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For the love of god stay away from the middle of the northern Michigan. The schools are bad, the healthcare is terrible, the area is poor, Houghton Lake is a joke unless you like swimmers itch and used condoms in the water.
I've taken a liking to the Petoskey-Charleviox-Boyne triangle. Traverse City also offers more bigger city amenities like a mall.
Personally I would never live in northern Michigan. It's great to own a second home but as a year round residence it's horrible.
For the love of god stay away from the middle of the northern Michigan. The schools are bad, the healthcare is terrible, the area is poor, Houghton Lake is a joke unless you like swimmers itch and used condoms in the water.
I've taken a liking to the Petoskey-Charleviox-Boyne triangle. Traverse City also offers more bigger city amenities like a mall.
Personally I would never live in northern Michigan. It's great to own a second home but as a year round residence it's horrible.
That is why they are interested in a different area than you love to hate. You come on every single thread about Northern Michigan and spew a bunch of narrow minded hate. Just because you are used to the Detroit area and have such a hate on for anyplace smaller, you are blind to the simple fact that many love what Northern Michigan has to offer.
What a great area! Close to beautiful Lake Michigan, Traverse City, Leelanau, the amazing U.P, and on and on!!
Yeah we are in the perfect spot in my opinion. far enough away from bigger cities we don't get the spill-over attitude than can arise (see scolls posts), but close enough that within a couple hours we can take advantage of the amenities when we want. Beautiful sunsets over Lake Michigan, awesome fishing at every turn, great attitude. A few hours North and we are in the UP, few hours South and we can be in either Chicago, or Detroit. 1 1/2 hours and Grand Rapids offers up it's great city and museums, zoo, botanical garden, etc.... Plus we have White Pine Village in Ludington that is too cool to wander through. All the historical building from around Mason County preserved as a living history museum.
That is why they are interested in a different area than you love to hate. You come on every single thread about Northern Michigan and spew a bunch of narrow minded hate. Just because you are used to the Detroit area and have such a hate on for anyplace smaller, you are blind to the simple fact that many love what Northern Michigan has to offer.
Uh, I mentioned Charlevoix, Petoskey and Boyne area. The OP said he wanted beaches and light houses, where are you going to get that in the middle of the state? Houghton Lake is a dump. It had swimmers itch last summer and no light houses. I graduated from Roscommon High. I know about these schools. Roscommon is actually considered one of the better schools in the COOR area.
What is there to do in these inland towns? In the northwest area by Petoskey you have golf, skiing, water park, beaches, better lakes, nicer towns etc. Where can you go skiing inland?
Hospitals and health care are terrible. All the good doctors are in Petoskey or Traverse City. If you need a specialist you have to go to Traverse City.
Instead of telling me I'm a troll or I'm being negative or whatever, why doesn't someone tell me what these run down crappy little towns have going for them? Why on earth would you live in a town like Grayling instead of Petoskey?
Uh, I mentioned Charlevoix, Petoskey and Boyne area.
Yes you did, right before saying: "Personally I would never live in northern Michigan. It's great to own a second home but as a year round residence it's horrible." Which would indicate that you hold these feelings for the entire Norther Michigan area.
Uh, I mentioned Charlevoix, Petoskey and Boyne area. The OP said he wanted beaches and light houses, where are you going to get that in the middle of the state? Houghton Lake is a dump. It had swimmers itch last summer and no light houses. I graduated from Roscommon High. I know about these schools. Roscommon is actually considered one of the better schools in the COOR area.
What is there to do in these inland towns? In the northwest area by Petoskey you have golf, skiing, water park, beaches, better lakes, nicer towns etc. Where can you go skiing inland?
Hospitals and health care are terrible. All the good doctors are in Petoskey or Traverse City. If you need a specialist you have to go to Traverse City.
Instead of telling me I'm a troll or I'm being negative or whatever, why doesn't someone tell me what these run down crappy little towns have going for them? Why on earth would you live in a town like Grayling instead of Petoskey?
I live in a nice little east of Lansing, but if I could...I would move to Grayling in a second! It for sure would not be my first choice, but if it was the only choice I would do it for sure! Why? Because I am an outdoors person. I love the woods and water. I would be close to everything up there including the Au-Sable river area which is one of my favorite parts of Michigan. I would be a couple hours away from the U.P....I would be in heaven!! I could make a trip to Meijers or Sams Club and stock up for a month. As far as medical care, I guess thats the chance you take to live where you want and be happy. The advantage to living more inland, is you are also closer to lake Huron also. There are a TON of great lakes on that side of the state also, and the Huron National forest area is absolutely gorgeous!
Yes you did, right before saying: "Personally I would never live in northern Michigan. It's great to own a second home but as a year round residence it's horrible." Which would indicate that you hold these feelings for the entire Norther Michigan area.
Personally I never would choose to live year round in northern Michigan? Is northern Michigan so wonderful now I'm not entitled to that opinion?
Quote:
Originally Posted by michmoldman
I live in a nice little east of Lansing, but if I could...I would move to Grayling in a second! It for sure would not be my first choice, but if it was the only choice I would do it for sure! Why? Because I am an outdoors person. I love the woods and water. I would be close to everything up there including the Au-Sable river area which is one of my favorite parts of Michigan. I would be a couple hours away from the U.P....I would be in heaven!! I could make a trip to Meijers or Sams Club and stock up for a month. As far as medical care, I guess thats the chance you take to live where you want and be happy. The advantage to living more inland, is you are also closer to lake Huron also. There are a TON of great lakes on that side of the state also, and the Huron National forest area is absolutely gorgeous!
My parents said the same exact thing. People don't think things through before the leap up north. My parents retired to Roscommon and hate it. What if they want to see a movie? Nearest cinema is 40 miles. My dad needs to see a heart specialist after he almost died of a heart attack due to Grayling's negligence. Nearest one is 80 miles away. (Don't count on 911 either, 22 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and the operator says call me back if it gets worse) Dad bought a new car and had to go to Detroit because the nearest dealer is in Traverse City and they had nothing. Want to go out to eat? Only option is the dive Teepee Restaurant. Need a new TV? have to go 80 miles.
All that's around are trees. No skiing, no golfing, half of the downtown is vacant, only lake worth going to is Higgins Lake but the locals want to make it a private lake and look down upon out of towners. Lake Margrethe in Grayling is nice.
Why do people think because it's northern Michigan they have good schools? Is it the lockdown my school was put on every week while the police brought in drug sniffing dogs and arrested kids in class? The fact we needed a cop on the campus because so many cars were being broken into and kids were smoking in the parking lot?
What is there for kids to do? There is nowhere for teenagers to hang out. That's why they have parties in the middle of the woods with their kegs and pot. Hell, they even grow marijuana in the middle of the woods. I have to admit it is better pot than anything I have gotten in the city. They don't call the area Roscompton or Saint Felon for no reason. Roscommon actually has one of the better districts in the area. The teen pregnancy got so bad the high school started a parenting and life skills course that all students needed to take.
People over look basic things when dealing with northern Michigan. Over on the west side of the state you at least have the basic ammenities that bigger cities have, plus better outdoor recreation. Can't comment on the schools, but I doubt they aren't worse than the inner schools.
My parents said the same exact thing. People don't think things through before the leap up north. My parents retired to Roscommon and hate it. What if they want to see a movie? Nearest cinema is 40 miles. My dad needs to see a heart specialist after he almost died of a heart attack due to Grayling's negligence. Nearest one is 80 miles away. (Don't count on 911 either, 22 minutes for the ambulance to arrive and the operator says call me back if it gets worse) Dad bought a new car and had to go to Detroit because the nearest dealer is in Traverse City and they had nothing. Want to go out to eat? Only option is the dive Teepee Restaurant. Need a new TV? have to go 80 miles.
Then they were stupid, and didn't check out the area to see if it fit their needs before retiring and buying a house there. That isn't the areas fault, that is THEIR fault for not looking to see if the area fit them, and their needs and wants.
Quote:
Originally Posted by scolls
People over look basic things when dealing with northern Michigan. Over on the west side of the state you at least have the basic ammenities that bigger cities have, plus better outdoor recreation. Can't comment on the schools, but I doubt they aren't worse than the inner schools.
You say you can't comment on the schools, yet you still do. Kind of takes ALL your credibility away. Schools on this side are excellent, I'll put them up against ANY of them in your beloved Harper Woods. Just as you say, you don't want to live in Northern Michigan and question whether or not you are entitled to that opinion, yes of course you are. Just as those who prefer to live in Northern Michigan over the SE corner are entitled to their opinion. It doesn't make them ignorant or in-bred; it makes them of a different mindset than you. Neither right nor wrong. You have a huge double standard going, and really I feel quite sorry for you for not having either the education or personal insight to comprehend that. If you hate it so damn much, GO BACK TO HARPER WOODS. It really is quite a simple solution.
Then they were stupid, and didn't check out the area to see if it fit their needs before retiring and buying a house there. That isn't the areas fault, that is THEIR fault for not looking to see if the area fit them, and their needs and wants.
You're absolutely correct. I'm also letting other people know the drawbacks that they over looked. Is that not allowed? Are we limited in only naming the drawbacks of Detroit? Is Detroit the Michigan whipping boy? Unlike 80% of this forum, I have actually lived, gone to school, and worked in these northern Michigan communities and can speak from experience.
Quote:
You say you can't comment on the schools, yet you still do. Kind of takes ALL your credibility away. Schools on this side are excellent, I'll put them up against ANY of them in your beloved Harper Woods. Just as you say, you don't want to live in Northern Michigan and question whether or not you are entitled to that opinion, yes of course you are. Just as those who prefer to live in Northern Michigan over the SE corner are entitled to their opinion. It doesn't make them ignorant or in-bred; it makes them of a different mindset than you. Neither right nor wrong. You have a huge double standard going, and really I feel quite sorry for you for not having either the education or personal insight to comprehend that. If you hate it so damn much, GO BACK TO HARPER WOODS. It really is quite a simple solution.
I commented on Roscommon schools because I was a student there. I said I couldn't comment on the schools in the western part of the state and I didn't comment on them. Go ahead and put up any school against Grosse Pointe schools. Grosse Pointe is one of the best districts in the state and better than any northern Michigan district.
I feel sorry for you for being so closed minded. When I mention that my experiences with northern Michigan aren't wonderful, you tell me to leave and I'm uneducated. I'm stating my opinion on Northern Michigan. Since it isn't positive I'm unwelcomed to post and my experiences are attacked. The OP should look at this and realize this forum is stereotypical and doesn't lend itself to unbiased advice.
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