[chiroptera]

Originally Posted by b.fenn

The whole state is not at all provincial, individual people are. There is a dirth of academic institutions here, and a historic capacity to rise into the middle class without a college degree is the cause.

Excellent point b.fenn, (I was the one who called it provincial, oops.) I lived in Northern Ca and Denver before moving to SE MI so my perspective is perhaps a bit skewed. Living in Genesee County, your second point is very astute. I find it a cultural wasteland around here. There's a few bright sparks, but nothing that would sustain a bookstore like I'm imagining the OP plans.

[Angel Bear]

I find it a cultural wasteland around here.

Hee heee!! Sorry, I don't mean to giggle too loudly I love this state 'cause it's where my roots are, but it's getting harder and harder to live here for me. I am super liberal and into 'weird' things like raw vegan diet, racing my bicycle, metaphysical things, yoga, and meditation But, it's here, even in Michigan...You just have to know where to look.

I'll give a plug for the city of Detroit...I wouldn't choose to live there as it's not convenient geographically for my work. But, if you want to find good restaurants, concerts, museums, etc., we have it I'm not scared to go down there, but I don't go alone or at night, etc.

At times though, I feel we are a bit behind the rest of the country when it comes to culture, etc. But, we'll get there Hopefully soon LOL.

[chiroptera]

Haha Angel Bear...well I lived in Grand Blanc, and now I am in Flint's east side. So, you know what I am talking about - and of the two, there's more going on in Flint; Grand Blanc is just a Walmart and a couple of shopping malls, surrounded by miles and miles of fancy subdivisions set on golf courses. Yawn.
I'm not terribly hippy-granola-crunchy myself, but tend to like places that are open to that sort of thing. I like Utica and some parts of Macomb County, where you live, although it's awfully congested and the traffic is bad.

[Angel Bear]

Psst, travelling paws, I'll show ya the shortcuts to avoid the traffic

[chiroptera]

Originally Posted by Angel Bear

Psst, travelling paws, I'll show ya the shortcuts to avoid the traffic

Well I've already figured out use 53 to get to & from I69 (I live in Flint), stay away from Hall Rd and 23 mile which seems to have about 20 miles of nonstop one lane construction going on!
And of course, only use I75 between 10pm and 5am on any given day. After 10pm the only thing to worry about is drunk drivers but at least there's no traffic.
Feel free to share any more; I'm a painting contractor and find myself going down that way for jobs every once in a while.

[Angel Bear]

Don't mean to hijack the thread LOL...

Paws, if you need to do some stuff around M-59 (eating lunch, errands, shopping), you can take this service drive that goes a bit north of there...It's called Northpointe in some places and Lakeside Circle Drive I believe in the rest...You can take it from Schoenherr to Hayes pretty much. Also, 18 1/2 mile Rd. goes all the way through from Van **** to Mound now (they put in a roundabout too around there) that is a nice shortcut too. I like to use 19 Mile Road too to avoid M-59, but it ends and jogs W. of Schoenherr. After years of driving around here, I'm convinced it's better to go north-south for shortcuts versus east-west LOL. But, everyone thinks differently LOL. So much is up here around 19 Mile and M-59 that I rarely go south of 18 Mile...unless visiting family. Wild, huh?

Not sure if those help I'm sure you know about some of them

P.S. M-53 is scheduled to have construction I believe very soon, but more in the northern parts, north of M-59...just FYI.

[RedWingsFan]

Originally Posted by jimdc58

I am looking at the possibility of moving to Michigan to start a used bookstore. I would definitely want a liberal area, however. Outside of Ann Arbor, are there other liberal (socially and politically) areas in Michigan. I understand Bay City and Saginaw might be in that category.

I definitely know enough to stay away from Grand Rapids.

I'm wondering if you are really young... and maybe that's why you are so much for wanting a liberal area. Most people tend to become more conservative as they age. You might start out in such a city but end up moving later on as you mature.

You know the saying, it goes something like this"

If you're not liberal in your 20s you don't have a heart. But if your not conservative in your 40s you haven't got a brain.

[mhogan10010]

Just remember the book title (play on words Mars Venus thing):

"Women are from France, Men are from Detroit"

I grew up in Wayne a typical Blue Collar car factory town, but worked in Ann Arbor for 5 years. I think you have gotten pretty good advice. Royal Oak and Berkley are kind of hip and progressive. Ann Arbor is the epicenter of Liberal Progressives in the region. My sister moved to Oakland Co., four years ago. While solidly Republican, I still bet there would be room for an independent book store in places like Farmington Hills, Bloomfield, Birmingham. Of course they are pricey areas.

[chiroptera]

Originally Posted by RedWingsFan

I'm wondering if you are really young... and maybe that's why you are so much for wanting a liberal area. Most people tend to become more conservative as they age. You might start out in such a city but end up moving later on as you mature.

You know the saying, it goes something like this"

If you're not liberal in your 20s you don't have a heart. But if your not conservative in your 40s you haven't got a brain.

I've heard it this way: If you're conservative when you're younger, you have no soul. If liberal when you're older, you have no sense.

There is some truth to that, I think - mind you I don't know many people who 100% toe a party/ideological line. And I know some pretty darn sensible and successful liberal older folks, and some really dumb, loser conservatives.
That's the trouble with stereotypes. They don't work.

[MichiganLady]

One may not think it, but Marquette is a rather liberal city, which also seems the perfect place for a small book store to open, there are a number of them up there already. You have a lot of college kids who like to meander through small, interesting book shops.