midwest cities

[Lauren8211]

Date: 7/11/2008 2:11:31 PM
Author: mimzy

Date: 7/11/2008 12:21:41 PM
Author: elledizzy5

Date: 7/11/2008 12:20:36 PM

Author: Harriet

I forgot about the A2 arrogance. I was at Borders when an Ann Arborite came in pitching a fit because they had moved the ''local authors'' section to the back.

LOL. That does NOT surprise me in the least bit.

yeah...i really can''t stand ann arbor because of the elitist mentality. but that''s a rant that has no place here!
but yes, i''d rather not be where Whole Foods is a religion.

elledizzy-i grew up in northville!

If you don''t mind me asking, how old are you? I have many friends from Northville.

 

[mimzy]

i''m 23, graduated in 2003. it was a relatively small school, i feel like i knew most everyone!

 

[Lauren8211]

Ohh. I graduated in 2000, so my friend were seniors when you were a freshman.

 

[mimzy]

Date: 7/11/2008 3:55:45 PM
Author: elledizzy5
Ohh. I graduated in 2000, so my friend were seniors when you were a freshman.

ah, yep. my sister graduated from NHS in 2000!i probably don''t know your friends personally but i''d probably recognize their names.

 

[rubybeth]

Mimzy, you''re probably not checking this thread much, but I thought I''d answer some questions you had about Minnesota. I live in the central part of the state, about an hour and a half away from the cities, but go to school in St. Paul. I really love St. Paul, and if FH and I could, we''d probably move there today and never leave.

The whole twin cities area is really a big urban/suburban sprawl, however each area definitely has its own attitude and appeal. Some are drawn to Uptown Minneapolis and it''s hip-feeling scene, while others love the older neighborhoods in St. Paul near all the colleges. There are definitely four seasons, and there are plenty of lakes everywhere in Minnesota, let me tell ya.

I live about a block away from a little lake in the middle of our city, though I wish we could live near Lake Calhoun or one of the more "urban lakes."

From what I''ve heard about Rochester, it can be really lovely, except most jobs are based on the Mayo Clinic--which could work out great for you, since you''re going to be in a medically-related field (my sister is getting her undergrad for speech pathology and will be a senior this coming year!). The southern part of the state is beautiful as well, including Northfield, Red Wing, etc. Duluth is very north and beautiful and could work for you, but it''s not going to get the bands and entertainment as much as the twin cities metro area and areas within an hours drive.

Hope this helps!

 

[eks6426]

I live in South Bend, IN. While, I wouldn't put South Bend anywhere close to as nice as Chicago, it does have a lot of advantages. We're close to most of the major midwest cities. It's an easy 1 1/2 hour drive to Chicago (or you can take the train). The Lake Michigan beaches are 40 minutes away. Southern Michigan has tons of little lakes for recreation. It's a quick drive to Indy (2.5 hours) and Detroit (4-5 hours) too. Cost of living is super low. Not sure what your work speciality is, but there are lots of medical related businesses and several Colleges (Notre Dame of course being the largest).

If you'd like to know more about South Bend, I'll be happy to answer questions.

Another town you might consider is Bloomington Indiana. It's south of Indianapolis about 1 hour but it is a completely different feel. It's a small town (Population around 30,000) but has some really nice things happening these days. I go to Bloomington a lot for work and the growth I've seen in the last 5 years has been amazing. They have lots of fun restaurants, a great arts scene and lots of nature (hiking, lakes etc.) things to do. Plus you're close to Indianapolis if you need the "bigger city" life.

 

[Tuckins1]

I see that you want to be reasonably close to Detroit and Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor both came up in your search... Have you ever been to Royal Oak or Ferndale? I live in this area and it''s great! Now is the time to buy around here (you can find GREAT deals on homes) and it is about 15- 20 minutes from downtown Detroit. This area is close to many freeways, lots of shopping, restaurants, and bars. I don''t know what your profession is, so I don''t know if the area is saturated or not. Some other nice cities in this area are Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, and Berkley. (I would steer clear of Oak Park and Hazel Park.)

 

[BeachRunner]

I saw some votes for Pittsburgh and thought I''d throw my .02 in

I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, and in my opinion, Pittsburgh is a great city for a younger couple. Pittsburgh has many opportunities for jobs, and the cost of living is reasonable in certain suburbs of Pittsburgh. Of course, some are more expensive, but there are definitely affordable towns. Downtown is beautiful with the three rivers, and of course the killer view of Heinz Field as you cross the Fort Pitt Tunnels!

There is plenty to do with museums, galleries, zoos, science centers, and plenty of night-life. Navigating in downtown Pittsburgh isn''t the easiest to do, because its ALWAYS under construction but you''ll get used to it. Pittsburgh was also rated the most polluted city in the USA, but to the naked eye, you can''t see a smog cloud over the city! If you can get passed the weird culinary habits of putting cole slaw and french fries on your sandwich (check out Primanti Bros) and the "Pittsburgh accent", any couple would fit in just fine! Anymore questions, let met know!!