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I got here late, darn. Port Huron is a hole. At 1 time many, many years ago, it had the potential to become a pearl but has since become a scar.
St. Clair County with PH being the #1 city, has either the 2nd or 3rd highest rate of cancer in the world. There is a nasty Dow Chemical plant across the river in Canada and a giant underground natural gas storage in the salt mines under the neighboring city to the south in Marysville. It is a dangerous area IMO and local word was that it was 1 of the top cold war targets of r nuclear war! I imagine it still is right up there on the list.
Other problems with PH include the city income tax, an extremely bad drug problem in the south end of town, and an escalating crime rate. Homeless people carouse the city, including the campus of SC4. Businesses are vacant up and down M-25, including a gas station! Even the newest construction on the Black River is all a mistake. There is a new big blue building sitting on the river at M-25 that sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the old architecture. It is hideous! Then they built new townhouses across the river from the college and they blew that too. Instead of building a great waterfront space for all of the residents to enjoy at the complex, they built a few townhouses on the river. They are nice places but the planning was horrible.
As far as the benefits of traffic from Canada? Not even the Birchwood Mall pulls in customers from Canada like they used to. That traffic jumps right onto 69 or 94 and never even ventures into PH. If they are going anywhere locally, it is still to Fort Gratiot. The major traffic source coming from Canada into St. Clair County and PH, is from the Canadian workers who compete in the local job market. If you're hiring, you'll have Canadians come in at a high rate to see you. If you're doing business as normal in PH, that is not the case.
As for property values dropping over the next couple years, I cannot see any other outcome. Unemployment is around 25% and the places where new jobs would be created sit vacant. Those commercial rents have to drop a ton for the market to decide to act and start opening back up for business in them. Same thing with the housing in PH. If you aren't losing the shirt off your back, you aren't making a sale in PH. The only thing in town doing good business is the college and that is only because of a ton of federal funding for retraining. Their current, record setting number of students will decline and there will be even less business downtown. I think it will get worse before it gets better. But hey, the bars and liquor stores will still do good. They actually do better in rough economic times. So, if you're looking for a town to open a liquor store in, PH is the ticket!
Heck of a 1st Post!
I guess I'll qualify myself and say that I'm a current student at SC4. I live in Macomb County though. 1 last thing and then I will shut up.
If you are seeking lodging in PH, do not ever go to the Hotel across the street from McMorran. I had a hooker approach me as soon as I registered, I went into my room and it was dirty as could be, there was graffiti all over the walls. They had families who musta lost their home living in 1 little room with their kids. The cable TV is not even upgraded to use the new digital signal and you get about 6 channels. The riff raff coming and going from the place certainly appears to be tied to drugs and prostitution. If I had not been stranded on foot or was more familiar with their transit service, I would have left that place in a heart beat.
Since I am a fair man, I ought to point out a few positives about PH. That transit service they have is very nice. McMorran Arena is a nice venue for everything from sports to concerts. The boardwalk is a great local place to fish...I wouldn't eat many though. The boat nights and cruise nights they do are ok. SC4 is a nice college and for, in district students, you can't beat their price per credit hour too many places in the country.
If you want cheap school and to rent for a couple years, I'd recommend PH. If you want to find employment or a place to live for 30 years and raise kids, go somewhere else. And then, as pointed out already, if all else fails and you do wind up in PH, choose the north end! In fact, fear for your life if you find yourself walking around the south end of town at night. Beware even during the day!
To all good folks contributing to the ongoing discussion about settling in and initiating new business in Port Huron, Michigan >>> First, THANKS for all your concern and honest opinions and outlook based on experience.
Primarily I decided on Port Huron as a promising small border town BECAUSE of its AFFORDABILITY, lakefront and as I believe that NAFTA ( the North American Free Trade Agreement ) between USA, Canada and Mexico is not going away, on the contrary it is becoming "The Standard" of business such as import-export of goods and trade services, outsourcing, cross-border manufacturing and subsidiaries, cross-border franchising, mercantile trade etc. etc. This was signed by Bill Clinton back in 1993. It DID harm Detroit and the automotive industry and its support industry in general, but it also increased purchases of US products and services both from Canada and Mexico.
Port Huron is not dying, folks. It LACKS INVESTMENT CAPITAL. That's it! It will take out-of-state pioneers like myself to start a business bloom here. If ALL of us say " well, it is a town in decline, with many businesses stricken with plight and folks fleeing the area for the more prosperous southwestern states etc.etc. ", then that negative thinking will perpetuate the plight of Michigan's economy for years to come.
I am a BELIEVER that Michigan WILL rebound with a revenge. The automotive industry is here to stay, regardless of its contemporary problems. They will switch gears to cleaner-energy and alternative sources such as fuell-cell and electric vehicles and American innovation will open new horizons, new jobs and new industries for Michigan residents . PATIENCE is the key. Things don't change overnight, it is a cycle that has to run its course.
I have criss-crossed all over Port Huron and Fort Gratiot townships, and the only areas that I think are "hopeless" are parts of South Park, part of the area south of Lapeer and north of Griswold closer to downtown, and a few pockets of south downtown closer to the industrial park and Amtrak station. Those pockets are seedy and full of homeless vagabonds. The rest of Port Huron is beautiful, sprawling, well-cared for, with stately mansions and other Victorian and colonial homes, though old but quaint essentially. This port town is definitely not for city folks. But it is for people who don't mind the cold weather in winter, the ever-present snow and ice and the February blizzards, and the humidity of summer and fall seasons. You can't have ALL GOOD ALL the time. That does not exist.
I hope my detailed outlook and "estimation" of the future in Port Huron will inspire the locals for their future here. It is a lovely town folks, you will miss it when you leave it for good.
Last edited by Kazak; 02-23-2010 at 03:27 PM..
Reason: Bad fonts, hard to read
I got here late, darn. Port Huron is a hole. At 1 time many, many years ago, it had the potential to become a pearl but has since become a scar.
St. Clair County with PH being the #1 city, has either the 2nd or 3rd highest rate of cancer in the world. There is a nasty Dow Chemical plant across the river in Canada and a giant underground natural gas storage in the salt mines under the neighboring city to the south in Marysville. It is a dangerous area IMO and local word was that it was 1 of the top cold war targets of r nuclear war! I imagine it still is right up there on the list.
Other problems with PH include the city income tax, an extremely bad drug problem in the south end of town, and an escalating crime rate. Homeless people carouse the city, including the campus of SC4. Businesses are vacant up and down M-25, including a gas station! Even the newest construction on the Black River is all a mistake. There is a new big blue building sitting on the river at M-25 that sticks out like a sore thumb amongst the old architecture. It is hideous! Then they built new townhouses across the river from the college and they blew that too. Instead of building a great waterfront space for all of the residents to enjoy at the complex, they built a few townhouses on the river. They are nice places but the planning was horrible.
As far as the benefits of traffic from Canada? Not even the Birchwood Mall pulls in customers from Canada like they used to. That traffic jumps right onto 69 or 94 and never even ventures into PH. If they are going anywhere locally, it is still to Fort Gratiot. The major traffic source coming from Canada into St. Clair County and PH, is from the Canadian workers who compete in the local job market. If you're hiring, you'll have Canadians come in at a high rate to see you. If you're doing business as normal in PH, that is not the case.
As for property values dropping over the next couple years, I cannot see any other outcome. Unemployment is around 25% and the places where new jobs would be created sit vacant. Those commercial rents have to drop a ton for the market to decide to act and start opening back up for business in them. Same thing with the housing in PH. If you aren't losing the shirt off your back, you aren't making a sale in PH. The only thing in town doing good business is the college and that is only because of a ton of federal funding for retraining. Their current, record setting number of students will decline and there will be even less business downtown. I think it will get worse before it gets better. But hey, the bars and liquor stores will still do good. They actually do better in rough economic times. So, if you're looking for a town to open a liquor store in, PH is the ticket!
Heck of a 1st Post!
I guess I'll qualify myself and say that I'm a current student at SC4. I live in Macomb County though. 1 last thing and then I will shut up.
If you are seeking lodging in PH, do not ever go to the Hotel across the street from McMorran. I had a hooker approach me as soon as I registered, I went into my room and it was dirty as could be, there was graffiti all over the walls. They had families who musta lost their home living in 1 little room with their kids. The cable TV is not even upgraded to use the new digital signal and you get about 6 channels. The riff raff coming and going from the place certainly appears to be tied to drugs and prostitution. If I had not been stranded on foot or was more familiar with their transit service, I would have left that place in a heart beat.
Since I am a fair man, I ought to point out a few positives about PH. That transit service they have is very nice. McMorran Arena is a nice venue for everything from sports to concerts. The boardwalk is a great local place to fish...I wouldn't eat many though. The boat nights and cruise nights they do are ok. SC4 is a nice college and for, in district students, you can't beat their price per credit hour too many places in the country.
If you want cheap school and to rent for a couple years, I'd recommend PH. If you want to find employment or a place to live for 30 years and raise kids, go somewhere else. And then, as pointed out already, if all else fails and you do wind up in PH, choose the north end! In fact, fear for your life if you find yourself walking around the south end of town at night. Beware even during the day!
I believe 95% of what you wrote is absolutely correct. HOPE dies last, though. However to call the town of Port Huron a "hole", that's a bit too harsh. Just see the nicer parts of town such as Gratiot park, the mansions along Thomas Edison parkway, rivergate estates, the older mansions along Military road just near the "Quay" south of the black river bridge, and go shopping and living north of the BlueWater bridge and you CAN make yourself a good home and worklife here. The glass is EITHER half-full OR half-empty, it all depends HOW you look at it. I see it half-full, because I am an optimist. We just need to strive to fill the other half of the glass with our energy, motivation and labour. A town ONLY prospers when the local townsfolk haven't given up on it. The cancer issue, though, is a major concern. The St.Clair straits are polluted, and the DOW plant across the bridge spews tons of poisonous hydrocarbons into the air. May the wind will always be on our back, so the fumes blow back to them, the Canadians in Sarnia !!!
It's alright. Nice, tight-knit small town spirit. Affordable housing. It's pretty bland though. But, like all cities in Michigan these days, you'll start to see foreclosed properties with overgrown lawns. But, yeah. That's Port Huron.
Kazak,
I haven't been on here in a while, but I think it's great you moved to PH. Welcome to town! For the negative nancies out there, I only have one thing to say: Compare Port Huron to cities of the same size all around the country. I have - Port Huron is far better than most. I have travelled the country 50 weeks a year (returning home to Port Huron every weekend) for the last 10 years. I have been to 39 states in my travels and have been to plenty of other similar size cities. Giving an honest comparison, Port Huron wins out in my opinion.
Port Huron compares favorably in the following areas:
1. Cost of living - far cheaper than most places
2. Natural beauty (don't take that lake for granted people, most out there have no idea how wonderful we have it)
3. Recreation - specifically tied to boating, the water and winter sports
4. Entertainment - most cities this size are HOURS away from anything worthwhile - and often times that long drive leads them to somewhere like.........Witchita.......or Omaha. Say what you want about Detroit, but I love being 50 minutes from Tigers games, Red Wings games and downtown entertainment.
Port Huron compares unfavorably in the following areas:
1. Economy
2. Income Tax - 1% income tax needs to go
3. Crime - but only on the south end. If you could break down crime rates by neighborhood, you would find the crime rates in the areas north of Hancock and the I-94 overpass compare favorably with just about anywhere.
4. Climate - that is, of course, if you hate the cold.
I believe the cancer rate is affected by Sarnia, but I believe the quote about being one of the 3 worst counties to be an absolute lie. I've heard that perpetuated by different people, none of whom have the facts to back it up. All I've ever been able to find is Michigan only data - which doesn't even place the county in the top 3 in the state......and Michigan is about in the middle of the pack in state by state cancer comparisons.
In closing, think of it this way. If you hate the cold, don't like boating, can't get a job or can't afford anything on the north end, or can't get a loan and have to rent, then Port Huron is probably a bad choice for you. However, if you don't mind winters, enjoy the water, work hard without complaining or playing the "victim" and want an affordable place (for which you have the credit to get a loan) in a nice area, then Port Huron should be at the top of your list......ANYWHERE.
I was born and raised in Port Huron, and I now attend the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. I have one thing to say if you are considering to moved to Port Huron. DON'T DO IT. It isn't worth it.
TigerDan,
Here's the thing: Yes, for someone who can afford to live in the North end of Port Huron, it may be pleasant. However, the fact is, in our economy right now, very few people can. In fact, many of those mansions you see on the water in the North end are vacation houses owned by exorbitantly rich out-of-towners that they only use for several weeks out of the year. As for recreation, again, most people cannot afford to own or operate anything greater than a fishing boat, so while the lake is nice for swimming on hot days, I think we've already established that not even that is such a great idea due to the pollution. I agree with Kazak. Port Huron is a hole. There is actually quite a metaphor there. As I have seen growing up in the Port Huron area, there is a strong culture that pervades the city of mediocrity and apathy. The vast majority of Port Huron's residents almost fail to even acknowledge that there is a world outside of Port Huron, becoming stuck here after having kids a little earlier than planned, deciding to go to SC4 and then having kids before finishing, deciding that Port Huron is the best place to run their drug businesses, etc. These children being born here then also fall into this cycle, and they accept mediocrity because they do not realize that it is possible to live any other way. I've seen this happen personally to most of the kids I graduated high school with. This is what I think has been causing a lot of the unrest that has been evident in the local news lately, what with the rise in crime and whatnot. People are beginning to become uncomfortable in their situations and turn to things like drugs, violent crime, and suicide.
Kazak, I think the reason why Port Huron is lacking investment capital is because the people of Port Huron don't have any money to spend on new businesses to begin with (thus the high poverty rate, high unemployment rate, etc.). While it would be a noble endeavor to try to bring Port Huron a little bit of prosperity, for your sake, I don't think it's worth it. You're not the first person to try to bring investment capital to Port Huron, and from what I've seen, the ones before you haven't done so hot. Take McMorran for example...and the Border Cats, and the Flags, and the Ice Hawks, all the businesses that used to fill the shops of Military and Main Streets...McMorran and the Ice Hawks are still around, but are far in the red at the moment, and could very possibly shut down at any time now. The only reason why Port Huron has the few nice things that is does is thanks to the generosity of Dr. James C. Acheson and Acheson Ventures. Unless you're planning on building a bigger, better, cheaper Wal-Mart than the one that already exists at the North end, you're going to need the grace of God and a whole lot of luck to be able to capitalize on any investment into the Port Huron area.
The grass is always greener. I've lived in Ann Arbor for 20 years but I still cherish Port Huron and visit whenever I can.
Port Huron has amazing natural beauty and does a good job of sprinkling parks along the river to watch the largest boats in the world ply their trade. Due to it's immense wealth during the Michigan lumber boom, Port Huron is blessed with one of the best collections of mansions in any town in Michigan. Yes, the city still doesn't understand that this history is its heritage and legacy and continues to allow them to be torn down (like the ones in 2008 in front of the hospital) , but there are still many that have been restored and are landmarks.
Yes, the city is having economic trouble and it pains me to see how the town leaders sold their soul for a retail hub on the north side of town, resulting in clogged traffic and the decimation of one of the best downtowns in the state.
The future of the city almost surely rests on its ability to leverage tourists, as it's not well positioned to regain the manufacturing business that has left the area in the last few years. With some focus on the downtown area as a destination, increased use of McMorran, and some much needed hotel/convention space (and the organization to fill it), Port Huron could still regain its former glory. As it stands, Port Huron appears to be a city that peaked maybe 30-40 years ago and has been in slow, but steady, decline every since.
Location: Detroit's eastside, downtown Detroit in near future!
2,053 posts, read 4,393,330 times
Reputation: 699
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger Beer
Seems like this sentiment comes up all of the time.
DETROIT and MICHIGAN with the economy are two drastically different things. The city of Detroit is the one with the economic issues.
The rest of the state, including Port Huron, is just a normal regular place...wouldn't be any different than being in Nebraska or Wisconsin or Maine or wherever else. It's just a town with chain stores and gas stations and blockbusters and whatever else.
If anything, the OP who is interested in a gas station has a good idea going. It's an international border, constant trade with Canada goes through there...and will continue to go through there. Not only that, but there aren't any initiatives to provide a train or subway service or anything else...the city is growing in Port Huron...more and more people and businesses every year. The population is increasing, and cars on the road that will require gas are also increasing.
wow, open your eyes. All of MI is suffering not just Detroit
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Pros & Cons: Port Huron
THANKS for detailed honesty!
