[Sonnenwende]

I am considering moving my family to Grand Rapids next summer or fall. One of the things I have been doing in my search for a new city is reading the job ads and seeing if there is actual work for my husband and I in most places. Oddly enough, it seems the highest concentration of jobs in my husband's field in the state is around Grand Rapids and I can basically get a job doing what I do (admin assisting) anywhere.

Not like you have to answer every single question, but here are some of mine:

What is the social climate there? Liberal, conserative? Is it mostly urban sprawl? Is the cost of living high there? Would you recommend Grand Rapids? Why or why not?

I have been also looking briefly at Battle Creek. How is the economy/life there?

[mich2fla]

Originally Posted by Sonnenwende

I am considering moving my family to Grand Rapids next summer or fall. One of the things I have been doing in my search for a new city is reading the job ads and seeing if there is actual work for my husband and I in most places. Oddly enough, it seems the highest concentration of jobs in my husband's field in the state is around Grand Rapids and I can basically get a job doing what I do (admin assisting) anywhere.

Not like you have to answer every single question, but here are some of mine:

What is the social climate there? Liberal, conserative? Is it mostly urban sprawl? Is the cost of living high there? Would you recommend Grand Rapids? Why or why not?

I have been also looking briefly at Battle Creek. How is the economy/life there?

Where are you moving here from?

GR is on the conservative side. You will see many folks head to church on Sundays. This is a strong Republicain area.

You mentioned having a family and I assumed school aged kids. GRPS is going through difficult times right now. They just had their 3rd superintendent in 4 years. The suburban schools are a better choice if you want your kids attend public schools. Most kids in GR attend private schools or charter schools. My kids attend Forest Hills Public Schools, a great school district with awesome parents and community support.

We have the highest unemployment rates in the country during the past year. Jobs are leaving the state each month. My job as a design engineer will be outsourced to China within the year. That's why we are looking to move out of state.

Many houses for sale are sitting on the market for months and foreclosure is at all time high. It's a great time to buy a house, but not a good time to sell.

If you move here, please get a job lined up first!

Sorry, I'm not familiar with the Battle Creek area.

Good luck!

[fbck930]

mich2fla seems right on about GR... all of Kent county is very dutch, clearly on the conservative side.

the battle creek area is quite different, but some things hold true. the housing market here is also very buyer-friendly, with nicish houses in the better part of town getting down near $150,000. unlike Grand Rapids, once you get outside of BC you are almost immediately driving through cornfields. there are even parts of the city that are downright rural. we have 'schools of choice,' so a sort of goodschool / bad school relationship is evolving... most parents choose Lakeview for their kids.

battle creek is split north and south; the north side is predominantly liberal (although not quite to east or west coast proportions), the south side is largely conservative. overall, the city goes a bit more democratic, but it is not the liberal haven of the area (that would probably be kalamazoo). BC has some diversity, and it comes across -- to me at least -- as a bit less segregated than some other places in the area. marshall, less than 20 miles to the east, is nearly homogeneous.

the economy here is not good. with a multitude of cutbacks over the past several years, nearby settlements like marshall, albion, homer, athens, etc. have become more like bedroom communities for battle creek... making the job market here overcompetitive. just like in GR, you should have a job lined up before you buy.

something to think about: kalamazoo is larger than BC, smaller than GR, has excellent suburban schools (and a nice incentive package (http://www.kalamazoopublicschools.com/education/dept/dept.php?sectiondetailid=10657&sc_id=1147440737 - broken link) for the city schools), and if you live in just the right place, you're about 45 minutes from GR, and 35 minutes from BC.

i'm a kalamazoo native, can you tell?

[Sonnenwende]

I am moving from Germany to Louisville to Remains to Be Seen. I have to stay in the Midwest, but a lot of places, like Chicago, Indianapolis, and Cinnicinati are out for various reasons.

We're not interested in buying a house right out the gate (in 2-3 more years seems more likely), but thanks for the info anyway about it.

We have one child, but she is only 7 months old. Schools aren't our biggest concern right now.

The job problem we are looking at very seriously. However, it is not really enough to deter us right off the bat. I could still go to careerbuilder and pull off of it a good number of adminstrative assisting jobs. With my education, skills, and experience, I just don't anticipate it being that big of an issue. However, I haven't applied, so what do I know. At anyrate, I will be applying before I leave Louisville.

My husband is willing to do pretty much whatever comes. Though he has a specific field in mind, it won't break his heart to do something else either. Although both of us have four-year degrees, I think at least I will be going back to school to get a two-year degree in probably Radiography/Radiology. I read that the area has a decent number of hospitals and research centers. Health careers seem to be the safe bet these days. I guess there will be no shortage of the sick or injured anytime soon.

Grand Rapids is just one of the places I am considering. I don't really have my heart set on it. I haven't even ever been there and won't be able to visit until this winter to even see if I like it in general. I am just trying to get some different info and opinions together.

I'll also maybe start checking out Kalamazoo, at the suggestion.

Thanks!