Thinking about relocating from Missouri to Ann Arbor (Chelsea, Dexter, Saline) (Springfield: health insurance, how much)

[glspringfield]

We are a fairly young couple with two children (almost 4 and almost 2) looking for a fresh start in a place that is, in short, more “us”. We currently live in Springfield, MO, which is the area we’ve spent our entire lives. Springfield has been our comfort zone, and where other family will likely remain, but we have become increasingly “itchy” for a change.

One thing that makes us somewhat unique is that we are an adoptive family … my wife and I are Caucasian and our children are both Asian (adopted from China). While we receive plenty of positive/supportive reaction from people in this area, we remain thirsty for a place that offers a little more diversity and open-mindedness (is that a word?). The desire for this kind of change goes beyond being a multi-racial family but that’s certainly an important consideration. Our extensive research has led us to a couple of places, Ann Arbor being at the top of that short list. Realizing that no place is perfect, we’ve focused on finding the best fit for our family. We love what we hear about Chelsea, if that gives you an idea about the “feel” of a place we’d like to settle down. Ann Arbor as a place to establish roots sounds very attractive.

We both have bachelors degrees. I’m not a CPA but have had successful employment in the accounting field for years, most recently in the health care industry. My wife telecommutes for a large health insurance company, and would have the ability to keep her job wherever she goes. We have a great appreciation for the outdoors, the arts, sports, clean and healthy food, and a good cup of coffee. Obviously, as parents, we want a place that puts a lot into their schools and makes it easy to provide a multitude of great life experiences for kids. We understand that cost-of-living will be a substantial difference but our philosophy is that you get what you pay for (sorry Springfield).

We’ve read several older forum posts that have given us some great insight into life in “A2” but are just wondering if we could get some feedback with our personal circumstances in mind. Thank you so much!

[hfhiggins]

I can't comment too much about schools (or Saline, Dexter or Chelsea), but I can comment about where you're living now vs. Ann Arbor. I grew up in Northwest Arkansas (Garfield, to be exact, right outside of Rogers), and then moved to Springfield to attend Drury. I stayed there for a year and hated it, largely because of the lack of culture (there's not much more culture in Rogers). After realizing what I wanted in a place, I moved to Chicago to finish my degree. After living there for six years, I realized I wanted to live somewhere smaller but still cultural. My husband and I moved to Ann Arbor four months ago and love it. Based on what you've said, I think you guys would feel at home here. There's a substantial Asian-American population (largely due to the university), and there's plenty to do around town. While the surrounding area might not be as gorgeous as the Ozarks, Ann Arbor boasts plenty of outdoor activities, and a 3-4 hour drive up north (or a 2-hour drive west to the lake) will afford you even more outdoor fun. Having lived in Springfield myself, I don't think you'll miss it, and Ann Arbor definitely sounds like it's more your speed.

[mskb]

Chelsea is an adorable small town - I personally love The Common Grill, The Purple Rose and the feel of the historic downtown area but it is small. Ann Arbor proper will give you the schools, diversity, arts and sports and having U of M around brings in lots of culture in the form of concerts (classical, pop, etc), theater, sports. Lots of coffee culture - it IS a college town. There are certainly a lot more chains in Ann Arbor than there used to be but still plenty of local flavor. I loved living there during school and always thought it'd be fantastic to raise a family there (and I'm Asian).

How much open-mindedness and diversity are you looking for? Ann Arbor is the liberal bastion of Michigan...and much of the Midwest!

[Coldjensens]

Chelsea and ann arbor both have execellent schools. Chelsea is very small town. It is very quaint and pleasant. Ann Abor is busy. A small city. More going on, less quiet. Not so quaint. Choiuce really depends on what you are looking for.