[belleislerunner]

Said no female ever =)

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by mjlo

No it takes you from GR to Ottawa County. Where Grand Rapids conservative reputation was invented tested and perfected.

But isn't GRusalem another name for Grand Rapids?

[EddieOlSkool]

I am not actually looking for an "anti-Chicago". Out of 50 states, Michigan is my favorite contender. I just want to leave this particular city.

[4DM1N]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

I am not actually looking for an "anti-Chicago". Out of 50 states, Michigan is my favorite contender. I just want to leave this particular city.

I think the answer is clear. Royal Oak if you're looking for an active scene in a metro area. Holland if you want a laid back, quiet place to live away from it all.

[EddieOlSkool]

Originally Posted by 4DM1N

I think the answer is clear. Royal Oak if you're looking for an active scene in a metro area. Holland if you want a laid back, quiet place to live away from it all.

Yup, thanks!

[magellan]

I've heard (and seen) that Royal Oak has become like Lincoln Park in Chicago, pretty douche-ey (full of a**holes/recent college grads who don't know how to handle their drunk selves).

Try Ferndale or Midtown in Detroit instead.

[magellan]

Originally Posted by EddieOlSkool

But isn't GRusalem another name for Grand Rapids?

"GRusalem" was coined by a GQ writer in an article about Rick Devos. No one I know in Grand Rapids had ever heard that term before, when they saw the article come out. It may have been one person's nickname and that person told the writer?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by magellan

I've heard (and seen) that Royal Oak has become like Lincoln Park in Chicago, pretty douche-ey (full of a**holes/recent college grads who don't know how to handle their drunk selves).

Try Ferndale or Midtown in Detroit instead.

To a certain extent, yea, but not as bad as Ann Arbor.

Although it's sort of surprising Midtown isn't like that because of Wayne State. A different breed of students I suppose.

[4DM1N]

Originally Posted by magellan

I've heard (and seen) that Royal Oak has become like Lincoln Park in Chicago, pretty douche-ey (full of a**holes/recent college grads who don't know how to handle their drunk selves).

Try Ferndale or Midtown in Detroit instead.

Yeah, "The Joke" sucks in terms of the crowd. If OP was open to other options, I'd have suggested areas like Plymouth, Ferndale, or Ann Arbor.

[snoopygirlmi]

Once you get out of downtown Royal Oak, people aren't so bad. Most of the population is families that live in the burbs and have no interested in the party scene. Also, not all who frequent downtown RO are from there. It is a "destination" and people act differently when they are on vacation than when they are closer to home.

If you want a more relaxed, slower pace of life, choose Holland. The beaches are better maintained. The beaches at Lake St. Clair are shut down half the time because of bacteria. So, yeah, you can boat and go to the beach, but swimming is always a maybe or a "no-go". There are better beaches to go to in the Metro area.

Also, it really depends on how much diversity you want. Diversity isn't just about the gay people, but the exposure to other cultures you'll get living in an area. There really isn't much diversity in West Michigan. It's a lot of white people w/pockets of other cultures here and there. That may have changed a little in the past 20 years (some parts of Kalamazoo are a lot more Mexican than in the past and little pockets of Thai and Middle Eastern restaurants sprouting up here and there), but it's not comparable to what you'd find in the Metro Detroit area. (I was kind of surprised to see a woman wear her hijab at the Timmy's in Kzoo last weekend, but I'm not surprised when I see it in Metro Detroit.) A lot of Jews from around the state go to Metro Detroit to get their supplies for Passover because there just isn't the demand in other areas to sustain a Kosher business.

That said, if you want diversity, then you could always just visit Detroit or Chicago on the weekend.

My best advice is to listen to your instincts. They don't steer you wrong. If your gut tells you to move to "A", move to "A". It really doesn't matter if it's right on paper if you know you are exactly where you are supposed to be.