Smaller towns in northern/central lower peninsula (Grand Rapids, Traverse City: houses, low crime)

[barlar1045]

Hello,
I'm looking for information on smaller towns (I'm presently from Grand Rapids) in Michigan, esp. those in northern lower Michigan. Want to retire away from the big city setting. Any feedback/suggestions welcomed.

[mich2fla]

Originally Posted by barlar1045

Hello,
I'm looking for information on smaller towns (I'm presently from Grand Rapids) in Michigan, esp. those in northern lower Michigan. Want to retire away from the big city setting. Any feedback/suggestions welcomed.

What are your interests? Up north there's plenty of lakes for fishing, land for hunting, ski resorts, snowmobile trails, etc.

Personally I like Pentwater. It's busy between May and September then quiet the rest of the year. Only 20 minutes drive to the next big city - Ludington.

[tweety]

I am originally from Alpena. It is right on Lake Huron. Its a nice town and fairly large compared to most in the area. I couldn't take those winters though.

[cwarlaw]

Why not try the Hastings area? Excellent lakes (lots of fishing) State game areas and loads of countryside.

[mariatherese]

I am from the U.P. I lived in Traverse City for 3 years, and it is so wonderful there, so beautiful. It is my favorite place in all of Michigan!

[MIBound]

barlar my wife and I are looking for areas about 1 hour from muskegon and holland, 30 minutes or so from Grand Rapids and about 45 from Stanton. We want smaller town good area, good homes low crime any advise?

[sw5273]

I moved to a small town called Saranac,Mi. It is quite and very little crime. We do have a large sr. pop. It is olny 30 minutes from Grand Rapids. It is also a very beautfuly place to live. River goes though town, and it is very laid back. You should give us a try.

[family girl]

I don't mean to sound bad, but PLEASE if you have children, DON"T move them to Saranac! I grew up there my whole life, as did most of my family. The educational opprotunities are horrible and do not come close to preparation for college. My siblings and I felt cheated by what other students knew and the access to learning tools that Saranac never provided. It is to small of a community to have much tolerance of others and everyone knows everyone else's business. To top it off, there is nothing there anymore! Not even a supermarket unless you drive 20 minutes away. UGH! Do No Move There! BEWARE!

[MzClown]

I also moved to Saranac - from Grand Rapids to Lowell to here. We also like it very much. Some friends who were living in Grand Rapids helped us move here, fell in love with the town, and bought the house next door! LOL!

No, we don't have a grocery store anymore, but we still have a hardware store, several gas stations that sell some groceries, a couple restaurants, a bank, the library, a barber, 2 doctor offices, a couple dentists, a laundrymat, a gym, a beauty shop, and a video store. And lots of churches!

Ionia is just 15-20 minutes away and keeps growing - there is now a new Meijers, 24-hour Super Walmart, Walgreens, dollar store, restaurants, Radio Shack, and McCords (lots of fresh produce) and other stores all a hop, skip, and a jump from each other.

Lowell is towards GR and it has restaurants, doctors, dentists, a Meijers, Five and Dime, Library, the Antique Mall, and lots of other places to stop into and enjoy and shop. The houses there were too expensive for us, and the town was growing too big for what we wanted.

We would rather drive 15-20 minutes to Ionia or Lowell than to live in those busy places, and have Saranac stay small.

We have not noticed any lack of tolerance in the almost 10 years we have been here. Like any small town, folks do know each other and I guess you would say they know your business. But I would also venture that you can keep your business to yourself if you try.

I find that people care and if they ask me at the Library how my son is doing, or ask at the bank how my husband is feeling these days - well, I find that heart-warming rather than intrusive. It could have been every bit as bad as the previous poster said when living here, but we and our neighbors have not found it to be so in the past 10 years.

Oh, and Saranac is one of the most "Walking-est" towns I have ever seen! People walk here - many are senior citizens, but just as many aren't. I love that we can sit on our porch and people walk by and stop for a word or two about the garden or the weather or their lives - or just say, "Hello!" as they pass by. It is an old-time feeling we love, and our neighbors have said they feel the same way.

[jjjmr02]

I grew up around the Big Rapids/Reed City area, which are nice and small. Big Rapids is getting bigger and busier as Ferris State grows. Reed City continues to stay as small as ever, lol. My parents now live in Cadillac, which is a beautiful town, nestled between Lake Mitchell and Lake Cadillac. Most of the towns from Cadillac to Traverse City are all very nice as well. Traverse City is where we go to get to the big(ger) city, lol, but it still has a small town feel to it. Good luck!