[politikally]

The Mining Journal is really the only major paper I know of. There may be a few in the small towns but I doubt there is much online.

Remember, the only thing in the UP that even remotely resembles a city is Marquette. Most of the rest of the UP travels either to Marquette, Duluth or Green Bay to go shopping, etc. Thus my advice is to live in the Marquette area (Negaunee, Ishpeming, Harvey, Marquette). Outside of that, you'll spend so much on gas traveling to get supplies... it would just not be fun.

And about the Sauna's -- they pronounce the word differently up there. In the UP is's pronounced "Sow-na" as in a Sow Pig (not sow as in plant seeds)

[npmcel]

Hi. I'm from the Iron Mountain area, so I think I have some decent input to give regarding the job market there. It's not on one of the Great Lakes, but with your nursing background and your husband's manufacturing one, it would be a nice jumping off point or even long-term home for you in the U.P.
The reason I say this is that there are two hospitals in town: Dickinson County Memorial Hospital and the V.A. hospital, as well as some smaller clinics such as the Marquette General clinic. There are also several vets in the area, so a move into that field is possible. As for manufacturing, the Iron Mountain-Kingsford area has numerous opportunities. The best is probably the Verso (formerly Int'l Paper) mill in Quinnesec; it's the biggest employer in the area and pays well (starting around $15/hr.). There's also Grede Foundries, which may not be optimal for a life-long career, but pays in the low teens per hour. Nelson Paint Company is also a company to look at; they're the company that started paintball and are huge in that industry. There's also Northern Star Industries, which manufactures the BOSS snowplow in Iron Mountain (website: bossplow.com). There're more, but this'll give you an idea of what Iron Mountain has.
As I said before, Iron Mountain is not on one of the Lakes, but many people who live in Escanaba or even up towards Marquette commute to the Iron Mountain area for work, especially at the Verso paper mill. (Nice thing about their commute: Not much traffic here.) A lot of people who work in Iron Mountain live in northern Dickinson County, which is about as remote as you can get (e.g., out along M-69 in towns like Felch and LaBranch or not even on state hi-ways such as Ralph).
Iron Mountain is basically the hub of economic activity in the central part of the SW U.P., and as such it has most of the stuff you'd expect such a place to have: the most shopping in the area, plenty of restaurants, etc. There's also one of the best golf courses in Michigan there (Timberstone) if you're golfers.

If you aren't interested in I.M., I still suggest that you look in the western U.P., as it has most of the population and thus most of the jobs. The big counties to look in are Marquette (Marquette, Ishpeming, etc.), Delta (Escanaba, Gladstone), Menominee (Menominee), Dickinson (Iron Mountain, Norway), and Houghton (Houghton, Hancock). Ironwood's a town you could also look at.

Finally, if you do move to the U.P., make sure you make it to the Pine Mountain Ski-Jumps in February. Probably just about the best time you can have in the middle of winter.

[paintballer1708]

I just have one question. Not bashing Michigan or anything, but why would you consider a move from Ohio to Michigan? You mainly see people from Michigan heading to Ohio for the jobs. Michigan has a really bad unemployment rate. Im sure you could find a place in NE Ohio or in SW Ohio. Personally i hate Lima. Do you want small town living or big city living? I talk to many friends from Michigan living here in Ohio, and they say that the job outlook is not good anywhere in Michigan. They say you have to have a job before moving there. The U.P. i would imagine has barely anything up there.

[mariatherese]

You're right, Paintballer, the job situation is much better in Ohio than Michigan, and the U.P. has pretty much nothing. But, I don't believe the original poster mentioned anything about wanting to move because of jobs. Just like the rest of us who have fallen in love with Northern Michigan, Torrid is searching for a place with more nature, less crime, and friendly people. Those of us who live in Northern Michigan (I will be moving back in 6 days) choose to do so despite lack of jobs. I think that's why Torrid was concerned- because she fell in love with the area but wanted to make sure she could make a living despite the not-so-rosy outlook.

My dad is from Ohio, and I've spent a lot of time in that area. I would never move there, regardless of what you paid me. But, that's just me.

I think those who are moving from Michigan to Ohio are probably mostly from lower Michigan. There is not a lot of difference between lower Michigan and Ohio IMO... except Ohio has a better economy.

[kellylburke]

I too, fell in love with the UP last month when I drove up to Houghton to visit my daughter at MTU. Can't explain it, I just had this feeling that it was "home". I have been checking into it ever since. Did look up rentals in Baraga, very cheap. Also found a great house for sale on Ebay, right on the bay, lol.....wow @ the price. Anyway, I have 3 daughters at home still...just trying to sort things out in my head....but a month after my visit, my urge to re-locate near the the bay up there is still strong if not stronger. Let me know how your research goes, I would be interested in anything you have to share.

[kellylburke]

Its just too bad Copper Harbor has no jobs, lol...gorgeous up there. I did notice Munising is not too far from Marquette, Marquette has the jobs, I like the small town feel of Munishing, and I wouldnt be that god awful far from my daughter in Houghton. Anyone have any info on Munising? I would need some sort of clerical work.

[mariatherese]

I don't have any info on Munising, other than it's a pretty town.

Again, I just think that pretty much the same thing goes for all the UP: you should either make sure you have a job first, or be prepared to work in a service job until you can find what you need. The UP's bread and butter is tourism. There are always jobs in restaurants, hotels, etc. Other than that, you will have to work your way in, make connections, and wait and watch for an opening somewhere.

But it's worth it in the end if that's where you want to live.

Good luck!

[politikally]

Originally Posted by kellylburke

Its just too bad Copper Harbor has no jobs, lol...gorgeous up there. I did notice Munising is not too far from Marquette, Marquette has the jobs, I like the small town feel of Munishing, and I wouldnt be that god awful far from my daughter in Houghton. Anyone have any info on Munising? I would need some sort of clerical work.

Munising is pretty small and is largely a tourist town. Snowmobiles and Hunting in the Fall and Winter, Fishing and Picture Rocks National Lakeshore tourists in the summer. Thus the economy is practically ALL tourism.

As for area to live - the weather in Munising is probably one of the roughest in the UP (even worse than Marquette). Munising is positioned just right for the winds coming of the lake to create VAST amounts of lake effect even more so than Marquette (and Marquette gets a TON of snow.)

Because of all that weather there's been several times when I was about to drive M-28 over to the bridge on my way downstate when the State Patrol closed M-28 due to bad weather. M-28 between Marquette and Munising is really a B**CH to drive in the winter for two reasons: 1) one stretch is open to the lake for about 5 miles and it results in GLARE ice all over, all the time. 2) Snow can be blinding because of the blowing winds off the lake on M-28. Thus it gets shut down alot. Usually like 3-4 times a year (depending on the year of course). MY POINT - is that munising can get cut off from the rest of the world relatively easily.

Anyway aside from the weather problems... Munising is a wonderful place to live.


I'd also like to add that I really think the UP economy has more in common with Wisconsin than Michigan. Thus for those who say bad things about the Michigan economy (which is all true)... the UP economy well still stinky is more a result of the lack of major industry than its association with Michigan. My only worry with the UP is that one or both of the Mines in the UP have the real potential to be shut down in coming years... so I worry how that will impact the economy up there.

And remember, most Yoopers consider themselves more residents of Wisconsin than residents of Michigan. So buy a packer shirt sooner rather than later.

[mariatherese]

Yep, I'll echo all of what Politikally just said. Like I mentioned, I don't know a lot about Munising, but it describes UP conditions pretty well.

[Hanne]

Paintballer1708 wrote: "I just have one question. Not bashing Michigan or anything, but why would you consider a move from Ohio to Michigan?"

Count us as a couple more Ohioans who can't wait to move to Michigan. We'll be fairly young retirees, so we're not worried about jobs. We're in Clermont county....and I see you're in Mason. As you know, these areas have exploded in growth and have diminished the quality of living in terms of what we value. Yep, swimming against the tide, heading north. <g>