[katieghill]

My husband is being transferred to Michigan. His clients will be both in Detroit and in Grand Rapids, so because he has clients on both sides of the state, we have the option on living where ever we would like in Michigan. Problem is, we know nothing about Michigan. So we need some help.

Our daughter is 2, so good elementary schools are a necessity. We also have one on the way, so a good hospital is also a must. We obviously want something safe. We are coming from Gainesville, Florida. So we are used to a small town, but one with a lot of amenities. Mostly we want family friendly with relatively easy access to an airport (cause hubby will have to travel outside Michigan occasionally for work).

Right now we are looking at Ann Arbor, Grand Rapids, and Lansing.

Ann Arbor looks great because it looks very similar to Gainesville but the rental market there is obscene. Grand Rapids looks nice, but Im concerned there isnt a lot there. And truthfully I know nothing about Lansing.

If you were us, and could move anywhere in Michigan with a family, where would you go and why?

[ManoftheNorth]

What else are you looking for? Do you have a size range population wise that you are interested in? Do you want to be near a very large metro area? Would you rather live in a small town, a large college town, a suburb of a big city or a city with it's own identity? Do you want to live in a town with a walkable downtown? Do you want to be a comfortable drive to see major league sports games? Will your husband need to be in Detroit or Grand Rapids often?

As for Grand Rapids, it's a medium sized city with a metro area over one million, so there is a decent amount of stuff going on there. At least more then Lansing.
Arenas and convention centers that attract many major bands and other touring concerts, a Zoo, a large art museum, lots of other museums including the Gerald Ford Presidential Museum, and one of the nation's largest art competition in the Art Prize.
Ann Arbor is a fine choice though, it's a fun town with a lot going on conveniently located near Detroit. The University of Michigan has some cool free museums there, including an Art museum, a Natural History museum and an Archaeology museum.
How much your husband is going to be traveling between Detroit and Grand Rapids might be important; if an equal amount of traveling to both places, then Lansing or East Lansing could be a good idea. If he needs to be in Detroit more, then Ann Arbor or one of the Detroit suburbs like Royal Oak or Ferndale might be a better move; if more Westside, then Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo could be the way to go. If he doesn't need to travel the State too much, then doing things like living in South Haven or one of the other Lake Michigan beach towns so you can be within two hours of Chicago becomes an option, or Traverse City or one of the other small towns in Northern Michigan, that's a popular area.

[michmoldman]

Sounds like Ann Arbor may be for you, and it was voted one of the best towns in America. I would chose Traverse City myself...but that's just me

[katieghill]

His clients are half and half in Detroit and Grand Rapids so he will be in both.

We love our current town of Gainesville, FL, which had a population of 100,000 but the resources of a much bigger place because of University of Florida.

We love artsy things like theatre and music and want there to be activities available. But mostly we are looking for the most family friendly feel with the best schools. Definitely dont want a big city feel, but would like more events and resources than a small town.

[ManoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by katieghill

His clients are half and half in Detroit and Grand Rapids so he will be in both.

We love our current town of Gainesville, FL, which had a population of 100,000 but the resources of a much bigger place because of University of Florida.

We love artsy things like theatre and music and want there to be activities available. But mostly we are looking for the most family friendly feel with the best schools. Definitely dont want a big city feel, but would like more events and resources than a small town.

I'd say Ann Arbor or MAYBE East Lansing would be a good choice then. Ann Arbor is maybe the coolest city in Michigan, and East Lansing is home to Michigan State University, the largest University in Michigan so it has that funky college town vibe going on as well.

[katieghill]

Is Grand Rapids far more of a city feel?

[ManoftheNorth]

Originally Posted by katieghill

Is Grand Rapids far more of a city feel?

More then anything in Michigan other then Detroit.
It's always felt like a big city to me, whenever I've gone there:
https://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&i...2,315,,0,-22.5
But I'm from the Upper Peninsula. To somebody from New York City or Chicago, it might seem like a smaller city.

[Luzette]

I like Ann Arbor the best out of the three cities. I think it's the most artsy if that is what you like. It's what I like too so that would be my two cents about it. Also, being that far downstate you're not hours and hours away from the bigger cities throughout that area.

[fakkelsey]

It is a tough call. Detroit/Ann Arbor has the best cultural and arts selection for sure. However keep in mind the region boast nearly 5 million people, though Ann Arbor is a hub in it's own right. I always liked Lansing. A nice midsize city with quite a bit going for it. However, art selection is more limited, but it is there. Grand Rapids is a great and beautiful midsize city with everything you would want, but, not on the same scale is Detroit/Ann Arbor. They have all the pro sports and the major airport. Grand Rapids and Lansing are kind of secondary hubs. Grand Rapids is great because of the beautiful beaches nearby that you will never find on the east side. The population count makes it easier to get around and enjoy yourself too. However, there are many many other great choices that could be had. The best of luck to you two.

[michigan83]

I think Grand Rapids is a notch above Ann Arbor when it comes to being family friendly, if only because Ann Arbor is in SE Michigan and everything is busier and more congested in general. Grand Rapids has a more relaxed feel, while still having plenty to do, including some amenities that you can't find in Ann Arbor. Downtown GR has much more of a big city feel than AA, but it is probably easier to access in a hurry than downtown AA due to the lower traffic levels (and nicer roads for the most part). So you can really have the best of both worlds.

The north and eastern suburbs of Grand Rapids (East Grand Rapids, Forest Hills, Rockford) are nicer than anything in SE Michigan, in my opinion, in large part because the natural setting is more attractive. And the three school districts in the areas I just mentioned are top notch, tough to beat anywhere in the state. There is a very strong sense of community on the west side of the state and it's not quite the same in SE Michigan, probably due to the larger numbers of transplants and transient people in Ann Arbor. There's nothing wrong with necessarily, but you are not going to get 10,000 people out on a Friday night for a high school football game in Ann Arbor. You will see that happening in the Grand Rapids area. The local schools are the focal point for the entire community, and everything revolves around that.

The west side of the state has more of a small town feel (for better or for worse), even though GR is technically much larger than AA. You will find more of a connection to rural culture in western MI, with more people who know someone who lives on a farm or who once lived on a farm, and there is a certain down to earth vibe that comes as a result. There are obviously pluses and minuses to a small town feel, but it is tough to beat the sense of community that results from that.