[musicalityphan]

Hello all!

I've searched the forums for info about the Tri-Cities area, but all of the info I'm finding is at least two years old, and I know a lot can change in that time.

I've just accepted a job at SVSU that starts fall semester, so I'll be moving next month from Memphis, TN. I'm from Cleveland, OH though, so winter weather and such doesn't scare me. Honestly I'm super excited to get back to the Midwest.

I'm looking to rent a single-family home, so most of the available rentals I'm finding are in Saginaw proper. I don't mind a more urban setting, but I want to make sure I feel safe. I've been playing the "firecracker or gunshot?" game here in Memphis for four years, and I'm ready to be done.

Ideally I'm hoping to stay in the $500-$700 range for rent, and I'll need a place with a fenced-in yard for my dog. 2-3 bedrooms is the goal.

I'd be okay with commuting up to 20 or 25 minutes each way to SVSU, but farther than that is a no-go for me. My car is fuel-efficient, but I hate long commutes.

Essentially I'm looking for some general information about the "good" and "bad" neighborhoods in and around Saginaw, Midland, and Bay City. I read somewhere that everything east of the river in Saginaw is a bad idea, and I'm looking for more information like that. I've heard conflicting information about east side/west side/south side Bay City. I really want to have a decent grasp on the neighborhoods before I make the trip up to find housing.

Thanks in advance for any help you can give me!! =)

[chh]

I wouldn't live in Saginaw if I were you. It's kind of a crappy city, lots of crime, its shrunk from half it's peak population and is still shrinking rapidly. Bay city is much nicer, if I were you I'd look in that area.

[hhwtm]

There may be good neighborhoods in Saginaw, but even when I was a kid living in Midland it had a bad rep. Bay City has some nice older homes and is close to the water of Saginaw Bay. Midland, on the other hand, is extremely safe and a nice place to live. It's a little bland, but it truly is a great city and the schools are excellent.

There are some nice parks and bike trails there.

I'm not so sure that $500-700 is realistic for a 2-3 bedroom though. That part of Michigan seems incredibly cheap to me (I live near Ann Arbor) but maybe not that cheap.

[jaynarie]

I lived in Midland for a few months last year (temporary job). Very safe. Pricier than most mid-Michigan areas though. $700 for a 2-3 bedroom is going to be very tough, especially if you are wanting to stay out of an apartment building. I paid nearly $700 for a teeny-tiny one bedroom. Granted, I did pay extra for a short term lease.

I'll be honest- I don't know anything about property in Bay City.

Saginaw has bad areas, but some areas of Saginaw are actually nice. Saginaw Township, for the most part, is not bad at all. They have one of the top-rated K-12 schools in the whole state. My brother went to SVSU and lived in Saginaw for the whole seven (yes, seven) years it took him to earn his undergrad. He lived in several apartments during his tenure as a Saginaw resident and I never knew of him having problems. Your money will get you a lot more in Saginaw.

[VM1138]

Bay City is expensive, too, for what you get. Most of the housing stock is very, very old. You might find some deals if you settle for the $550 range, but most of them are going to be $600+. The houses will be better on the west side of Bay City, and crime will be less. If you go for the East Side, avoid the neighborhoods in the center of that side, immediately around downtown and Columbus avenues. None of them are Saginaw bad, but the houses and neighbors will be worse than the rest of Bay City.

EDIT: The West Side doesn't really have any bad areas per se. If I had to pick one to "avoid" it'd be the Banks area, focusing around Marquette...but that's not really that bad, either.

[MSwartz]

If you are looking for something more rural, there is a series of duplexes at the junction of Mackinaw and Hotchkiss. Probably around a ten minute drive to SVSU, and a little over 15 to Meijer and all the other shopping destinations in Saginaw's main commercial district. Straight shot down to US-10 if you want to go to Midland. Bay City is also close. I'm seeing at least one 2 br unit listed on Craigslist at $650. No fence though so I don't know if those properties would suit you.

[viktor77]

First for Saginaw, avoid the east side of the river, that is good advice. Also avoid the entire inner city west of the river. The only two neighborhoods that I would suggest in Saginaw city proper are Adams Boulevard (north of at least Alexander) and Delaware Boulevard and neighborhoods on its same plane to the west of Bay Road, the rest you might be playing the firecracker or gunshot game. Anything in Saginaw Township is good, and rents there are affordable. Carrollton Township will be a close commute to campus but is a more blue-collar area if that bothers you, rents are affordable though. If you can find a house for rent in a more rural township then you'll want to look in Kochville or Tittabawasse as that is where campus is (Kochville), or Frankenlust or Portsmouth townships in Bay County.

You might prefer to live in Bay City. With Bay City there aren't any terrible areas but I would avoid near downtown east of the river and southeast of the river within the city limits. The other side of the river is decent and close to the main stretch of restaurants and stores (Euclid and Wilder roads). The further out in the city limits of Bay City the better basically in any direction but north or south. Essexville and Bangor Township are probably at the extent of your desired commute. It is a decent area, it's difficult to describe honestly. There's nothing wrong with Monitor township west of Bay City, either and Auburn is a nice small town.

Midland is at the extent of your commute easily, but it is a very nice place to live if you can find an affordable rental there. There are some areas to avoid but for the most part you can't go wrong in Midland.

Basically, in summary, for the most part avoid the City of Saginaw, avoid a lot of urban Bay City. Saginaw Township is a very good bet and to a lesser extent the surrounding townships south of Bay City and north of Saginaw.

[VM1138]

And, just to add, the Bay City areas aren't all that dangerous, but they're very run down and the people are...well...salt of the earth we'll say. Expect car break ins and theft. And women may run the risk of sexual assault.

[sherbert]

With $500 - $700/mo. for a single family home, you're probably going to be limited to the City of Saginaw. There are pockets of decent neighborhoods in Saginaw, but they can be hard to find. The far west side of the city is actually pretty nice (around Malzahn St and North Wheeler St, as well as Adams Blvd north of Alexander St.

Here's a map of every shooting & homicide in the city since 2008. The yellow markers are non-fatal shootings, and the red markers are homicides:


It's not pretty, but also keep in mind that this is 8+ years of data and that since 2012 the violent crime rate here has been steadily declining. In 2012, there were 115 non-fatal shootings, and 30 homicides. Last year in 2015, there were 28 non-fatal shootings and 9 homicides.

[MikeBear]

He's probably already rented a place, as this thread is 6 months old, and he said 'FALL semester" (2015 Fall) and that he was moving in August...