Topic: another question about a possible spot to relocate to

[fuzzybutt]

does anyone here live in the "thumb" of michigan, up close to the tip? i have been looking at a little town there, housing doesnt look to be horribly expensive but other than that i dont now alot about it. a friend here lived in the area back in the 80's and told me that it might be the place i'm looking for. i love the idea of having more seasons than warm, hot, brutally freaking hot and then chilly for 3 weeks. and as nice as a year round riding season is, i'd love to have a winter for projects.

[martino1972]

if you love having a winter for projects,then come to canada,lots of winter...

[Hawkster318]

I was bored and raised in Imlay City, the "Gateway to the Thumb" (Catchy , huh?)

It is an all right area, but Michigan has been hit hard, you may find some good deals on houses, may not.

As in anywhere, the further away you are from stuff, the further away you are from stuff.

Living by the water has it's advantages and disadvantages.

Four seasons, yeah usually. Should be two sometimes, Winter and not winter.

[tramp]

live just east of imlay city
mostly rural living, snall towns
if your looking at the very tip of the thumb, the only major towns will be saginaw midland and bay city
life at the tip of the thumb dies after labor day,
great country highways to cruise down, just keep a weather eye for deer
housing is getting cheaper all the time
because jobs are getting fewer so bring one with you
when your ready to ride let me know

[kvallelunga]

Live in Almont, just south of Imlay City "Gateway to the Thumb". Echo the previous posts. Unless you are independently wealthy or can telecommute there is very little in the way of ways to make a living in what have become outpost towns. 1+ hour commutes are the norm for many residents of these areas. Michigan is in a near depression like state. Most of these areas don't have many of the services most people have become used to; poor internet service if there is any, well water, septic, propane or fuel oil heat(very costly) and mostly dirt roads. If your friend hasn't been here since the 80's he may not recognize the place. I moved back this year temporarily after relocating to the mid-south. This area has been hit so hard it may never recover, or even equalize to what other areas are seeing for growth. I sincerely bid you Good Luck if you decide the area is where you want to be.

[Bob Wessner]

Fuzzy,

What are your goals in this regard other than temps/climate. What made you zero-in on The Thumb vs., say west Mich or something?

[BobbyR]

i love the idea of having more seasons than warm, hot, brutally freaking hot and then chilly for 3 weeks. and as nice as a year round riding season is, i'd love to have a winter for projects.

Dude, you can run out of love with winter  pretty quick. I grew up here in the Northeast aned man it gets harder every year. How about the Florida Keys? you can be as eccentric as you like and nobody notices. New Orleans is a bit empty right now also.

[fuzzybutt]

lol bobby, i lived in the keys for a couple of years in the 90's, great place, way too damn expensive to live. the reason i zeroed in on that area is a good friend is from a town called bad axe, about 20 miles from bay city. i was born and raised in new england and i really miss the change of seasons, been nearly 20 years. in addition to the 828 dollars a month i'll soon be getting my attorney says, i'll get something part time to make another 150 or 200 a week.

[gerhed]

Another vote for The Keys.
Great pace down there !

[Skonnie Boy]

You should move to the U.P. 

That way you can help me start a militia and rise up against the tyranny of the Michiganese, and return the U.P. to Wisconsin.

Don't say anything now, just think about it and get back to me.

[Bob Wessner]

and return the U.P. to Wisconsin.

Fat chance. If anything, Yoopers want to be the 51st state.

Now if you like the seasons, and don't mind snow, try the Houghton/Hancock area. They get about 200 inches.

[stresssolutions]

Minnesota is a fine location.  But really, anywhere in the midwest, even into Missouri, you'll get 4 seasons, but down there, a little nicer winter than lots of -20 and WIND!

[tramp]

hung around bad axe a little
small town about 10k in population
enough to keep you busy but would get old quick
housing is cheap the cost of living a little high for gas and food
good luck on your choice
any other choices in mind?

[fuzzybutt]

i had originally wanted to move back to new england but the cost of living there is prohibitive. actually, according to their webpage, bad axe has a population of 3400 and change. i dont go to movies or clubs or bars, so thats not a problem. i dont want to go live on the west coast or in tornado alley so those are out.

[BobbyR]

I still vote for the Keys. You can sell T-Shirts and crap to the tourists. I lived in a commune up on the Canadian Border in the 70's, nice little town, but man it got dreary. I would never consider picking up and going anywhere unless I went and stayed there for a few weeks and really tried to live there. I intend to relocate when I retire, and I will be staying in a few places before I make a commitment. 

[goon 1492]

Minnesota is a fine location.  But really, anywhere in the midwest, even into Missouri, you'll get 4 seasons, but down there, a little nicer winter than lots of -20 and WIND!

You got it brother KC is it! not too bad in the summer maybe one or two months of  85-95 temps, beautiful springs and falls and the winters are pretty mild any more. Heck its been in the mid to lower 80's the last three weeks and lower 60's ast night , good thing too I had an electricity spike at my house a week ago and it fried my a/c compressor, BANG! there goes a 1,000 bucks(its nice to have an a/c guy in the family ), oh yeah and it got my coffee maker too

[fuzzybutt]

as much as i loved the keys, that option is out, i dont want the heat, bugs and tourists, besides all the roads are straight and flat in florida. i got enough of tourists and hurricanes when i lived down there in the 90's. i WANT a small, boring town to live in. i HATE living in the city like i do here. i have an excellent car for snow and i used to love ice fishing when i was a kid back in new england.

[JimJ]

I don't know if you'd have to go that far up to avoid the heat. Where I'm at in western VA, it doesn't get into the 100+ days, though there's a few weeks where it's in the 90s in August. Snow/ice isn't too bad either.

Roads are very twisty in places I'm in a college town, but if it's boring you're after, that's right down the road...along with a guy playing a banjo on a porch...

[Bob Wessner]

i WANT a small, boring town to live in. i HATE living in the city like i do here. i have an excellent car for snow and i used to love ice fishing when i was a kid back in new england.

Then consider Bergland, MI. It's the only town on the north end of 13,000+ acre lake. Great walleye fishing in the summer, ice fishing in the winter. They get a good deal of snow. Actually, winter is the busy season up that way, skiing and snow mobiles if you're into them. Tallest ski jump in U.S., I believe, is Copper Peak just outside Wakefield. Generally though, the MI U.P. is economically depressed so I suspect your income would go a long way. Lake Superior minutes a way, and Wisconsin is a bout a half hour west. If you are looking for lakefront property though, bring your checkbook.