets gloomy. Other than that, it is an awesome place to live. People are friendly, cost of living is pretty cheap (about 1/2 of what it is in Florida) After I get my fix of sun and palm trees I'll be back! Good Luck!

[Brent85]

Midland's(41,000) pretty nice. I like it because it's halfway between Metro Detroit and the northern LP. Plus low crime, unemployment, it's clean, and all the modern things like a mall etc.

[michigan_girl]

I lived in Walker! Right behind Target on Alpine Avenue. What I liked was that it had access to all the freeways and you could get around Grand Rapids or out to the Lake easily. It's a bit of a drive to the malls, but there are plenty of good restaurants on Alpine Avenue. That area used to be run down, but it improved over the 3 years i lived there, and I'm sure has improved even more. The reason I moved there was that the rent was a bit cheaper than other parts of Grand Rapids. Overall I do like the SE side of Grand Rapids better. It is newer and has more to do. But Walker is a nice safe area and I remember i was very sad to leave.
Grand Haven is a great town. Much smaller, especially during the off-season months. It really booms during the summer. If you like boats or the water, you might like it there. It's sort of like Holland. But I liked that Walker is basically part of Grand Rapids. And with the job outlook the way it is over there lately, you're better off in a bigger town.

[BadgerNut]

michigan_girl, that is very helpful!

[suydam]

Originally Posted by deslok

Don't mess with Holland unless you are of dutch decent. Otherwise go for it. =)

That's a sentiment that might have held true 30 years ago. I really don't think that's the case at all anymore.

[suydam]

Originally Posted by BadgerNut

There are 3 cities that I've narrowed it down to: Grand Haven, Port Huron and Walker (outside of Grand Rapids). I'm most curious about Walker and then Grand Haven, can anyone give me some information on these communities? Thanks.

Walker is more a suburb of Grand Rapids than a city of its own.
Yes, it's a city with its own government, but it's essentially part of "Greater Grand Rapids."