[darstar]

Originally Posted by lilred0005

Thanks again for all the great, detailed responses! I'm SO excited about our move. I'm a Fla. native and I really can't stand Fla, esp. S. Fla, anymore. There's no seasonal change unless you count the few wks it drops below 75 degrees, little to no nature unless you venture to the Everglades, and the rampant overdevelopment, constant cement, and sprawl, and crime is awful. So Marquette really seems like heaven compared.

I'd been looking for some place drastically different- New Hampshire, Alaska, Upstate N.Y., or Northern MN. After months and months of resesrch, I narrowed down the list and discovered the U.P. The more I looked at Maquette, the better it felt so now we are at Marquette as our first choice followed by Appleton, WI as a distant second to check out. Also, we are renting out our home down here and will be renting in Marquette for the first year just in case something, like mom's arthritis, doesn't work out. We will be moving this time next year, and hoping to look soon but we are reluctant to go in Winter. Thanks again and as the move comes closer I will definitely keep you posted and share my excitement cause I feel like a kid on Christmas since I will be experiencing so many new things like my first Fall and Spring. I've never seen a deer, chipmunk, bear, or much of any wildlife except gators, lol.

One last thing, we are hoping to find a small house, condo if the house idea falls through but realator.com(sp?) isn't giving us many reasonable choices in Marquette. What surrounding towns do you recommend as a more affordable option? Trowbridge Pk? Ishpeming? Others? Thanks!

You might check out Sands Township, lower taxes and close by Marquette. I am 4 miles south of City center in N. Sands. We love our local. Forget south Sands near the Airport.... the futher you go away from Marquette , the less expensive houses will be, mostly. You might want to check out harvey also, its right on 41/28 before you get into Marquette proper, and close to the Lake. Ishpeming is less expensine, but older, fewer options, same for Negaunee, a little better than Ishpeming. These are old mining towns, but there are some OK areas.... What I like about N.Sands is the higher elevations, and some great views of Superior.... The whole area is great, you have to come and see. There are advantages being in the city, with better snow removal and close to Hospital, etherway, no place is all that far away...this is not Miami !.

[crazyme4878]

Has anyone suggested coming up through Michigan, crossing the bridge, then swinging down through Wisconsin after Marquette? My MIL lives near Appleton--we would drive from Marquette to there, going through Iron Mountain. I could look up the route exactly, if you need it.

[lilred0005]

Thanks again! I can't wait till this time next yr when I'm a resident of da UP too!