[detshen]

Originally Posted by snoshoewalkr

I've lived in MI for more than 40 years. I am active outside during most kinds of weather, so this may be why I never had a problem with SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). If you like the outdoors and have the flexibility to schedule "outside" time into most of your days, you should be fine. In my unprofessional opinion, I think that even "bright" but cloudy days help (it doesn't have to be 100% sunlight). I also think that attitude is most of the battle to thrive in MI. I've learned not to dwell on the actual number of cloudy days or bad weather days. Instead, I am thankful for and mentally "store up" the good vibes from the nice days that do come along (and they do: we just had a gorgeous weekend here). Still, if you compare stats, you will be coming from a state that statistically receives more sun than MI, so it will be an adjustment. The other thing that helps me is that I stay busy with a job that I love; and I still have a household to care for.

This post says it all! I know many people are affected by the cloudy weather, but if you can find one who has the attitude and activity level of this poster I would be shocked. It's true you are in for an adjustment, but weather isn't everything in life.

[hanna_house]

Funny, because I am in Michigan and would like to move to SoCal (specifically San Diego). I don't want to move because I don't like Michigan, I just want a change of pace and would like to live in a warmer climate and near the ocean at this time.

There are many benefits to living in Michigan that you may enjoy. I live in Rochester Hills and I can tell you that it is a very nice area. Clean, low crime, beautiful and a great place to raise a family. Most of Oakland County is desirable, but more expensive than other areas. You're no stranger to that though.

If holidays are important to you, you will absolutely love the festivities here. It is one of my favorite things about living in this area. There are so many free and cheap events that include horse & carriage rides, bon fires, live bands, light shows etc. Speaking of light shows, a new tradition in downtown Rochester is their Big Bright Lights Show that draws people for miles because they completely cover the building from top to bottom in Christmas lights of every color!

Fall and Halloween is also a great time because there is so much for adults to do. There are many great cider mills in the area with apple picking and hayrides. The Detroit area is also known for having the most haunted attractions of anywhere else in the country.

If you like the beach, there are many places off the Great Lakes that you can drive to for weekend and day trips in the summer. Our winters are not too bad either, in comparison with the rest of the state. We get plenty of snow but not nearly as much as they get in other locations.

I hope this information helped you in some way. Feel free to message me if you have further questions. My husband and I have really gotten the most out of living here so I can give you lots of tips.

[nycjefftrain]

I think all of these posts are quite accurate!! The autumn/fall in Michigan is underrated. September and October are spectacular. to make a Cali comparison, the fall in Mich. is alot like the climate of Lake Tahoe. With that said, my fav season in general is summer cuz it means lazy days........

in terms of cloudy days in the winter, they are not all cloudy from Nov to march. I guess if you are used to constant suna nd warm weather it would be quite a change. But have you ever thought it might be a welcome change?? Not all chnage is bad...sometimes a cloudy day is calming for the mind, body, and soul. What about when the sun is blazing out in January and its 20 degrees?? It's like a teaser for warm weather until you open the door!! LOL!!

[kfwolf]

You may also consider the west side of the state. Lake Michigan is beautiful. We have a home near a state park and there are a few nice colleges in the area. Plus with house in Michigan, you should be able to get a pretty good deal.

[Bhaalspawn]

Melissa, I suggest that you spend lots of time researching Michigan. I know folks will object to what I have to say, and I agree that it's a beautiful state with lots of outdoor recreational activities, but we have the nation's worst economy, a horrible state government, and the nation's ugliest and most pathetic large city. This isn't the state you want to come to to settle down, get married, and raise a family. In fact, the running joke in these parts is that Michigan's youngsters settle down in Chicago.

If you want to live in the Upper Midwest, have you considered Wisconsin or Minnesota? Those two states have a similar climate, although Minnesota will be significantly colder, and their economies are doing much better than the Michigan economy. Minnesota also has an excellent city in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul.

I certainly don't blame you for wanting to leave California; it's a beautiful state but it's also overpopulated and it's taking the brunt of the illegal alien invasion. If I could make a choice like this, I'd go to Portland, Seattle, Salt Lake City, Boise, Minneapolis, or Denver, but that's just me.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by looking2reloc8soon

The economy is horrible and as long as the morons in here keep voting in Democrats it will stay this way.

The Republicans deserve lots of blame, too, since the best candidate they could field was religious nut Dick DeVos. Perhaps if they could have offered a secular candidate they would have won. DeVos's being unable to beat Granholm is similar to Kerry's being unable to defeat Bush; it demonstrates the ineptitude of the outside party.

[nycjefftrain]

Bhaal-

Michigan is a great place to raise a family. Yes there is a poor economy right now but that is infecting the entire country. In reference to Chicago, I put in my time there and it's a lovely city...but its not the mecca everybody likes to make it out to be. Not to mention, the cost of living in the Chicago area is ridiculous...I'll take the Detroit area anyday. Sorry you hate it so much but you are entitled to your opinion...lots of people prefer to call it home.

[JustT&Me]

Originally Posted by deslok

...It is a very democratic state, and not in a good California type way. The democrats here need handouts, most of those I know in parts of Cali are liberal but have the money to give to causes. Ann Arbor and U of M is a great representation of what Michigan could be, diverse, vibrant, and full of interesting intelligent people. From southern Cal that would be really the only option.

Can you expound on the political scene there - is the whole state primarily Dems, or is it concentrated? This year's Primaries were the bust in MI! What was the deal? Too bad for MI. That's one of the lesser things about MI holding me back a bit... the political climate. In fact, I'm also wondering about the social-political climate there... it seems that ppl keep quite much to themselves. Are they neighborly at all? I'm currently in the Midwest and looking at the U.P. (Keweenaw area) - any feedback would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Sparrow_temp]

Politically -- Detroit is mostly all Dems. Western side of the state is more conservative. The UP also tends to vote Dem due to the poverty there. Tax money received from the entire state seems to be wasted in the Detroit area.

The state is very messed up and will take a long time to fix. I wouldn't advise anybody to move here at the present time.

[MILLER2607]

I've lived in MI for 16 years. I am from WI before that. I have always loved winter, but it seems that each year, it gets less enjoyable. I really love the snow at Christmas time, I can't really imagine Christmas in Cali or Florida...where its warm and sunny. That would seem so odd to me, but I could love it. I am looking to move to California, so maybe we could just trade spots? MI is really beautiful. My favorite seasons are Spring and Fall. Fall is spectacular here. There are definitely many things to do here, but it would depend on which part of MI you live. I live in Lansing, so it requires planning to go places to see all that MI has to offer. We try to plan many short trips during the summer/fall. Winter has gotten really depressing for me, I think that SAD has kicked in. It really is dismal and cloudy here for most of the winter. We definitely appreciate the sunny days, but I'd be happier somewhere with an even climate that had a lot of sun. I am jealous of people who live in California. I am leaning towards CA due to the perfect weather almost all year. I would like to live in San Diego, but I haven't found anywhere that is safe and affordable for me. It is a HUGE difference in cost of living from Lansing to almost anywhere on the coast. If you want something similar to California, in MI...I would definitely try living along Lake Michigan. There are so many quaint towns and beautiful landscapes. As someone mentioned earlier, WI is great. I am from there originally. We use to live on Lake MI in Marinette, WI. That was a great place to live. MI seems to be going downhill in so many ways, but maybe it is just because I am an adult now, that I am more aware of this. Lansing is home to me, but I am really looking forward to living elsewhere.