[7eeing7evens]

Hey, name's Alana, I'm going to be moving to Escanaba in early June, to get myself set up to attend Bay for automotive. This is my first time moving out of the house and into a new area. I need to find a job and a small one bedroom apartment in Escanaba, and I have no idea where to look. Help would be GREATLY appreciated!!! I'm going to be 18 in May, and will be starting off with absolutely NO money. I would be deeply grateful for any prods in a good direction.

Thank you so much!

77

[STracy]

My daughter has applied to the Nursing program there and will find out in late June if she has been accepted. If so, we plan to take a visit out there to see what the town is like before she decides for sure if this is where she wants to be. We live in Vermont and currently she is attending one of the SUNY schools in New York. I can't imagine that the winters are any longer or colder than in Vermont.

What is the school like? Ya, sad to apply to a school without visiting it first, but finding an RN program that is only an associates degree (which is what she wants) is not an easy thing.

The cost of living out there seems REALLY inexpensive as compared to Vermont. That is a nice added bonus, for sure.

[darstar]

The UP has a lot in common with Vermont, including the weather. The area around Escanaba is quite rural, close to the dairy belt further south , and a gateway point to the east in the UP and Canada. ( US 2 ). Once the area was second in population to Marquette County , however I think it has slipped some. Iron MTn. area has had greater growth, its to the west 70 miles. Its a nice area, on the shore of Lake Michigan , with a fair amount of business and industry that supplies the outlying areas of the UP.Marquette is less than 100 miles to the north , UPs largest city.

[alleyyooper]

Escanaba a town that is small but large at the same time. Close to shopping and rual wilderness at the same time. Plenty of fast food joints form the main ones like Burger King to Hardies and some all their own Like the BJ's pasty shop.
A resutrant with camers set up to watch the coustomers like they are going to steal the flat wear, AND another that seems to have just ran out of OJ at breakfast. A super Wal Mart and a K Mart, dollar stores too. Several chain motels scattered along the US 2 corridor some nearly side by side.

Like any town any place, being with out money puts you right UTCWAP. Only money will get you a place to live even the state forest camp grounds are not free any longer.


Al

[imaginos]

There are two quick lubes on Lincoln road about a block apart I'd drop some applications there and with parts stores, repair shops (might be looking for more experience) dealerships and take anything you can get. I hired a few kids out of the Bay automotive program when managing one of the quick lubes. It is a fantastic way to earn some money while getting very useful and fundemental OJT in automotive.

I had a couple homes in Gladstone and rented one so I know a little about the renting environment in Escanaba. I dont think you will have a problem finding a small place but I would take the time to look around. I think there might be a significant difference in whats avaliable at lower price range. For example you might end up with a dump at $300 and could have had a really nice place for 350. There are also people who rent rooms and the Dorms at bay but I think those are expensive. Contact the housing authority or commision or what ever they call it and you can get a list of landlords who conform to the commison standards. All lanndlords are supposed to get certified or whatever by this commison but alot of em dont want the govt in their business and just fly under the radar which is what I did when they instituted the commison in Gladstone.

I would plan on leaving the area after school as Mechanics dont make a whole lot in the area. In fact no one makes a whole lot and thats why I left. Bay is a good school and the automotive program highly respected. Its a really good inexpensive place to go after that degree. You have made a good choice but like I say I'd move on after.

If you need any specific questions answered I will look in this thread now and then. I lived in the Escanaba Gladstone area for 25 years and would be glad to help.

Good luck

[imaginos]

Also

The guys that worked for me at the Quick lube arranged their schedules so they had all of their classes on the same two days. Usually Bay classes are offered for 2 hours on M/W or tu/th. If you pile up all of your classes on the MON/Wed schedule you can work all day T,Th,F,S. If classes tues/thus then you are available for M,W,F,S. I did this not only with automotive students but also students in other programs.