Although I ended up living in Mid-Michigan by chance, I thought that I would be here for good. Our house is a great size, with a spacious yard, in a great subdivision that leads to an elementary school. There are young parents with kids up and down the street! I commuted an hour to and from work for years until our daughter was born, because this is where I pictured our family.
But when I learned that my husband wasn’t feeling professionally fulfilled, and that he’d found an exciting opportunity in Detroit, I couldn’t say no. We both love Detroit. It’s not rare for Mid-Michiganders to commute to and from the Motor City, but it’s a big sacrifice. We’ve made the tough decision to move closer, in order to have more time together. It’s a bittersweet feeling to give up this home that his grandfather had built for his Mom’s family in the 1960’s.
I’ve lived in Northern and Western Michigan for substantial amounts of time. I wouldn’t have guessed I’d live in Mid-Michigan – but it has its own, unique charm!
Here are the top things that I will miss most about living here:
1. Affordability
We’ll be able to afford a bigger mortgage this time around, and yet we’re still looking at houses about half the size of ours in Metro Detroit. I have a feeling we’ll have to sell our new riding lawn mower – because we won’t have a big enough yard! Most of the local businesses have lower price-points, too. You can get a Reuben at Little Joe’s that’s essentially 3 serving sizes, for less than ten bucks!
2. Lack of Crowds
With the exception of a few places on Friday night, it’s pretty rare to wait for a table at restaurants here. I think of places I’d like to eat closer to Detroit – then remember how busy they get. We have nearly every cuisine available around Flint. Traffic is nothing here either. In bigger cities I need a navigation app to avoid accidents and construction!
3. Proximity
It’s pretty cool living where several major highways in Michigan intersect. Pop on 69 W to Lansing or Grand Rapids, 23 S to Ann Arbor, 75 S to Detroit, or 75 N to “Up North” {where that starts is highly debatable}. My parents still live in Petoskey, so I’m kicking rocks at the idea of a longer car ride to this beautiful part of the state.
4. Small Town Friendliness
I hated growing up in a small town. Then after college, when my friends spread across the county, I started longing for that sense of familiarity. Even though there are good-sized cities in our area, they feel a lot smaller. It’s exciting to bump into neighbors or people from Mom’s Club when I’m out and about. Mid-Michiganders are warm and down-to-earth.
I know I’ll find my place no matter where we move to. I feel fortunate to have become a new mother in such a welcoming community. As one of our out-of-state relatives recently noted: “Driving an hour is nothing for Michiganders!” I’ll be stopping in the middle of the mitten often to see friends and patron the great businesses!
Whether you grew up here or are new to town: what’s your favorite thing about Mid-Michigan?
