[chiroptera]

Originally Posted by kelseylatelyyy

Is Flint Township the same as Flint?
I noticed thats where theres a Target, TJ Maxx, Walmart Supercenter, Krogers there… just seeing it from google maps. Looks like its off Highway 69, or is it a freeway? lol, all i know is freeways haha. Its to the East of Flint on the 69

So from a Map I see Flint, then to East of Flint theres a Target and theres also one to the West of Flint. I promise I'm not addicted to Target Just know its where I mainly go to get things…and trying to get a general idea of the area of Flint many posters have said to stay away from. I feel like some people talk about North Flint as the area to steer clear of. Any idea of East vs West.

It looks like if I lived in Grand Blanc I can take Center St to the shopping area and its about 15-20mins away. But not if the West side of Flint is an area to steer clear of...

Flint Twp is a different municipality.

Shopping areas...the main shopping drag with most of the big box stores is Miller Road (off I-75) in Flint Twp, but as you've noticed there are plenty of other shopping hubs. I'm not a Target shopper but yep, the one at I-69 and Center Road is most convenient to Grand Blanc, either via Center Rd or I-475 to I-69. As for grocery stores, Kroger is great (depending on which store) and Meijers is probably my favourite. It's more like WalMart - a grocery store, clothing, electronics, home good, etc.

Also in Grand Blanc it's a quick drive south on I-75 to Great Lakes Crossing, which is a large mall in Auburn Hills. And if you're a recreational shopper there's also the Birch Run outlet stores - tons of them - about 30-40 minutes north.

Most of Flint city is fairly run-down and then you have the school issue....as mentioned upthread, there are some pockets of older and beautiful homes and nice affluent neighborhoods in the city.

When you get here, just spend some time driving around to get a sense of what works best for you! I know plenty of people who are very happy living in Flint city, and others who are afraid to even drive within the city limits, which I think is silly but to each his or her own, I guess.

[kelseylatelyyy]

Chiroptera- such great info. thanks!! exactly what I was trying to figure out.
i am making a trip out there the end of may or beginning of june and will spend most of my time cruzin through towns and getting a feel for things. i so appreciate your feedback!!
i'll be sure to let you know where I end up. Actually I'll probably have more questions in the next 5 weeks or so. lol!

[VM1138]

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm curious: How safe is the Carriage Town neighborhood nowadays?

[jaynarie]

Originally Posted by kelseylatelyyy

We are visiting in the next month or so and going to look at Grand Blanc for a house. Maybe even Davison?

I'm most interested in a family friendly area. In a perfect world I'd live close (couple miles or so) to my kids school. Live in a neighborhood with other families that have kids (even if its just a few families here and there) and in an area that has shopping (typical stores like Target, TJ Maxx, Drugstore, Grocery Store, etc)

Where I live currently there are 6-7 public elementary schools. Is Grand Blanc like that? From what I've heard they have pretty great schools! I don't at all need multiple schools to pick from, just planning a trip out and wondering if visiting multiple schools is going to need to be on the list.

THANKS EVERYONE!! All your advice is so helpful!

I have worked in both Grand Blanc and Davison schools. They are both really good school districts. Grand Blanc is the largest district in the county, Davison is the third largest. Grand Blanc has 9 elementary schools, 2 middle schools, and a high school with two campuses. For the most part, one building houses 9th, and the other 10th-12th. However, some students do have to go between buildings for certain classes. They are quite far apart- the football field and other athletic fields are in between. I'd guess that the walking path is probably close to 1/2 mile. Davison has a bit of a unique school make-up. They have an all kindergarten elementary. They have two K-4 elementary schools, one of which is on a year-round schedule. They have two 1-4 elementary schools, and I believe Central, the biggest, is changing to year round next year. Maybe it is two years. Regardless, it is changing. Then Davison has an intermediate school (5-6), a middle school (7-8), and a high school. They also have an alternative high school on the same campus as the regular high school. Some vocational classes are also held in that building, but they are probably no more than 50 feet apart, so the transition is not an issue.

Davison has more of a small town feel. Grand Blanc is larger, more spread out, and doesn't really have a downtown area or anything.

Both are close to shopping. Grocery-wise, Davison has Kroger, VGs (Spartan Store), and Meijer. Walmart is just a few miles outside. Grand Blanc has Kroger (super busy with a terrible parking lot), Walmart, and Meijer. Davison is going to be closer to the Center Rd. area than Grand Blanc. Well, maybe not closer by miles, but quicker due to I-69. Depending on where you are in Grand Blanc, they can be the same to the Miller Rd. area, too. The west side of Grand Blanc is going to be closer, but the east side really won't be. Grand Blanc does have more overall shopping- Kohls, Sams Club, Staples, Pet Smart, etc... But like I said, it is quite a bit bigger. Davison is closer to Lapeer, which can be a good shopping alternative.

Honestly, you can't really go wrong with either town.

[jmlowman]

Originally Posted by VM1138

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm curious: How safe is the Carriage Town neighborhood nowadays?

Well, it's gentrifying, but there are still a number of empty houses.

[kevbavtin]

I was in the same spot a few years ago. Moving to Flint but not knowing where to go; although I am a "rust belt pioneer", so I chose a nonfamily-friendly area with very few regrets.

Chiroptera is wise with excellent advice. Downtown and the college campuses are nice. Perhaps a strategic goal for UM-Flint would be to increase its positive influence in the surrounding areas??

And regarding the winter, it's cold, gray, dark, and it lasts four months. But don't stay inside!!...ice skating, cross country skiing, etc. are great fun.

[kelseylatelyyy]

Well we visited!
We went on a weekend that had perfect weather so that was great!

First and foremost I am blown away by the horrible reputation Flint has. It was ADORABLE! Ok, so theres lots of work to be done, but I was pretty impressed by the vibe there. I did a full tour so I saw all the abandoned houses and saw the people living in houses that were close to being boarded up, but poor people are every where and not what hurts a city. I never once felt unsafe. I actually pictured it to be similar to the University of Southern California: beautiful campus and super sketchy and not safe immediately outside of campus grounds. UM Flint was NOTHING like that. The downtown, although small, was cute. The people I meet while eating on the patio of a restaurant downtown were awesome. They were actually longtime Flint residents (their parents raised them there and they now live there with their children) The pride for that town is pretty awesome. I also got to visit Ann Arbor, which I LOVED, but was amazed when AA locals made comments or got big eyes when I told them I had spent the last 2 days in Flint. Do people not even go to Flint? All it takes is one trip to see its not what so many people describe it as.

Can anyone explain how the reputation got so bad? Or why Michigan locals are so "Anit-Flint?" I was wondering if maybe my views are different because I actually live by pretty crazy areas like Compton and Watts (which at the end of the day have its bad areas and good areas too, so its not all bad) And I get that statistics are statistics but how can Flint have such high crime and murder stats but not seem even remotely scary….

Overall MI is great! My family would do really well in Ann Arbor, but Flint/Grand Blanc would absolutely work if necessary. The Flint Campus is beautiful and I was beyond impressed by the amazing people I met!!

[bmantx512]

It's cool that you had a nice visit to Flint. The UM-F campus has made a big effort into fighting crime in the last few years. And there are some nice suburban areas around Flint like Grand Blanc, Lapeer, Davidson, etc.

But don't dismiss the fact that Flint has been among the worst cities in America for violent crime for a long time. Even if you didn't see it on your short visit, it's a real issue. Just a heads up.

[jaynarie]

It is the crime rate. Just like everyone is afraid of Detroit. It is actually a beautiful city. Both of them are. And both of them are just hurting right now.

For the most part, the crimes are not random. But 'outside' people are very afraid of the city. I recently started working in Midland County and they always ask questions about the city. They constantly try to make sure I am safe.

It drives me crazy that people write both of them off- especially those who judge without knowing first hand.

[bookmaker13]

I've been living in Flint for 7 years, in an amazing neighborhood, watching my two young children enjoying a happier childhood than I could even imagine. The Flint Youth Theater, Flint Institute of Music, Art Museum, swimming lessons, summer camp...it's all wonderful. I understand the people who live in the suburbs are afraid of Flint; I see them as they drive in for the programs I just listed, and I've seen those big eyes in AA also, but I love it here and my children, while being fundamentally happy, have a keen understanding of poverty and an empathy for people's struggles. That said, they're growing up smarter than I did (SoCal here too). They know where their safety zones are and how to stick close. They play in the backyards all summer like wild things, but they are not sheltered from life's realities. We have found a lovely Montessori preschool and we chose a Catholic elementary school...which is filled with welcoming and very caring people bending over backwards to educate the children of this city. Readers from outside the area might also keep in mind that the racial make-up of Flint and its suburbs is VERY different. This matters a great deal to people here; they claim it's somehow natural or random luck that makes some towns 98% white, but much of Michigan is racially segregated and so perhaps it seems natural to them...but it makes them make big eyes at you when you say you live in Flint, or spent the weekend there, good lord.

BTW, OP- Flint is a small town, your mom is making a big difference and it would take more than a few poor people, black people, or panhandlers to scare her off. I take it from your later post that you've learned some of that. We should all have mothers like her, and be mothers like her.