[usbound]

We are considering a move to Plymouth, MI from UK
Whats the region like around plymouh?
secondary schools, housing, best place to live.
places of interest, variety of life ect
lookings at the 35 post in the thread below - all looks bad
many thanks
bb

[usbound]

i should say my biggest worry is Detroit, and its effect on the surrounding areas, as it not portrayed well in UK, but what do i know.
I also live in a rural area here.
Advice appreciated.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by usbound

i should say my biggest worry is Detroit, and its effect on the surrounding areas, as it not portrayed well in UK, but what do i know.
I also live in a rural area here.
Advice appreciated.

If you're moving for a job already, than you should be just fine. In another thread about the same area, Plymouth, Canton, Northville, etc. are all very suburban areas, with still a bit of rural feel to them (trees). Very little crime, big homes, good schools, cul-de-sacs, wealth, IKEA, white, etc.

Hope that helps.

[Angel Bear]

Detroit feels like a world away when you live in the suburbs. It's not the optimal because there are good points about Detroit...I enjoy the concerts, museums, and restaurants down there and try to support the economy there as much as possible.

Plymouth is a more upscale area to live, but it's a very nice. There's a small, quaint downtown...I went to school for 9 years there and enjoyed it. I still return montly to visit friends there.

Ann Arbor is not far from Plymouth. If you are coming from a rural area, you may like some of the rural areas outside of Ann Arbor like Hamburg, Pinckney, etc. It's further away though from Plymouth. Ann Arbor still has a few rural areas. But since you are from Europe, be ready for culture shock...We do have culture, but it's not as wide as yours...Not as many museums, etc. But, we're gettin' there. Ann Arbor is a university town, home to the University of Michigan, a world-class institution (I'm biased 'cause I went there LOL).

Michigan is not that bad of a place to live. It's just too cold for me, but then again, I'm a wimp so don't let that scare ya.

And, don't let the naysayers scare you! There are high and low points to every place you live and well, our economy is struggling, but it will get better...it has to...We are just so driven by the automotive industry that we need to diversify and do other things, but they will turn around

I've known many folks to move to Michigan (Metro-Detroit or suburban Detroit) from the UK and they absolutely loved it.

If it's where you are meant to be, you'll end up here

Best of luck with the move

[usbound]

I caught your reply in the other thread. Interesting to note about automotive manufacturing (its automotive, but non manufacture) I assume the manufacturing is Detroit based, and facing stiff competition from Europe & Far East - as do we in UK We have lost have lost Mini, MG, Land Rover, Jaguar.
I suppose I am one of the "imported", just hope those from Michigan would not hold it against me. I've lived & worked all over Europe, but have always wanted to work & live in USA or Canada, and these chances to USA are very difficult to come by as USA protects its employement borders far more than we do in UK.
I just need more info and wider insight in the area and what to espect.
thanks

[caspper69]

Although Detroit is not portrayed in a very nice fashion in the UK (well, and the US, and pretty much everywhere else), it's important to note that Detroit != the suburbs of Detroit. Detroit is a major anomaly when it comes to urban (and suburban) studies, because while the population has dwindled (along with the economic base) from a high of ~2 million to just under 500k in the past four decades, the MSA (metropolitan statistical area) has actually grown in population and GDP. You can drive for a few hours and never actually leave the "city" (as in there's no break), but you'll pass through 10-20 different cities along the way.

I guess my point is that when "white flight" took place after the race riots in the 60's, the people that left Detroit did not leave Michigan, they just moved further out from the heart of downtown. Oakland county (north of Detroit) is one of the wealthiest counties in America, and several cities are incredibly wealthy by national standards (Bloomfield Hills, Birmingham, Troy, Rochester, Northville, Plymouth/Canton, etc.) I think you'll find that the suburbs of southeastern Michigan have some of the best and most highly rated schools (the International Academy in Bloomfield Hills is the #1 high-school in America with 100% of its students attending college), along with all of the shopping (check out the Somerset Collection in Troy), some world-class restaurants, as well as a highly active social community.

To make a long story longer, I wouldn't worry one bit about being in the suburbs. Check out the area, because it's possible to live about anywhere and commute anywhere in the tri-county area without *too* much trouble. It's not like LA, New York or Atlanta. There are many great areas to raise a family and have an active life with a rewarding career. And don't worry about what you read about Detroit, as many people live here for years and never even cross over into Detroit proper, unless you're a hockey / baseball fan!

Any other questions, I can try and help out!

[Angel Bear]

I love people from the UK personally There's a few here and there...I hear the accents and I personally think, "Oh cool!" I love diversity I don't think people would hold it against you at all.

You may be able to do some networking and find some folks from the UK here in Michigan once you get here. When I was working in Rochester Hills, there seemed to be a large group of UK people Maybe look on-line and research or check around...I'm sure you have, but you may find more.

Really though with automotive things, it has become more international when it comes to the Big 3 domestic automakers...Cars and their parts are made offshore and there's outsourcing for many other aspects. We're used to it now...Really, it was my grandparents' era that was very "Buy American" mindset and against "foreign" made cars and such. My parents and my own generation are more open-minded I believe.

I think a big issue facing Metro Detroit is getting away from the mindset of laboring hard in a factory to earn money and make a living. We need to expand our horizons as far as how to make a living and such to diversify our economy But, we're starting to I think, but it may take some time.

You will love living in the U.S. Not sure if you've ever visited here before, but living in Metro Detroit, you're within driving distance to some cool places like Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago, and Northern Michigan is beautifully breathtaking. There's a lot of fun things to do weekends in the summer...art fairs, agricultural festivals, car shows, and just about anything else you can think of. Royal Oak is a very cool, progressive town that is very central to Metro Detroit...You might want to check that out too, but Plymouth-Canton area is more kid-friendly, meaning better schools...you want a good school system even if you don't have kids 'cause it will affect your home resale.

Make sure you have a warm winter coat It gets cold here in the winter, but you can always go skiing...Michigan has many ski areas in Northern and lower Michigan...We also have some decent golf courses. And, many people do not know this, but we're third in the nation with number of miles of singletrack trails for mountain biking...It's not Moab, Utah, but it's still fun Recreational opportunities are endless...jet skiing, snowmobiling, dirt biking, sailing, etc., etc.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by usbound

I caught your reply in the other thread. Interesting to note about automotive manufacturing (its automotive, but non manufacture) I assume the manufacturing is Detroit based, and facing stiff competition from Europe & Far East - as do we in UK We have lost have lost Mini, MG, Land Rover, Jaguar.
I suppose I am one of the "imported", just hope those from Michigan would not hold it against me. I've lived & worked all over Europe, but have always wanted to work & live in USA or Canada, and these chances to USA are very difficult to come by as USA protects its employement borders far more than we do in UK.
I just need more info and wider insight in the area and what to espect.
thanks

Interesting to hear about U.K. having similar difficulties. I should have clarified too. Ann Arbor is set to receive a huge expansion of Toyota's North American Technical Center, and the area from East of Ann Arbor, through Plymouth, along I-275, I-696, and I-75 North has the highest concentration of automotive technology firms in the world. While the Big 3 are suffering from dwindling market share, plant overcapacity, and legacy costs eating up their profits, basically every automotive transplant (VW, Nissan, Toyota, Isuzu, Honda, Hyundai-Kia, etc.) and their Tier I suppliers has a technical presence in this suburban Detroit area. It's a modern and affluent area that serves as a stark contrast to the decaying neighborhoods in the Detroit proper.











If I had the chance, I personally would do it.

[Angel Bear]

Auburn Hills is where the headquarters of Daimler-Chrysler is and the rest of the area is kind of like the Silicon Valley of the automotive world (for Detroit at least and/or Big Three automakers).

Also, Ricardo is based in the UK and has a headquarters in Metro Detroit...they do many projects for the automotive companies, etc.

If Detroit area doesn't work for you, you can always start out here and move later, but I think you'd be very happy here

[usbound]

I know RCE very well.
The pressure wil be on soon to make a decesion soon as H1B have to be sorted, and the family & I want a visit to see for ourselves.
The worry is still the differencies between UK & USA, schools, housing, cost of living and just the transition - although we have done it twice before in Europe.
But given some of the posts here both - and + for me it just seems right.
We will see what next week brings.
regards