[emu742]

Wondering everyone's input on how the towns of Ludington, Traverse, Manistee or Cadillac compare to one another in terms of personality or 'feel'??

We won't be IN the town in any one of them - so thoughts on the surrounding areas are helpful too! Trying to get a general idea before making our way out there to look ourselves

[Peter B]

Your question is waaaaay too generic to generate any responses. Try being a bit more specific.

[emu742]

I should have been more specific with what I had in mind. What I am trying to see is if there are any specific big differences that really stand out between them, or not. If these are all relatively nice areas with a mix of ideas, thoughts, religions, etc than I suppose there is really no question left to ask. I have heard some pretty specific and opinionated responses when mentioning Flint, Detriot or Saginaw (all high in crime in certain parts atleast). I have a general idea that Traverse City is touristy and A2 is more liberal (and the whole foods are located there). And Holland is a bit clannish. Sounds like Marquette is loved by many - a place people are proud of being a part of Michigan. Stuff like that.

We do not need much, and are aware there is no perfect place. We get along fine with both sides of the coin. I am trying to paint a picture in my mind of the various areas of Michigan, since I have never been there and honestly knew next to nothing a couple months ago about it. Though I know I run the risk of categorizing too much into one narrow definition, it does help to understand the place a bit better.

[Bydand]

Well, let me try this one.

Ludington really has two different "feels" to it depending on the time of year. Memorial Day to Labor Day is a busy, touristy, resort type feeling with just as many (if not more) out of town vehicles as there are local vehicles. Labor Day to Memorial day though it is quieter and more laid-back. It is the "big city" of the area and tries to live up to that for good or bad. At around 9000 people it has all the usual suspects for big box stores and a decent assortment of Mom & Pop places. Most of the farming directly around Ludington are orchards (Apple, Cherry, peach, pear, nectarines, apricots, etc...). Ludington does have the feeling of trying to be the "big Brother" to all the smaller towns around it and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Ludington has a mixed history of agriculture, fishing, and industry. They have a chemical plant that was (and may well still be) the largest Magnesium Chloride plant in the world. It employees around 150 people. It is also home to the most active Charter Fishing "fleet" on Lake Michigan. They head out all summer and Fall for Salmon, Steelhead (lake run Rainbow Trout), and Lake Trout.

Just a few miles to the East is Scottville. It is where I have chosen to call home. The community has a totally different feel than Ludington has, and it is one that is more rural feeling. There are more farms around Scottville growing Corn, Oats, Pumpkins, Asparagus, Green Beans, Melons, Orchards, along with Dairy, beef, and a few pigs. The different types of crops grown within just a few miles is staggering really for the size of the farms and the size of the area. The people are much more Community centered and less hung up on what a person wears, drives, or went to school. Here it really is how you treat your family, friends, and community that is most important. So more of a rural farming community feel than Ludington and proud of that background. Downtown is struggling, and the looks are not as nice as other towns, but the feeling more than makes up for it.

To the North is Manistee which has probably the best looking downtown anywhere in the area. Smaller than Ludington at about 6000 people it has decent shopping, but not great. They didn't buy into that 60's - 70's downtown update craze that swept through so they still have the old store fronts and nice old brick buildings that have individual personality. In Manistee they have the Ramsdell Theater which is still active and still producing local/national talent in theater production. A little know fella by the name of James Earl Jones got his start in Manistee . Right now one of their actors is nationally known and recognized for his voice work in audio books. It has some industry around it and is a little less ag centered than Ludington and Scottvile. They also have a large charter fishing fleet that takes people out on Lake Michigan. For me personally Manistee has a rather "odd" feel to it. Kind of closed to outsiders and just different. The people are friendly enough, but to me it feels like a "cool" nice rather than a warm inviting nice.

Just to the Southeast of Manistee is Filer City which did have paper mills and a Morton salt factory. For years it was the cause of Manistee being known locally and Man-a-stink. I haven't noticed the smell in a few years in the area at all. About the same as Manistee for feel to me, shopping is done in Manistee 90% of the time.

Cadillac has some nice areas around it, and it is a nice town itself. I used to live in a small town just outside Cadillac named McBain. That is the most agricultural city in that area followed closely by Lucas and Lake City. Cadillac has a decent feel to it, and they just spent all Summer reworking their downtown. It has the usual big box stores as well as the smaller stores. It has about 10,000 people and is the hub of that area. Town is wrapped around Lake Cadillac which offers decent fishing and views. Just to the West is Lake Mitchell which I personally like better than Lake Cadillac. Bigger and better fishing there.

Traverse City is the big boy on the block for Northern Michigan. It has the most active downtown, and most activities in the area. They have a small mall and it is the "go-to" city for the region really. Along with that "honor" is the attitude or feel of the city. More hustle and bustle than anything else mentioned. Cherry is top dog in the area but the vineyards are giving them a run for their money when it comes to what the region is being recognized for now. Traverse City and the Leelanau Peninsula has some VERY good wineries. Just a short drive out of TC proper and you get into some farming, but not as extensive as just to the South just a bit.

In all the areas you mentioned there are a few large farms, but most are smaller farms ranging from 5 or 10 acres to a couple hundred acres. Growing anything from Christmas trees to Cherries. Maple syrup to Pumpkins. Literally a wide choice from Apricots to Yams (couldn't think of a "z" produce).

Sorry for the long post, but they are all areas I have lived in and liked. They all have their advantages and all their disadvantages, but all make nice homes for those who can make it economically these days. If I were to pick my PERSONAL list #1 - Ludington area, #2 - Cadillac area, #3 - Traverse City area, #4 Manistee area. With top slot being Scottville and the bottom slot going to Manistee itself. Even that being said there isn't that big of a gap from top to bottom and I could and would live in Manistee without hesitation.

[jeeg]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Sorry for the long post, but they are all areas I have lived in and liked. They all have their advantages and all their disadvantages, but all make nice homes for those who can make it economically these days. If I were to pick my PERSONAL list #1 - Ludington area, #2 - Cadillac area, #3 - Traverse City area, #4 Manistee area. With top slot being Scottville and the bottom slot going to Manistee itself. Even that being said there isn't that big of a gap from top to bottom and I could and would live in Manistee without hesitation.

Wow!! I have lived in, near, or visited all those areas myself (still have family in all of them) and I agree with this post absolutely.

If I could pick a spot in lower MI to settle in and raise my family, it to would likely be close to Scottville.

[B-bear]

Bydand did a pretty good job summing up these areas. I am from Manistee and have many relatives that live in and around Scottville/Ludington and I pretty much agree with what was stated. It is worth mentioning that Ludington (with the exception of TC) has better restaurants and shopping than the other cities. Manistee has a casino outside of town that is quite nice if you're up for that sort of stuff. All of these areas are relatively free of crime other than the petty stuff that every small town has. Out of the cities that the OP listed, TC stands out as being the most different of the four. Their is more wealth in the area, much more shopping and dining options and more nightlife. The other cities really don't offer much in that department, IMO. I have noticed in the past year or two that with the general economic downturn in the state all of these areas seem a little more downtrodden than before. That being said, I would live in any of these towns if my job would allow but obviously am partial to Manistee. I should also add that I love big lake fishing and both Ludington and Manistee offer the best in the state.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by B-bear

Bydand did a pretty good job summing up these areas. I am from Manistee and have many relatives that live in and around Scottville/Ludington and I pretty much agree with what was stated. It is worth mentioning that Ludington (with the exception of TC) has better restaurants and shopping than the other cities.

Forgot about the restaurants. I miss the Tuscan Grill in Manistee, they had some good food I thought. Ludington does have a good selection of places to eat. Scottville is down to one real place and the Dessert barn, I about had a spasm when Steve's closed.

[snoshoewalkr]

I also think Bydand, Jeeg, and BBear are pretty much correct in their overview of the towns. I have lived in the Cadillac area for 20 years, and visit the other cities on a regular basis. I would not hesitate to move to any of the other towns mentioned (if there was a job waiting for me!). It's all beautiful area.

[Luzette]

I'm 14 miles from Manistee, 45 miles from Ludington, 50 miles from Cadillac and 50 miles from Traverse City. My two cents is pick a place close to Traverse City if you intend to have a decent social life. My main complaint about rural life is that it's so hard to meet people in small towns. Outside of church there just aren't a lot of options. I've always treasured Traverse City as a place that offers diversity and options for various ways to meet people and do things of interest. The town has culture but isn't high flying. There are a lot of great foods throughout the city and nice places to go shopping. In the summer it's wonderful by the lake as it is by these other towns too, but I'll just always recommend Traverse City hands down when I see a question like yours.

[emu742]

thank you SO much for all the helpful responses here - this has really given me a good start to the feel of the area. I got a book from the library yesterday too on the various regions which actually seemed to further confirm what is being said here I'm hoping to avoid the 20% sunshine of winter that some areas in MI seem to have - according to citydata it seems that this also seems to be an area that has about 30% (maybe minus Cadillac), which is a step up from 20 atleast, haha :P can't have everything though!