Traverse City (Detroit, Dearborn: lawyer, income, jobs)

[HVAC]

Is Traverse City a good place to live and raise a family? If you live there do you like it and have you always lived there? If you lived there and moved away, why?

Thanks

[Jswee]

Traverse City is a great place to live and raise a family. I grew up here, moved away and then returned when it was time to have a family. Great Schools, low crime rate, a booming downtown area, lot's of cultural opportunities and a gazillion recreational activities available in some of the most beautiful scenic settings found in Michigan. What's not to love?

[Rapunzll]

Traverse City is a wonderful place to live and raise a family. It helps if you have a decent paying job though, as wages here are lower than many other places.

One of the great things about TC is that although it is a resort community, it is different in that it doesn't practically shut down in the winter. There are very few businesses that close during the off season. There are good schools, plenty of outdoor activities, wonderful restaurants, music, and art and just about anything else that makes for a good community.

[suydam]

TC is a great place to live and raise a family.

A few years ago, we tried to find a job and move there for that purpose... to no avail.

Jobs weren't plentiful, but it's a great area and I've move there in a heartbeat if I could.

[kelly261]

I so BADLY want to move to TC. My husband and I visit frequently - he had lived in that area for about 2 years. It's almost the perfect American town - bustling and booming without an overload of urban sprawl, friendly people, unique shops, fantastic restaurants, gourmet and organic food stores, exceptionally beautiful scenery, turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, sand dunes nearby, etc etc. The only problem I could foresee is finding a job other than the retail or restuarant field.

[Peter B]

Traverse City is a great place to live. The only caveat is a distinct lack of good paying jobs. Jobs at $10.00 an hour or less? Not a problem at all finding those.

[B-bear]

TC is a nice place but it is truly the city of the haves and have nots. If you're not a doctor, lawyer, business owner or the like you live there and work in the service industry catering to those types.

[Rapunzll]

Wow B-bear, that is really not true. I used to work in reservations at the CVB and we made reservations for all sorts of people, those with a ton of money to spend and those without. Staying on the water is really pricey, but you can still come to TC for a lot less if you stay off the water and are willing to compromise a little bit.

Also, I was a member of the service industry for a long time, and although I wasn't raking it in, I never have considered myself a have not.

[malamute]

Originally Posted by HVAC

Is Traverse City a good place to live and raise a family? If you live there do you like it and have you always lived there? If you lived there and moved away, why?

Thanks

To me it's a good place to live and raise a family --- depending. I lived there but left because I'm more a warm-weather type who doesn't enjoy winter activities enough to make the extra cost of living there worth it.

In my opinion there is a type of have-not and have classism there. It seemed to me there was a fair amount of social pressure, yuppie-competitiveness. The have-nots have their own life, do their own thing and seemed happy enough but lower paid than in other places. Also you have to like having to work when tourists are out sailing and clogging up the beaches and streets, summers are busier for most working types which was another drawback for me.

Summer traffic is quite bad, winters are long but the time you see more the real Traverse City.

[FenderBass]

Traverse City is a great place to raise a family. Decent schools and low crime are some of the positives. The negatives: low paying jobs, high housing costs and not a heck of a lot to do.
I have lived here for over 20 years now, having moved from Dearborn, MI.
There is a saying here "a cut in pay for a view of the bay", you better believe that is true. I agree with the other poster who commented on the "haves and have nots".
To live in the city proper requires a income far above what any service industry job could pay. I feel very lucky to live on the bay and work in town, especially after my years in the greater Detroit area!