Grand Rapids for progressive minded? (Allendale, Douglas: for sale, rental, condos)

[Wabbit]

Very nice post Angelstar.
I love when people tell me something about my area I didn't know.
(Su Casa & Crane Orchards ). That's what I thought this site was all
about when I first started coming here. It rarely is.
That said, you get very few negative posts coming from the West side
of the state which accurately reflects the mood over here.
I also find it interesting that so many people from Cali appreciate Michigan.
As for the political atmosphere, with exception to Holland I find the 'Dutch' perception of W. Michigan to be a lingering but potent myth.
It's really pretty much down the middle as far as I'm concerned.
Again, thanks for the info and for being my 100th post which makes
me a Senior Member. Whoo-Hoo! Break out the Oberon!

[Cato the Elder]

Wabbit, I spent much time this spring traveling between GR and metro Detroit while debating about a job opportunity in the former area. We enjoyed our time there and thought the area was great, but decided to stay here after much thought.

Don't be misled by the acrid posts about metro Detroit. Yes, the area has been hit by the auto industry, but the vast majority of the people I run into here in Oakland County and also in the city at Wayne State and the DIA are as happy as the people in GR. For whatever reason, a disproportionate amount of yahoos with a bone to pick about life seem to come here and throw a tantrum. Yep, life is so hard and they're poor victims of Granholm and everyone else, but they somehow have access to a computer and the internet. For those that moved, if their lives have changed so much for the better, why are they trolling the MI board raising a ruckus? B/c they are inherently negative, bitter people!

[magellan]

Originally Posted by Cato the Elder

Wabbit, I spent much time this spring traveling between GR and metro Detroit while debating about a job opportunity in the former area. We enjoyed our time there and thought the area was great, but decided to stay here after much thought.

Don't be misled by the acrid posts about metro Detroit. Yes, the area has been hit by the auto industry, but the vast majority of the people I run into here in Oakland County and also in the city at Wayne State and the DIA are as happy as the people in GR. For whatever reason, a disproportionate amount of yahoos with a bone to pick about life seem to come here and throw a tantrum. Yep, life is so hard and they're poor victims of Granholm and everyone else, but they somehow have access to a computer and the internet. For those that moved, if their lives have changed so much for the better, why are they trolling the MI board raising a ruckus? B/c they are inherently negative, bitter people!

I think you nailed it Cato. I think people are bitter about the election, and are angry and moving out. Just like people who moved to Canada when Bush won re-election. What they fail to acknowledge is that the Republicans put up such a dolt for the governor's run (Devos), that he lost in a landslide to an incumbent overseeing one of the worst financial situations Michigan has seen in a long time (maybe the 80's?).

[Wabbit]

Cato,
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the suburbs like Royal Oak, Plymouth etc.
are VERY nice. In Royal Oaks case, perfect even.
That said, it frustrates me that the rest of the state in unable to control its own destiny (politically) because Detroit proper automatically tips the scale in favor of the entitlement/union candidate. As Magellan said, the Republicans put up a non-starter in a year that could have really made a difference. That first debate was an unintended sitcom.
I'll vote left, right or down the center if I think he/she’s the best person for the job, but that's not Detroit's way. Can you say 2 term Hip-hop Mayor?
I actually think Pete Hoekstra would be the most competent choice or even Romney, if he'd move back to Michigan. Anyone, who has proven they can get the job done, I'm for.
I have nothing but hugs and kisses for the Motor-city beyond that.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by Wabbit

Cato,
As I mentioned in an earlier post, the suburbs like Royal Oak, Plymouth etc.
are VERY nice and on par with the suburbs of any large city. Better than most.
That said, it frustrates me that the rest of the state in unable to control its own destiny (politically) because Detroit automatically tips the scale in favor of the entitlement candidate. As Magellan said, the Republicans put up a non-starter in a year that could have really made a difference.
I'll vote left, right or down the center if I think he/she’s the best person for the job, but that's not Detroit's mentality. Can you say 2 term Hip-hop Mayor?
I actually think Pete Hoekstra would be the most competent choice or even Romney, if he'd move back to Michigan. Anyone, who has proven they can get the job done, I'm for.

I'll agree with you pretty much 100% here. It's about the best person for the job. What you have to remember about metro Detroit is that the city proper is only a small percentage of the population - less than 800k and dropping as we speak. Out here in Oakland County, people looked long and hard at DeVos as an alternative, but the fact he resigned early into the term of his only elected office (school board) didn't bode well. People WANTED to like him as an alternative, but it was hard to overlook the daddy's good ole boy label with that track record.

The difficulty in finding a good, progressive governor is a number of factors, but one has to believe the structure of the state government and the political landscape in the state have something to do with it. PA also has a urban vs. rural political dichotomy with much distrust between the two, so it shows how successful and popular Ed Rendell had to have been to be elected governor AFTER being mayor of Philadelphia. Even before Rendell, Ridge was an effective governor whether you agreed with his politics or not. Here's to hoping MI can continue working toward change and elect people for the common good of the state instead of those supported by special interests.

[Wabbit]

KUDOS CATO!
PA, more than any other state I can think of, is a prime example of how to get things done in a bi-partisan manner. That should be Michigan's model.

[GrGirl]

...is an oxymoron. I have lived in K-zoo, Ann Arbor, and in FL and the worst culture shock I ever had was my move from Ann Arbor to back Grand Rapids after many years away. It has progressed a lot since I grew up here... it actually has a vegetarian restaurant, but the food co-op closed, so they kind of cancel each other out. But even with some progress, I find it horribly oppressive and would like nothing better than to get out. Conformity seems to be a major requirement, still, though there are pockets of open-mindedness and acceptance, primarily in the Eastown area.

I agree with some posts that have said Saugatuck might be a good option, and definitely recommend Ann Arbor, though you mentioned wanting to be close to the lake and that would not be.

One thing I try my best to keep in mind, sometimes with struggle, is that anywhere you live is what you make it. Some communities are just naturally more accepting, but almost everywhere has groups of more open-minded people and the question becomes one of how much effort you want to put into finding them. You have to put in a bit more effort here.

My personal solution, since I am sort of trapped here for family and financial reasons right now, is to make this a home base and then travel as much as I can to get out of the repressive atmosphere when I think I might start pullingmy hair out. It is a quite affordable place to live, and I live pretty simply, so travel is an option. It also has pretty much equal proximity to the Ann Arbor/Detroit and Chicago areas, which make for good weekend escapes.

You mentioned Unitarian Churches...there is one here, sort of, though last I knew it did not have a permanent home. Also, the times I have visitied it, I was not all that impressed. it was being operated in a very traditional way, unlike the one I grew to love in Jacksonville, FL, of all places, that was much less traditional and a lot more diverse. A lot of people like Fountain Street Church and consider a haven for liberal, socially-minded people, however, again in comparison with the church I went to in FL, it was very traditional. Everything is relative to your past experiences, I guess.

I can relate to your dilemma and understand it totally.
Good luck to you.

[suydam]

If you cannot find a unitarian church, you might look into the United Church of Christ.

The UCC takes a very liberal stance on social issues. I'm no Unitarian so I'm not sure how they feel about stuff but I'd guess they're similar in that regard.

As for the oppressive reputation for the area, I've been here 3 years now....I have to say the reputation for ultra-conservative whackos far out-weighed the reality. As with anywhere else in middle America, this isn't Berkeley, California but it's not Salt Lake City either.

East Hills, Eastown and even East Grand Rapids are left-leaning when compared to say Holland->Hudsonville->Grandville on the west side of town.

If you end up here, you'll find people who agree with you and those who don't. That's what makes America great.

[kberr32]

Originally Posted by Pyewacket

I left Battle Creek in the early 80s for a state that had much better financial (and therefore educational) opps for me but that is waaaaaay too conservative for my tastes. My husband, elementary-aged son, and I will have the chance to relocate to Mich in another year or so and I'm having a hard time pinpointing a good fit with a community. Definitely not Battle Creek. (800 miles away from family is too far---right in my back yard is too close! ;-)

I'm thinking of Kalamazoo, not least because of the Kzoo Promise, although I don't know a lot about the city. Employment is not an issue--each of us is self-employed and could live anywhere. We currently have a couple acres, and I'd like to find a similar location--maybe with even enough room (and right zoning) to have a few goats or chickens.

Grand Rapids seems interesting, but I'm constantly hearing that it's extremely conservative. I'm tired of mine being the only house on the street with Dem. candidate signs in the yard every election year, although that's not my only consideration. Good schools, reasonable housing prices, low crime, vibrant cultural offerings (art fests, theatre, museums, music venues, etc), good med. care are important to us (like most families, I'd think).

I also don't want to find myself the only atheist in a sea of born-agains who drag Jesus into every conversation, but have no problem with non-evangelical "traditional" religions, as long as their practitioners don't try to recruit us. Our friends tend to be a wide mix of religions, cultural & ethnic backgrounds, and so on. So I don't want to live next door to bigots or intolerant rednecks who would make our gay, black, or Hispanic friends feel unwelcome.

I love the SW part of the state and do not want to be too far from Lake Mich or too close to Detroit (otherwise, I'd make a beeline for AA). I love Marshall as a place to visit, but know next to nothing about the political or cultural climate. Anybody know much about Marshall?

Is there ANY community on the west side where we'd be a good fit? Summers19, how are you doing with your search? I have a feeling I'd feel comfortable in the same type of areas you would, though I'd lean toward smaller towns. Do you have any problem with Kzoo besides it being too small for your needs? Thanks for any thoughts or suggestions.

Gr is part of the bible belt. Its great to see people who worship and believe in Jesus as their lord and savior.

[Zmehappy]

We moved from the Grand Rapids suburbs to Saugatuck/Douglas area. Highly recommended, it's like being on vacation everyday, just beautiful! Liberal works well here.