Thread: the thumb vs western MI?

Quote: Originally Posted by deslok Holland, Zeeland, Grand Haven would be my top cities to avoid if I were ever up that way. It is not a matter of like minded or wanting to be around a bunch of Progressive (liberal?) people. It's about being in an area where you are less likely to be judged off the bat, en masse, by the people around you for who you are. In Kalamazoo I always felt judged because I wasn't progressive enough. In...

Quote: Originally Posted by emu742 ^ good to know about the land, I didn't realize it was less forested and more flat. So the west side of the state is more protestant / republican and the right more catholic / liberal ? (not that those combinations always go together I know I'm painting a broad picture there). I noticed the right side does seem to get a bit less snow and slightly more sun too. How about the areas near Ludington,...

Quote: "As someone who comes from that background... I can assure you that the typical Hollander find the habits of more "Worldly" folks to be "puzzling and annoying." Exactly proves my point. Hmmm... so the two groups of people don't understand each other very well. That's a bummer. Well, at least you're not being judgemental towards them, like they are towards you.

Quote: Originally Posted by michigan83 The thumb is one of the most underrated parts of Michigan, IMO.. Yeah, everyone bypasses the Thumb on their way to northern Michigan. The general area tends to get overlooked as any type of vacation destination. Quote: Originally Posted by michigan83 Lots of well-kept small towns and countryside. The Lake Huron coast is really nice, much less crowded than the west coast of Michigan. I definitely...

Even though the Thumb, like most other places, is changing to fewer, larger, commodity farms (corn, soybeans, sugar beets...), there are still quite a few diversified small farms scattered about. Several areas also have Amish communities where small farms and market gardens and cottage industries are common. There are also more and more organic farms. Several towns have farmers markets. I guess my first advice would be if you plan to farm,...

Quote: Originally Posted by VM1138 Clearly stay away from Saginaw, since it's crime ridden. This is only true if you live on the east side of the city. The west side is very safe, friendly, and fun. You may not be able to find any acreage in the city, however, so you might want to check out the Shields area or Saginaw Township, both west of the city limits.

"As someone who comes from that background... I can assure you that the typical Hollander find the habits of more "Worldly" folks to be "puzzling and annoying." Exactly proves my point.

I wouldn't go too far in the thumb, if I were you. It's nice in parts, but it's also extremely isolated with large numbers of "non open minded people", namely the Michigan Militia. Also, there really aren't any towns of note out that way. If you're looking for a good mix of small town rural/medium town I'd recommend somewhere near the tri-cities (Bay City, Saginaw, Midland.) Clearly stay away...

I just moved out of North Branch (Lapeer County) and you should avoid it if you like internet access. We had dial-up for 3 yrs and FINALLY Verizon opened up wireless broadband access last year, however with a $60+/month fees and 5GB file transfer limits. And, it was still pretty slow. Also Verizon is the only company that gets any kind of signal out there, but it's still not a very strong signal. No cable access either because the houses...

Quote: Originally Posted by michigan83 Your 90,000 price range and the acreage you're looking for is probably going to keep you out of Kent County for the most part. You might want to check out areas like Saranac, Belding, Middleville, and Hastings. All very nice small towns. You will still be within a reasonable drive of Grand Rapids (30-45 minutes) but will be able to get much more bang for your buck than you in the more...