[cdzeffery8]

Hello all!
My family is considering a move from suburbs of Chicago to Pentwater, Michigan. We are a family of 4. Two sons 14 (freshman) and 11 (fifth grade). We live in an area with excellent public schools, but the schools are massive (Class 7A). We have never quite felt like it is the right match for our preferences, but because of the quality schools have stuck around. Nevertheless, we are now understanding that even if the quality is there, sometimes the size/quantity has a greater impact. We also love the outdoors and feel we have to travel far to enjoy the things we enjoy (lake life, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, fishing, snowmobiles).

We are considering a move to Michigan. We love the outdoors. We have a boat that we travel to Wisconsin in the summer to use for the weekend. We love lake life. We want more of it. And...we wouldn't mind smaller schools and a "smaller town" feel/community.

With some research, Pentwater looks nice. It appears to check our boxes, but I'm wondering what family life is like? Is the community so tight-knit that it would be difficult for newcomers (especially considering our children are older)? What is the "vibe"? Where we currently live is conservative. That's fine, just not our preference. How about the public schools? I gather the schools are very small and quaint and I understand the offerings may be limited, as a result. Is this true? If so, are there offering outside the area (thinking sports and other extracurriculars)?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

[secondbreakfast]

Originally Posted by cdzeffery8

Hello all!
My family is considering a move from suburbs of Chicago to Pentwater, Michigan. We are a family of 4. Two sons 14 (freshman) and 11 (fifth grade). We live in an area with excellent public schools, but the schools are massive (Class 7A). We have never quite felt like it is the right match for our preferences, but because of the quality schools have stuck around. Nevertheless, we are now understanding that even if the quality is there, sometimes the size/quantity has a greater impact. We also love the outdoors and feel we have to travel far to enjoy the things we enjoy (lake life, hiking, skiing/snowboarding, fishing, snowmobiles).

We are considering a move to Michigan. We love the outdoors. We have a boat that we travel to Wisconsin in the summer to use for the weekend. We love lake life. We want more of it. And...we wouldn't mind smaller schools and a "smaller town" feel/community.

With some research, Pentwater looks nice. It appears to check our boxes, but I'm wondering what family life is like? Is the community so tight-knit that it would be difficult for newcomers (especially considering our children are older)? What is the "vibe"? Where we currently live is conservative. That's fine, just not our preference. How about the public schools? I gather the schools are very small and quaint and I understand the offerings may be limited, as a result. Is this true? If so, are there offering outside the area (thinking sports and other extracurriculars)?

Any insight would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!

Michigander here, though from the east side of the state. I think you'll get better answers in the Michigan or Grand Rapids forums. I don't want to talk you out of moving here but I don't think Pentwater is what you're looking for.

Like most rural areas, Pentwater is pretty hardcore conservative. Whether that's good or bad is up to you. Usually schools are not the typical "one-room schoolhouse". In general, schools look the same as what you'd see in the suburbs of major cities, but they serve an entire county. However, schools are going to be mediocre at best simply because they don't have a lot of money. Also, there's a lot of poverty in rural Michigan and expect the usual social ills that come with that (e.g., drug addiction, alcoholism, broken families). Note this is less of a problem in resort towns as they generally attract a wealthier crowd, but your kids will be mixed in with people from all over the county.

Also consider that winters are much harsher on the other side of Lake Michigan. Not because of cold but because of snow. Snowfall will be about 3 times greater than what you're used to due to the lake effect.

Personally, I think the Holland/Grand Haven area would be a better fit for you, though it is more expensive. If sports and extracurriculars matter a lot to you, then the Grand Rapids area would be an even better fit. The problem with Grand Rapids is that some travel will still be involved for "outdoorsy" things. Traverse City might be worth a look, but it has gotten very expensive due to AirBnb-ers taking over.

[michigan91]

We used to vacation around there when I was younger. It's a fun area to visit during the summer, but I'm not sure if it would be a good place to live year-round. Many of those lakeside towns which are great to visit during the summer are lucky to have one grocery store--and if they've lost that then local residents must either rely on Dollar General or take an hour plus to get to a bigger town with either a Walmart or a Meijer.

For me, that makes Pentwater a no-go. I could do Ludington since it has a lot more in the way of amenities.

[MillennialUrbanist]

Pentwater is beautiful, but it's tiny. It'll be too much of a culture shock transitioning from Chicago. The conservative politics don't bother me, since I'm conservative myself. (Speaking of which, the Whitmer woman is the total opposite of conservative; she gives Newsom a run for his money.) Since Michigan isn't the South, you won't be asked "What church do you go to?" as an initial introductory question. Even so, you said you plan to live there year-round. So you gotta ask yourself:

1) What will you do for work? Pentwater is built on tourism, boating, and vacation homeownership (see #3). What will you do for work? What will your kids do for work, both in high school and after? Quite likely, you'll have to drive to Ludington or even Muskegon every day to get to your job. Are you OK with it?

2) How will you handle the winters? Michigan lake towns are all fun and games until the temperatures hit negatives and feet of snow fall. A cutesy downtown and scenic rural byways will turn into a nightmare. Roads take a long time to get plowed by the county, and your driveway will take a long time to dig out as well.

3) Vacation-centric towns tend to have a strained relationship between the townies and the vacationers/transplants. This probably includes school-aged kids. How will your kids fit in? Are they social? Are they charismatic? Will they have an easy time breaking into existing friendship circles that knew each other for years?

4) Driving will be quite an adjustment. Chicago is flat as a pancake, with most roads in straight lines. Western Michigan is quite hilly, with hairpin turns, and hills in some places that can make San Francisco's jaw drop. It was bad enough for me in the summer; imagine driving on those roads in the winter, in freezing rain and snow.

I know because I've vacationed in similar towns over the years, usually from 2 to 5 days. And I had that "Wow, I want to move here!" reaction too. But cooler thoughts prevailed,. I'm not trying to knock the wind out of your sails, but still.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by MillennialUrbanist

1) What will you do for work? Pentwater is built on tourism, boating, and vacation homeownership (see #3). What will you do for work? What will your kids do for work, both in high school and after? Quite likely, you'll have to drive to Ludington or even Muskegon every day to get to your job. Are you OK with it?

There are not many job opportunities in Ludington.

[DTWflyer]

Not sure where the OP went....another one and done post?

Agree with others comments.

Need to really consider and evaluate a place based on whether it makes sense to live there full time.
There are a lot of places that are lovely and excellent to visit for vacation that are not that desirable to live in / raise a family on a full time basis for a variety of reasons.

There are often reasons why some places remain awesome for vacation resort towns / and struggle to remain viable for year-round residents. Only made worse in the short term rental (STR) era.