[monica1982]

Originally Posted by Heather67

before the house prices skyrocket.

I agree that this is mostly unlikely given the economic climate.

Originally Posted by VM1138

few of the houses are worth the cost

There have been a number of people who have bought and then invested a ton of money into their property (often the same amount as the purchase price or more). I like this idea, but there is a good possibility that if you want sell, it could be difficult to recoup your investment if you are looking to unload the property quickly. It's also obviously a big ordeal finding and hiring professionals to update an entire house. I do think it's an economically competitive option to buying a house in the townships.

[slowdawg]

I don't think you'll like Bay City.
Its a flat, rural part of the state. It votes left as there are many union households, but many union Democrats are into hunting and church, unlike the secular progressives more associated with the party. Socially, Bay County is a relatively conservative area despite how they vote. It is not a college-type town.
Bay City has 2 downtowns, 1 on the east side, 1 west of the river. Theres not much to do in either. I don't think you will find bookstores. Coffee shops are few and likely to get boring quickly. That area is flat and open, and much of the lake Huron/Sag bay coast is rocky and not really utilized much for recreation. Bay City is much more of an agricultural and manufacturing area with little in the way of fun, particularly outdoor activities.
The area east of the river is much smaller. Its also poorer and more run down. West of the river is mixed. Nice historical-looking neighborhoods next to old middle-class areas. But then there are rough-looking blocks sort of scattered throughout.
That whole part of the state may strike you as a tad boring. i wish i had better news to tell you.

[Heather67]

Thank you, monica1982, slowdawg, VM1138, and MikeBear. I had my Skype interview for the Bay City position on Monday. It turns out they're looking for someone with a slightly different skill-set than I have, so I'm not sure I'll be going much further in the process.

[Regajohn]

Originally Posted by slowdawg

I don't think you'll like Bay City.
Its a flat, rural part of the state. It votes left as there are many union households, but many union Democrats are into hunting and church, unlike the secular progressives more associated with the party. Socially, Bay County is a relatively conservative area despite how they vote. It is not a college-type town.
Bay City has 2 downtowns, 1 on the east side, 1 west of the river. Theres not much to do in either. I don't think you will find bookstores. Coffee shops are few and likely to get boring quickly. That area is flat and open, and much of the lake Huron/Sag bay coast is rocky and not really utilized much for recreation. Bay City is much more of an agricultural and manufacturing area with little in the way of fun, particularly outdoor activities.
The area east of the river is much smaller. Its also poorer and more run down. West of the river is mixed. Nice historical-looking neighborhoods next to old middle-class areas. But then there are rough-looking blocks sort of scattered throughout.
That whole part of the state may strike you as a tad boring. i wish i had better news to tell you.

Wow ... Pretty much wrong on all counts. Yes the area is pretty flat, and yes the area is (was) historically Catholic, and Union, and supported by automobile plants.

The man Bay City downtown is on the east side and the east side, within the city limits, is the wealthier side. Lots of historic homes along Center Avenue and the side streets.

The downtown along the river is being rebuilt and yes there are book stores, coffee shops, bars, and great restaurants, new apartments and condo developments and old buildings recently converted into apartments and condominiums. There's a rail trail that runs for miles where the railroad tracks were replaced with running bicycling trail, there are several decent golf courses in the immediate vicinity ... And the Saginaw Bay Area is not necessarily pristine, but it does has a state park, is lined with part-time cottage's and full-time homes (outside the city limits) and attracts a lot of boaters/sailers. The beaches are mostly sandy ... Although there are marsh and mucky areas also mucky, not rocky..

Is it in Arbor, or Birmingham, or Gross Point?? No ... But it's far different than portrayed in the inaccurate above post.


Tour of Homes

Downtown Bay City – A riverfront community made up of the things to do and see that will fill a day, or a lifetime.

[VM1138]

Originally Posted by Regajohn

Wow ... Pretty much wrong on all counts. Yes the area is pretty flat, and yes the area is (was) historically Catholic, and Union, and supported by automobile plants.

The man Bay City downtown is on the east side and the east side, within the city limits, is the wealthier side. Lots of historic homes along Center Avenue and the side streets.

The downtown along the river is being rebuilt and yes there are book stores, coffee shops, bars, and great restaurants, new apartments and condo developments and old buildings recently converted into apartments and condominiums. There's a rail trail that runs for miles where the railroad tracks were replaced with running bicycling trail, there are several decent golf courses in the immediate vicinity ... And the Saginaw Bay Area is not necessarily pristine, but it does has a state park, is lined with part-time cottage's and full-time homes (outside the city limits) and attracts a lot of boaters/sailers. The beaches are mostly sandy ... Although there are marsh and mucky areas also mucky, not rocky..

Is it in Arbor, or Birmingham, or Gross Point?? No ... But it's far different than portrayed in the inaccurate above post.


Tour of Homes

Downtown Bay City – A riverfront community made up of the things to do and see that will fill a day, or a lifetime.

I've actually got to take issue with your post. The west side is wealthier last time I checked. Household income is higher, as are property values, I think. Only downtown is a wealth Hotspot on the east side.

There are indeed tons of coffee shops. I'd say there aren't a ton of great restaurants but there's a few downtown. It's the nicest downtown in the region but it's mostly craft stores, coffee shops, and some specialty clothing stores. No bookstores or anything cultural except for the planetarium and State theater which appeals to a very small range of people.

[Flint1979]

If you have to live by Bay City I would suggest living in one of the outlying areas such as Auburn, Linwood, ****awlin and so on.

[thetrendy1]

I see in a you-tube video the beach water looks pretty black and dirty for some reason? Is that normal? All the water around town cant look like that? So there's no swimming? Not like Port Huron water at all (where I'm originally from), but of course Lake Huron flows right by into the river in PH. Also, what areas are not going to be 'down wind from the sugar plant' as another poster mentioned? Also on you-tube, I've seen the company has attempted a solution to the smell recently, which it says is fall thru spring? Has it worked much? Is it pretty touristy in summer?

[michigan91]

At least around the State Park area, the beach has been pretty bad for a few decades at least. I think that it's supposedly a lot better right now than it was five or 10 years ago, but I haven't been to the beach for a long time. There is a lot of silt which gives the sand a very muddy feel, which is unpleasant. The sand can be a little bit discolored too, but that depends on how much alge it's in the water. Once you get offshore, this phenomenon becomes less noticeable. For that reason, oftentimes you will see pleasurecraft in the water offshore but not on the beach.

Another interesting thing is that the bay beachfront properties are highly influenced by the lake levels. About seven years ago when the lakes were very low, you could look out from beachfront property on the bay and see nothing but a sea of phragmites which seemed to stretch for nearly half a mile and some places.

Whether or not you smell Michigan Sugar really depends on the direction of the wind on any given day. I actually kind of like the smell because it helps to clear my sinuses when I'm experiencing allergies. Anyway, it's more of a natural odor instead of a chemical one so there's that.