Reviews & Comments
Redding, CA
re: You come for cheap housing and cry 'no cu
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3/19/2024In spite of your political rant, speaking as a liberal I have always enjoyed my visits to the Redding area. The outdoor activities are awesome and I have met many very nice accepting people who are not so judgemental.
Seattle, WA
A Bright Star just a bit tinged with age -
3/17/2023I have lived here since 1975, I moved here from California but was born and raised in Michigan. I would have to say that I never regretted leaving Michigan and their brutal winters and overly conservative culture. I loved California when I moved to it in 1971, I was young and California had an energy to it unlike Michigan and I lived near Santa Cruz where the weather was great, the beaches incredible and the redwood forests of the Santa Cruz Mountains breathtaking. It was for me like living in paradise.
My work brought me to Seattle in late 1975 which at the time was still recovering from the Boeing bust. Housing was very affordable although culturally it was lacking and there weren't very many good cafes and restaurants. Rush hour traffic was non existent and skiing was only a 30 minute drive and with vistas framed by water and mountains in every direction. People were provincial, a bit weary of newcomers at first but if you made the effort to get to know them and they judged you as okay you made fast friends. It is still very much that way.
So here I am some 47 years later and many things have changed for the good and for the bad. On the negative side, Seattle is no longer affordable. We have some of the nations highest housing costs, food and gas prices. Because our political leaders dithered away about 25 years of potential progress on rapid transit (light rail) we have horrendous traffic. We are trying to play catch up and traffic has somewhat subsided post Covid with more people working from home. On the plus side we have a strong employment base and if you are a high paid tech worker the cost of living here is not a significant factor. On the plus side we have an abundance of cultural activities and entertainment. There are neighborhood cafes and restaurants in every neighborhood. The educational system is well above average.
To the all important frequently asked question "What about the rain". All i can tell you having been raised in Michigan it is about the same. The difference is in Seattle we do not typically have cold winters with about two snow days a year. And unlike back east as our temperatures rise our humidity tends to fall. You won't break a sweat here just walking out the front door in July or August.
My recommendation to anyone thinking of relocating here is spend a couple of weeks here in December to get a real taste of a Seattle winter. If you come here just in the summer you will think that you have died ad gone to heaven. Also don't expect to come here and find any bargain housing, a just get by wage here is $30/hour and anyone who says differently is lying.
Luther, MI
Keep Driving Past and Don't Look Back -
9/5/2021I frequently visit my brother in Grand Rapids and have driven through this area several times on one of our many exploratory road trips. We stopped in at the local eatery (no it does not deserve to be called a café or restaurant). My impressions, If you want a town with a hostile vibe, under educated trumpsters who refuse to wear masks and would rather give you covid you have found nirvana.
Alpena, MI
One of the best kept secrets in Michigan -
10/22/2019One of the ten best places to visit in Michigan.
I was born and raised in Michigan but now live in Seattle. I get back to Michigan frequently because my brother lives in Grand Rapids. I love visiting the Alpena area for all of its natural beauty and some of the best fishing on Thunder Bay, Long Lake and the Thunder River. The town is quaint, clean and there seems to be pride in the community. Some good local cafes, friendly people, a bit too conservative for my taste but nice nevertheless. Costs are certainly much more reasonable than Seattle and I could see myself retiring here.
Escanaba, MI
re: Looking for opinions on this area
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10/15/2019If you are white, into dirt bikes and dive bars you will fit right in. If you are a Democrat keep your politics private. The area is beautiful from about June to mid September.with plenty of outdoor recreational opportunities. You can find yourself a nice small one person cabin/cottage in good shape for about $65K with garage or pole barn for your bikes and toys. Good Luck!
Cheboygan, MI
Pretty But Not Dynamic -
6/24/2019Visited here so not the perspective of a resident. On a trip to visit my brother in Grand Rapids I headed north to visit many of the places my family vacationed at in Northern Michigan wen I was growing up\. WE spent a ;lot of time in the Cheboygan, Rogers City, Black Lake areas. To this day Northern Michigan remains beautiful. What is so sad is that communities like Cheboygan have been left behind, Unemployment is high and drug use/abuse here is scary especially opiods. This town has given up in my opinion. Im an old guy and saw very few younger people in town, usually a bad indicator. Even small towns need to be vibrant, Cheboygan isn't.
Caseville, MI
Tourist Town -
6/20/2019Caseville is a great summer tourist town with an exceptionally nice clean sandy beach, It can get a bit congested on summer weekends. There is not an abundance of goods and services but one can satisfy most needs. About the only negative I experienced was that the natives are fairly conservative so you have and over abundance of obnoxious trump supporters. So avoid politics and religion and you will enjoy Caseville.
Palm Desert, CA
re: People
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5/29/2019I have a friend who lives in nearby Cathedral City certainly not as posh as Palm Springs or Palm Desert or Rancho Mirage. He retired there from Seattle to escape the rain and the grey and lives in a senior mobile community of small almost tiny house style manufactured homes. As he is fond of saying it suits a single person and "I can tip up one corner, give it a good shake and in little or no time its clean".
As he has discovered the better restaurants and shopping are outside Cathedral City but he says that you can't beat the neighbors. He is an old white guy but feels that Cathedral City's strength is the fact that is is about 60% Latino, strong families, hard workers, friendly, helpful and very low crime. So Palm Desert can keep its rich snobs.
Reed City, MI
re: Crossroads
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3/18/2019I have only passed through on several trips, it was clean if a bit lean on stores, cafes and services. You have to go to Big Rapids for any real shopping but stop at Ashton's General Store, a small old time grocery with a great meat department and great service and clean as clean can be.
Grand Haven, MI
re: The people of the area
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2/27/2019I hear you brother but it gets worse further out in the rural areas of the county. You might as well be a rock in the road.
Sparta, MI
Cute town if you were born here -
2/27/2019The town is cute, clean and major crime is not a problem. Winters are miserable with a lot of overcast, winds, humidity and cold temperatures. The biggest negative is the native "I was born here and I am Dutch" people. Unless you are "one of them" and go to their church (Dutch Reformist) you might as well not exist.
Salem, SC
Mediocre Southern Burg -
7/22/2018I lived in the general Salem area for a year and a half. Being a "Yankee" I was treated with either indifference or outright hostility. Things I liked were little traffic related problems, affordable housing, country atmosphere. Things I didn't like, unfriendly people, humid summers, hunters randomly shooting game anywhere they chose, poor quality of schools, lack of cultural activities. Advice, if you are not from around there don't bother.