[sesamekid]

I currently live in Colorado but am from Sault area in Ontario so I am looking at the region of Charlevoix, Petoskey, Cheboygan, St. Ignace etc. for relocating.

I am looking for somewhere very safe, affordable, kid friendly, good schools and small town atmosphere but decent amenities.

Any advice/info you could give would be much appreciated!

Also, where would the closest airport(s) be?

[mofromcheboygankalamazoo]

Hello,

For safe, they are all very safe. Summertime in all of the places, the crowds grow due to tourists. The biggest influx of tourists would be Petoskey or Charlevoix (traffic especially).

Most affordable would be St. Ignace or Cheboygan.

Kid friendly, I would think all of those places would be kid friendly. I will speak for Cheboygan. In Cheboygan you will have a very large amount of kids' activities. Baseball/softball, soccer leagues, dance programs at the opera house, 4-h, girl scouts/boy scouts, gymnastics classes, beaches (same as other locations you are looking at), summer/winter festivals, lots of community events put on the Jaycees and many other organizations, multiple parades throughout the year, many affordable daycare places, I could go on and on...

Great schools, both the public and private schools are known to be pretty good in Cheboygan - the private schools have scholarship programs as well for those in need. Petoskey would have larger schools and charlevoix and St. ignace would be about the same, if not smaller, than Cheboygan.

Amenities - what are you looking for? Growing up in Cheboygan, what we couldn't get there, we drove to Petoskey or Gaylord for an occasional shopping trip, but there is a Kmart, Walmart, Peebles, a few grocery stores, and a Tractor Supply Co. is opening this summer there. What other amenities are you looking for??

Check out:
Cheboygan, Michigan

CheboyganBuzz - Home Page

For airports - I live on the East coast now, but visit Northern MI frequently (especially Cheboygan). Pellston is the closest and surprisingly, you can find good deals. Traverse City is the biggest and you can find deals here more often. I just flew home last month into the Sault airport in Kinross for a GREAT deal!! Alpena has deals every so often. If none of those work out, I fly into Flint, Saginaw, or Grand Rapids for a three hour drive...
PLN - pellston
TVC - traverse city
CIU - the soo
APN - alpena
FNT - flint
MBS - saginaw
GRR - grand rapids
Good luck!

[sesamekid]

thanks, that is very helpful.

Now for the hot button issues:

What is the political climate like in that area? Conservative? Liberal? Mix?

I am also concerned about what I have heard about the Michigan Militia since we are a mixed race family. How do they impact the area, if at all?

It's kind of the one factor that makes me nervous about northern Michigan.

[mofromcheboygankalamazoo]

Originally Posted by sesamekid

thanks, that is very helpful.

Now for the hot button issues:

What is the political climate like in that area? Conservative? Liberal? Mix?

I am also concerned about what I have heard about the Michigan Militia since we are a mixed race family. How do they impact the area, if at all?

It's kind of the one factor that makes me nervous about northern Michigan.

Political climate, I would say is pretty mixed! I think sometimes all of those areas seem to lean toward Conservative, but there are some active more liberal groups, environmental, etc. - I come from a liberal family in Cheboygan who has many family friends who are both liberal and very conservative! - I feel that no matter what you are, people tend to get along as long as you don't start fights over political issues right off the bat when getting to know someone

I have not heard anything, really, about the Michigan Militia since the 90s..I don't think it would be a problem at all, the whole of Northern Michigan is becoming more diverse. I don't think, unless you live in Wolverine, you will hear anything about or from the militia.

[Carol1829]

I agree, the most affordable is Saint Ignace or Cheboygan. Stay away from Petoskey if you are not rich. They have an "Association" There that will make it quite hard for you to live there if you aren't rich or if you are liberal in your political beliefs. I have never lived there, but have talked to some who did. Also, they hate Indians (in the 70's they shot at them!!), and held Klu Klux Klan rallies in Traverse City, which is not far from them. I would say, judging from the political conversations I had with them last summer (I did phone survery for the Democratic Party), that they hate anybody who isn't white and rich. I have never talked to more hate-filled people in my life!! Saint Ignace would be your best bet. Why haven't you considered Sault Sainte Marie?

[sesamekid]

Originally Posted by Carol1829

I agree, the most affordable is Saint Ignace or Cheboygan. Stay away from Petoskey if you are not rich. They have an "Association" There that will make it quite hard for you to live there if you aren't rich or if you are liberal in your political beliefs. I have never lived there, but have talked to some who did. Also, they hate Indians (in the 70's they shot at them!!), and held Klu Klux Klan rallies in Traverse City, which is not far from them. I would say, judging from the political conversations I had with them last summer (I did phone survery for the Democratic Party), that they hate anybody who isn't white and rich. I have never talked to more hate-filled people in my life!! Saint Ignace would be your best bet. Why haven't you considered Sault Sainte Marie?

that's scary Carol1829!
That's exactly what I don't want to get into.
I'm familiar with SSM and personally don't like it, so I would not want to relocate there.

[Tyryztoll]

Originally Posted by Carol1829

I agree, the most affordable is Saint Ignace or Cheboygan. Stay away from Petoskey if you are not rich. They have an "Association" There that will make it quite hard for you to live there if you aren't rich or if you are liberal in your political beliefs. I have never lived there, but have talked to some who did. Also, they hate Indians (in the 70's they shot at them!!), and held Klu Klux Klan rallies in Traverse City, which is not far from them. I would say, judging from the political conversations I had with them last summer (I did phone survery for the Democratic Party), that they hate anybody who isn't white and rich. I have never talked to more hate-filled people in my life!! Saint Ignace would be your best bet. Why haven't you considered Sault Sainte Marie?

This might be the most ridiculous post I have read since joining city data 5 years ago. Not one word of it has even a slice of merit. OP, I hope you're not gullible enough to fall for this kind of rubbish from someone who's never even lived here.

[Nephler]

Originally Posted by Carol1829

I agree, the most affordable is Saint Ignace or Cheboygan. Stay away from Petoskey if you are not rich. They have an "Association" There that will make it quite hard for you to live there if you aren't rich or if you are liberal in your political beliefs. I have never lived there, but have talked to some who did. Also, they hate Indians (in the 70's they shot at them!!), and held Klu Klux Klan rallies in Traverse City, which is not far from them. I would say, judging from the political conversations I had with them last summer (I did phone survery for the Democratic Party), that they hate anybody who isn't white and rich. I have never talked to more hate-filled people in my life!! Saint Ignace would be your best bet. Why haven't you considered Sault Sainte Marie?

WTF???
Everything you said about Petoskey is NOT true.

[Nephler]

Originally Posted by mofromcheboygankalamazoo

I have not heard anything, really, about the Michigan Militia since the 90s..I don't think it would be a problem at all, the whole of Northern Michigan is becoming more diverse. I don't think, unless you live in Wolverine, you will hear anything about or from the militia.

The then leader of the Michigan Militia moved to the Kenai Peninsula of Alaska shortly after the Oklahoma bombing.

[sesamekid]

Originally Posted by The Northerner

This might be the most ridiculous post I have read since joining city data 5 years ago. Not one word of it has even a slice of merit. OP, I hope you're not gullible enough to fall for this kind of rubbish from someone who's never even lived here.

I don't know what to believe - that's why I'm seeking advice and opinions here on CD.

I would not feel comfortable in a place where the Michigan Militia and KKK are active, or where people are really conservative and liberal hating. If your experience is any different than what above poster said - please share!