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your second comment needs some sort of legitimate data. To state "novi is the most "new blood" area and has the highest turnover" as if part one legitimizes part 2 is unacceptable. Offer up a link or 2 that shows the high turnover you claim or stop making the claim.
Pointing out that it's a "transient" community? That's 100% false.
In one persons opinion. However it is one of, or our most, transient community. It also has a different atmosphere than the older more locked in communities because fewer families have been there since the 1940s.
Absolutely. Especially Northville, Plymouth, South Lyon, Grosse Ile, Grosse Point, Rochester, Bloomfield Hills. . .
I loathe those paces and would never suggest anyone live there. . . . . oh wait. . . .
Ya know, come to think of it, I have also recommended Novi to certain types of people. Then there is the fact that I pretty much lived in Novi for a few decades (not in boundries, but it became our local hang out after 12 Oaks and pretty much the only place we went besides Ann Arbor.)
Wanna try again?
Last edited by Coldjensens; 09-23-2016 at 01:49 PM..
Absolutely. Especially Northville, Plymouth, South Lyon, Grosse Ile, Grosse Point, Rochester, Bloomfield Hills. . .
I loathe those paces and would never suggest anyone live there. . . . . oh wait. . . .
Wanna try again?
You personally hate Novi. That is well documented. Your armchair know-it-all opinions backed with no data or evidence whatsoever are also well documented. That's why you ran away from here the first time because you got called out on your garbage opinions.
In one persons opinion. However it is one of, or our most, transient community. It also has a different atmosphere than the older more locked in communities because fewer families have been there since the 1940s.
Back it up with some data or this is just another throwaway opinion.
You personally hate Novi. That is well documented. Your armchair know-it-all opinions backed with no data or evidence whatsoever are also well documented. That's why you ran away from here the first time because you got called out on your garbage opinions.
Where is you link to data to support this?
You do realize that when you devolve to insults and personal attacks you are telling everyone you have no real merit to your position, so you are just attacking the person instead?
Coldjensens, If you are going to offer "advice" to people in here you should make it clear when you are offering "facts" or "opinions". In the case of of just how transient Novi is or isn't you should be happy to back up your claim you made more than once. I have no clue if you are right about it or not but reading other statements you have made I know better than to take anything at face value. So if your not willing to offer data I will assume you made it up.
I'll start from the top of your post and work my way down....
Yeah, that's Base Line Road. You have so many options, that it's pathetic. Close to Farmington & Northville with lots of affordable rentals. Ifya pick an apt. right, you won't have to touch I-96 (which can be a bear during rush hour). There are some trailer park communities if you're interested, but I'm betting that you're more into the "condo" type environment. It's all there for ya. I'd try for a nice 'lil house with a back yard myself......gotta have a firepit.
Novi's colder than Hirosaki, you won't have warm Pacific waters to keep things in check. Plan on one month per year of never getting over freezing for the high temp of the day. Learn to ice fish. It's a blast. Northern Honshu it is not.....
Go with a front wheel drive vehicle. Won't be noticeable day to day but there's that occasional stoplight with the occasional snowstorm that my cause you some stress. Hate it when folks honk when I'm kinda stuck....
Again, there's somewhat of a Yankee attitude in Michigan (your mileage may vary), but most folks are kind and considerate. They won't accept money if they pull you out of a ditch.
There are many Japanese folks in your new town. But they're not centralized. Ifya speak Nihongin, then you'll make friends quick. Novi area is prob'ly the biggest concentration. I'm guessing here, as that's where all of my Japanese friends lived.
Okay, I probably should've done some math on this. Just to maintain my current rent/income ratio, the rent would need to be $850/month. Don't get me wrong, I'd still have more money in my pocket due to the raise, but that would be the goal. If the current employer matches w/a counteroffer, then things get complicated. I would end up losing money living moving to Michigan ($630 assuming the above rent of $850/month). Mind you this doesn't include gas (from what I can tell about the same) or other COL, but just on what I KNOW to be the case. Otherwise, I'd have to find a place that were $600/month, but as I said I'm open to roommates as I feel that was something I should have done when I moved to Lexington. I had a roommate in Tennessee that sucked, but it helped me know the city better and make friends faster. I was in a bind, but I can afford to be choosier this time around. Anyway, is $850/month reasonable while still having a 10 min commute? What would be a realistic number for roommates? $630 isn't much, but it becomes a case of why would I move to lose money to move to a colder climate, lol. Granted, social life here in Lexington sucks for me.
I'm not going to be home much (outside sales) so minimal maintenance that appeals to bringing girls home (sort of eliminates the trailer park) would be fine. I currently travel about 70% of the time so a fire pit would be a waste for me.
The weather you describe sounds like Kitakami in Iwate (it was horrible to be outside for 10 hours/day there). Ditto on front wheel drive. So much for the Miata, I guess a new Subaru would be the way to go.
Oh yankees, as long as they're not Ohio, NY, MA, or NH, I think I'll be fine.
I speak Nihongo (Japanese language), not Nihonjin (Japanese people), but GOOD TO KNOW! THANKS!
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Originally Posted by Coldjensens
I lived in Orange County for 18 plus years. I am familiar with the transition. I did not say cold does not matter, what I said is "how cold is cold" does not matter. Cold is cold, the degree is more or less irrelevant. Either you need a coat, hat and gloves, or you do not. With a coat hat an gloves, you will be OK outside unless it is windy. If it is cold and windy, not amount of clothing will make it ok.
Go to Salvation army and get some winter clothing (coat, hat(s) gloves(s) boots and some heavy wool socks.) Also in the late winter/spring Meijers sells winter clothing for 75% off. It is not Carhart quality, but they have pretty decent stuff. You just have to shop around. Different Meijers will have different products and sales, it depends on what leftover stock they need to clear out. Also get some hand warmer packs. They cost about $1 and last 5 hours. open them, shake them up and tuck them into your boots, or gloves. They are filled with metal shavings and a catalyst. The catalyst makes the metal rust really fast and that makes heat.
Salvation army has a few "Boutique" stores. They ahve the better stuff. Prices are absurd, but don't panic, at any given time about half the things are on sale for 50% or 75% off, sometimes all items tagged a certain color are 5 for $1 - a good deal for things normally $15. You may find Carhart products at one of those.
For my and my family (7 people), the lack of sunlight was a bigger transition that the cold. We actually found that kids played outside a lot more in Michigan than they did in California,because the extreme weather drew them out whether it was extremely nice, extremely not nice, or extremely odd.
Another big transitin you may have to make is the paucity of good restaurants. However in Novi, you will nto encounter that issue as long as you like chains. Most of the same chains as in California are there.
8 mile and Meadowbrook are major cross streets. Traffic is heavy there. If that is your work, I would suggest Northville if you can afford it. You could have a five to ten minute commute from Northville and Northville is a very very pleasant little town, one of the best we have. There are some apartments on 8 Mile near the Methodist Church. there are also some just off 8 mile near the corner of the street you turn on to go to Northville Lumber. I have no idea whether they are nice, but pretty much everything in Northville is nice. They are not new and probably do not have amenities (pool, weights etc).
Front wheel drive is fine. The roads are usually cleared by morning. Rear wheel drive is also fine with some weight in the trunk once you learn to drive in the snow. Any drive with Blizzack snow tires will be fine. Practice snow/ice driving in an empty parking lot. Lose control intentionally and learn to regain control. Learn about not over - reacting. Learn to slow down. Remember ice drive is pretty different than snow and different types of snow require different driving techniques. It is easy to learn. My son is only 21 and he is already an excellent driver in snow/slush and ice. He practices every winter becuase he wants to be the best driver.
Overpowered torquey RWD cars can be a problem. I moved here with a Camro Z28 with super wide rear tires. It was impossible to drive in the snow/ice. They do not make snow tires to fit it. Sometimes trying to go up a hill, I would end up sliding backwards. All my want list cars are not really drive-able without snow tires (G-8 GXP, CTS-V, Challenger Hellcat . . . ). Any reasonably powered car with snow tires will be fine. Manual transmissions are especially fun in the snow. You have so much more control. Also if your car has anti slip function (ASR for GM, different name form other makers) turn it off. It prevents you from getting unstuck.
You will need a winter kit in your car. You should have some of the following: Gloves and hat, blanket, boots, water, snacks, flares, hand crank phone charger and flashlight, tools, hat and gloves for passengers, a few white tube socks (these cost nothing and can be used for lots of different things in a pinch), salt, metal grid thingies to get you unstuck, fix a flat, hand warmer packs (important), tools if you know how to use them. There are whole threads about what you might put in your car kit. You really should have this. You may never need it, but you also could get in an accident, stop to help at an accident, stop to help someone who is stuck, gt stuck in a blizzard for two days (pretty much not gong to happen, but some people did get this in Canada not far away a few years ago).
I had a 1 minute commute in California. It was marvelous. Here commuting is more tolerable because it is not just waiting in line, you are usually moving (unless you are commuting between north Oakland county and Detroit). I agree, the shorter your commute, the better your life will be, however that is less critical if you do not have family to meet at home.
It can be clicky here. In many areas, people grew up together and families remain in an area for generations. Many people have dozens of friends they grew up with and have no need to take a chance on someone new. Novi will be less that way becasue it is more transient. You can break into the social circles, but it takes a while. My suggestion is to join service clubs, social clubs, or help out with local government and get real active in your community. If you pitch in, you will be accept faster. Keep in mind here, many people judge you based on whether they perceive you as a committed hard worker rather than what you wear, drive, or live in. Poor, bad money manager is OK here, lazy is very not OK. Values are somewhat different than in California. While it is hard to get accepted socially, many people are looking for any opportunity to help someone out. If you go to home depot, it is hard to figure out who works there (the employees are the ones who are not trying to help you).
I am not aware of any Japanese concentration. There are a lot of Koreans in West Bloomfield. Maybe Japanese people too? Not sure.
Isn't Lexington where they have that underground zip line course? (or is that Louisville?)
BTW, when you get here, do not wait to make some trips up north. See the fall colors, drive the highway up by Traverse city (TC is always worth visiting any time of year), go to the UP and see painted rocks, Taqumenon falls and Mackinac island. Even the bridge is something spectacular to see. In the summer get over to the lake Michigan beaches and dunes. In the winter, go laugh at the downhill skiing at Nubs Knob, or Boyne. When you are done laughing, you will find it kind of fun. If you just hang in the metro area, you will not enjoy Michigan as much as you should. Go to the East side too Tawas, Bay City, etc. Not as pretty but nice and very pleasant (not crowded) Michigan is one of the top five prettiest states in the US, but you will never know it if you just hang in metro Detroit.
Almost forgot, you will be very close to Kensington Metro Park - awesome park for all seasons. A good place to learn to X-C ski. Maybury park is closer to where you will work and probably live, and pretty neat too, but Kensington is one of the best parks anywhere.
If you hunt or fish, you will be in heaven here. If you hike, get to the UP.
Also boat- Canoe, Kayak, water ski, sail, iceboat, hydroplane, windsurf, kite surf, do whatever they do on motorboats. Do something on the water. That is what we are all about.
Do not forget to get to downtown Detroit, especially in summer/fall. Do not listen to what your suburb friends may tell you, it is just water cooler talk based on conditions 10 - 20 years ago. Downtown and mid town Detroit are wonderful, very cool, fun exciting and as safe as any downtown, just use common sense. Many people from the burbs have no clue what Detroit is like now and they are so ingrained with Deetroit hate, they cannot accept it has changed.
Last thing, learn to embrace the winter, not just get through them. Winter is almost half your life. If you do not look forward to it, you will be miserable and waste half your life just getting by. Snowmobile, snowshoe, ski, xc ski, ice fish, sledding (Kensington has great sled and tobaggan runs) - find something to love about winter. Some people jsut love sitting by the fire with a hot mulled cider.
However Fall is the undisputed best time of year here. No one has been able to really describe why, you will just have to see for yourself.
Oh it is "pah stees" not "pay stees" "Pay stees" are something a stripper uses. Pah stees are what you eat up north.
Welcome to Michigan.
You said, "As far as cold goes, it varies. Not sure why it matters." If cold varies, then it does matter. To what degree does it vary? Someone from OC would have a different opinion of what cold is to someone that lived on the Harbor of Los Angeles (which I do). I don't know if you lived inland or coastal, but if inland then the nuances are different. I dealt more w/coastal winds than you did and my nights/early mornings were wet in the winter months. Michigan cold/wet? Absolutely not, but there is a difference. I also lived in San Francisco for 4 years, which my aunt that lived in Salt Lake City Utah said she could not do because the humidity made it TOO COLD for her (yeah, too cold to live in SF, but no problem living in the snow of SLC).
The point of my question is to what degree of cold are we talking here. I'm asking if it's a cold I can tolerate not if I'll literally be cold. It was cold in central Florida the one winter I spent there, but definitely tolerable.
I don't like to eat out. I only eat out if invited, but otherwise it's not an issue. In LA, I never went to the chain restaurants, but I have nothing against them other than price (I prefer to eat at home and save a fortune).
I've driven in Indiana occasionally on the ice, but that was in a 2013 highlander.
Commuting is critical whether I have a family or not. I'm single dude, chores don't do themselves and bills don't get paid just because I make money. I don't get how it is less critical for me to have a shorter commute just because I'm single. Time slows down for no one.
I have no idea about the zipline (no interest).
To be fair, I do appreciate most of your input, but I wanted to address some points. As for the embracing winter thing, I don't even embrace summers anymore (humidity is not fun).
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Originally Posted by highlanderfil
The simple fact that it's like other places doesn't invalidate the point of pointing it out as fact for the benefit of someone who doesn't yet live here.
OP, plenty of good advice here already, so I'll just throw my two cents in for Northville. You shouldn't have a problem finding housing close-ish to your place of work and I would highly recommend it as Northville/Novi tend to load up pretty badly during rush hour. It probably won't do much for your social life, but there should be enough things happening there at least on weekends to keep you interested.
Thank you for this to the point yet useful advice. I don't live there so all things said are useful. As for social life? I just want to chase the girls (and eventually catch some of them) as any single 32 yr old man would.
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Originally Posted by jaynarie
You will probably want to stick with FWD, especially being someone without a lot of experience driving in the snow.
When I lived in the south, I bought a Charger with RWD. It rarely snowed and when it did it melted quickly. I drove it up to Michigan for Christmas a few times. Terrible. I was a nervous wreck the whole time, as it was easy to fishtail, particularly when accelerating after being stopped. I suppose you could get used to it, but it was way too stressful for me.
As I wrote above: So much for the Miata, lol. Looks like a Subaru it is!
Also, thanks to everybody posting replies. Moving to Lexington did not nearly garner as much feedback. I really appreciate it.
Thank you for this to the point yet useful advice. I don't live there so all things said are useful. As for social life? I just want to chase the girls (and eventually catch some of them) as any single 32 yr old man would.
I claim no great knowledge of girl-chasing in Michigan, seeing as how I already had a girlfriend (now wife) when I moved here, but I would imagine that, given our age (I'm 33) and wordliness, living in a city-like environment would be much more conducive to this particular activity, so Northville>Novi (as an example). I would also recommend joining a few Meetup groups based on your interests when you move here - it will make the sorta-artificial activity of "meeting new people outside of college" a little less so. Helps if you play a sport, as well - the majority of people I hang out with are either from work or an indoor soccer league that I play on in the fall/winter.
Quote:
As I wrote above: So much for the Miata, lol. Looks like a Subaru it is!
Could do worse. I work for Ford and I'd never NOT recommend a Subie.
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. I work for Ford and I'd never NOT recommend a Subie
