Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Hi to all,
Myself and my family are thinking of moving to Michigan from Ireland. We're in our late 20's and have a 3 year old son. Im Irish born and my wife is from Michigan (about 30 minutes east of Flint) but has been living in Ireland for over four years.
Unfortunately things are becoming increasingly stressful and depressing over here due to the economy and the future problems we are facing (austerity measures from the European Union, increased taxes, cost of living, and I cant stress enough, the terrible weather For such a small country its very difficult to see a recovery on the horizon for the next number of years. As a family we are coming to the end of the line over here and beleive we need to escape this country in search of a better life not only for ourselves but for our child.
We are currently trying to decide where we might live when we move back to Michigan, hopefully within in the next 12 months. I understand the economy isnt great over there either but we want to move back and at least give it a shot. I have a University degree in IT and have been working in the financial services area for the past 6 years. My wife also has a degree and experience in HR but has been out of work over here for the last number of years, as a stay at home-mom to our child. However we are both willing to work at whatever we can to earn a decent salary.
I would like people's advice on where might be a nice place to live (people, jobs, good schools for our chil, and possible future children, quality of life, year-round activities) - I know Im asking a lot! Down towards the city of Detroit would be the obvious choice for jobs but at the same time we dont want a city life as we dont want to live in a congested busy city enviroment. Having spent all my life in Dublin city (albeit living in the suburbs) I like the escape of that type of environment, if possible.
We normally head back for family visits to Michigan twice a year but really dont get much info on how the economy and job scene are for people like ourselves. We dont want to be too isolated but at the same time as I said, dont fancy the major cities. I have experience of Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Traverse City and Machinaw (all of which appeal to me) but outside of that I dont know of other possible locations which could match what we're looking for. We are very outdoors type of people as well so we would be looking for a place within driving distances of attractions at the weekends such as the big lakes / beaches for the summer and then somewhere which would accommodate winter activities
I know its asking alot of people in the above post but any comments or advice you can provide would be great. I love Michigan, love the people and especially love the fact you have seasons and can plan your lives / events unlike over here where most likely if you plan a BBQ during the summer, you can almost guarantee it WILL rain!!!
if you plan a BBQ during the summer, you can almost guarantee it WILL rain!!
In Michigan, there is still a probability of this happening ... rain, or snow!
In all seriousness - The Michigan economy is a tough market. Jobs are scarce, and there is a lot of competition for what jobs are available. You will need to look near the larger cities to find most IT postings including metro Detroit or Grand Rapids. Finding a job can be done, but it will involve time and patience. You are also competing against a biased opinion of hiring locally and coming in as an international employee - do you have a game plan to acquire a green card / right to work in the US?
If you are serious about coming to the States, I would broaden my employment options to other parts of the country. For example, I recently read an article that Cleveland, Ohio is a hot market for IT professionals at this time. Cleveland is not very far, and it is a great place to live from my experience.
Hi to all,
Myself and my family are thinking of moving to Michigan from Ireland. We're in our late 20's and have a 3 year old son. Im Irish born and my wife is from Michigan (about 30 minutes east of Flint) but has been living in Ireland for over four years.
Unfortunately things are becoming increasingly stressful and depressing over here due to the economy and the future problems we are facing (austerity measures from the European Union, increased taxes, cost of living, and I cant stress enough, the terrible weather For such a small country its very difficult to see a recovery on the horizon for the next number of years. As a family we are coming to the end of the line over here and beleive we need to escape this country in search of a better life not only for ourselves but for our child.
We are currently trying to decide where we might live when we move back to Michigan, hopefully within in the next 12 months. I understand the economy isnt great over there either but we want to move back and at least give it a shot. I have a University degree in IT and have been working in the financial services area for the past 6 years. My wife also has a degree and experience in HR but has been out of work over here for the last number of years, as a stay at home-mom to our child. However we are both willing to work at whatever we can to earn a decent salary.
I would like people's advice on where might be a nice place to live (people, jobs, good schools for our chil, and possible future children, quality of life, year-round activities) - I know Im asking a lot! Down towards the city of Detroit would be the obvious choice for jobs but at the same time we dont want a city life as we dont want to live in a congested busy city enviroment. Having spent all my life in Dublin city (albeit living in the suburbs) I like the escape of that type of environment, if possible.
We normally head back for family visits to Michigan twice a year but really dont get much info on how the economy and job scene are for people like ourselves. We dont want to be too isolated but at the same time as I said, dont fancy the major cities. I have experience of Ann Arbor, Lansing, Flint, Traverse City and Machinaw (all of which appeal to me) but outside of that I dont know of other possible locations which could match what we're looking for. We are very outdoors type of people as well so we would be looking for a place within driving distances of attractions at the weekends such as the big lakes / beaches for the summer and then somewhere which would accommodate winter activities
I know its asking alot of people in the above post but any comments or advice you can provide would be great. I love Michigan, love the people and especially love the fact you have seasons and can plan your lives / events unlike over here where most likely if you plan a BBQ during the summer, you can almost guarantee it WILL rain!!!
Thanks for your time,
Sean
I'll give a plug for Grand Rapids. Smaller city, which means you can have a 15 - 20 minute commute and still enjoy good schools, little to no crime, and great amenities. 45 minutes to Lake Michigan and huge sandy beaches, dunes and seaside resort towns, a lot of outdoor recreation like mountain and trail biking (one of the largest mountain biking chapters in the state and the largest bike trail networks in the region), kayaking, camping, hiking, boating, and even downhill skiing.
If you are a developer, I don't see you having a hard time finding a job within a few months tops. They are highly sought and hard to find.
Downtown Grand Rapids is seeing a building boom, with a mix of new everything: offices, residential, healthcare and biotech facilities, two new large art venues, new restaurants, bars, etc..
The weather is fabulous here May - early October, and tolerable and even beautiful sometimes in the winter. We might even go weeks and weeks with no rain!
The best part is that it's accessible (you don't have to drive forever through mountains of traffic) and the cost of living is pretty low.
If you are looking for a compromise between the job market of a larger city and the quality of life in a more rural area, I would definitely check out Grand Rapids. There are jobs to be had there, but it's still pretty easy to live "out in the country" and have a short drive to work. There are many medium-sized cities in the U.S. where you can do this, but Grand Rapids is probably the best that Michigan has to offer in this department.
Detroit is Michigan's largest job market, but if you are tired of city/suburban living, it is more difficult to live in the country and commute to a job in that part of the state, due to the higher amounts of traffic in southeast Michigan. People might recommend Ann Arbor also, but again, you will be dealing with a lot of traffic in that area as well, as it is still pretty close to Detroit. It's possible to live in the country/commute to the city in that part of the state, but it's much more likely that your commute will wear you out and make you miserable.
So, in short... check out Grand Rapids for jobs, and check out the surrounding smaller towns for a place to live. You won't regret it!
I'll give a plug for Grand Rapids. Smaller city, which means you can have a 15 - 20 minute commute and still enjoy good schools, little to no crime, and great amenities. 45 minutes to Lake Michigan and huge sandy beaches, dunes and seaside resort towns, a lot of outdoor recreation like mountain and trail biking (one of the largest mountain biking chapters in the state and the largest bike trail networks in the region), kayaking, camping, hiking, boating, and even downhill skiing.
If you are a developer, I don't see you having a hard time finding a job within a few months tops. They are highly sought and hard to find.
Downtown Grand Rapids is seeing a building boom, with a mix of new everything: offices, residential, healthcare and biotech facilities, two new large art venues, new restaurants, bars, etc..
The weather is fabulous here May - early October, and tolerable and even beautiful sometimes in the winter. We might even go weeks and weeks with no rain!
The best part is that it's accessible (you don't have to drive forever through mountains of traffic) and the cost of living is pretty low.
Didn't mean to give such a similar plug as Magellan. We were definitely thinking along the same lines on this one!
To chance2jump, over here, we could go a day without day I am also very aware of the possible biased opinion that may exist - I've spent alot of time over in the states and with the way things are at the moment I know some people are of this idea. We're in the same over here, now jobs are scare some people believe the eastern europeans, asians, etc are taking Irish jobs (when in fact alot of these jobs are ones that the Irish wouldnt work when the country was prorperous - go figure). About the green card, I was married in the states last year, we've a child and have history together so its paperwork that needs to be completed more than anything else in order for me to get a visa - I dont / shouldnt have to worry about the lottery for the green card that the millions of people go through each year. Im currently filing the paperwork for this.
To magellan / michigan83, Grand Rapids is definitely on the list as my wife had brought this area to the table as a possible location. Im not really a developer, my background is mainly in technical support (not basic helpdesk) with multinationals. Ive experienced all types of weather in Michigan so Im prepared for the nice weather of the summer, and the cold freezing snow and ice of the winter. Obviously communiting will be a factor during the winter months as I wouldnt want to be too far from my job. I have heard the saying that if you dont like the weather in Michigan, stick around as a change is just around the corner - well something like that lol....
Im keeping my hopes up, I do believe that I would be happy in Michigan if we could find the right jobs and location to live as the state has so much to offer at all times of the year. Keeps the comments coming, its great to get a response to this
What about other communities with colleges like Mount Pleasant and Kalamazoo, as there might be some IT jobs at the colleges there?
Yeah they are also on the cards as well. Looking at some sites, the main jobs appear to be with colleges or in the pharma industry. Was recently up at East Lansing at the Unirversity and it seems like a nice area, however it was during the summer months when there were little or no students around so Im sure during school its a bit crazy around there.
Yeah they are also on the cards as well. Looking at some sites, the main jobs appear to be with colleges or in the pharma industry. Was recently up at East Lansing at the Unirversity and it seems like a nice area, however it was during the summer months when there were little or no students around so Im sure during school its a bit crazy around there.
It's busy, but it wasn't too crazy when I went to college there in the mid 90's. You might like surrounding areas like Haslett, Okemos, DeWitt and Holt. East Lansing in the Lake Lansing/Coolidge Rd. area is very nice too.
To chance2jump, over here, we could go a day without day I am also very aware of the possible biased opinion that may exist - I've spent alot of time over in the states and with the way things are at the moment I know some people are of this idea. We're in the same over here, now jobs are scare some people believe the eastern europeans, asians, etc are taking Irish jobs (when in fact alot of these jobs are ones that the Irish wouldnt work when the country was prorperous - go figure). About the green card, I was married in the states last year, we've a child and have history together so its paperwork that needs to be completed more than anything else in order for me to get a visa - I dont / shouldnt have to worry about the lottery for the green card that the millions of people go through each year. Im currently filing the paperwork for this.
To magellan / michigan83, Grand Rapids is definitely on the list as my wife had brought this area to the table as a possible location. Im not really a developer, my background is mainly in technical support (not basic helpdesk) with multinationals. Ive experienced all types of weather in Michigan so Im prepared for the nice weather of the summer, and the cold freezing snow and ice of the winter. Obviously communiting will be a factor during the winter months as I wouldnt want to be too far from my job. I have heard the saying that if you dont like the weather in Michigan, stick around as a change is just around the corner - well something like that lol....
Im keeping my hopes up, I do believe that I would be happy in Michigan if we could find the right jobs and location to live as the state has so much to offer at all times of the year. Keeps the comments coming, its great to get a response to this
I didn't realize things had gotten so bad in Ireland. My FIL is from outside Dublin (moved to the US to go to college) and he still has family there, which I've never actually met but I know they live near Dublin.
IT support, you might find something at banks or insurance companies here with offices. Farmers Insurance is hiring like crazy here, but so is Quicken Loans in the Detroit area.
Bookings.com (part of Priceline.com) has an international call center here in Grand Rapids. Companies like Amway, Steelcase, Herman Miller, Wolverine World Wide, XRite, GE Aviation Systems to name a few have HQ here and have international operations.
I'd keep Ann Arbor on your radar as well.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
For such a small country its very difficult to see a recovery on the horizon for the next number of years. As a family we are coming to the end of the line over here and beleive we need to escape this country in search of a better life not only for ourselves but for our child.
