Michigan

I was born and raised in Michigan, and I lived there for 24 years until I moved to Texas. I must say that Michigan really does have it all: everything from warm, sandy beaches to cold wind-whipped (short) mountains. The state is ideally situated so that in a 12-month span one can experience the fulness of all four seasons: summers are warm (sometimes down-right HOT!); autumn's colors are amazing; winter time finds everything blanketed in snow; and spring time is breathtaking, with the first faint hints of green on the trees and all the Cherry Blossoms! You're never more than an hour's drive to a lake, whether small or GREAT; and if the water doesn't suit you, there's plenty of hiking & biking to be done (check out the Huron National Forest & the Au Sable River which runs it's length... great hiking/camping/canoeing!) Michigan's ethnic diversity also deserves note... From the vibrant African-American community strongly represented in Detroit and its suburbs, to the Dutch- and Ger... Read more

Michigan is a nice place to visit, but I don't think I would want to live in Michigan. It gets a little too cold up there in winter. However, the Great Lakes are pretty, and I think it would be interesting to see what the upper part of Michigan is like.

i am heading to michigan soon with my girlfriend we live in tennessee shes from tennessee and ive lived here pretty much all my life but never been to michigan she has family up there and loves the place well half of it she loves the northern part ive always looked down on the place because my father worked for GM down here and raised me to think that the people that moved here from michigan are the rudest people around which i can say that because some of the most ready to agrue fight and be an ass are from there but i tend to see those are from the southern nasty city part but she tells me that the northern area by the lakes is the best but from readin these comments im worried about the people up here but ill review again after ive been there

I went to Saint Joseph a few years back for vacation and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of a Florida beach town. I flew into Kalamazoo in the 1980's when I worked for an air ambulance and was not impressed with that area. I hear the upper peninsula is very nice and I would love to visit.

If you took all of the worst aspects of all of the states, and threw them into one state, you would have Michigan. A great motto for Michigan would be: "Michigan: where the weather is cold and the people are colder."Crime: You're probably aware that Detroit is the murder capital of the United States. What you might not be aware of is that other big cities like Flint and Saginaw are also very, very  bad and getting worse, basically like Mini-Detroits. Avoid any large city in Michigan like the Plague, at least the ones in the Southern/Eastern parts of the state.Employment: Highest unemployment in the nation, been that way for several years now. You have trouble even getting an interview for a job you're overqualified for.Cost of living: not sure of all of the intracacies of this, but things tend to be more expensive here than most areas of the country. Such as gasoline.Weather: Winter sometimes starts in September and sometimes lasts until June. Unimaginably harsh winters. Usually takes ... Read more

I can't take credit for this, got it in an emailMICHIGAN POEM Michigan's so lovelyAnd the gentle breezes blowSeventy miles an hourAt twenty-five belowOh, how I love MichiganWhen the snow's up to your buttYou take a breath of winterAnd your nose gets frozen shut.Yes, the weather here is wonderfulSo I guess I'll hang aroundI could never leave Michigan'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!

As I understand this topic--TRAVEL DESTINATION reviews–I'm thinking all the complaints below about living in urban southeast Michigan are off topic. I lived in Michigan until I graduated from U of M, and since most of my relatives still live there, I visit often enough to keep in touch. I'm aware of the residents' economic and urban problems. But I don't think that's the topic. As a tourist destination, the Wolverine State has a lot to offer. Don't bother visiting urbanized Southeast Michigan, where the population is centered. There's nothing special there you can't see elsewhere in some similar form.The one exception is in Jackson, in the south central area, home of the largest illuminated man-made waterfalls in North America, the "Cascades". Six fountains border sixteen stepped waterfalls, over which water tumbles in continually changing patterns of colored lights, coordinated with music. The falls are lit after dusk until 11 PM every summer evening. And if you enjoy auto racing, Ja... Read more

worst state in the United States second to California

Lots of fun stuff to do in Michigan. The outdoors is great and the historical places are many.

I used to give Michigan a higher star. but not now. we live here and it is pretty bad here right now. the unemployment is the second worse in the nation.  and now in the last few months we are part of the unemployed. My spouse lost is job of 23 years when his place of work closed down. the economy is terrible right now. if you come here looking for employment I would suggest try another state. we have no idea what we are going to do . my husband has been trying to find a job for four months now with no luck for every job listed there are 100- 200 people trying for the same job. Michigan used to be a pretty nice state to live in with all of the lakes to visit. and there was fairly good employment. now I am terrified of losing our home. and to{ add to our wonderful luck the car my spouse counted on to find a job just broke down and we cannot afford to fix it] I wish I could sing Michigan's praises but I have very little praise Michigan for now. I guess if you want to visit Michigan come ... Read more

people have really bad attitudes and they act like there is a wall around michigan and you cant leave the state...they totally freak out if someone leaves the state, its crazy..."you're gonna LEAVE THE STATE?"...like as if michigan is the entire country...its a giant tax state -- they want to tax services now, bad place for small businesses, potholes that they are always fixing but seem to do a horrible job, people all paranoid about automobile factories, high insurances, i dont smoke but its 6 bucks for a pack of cigerettes, the gas is always higher than ohio & kentucky, the media and people are angry, good paying jobs but hard to secure one without driving into the ghetto (detroit or flint areas), snobish people in oakland county who are angry because they are paying for detroit, the lansing area is okay but it's very expensive and few good paying jobs outside of the university and hospital, rushed people that always say they dont have time, all activities revolve around bars and dan... Read more

Michigan is just nasty. The smog from Detroit reaches all the way to Ann Arbor. It seems like it was probably a nice area maybe 80 years ago, but it just went downhill. Upper Michigan is not bad, and scenic with lots of Pine trees and fresher air, but because of the southern area it still gets a 1 star.

I hate to see so many people ragging on Michigan. As a life long Michigander, I can tell you that it is one of the richest states in terms of culture and grandeur. We have the whole upper peninsular, which is so rich in minerals for the rockhound, and we have wonderful cities like Grand Rapids- the hometown of Gerald Ford!

I did my education here and I had some fun, but the state as a whole is not that great. People pointed out the job market, but it's far more than that. The people here are insanely overweight. Most do not do a thing to stay in shape except life the remote and stuff down brats while they drink beer. People are always ready for an arguement here. It's like they need to offer a class on "how to relax 101." And if you are laid-back, they will smell you out and try to insult you because they don't like to see anyone walk around with a huge smile like myself around there. There's no tolerance for people from non-Midwestern cultures. They get angry because I grew up in warm weather while they sat in snow but don't understand the other problems that we face in warm weather climates such as super high cost of living, low paying jobs, and illegal immigrants. It all balances out. Another thing I find funny is when they say they are going "Up North." These people instead of exercising go s... Read more

I went to michigan state so I am giving you an opinion from someone from East Lansing/Okemos/Haslett area. Out of all the areas I've been to, this is definitely one of the better areas. There is nightlife here with lots of parties and bars/clubs. The jobs are not all that but if you are going to school, different situation. It gets pretty cold here in the winter if you like that sort of thing. The people here are a little too fast for me overall, but I enjoyed the experience. There are a lot of fat-bottom women that let themselves go and some of them have attitudes. The construction gets really annoying here and ruins the summer-driving. People always have A LOT on their mind and I get the impression a lot of people are really edgy and quick to insult/defend themselves because they have been promised a lot of things that they weren't delievered. The thing that turns me off is that people love a good arguement/debate here. If you are that type where you walk through life with a h... Read more

Economy is awful here. There are only a few employers, and since the 70s, this state has lost jobs to other parts of the country as the economy continues to decline. Flint, Saginaw, and Detroit are awful for the most part. Greektown in Detroit is manageable, but getting there on the disgusting, pothole infested roads can be a real nightmare, and give you a flat tire. Construction abound of I-696, I-75, M-14, and I-94, where they use construction projects as a way to employ the labor force. Some projects aren't even necessary, yet this is the government's desperate measure. Lansing is an OK town, but very boring and rather bland, except for Washington St. There are some nice restaurants there, but majority close after 3PM because downtown is a ghost town after dark. Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor are nice towns. Ann Arbor tends to have really snobby people, probably due to the academic atmosphere. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is very pretty, but I can tell the stud... Read more

Many other places much worse to live. Economy is horrible- climate is ok, but not mild. Detroit has tried to rebuild- but the decline of American auto makers is killing it. Crime rate outside of Detroit is low- some peaceful pretty areas to live- its just the bad economy that hurts this state.

"If you are looking for; scenic beach fronts, palm trees, over-friendly people, beautiful girls, hot sex, the best beer, high end shopping districts, picturesque skylines, quirky accents, safe and clean streets, then you are severely narrow-minded and unrealistic." What is so narrow-minded about looking for something pleasureable?? I live in Tempe, AZ and I have cousins that live here. Everytime I visit here the best part is leaving. My cousins live in Midland, MI. And all they have there is a few clubs, but no huge party scene. I was at UM to party and it was lame compared to ASU. The only thing that was cool is the bars closed at 2, but the house parties at AZ rock this place. As far as attractions, there are none. The people are stubborn and always trying to get something done really fast (They never relax here or take their time). If you are laid-back and chillaxin, this isn't tha place to be. It reminded me of a giant factory. Everyone is all about their jobs. Even the girls h... Read more

Reading many of these reviews, it seems that most of the visitors have only been to the eastern part of the state. That does not do much justice to a state that offers quite a bit more than just a decrepid city center. I was born in Michigan, and have called it home for my entire life. Although I'll always have some bias when I write this, I'll be brutally upfront as much as possible. I've been to over thirty states and 6 different countries around the world through Asia and Europe so I have experience in meeting all different types of homosapien. First of all, yes, we have the some of the fattest people in the country. It's pretty depressing to know that fact, seeing that many people have a affinity for fast food...but I have also meet some of the fittest, most motivated people I've ever met. There are an abundance of biking and hiking trails all over Michigan which do get used frequently. Michigan offers many activities for almost everyone in each of the four seasons. Detroit. ... Read more

I have been through the airport many times. I have no desire to go anywhere else.

I'm from ChapelHill, NC and this state sucks. I lived in NJ, NY--I even lived in Oklahoma. I thought OK was bad, but this place is way worse then any place I have lived. I'm here only because of my husband. The people here are so nasty that it's unbelievable. I live in Grand Ledge near Lansing and it's not too bad, but still. Why are people here so racist? so evil??? Damn, it's annoying. Interacial dating here is really high and it's funny how the people are still so racist. Folks here stare at you all the time, like they have nothing better to do with their life. Stuck up? I read that somewhere--where? and why? Excluding the campus, people here are not attractive at all. Alot of wiggers here. Most african americans must be near Detroit and Flint. Don't think I want to go there do to the crime statistics I've read. This place is miserable--the people don't make it any better. I'm married, so it's hard for me to get up and go back to NC right now--but it's in the making. G... Read more

Michigan is a poor way to waste valueable years of your life. The people are mostly self-centered with bad attitudes. A construction cone is something that's very common to the people of Southeast Michigan as every major interstate is always being torn up. People wear miserable looks on their face as they trudge through the snow and sleet to get to their jobs that they hate. The attitude factors into the personalities as it's very hard to find anyone that has one. It's very difficult to get laid here as the females are all into exclusive relationships that revolve around money. I come from Las Vegas and am a Blackjack dealer who has worked here in Detroit for 2 years and am working on getting a transfer back to Nevada or someplace where the people are somewhat normal. I'm 27 years old and I have slept with 42 girls, and I have only been laid once in almost 2 years here in Southeastern Michigan. The hard-nosed attitudes get old, and they make you feel like you are aging twice as... Read more

Michigan is like bad sex. Its boring, not very hot, and smells funny (Detroit). I've lived here all my life and I'm planning on moving to Colorado. The seasons, with the exception of winter, are nice especially fall. If you are a hunter plan on private land. There are 1 Million (litteraly) hunters in this state, most of which shouldn't even be allowed to drive, let alone have a gun! All in all, if you are thinking of moving here plan on taking a lot of vacations and make sure you have reliable employment, the economy sucks.

billgarris and larrneuman, both totally right on the money. Maybe Michigan is especially materialistic and nasty. I can drive my Civic around all day and girls will not look my way on the road, but borrow someone's Audi, Beemer or even a nice Accord and the women will flag you down! I swear to god this really happens. It's scary. Then when one of them gets you, they will extort you into buying bigger and better houses. I live in a McMansion neighborhood, pretty nice, and two of my neighbors have moved from the same one-story house in my cul-de-sac to another bigger, better McMansion neighborhood with more expensive, bigger houses with golf courses! Another guy I knew had a nice one-story in one of those neighborhoods, got married, the fool, and has moved out of that one into a bigger one in the same development! Ann Arbor is totally awful, you can read my review as to why, or just Google "Ann Arbor" and "snotty". Ann Arbor is pretty mean and nasty on-campus, but the locals away fr... Read more

GEORGE CARLIN POST 9-11 (His wife recently died...) Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70s and 80s - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate post 9-11. A wonderful Message by George Carlin: The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living... Read more

Mattmcdowell, All those things you named off involve alcohol. Yeah, its nice to go to a bar every once in awhile, and a house party at a university can be fun too when you are young, but tell me some fun things in general I can do without carrying around a 40 all the time?? Also, mentioning Windsor and Sarnia is not Michigan, thats a whole different country this is supposed to be about rating Michigan. In the summer, you can go water-skiing or tubing, fishing, biking, and rollerblading for fun. But after the 4 months of decent weather, there is nothing to do here that doesnt involve getting drunk. Its true that people arent very social here but there isnt a lot of places to be social at. I suppose you can join a rec league if you like to play sports. In general, its a nice place to live about 4 months of the year and other than that, if you dont like to drink all the time, theres hardly anything to do here. Overall, it is a unique looking state with 4 climates for every calend... Read more

I’m tired of reading all these crybabies rip on Southeastern Michigan. I live in Sterling Heights, and I’ve been allover the country on business trips, I am 27 years old, and this is one of the better places in the country to live. It’s green, it has four seasons, and there’s a lot of opportunities here. Of course it’s an “uptight” town as you call it –- we are Metro Detroit, a blue-collar working town where people get things done and get to the point. When I’m buying groceries, I don’t want to hear somebody’s life story. I just want to get my stuff and get out of there. Yeah, we are a straight to the point town and that’s what makes it great. And you people that cry about not getting any women are pathetic. The reason you can’t get any girls is because you have no game. If you want to find a dumb blond hillbilly that will do all your dishes and tell you how great you are, you aren’t going to find that here I’m sorry, you’ll have to go to Mississippi or Louisiana for that one.... Read more

As far as nature/scenery goes, the state would get 5 stars in that category, but on the overall picture, the people drag the rating down. And I mean they drag it ALL the way down. (more on that in just a minute.) Not sure why the people here are so jaded, perhaps it's the weather. Winter has been known to take up a solid 1/2 of the year (that's not hyperbole), and the other half is totally unpredictable. You probably won't want to plan any outdoor weddings or events here, as the saying here is that "If you don't like the weather in Michigan, wait five minutes and it will change." Snow in May is not unheard of. Now regarding the people. A lot of it is the younger crowd, which is really depressing to me because I am young myself. Where to begin... Customer service here is almost nonexistent. Spend tons of money in a store? Good luck even getting acknowledged, let alone thanked, or asked to come back. If you do get thanked, it's more often than not obviously faked. It's not entirely the ... Read more

I lived in Warren, Madison Heights, and Troy for 5 years from 17-21 until I had to move out of there. The Southeast Area: Traffic is horrible, the casinos are in the ghetto, and there isn’t a lot of things to do for young people. Many young people go to Windsor, Canada for a good time. The people are very intense and uptight. It seems like people can’t get enough of arguing and heated debates there. The girls are extremely judgmental and the guys all talk negatively about the other guys thinking it’s going to allow them to get ahead of the next man. If you say hello to a girl you don’t know randomly, they automatically think you want to get into their pants and go into full-fledge defense mode. I am a fairly decent looking guy who has now been married for 3 years (I didn’t meet my wife in Michigan), and most of the girls just dusted me here when I tried to be friendly and strike up conversations. I never had any problems meeting women up until my family moved here when I was 1... Read more

I live in Michigan. In Oakland County. Michigan has many friendly people, a pleasent area. But as a student soon to graduate, I dont know if I would like to live here through my college years. Dont get me wrong, but I hate the cold weather. It's just too much.

If you like cold weather 3/5 of the year, this is a great place to be. The people are very uptight in the Southeast area and the majority of the state, stressful job market (very high unemployment), and very competitive people. Business is very cutthroat. The women are very standoffish, cliquey, and uptight. If you aren't in the "inner circle" and you greet people, they will say "Do I know you?" There are a lot of "busy" women here that have twenty excuses not to "hang out" because they have to do their nails on monday, wash on tuesday, homework on wednesday, etc. you get the point. Married women control all the households in this state. This state is full of wallet-sniffing women that will give you the go-around instead of just telling you "i'm not interested." And if they do want to hang out, have fun trying to find something to do. People spend a lot of time ripping on other people and talking behind people's back. It's full of racism and segregated. The Western part of t... Read more

weve got more coastline than any other state except alaska, that alone makes us better than most states. and im only gonna say this once. michigan is 10000000000 times better than ANY state below the mason dixon line (with the possible exception of florida)

The Northern Half of the l.p. is pretty nice, same with the u.p and Muskegon is pretty nice too. Go anywhere else, like detroit. You'll be wanting to leave.

wow a lake. what else

Ewww what atractions do they have!!!

I know damn well I'll state is one of the nicest states in the country and nobody can tell me it isn't. BrownGirl82 is out her mind!!

Boring state. Nothing to do. Don't go there.

It's got everything!!!!

I lived in Michigan for 11 years and have been up to visit at least 10 times since then. I would never want to live in the lower part of the state-most of it I found flat and boring. I did enjoy the U.P. however. It's open country and beautiful peaceful beaches are wonderful. Anyone who's been there knows however that the lakes are way to cold, we would swim in the smaller lakes but the Great Lakes-brrrr. One year it didn't get above 0 in the entire month of January! And every year we were there we had snow-not always sticking but still snow every month of the year. We were at Van Ripper (sp) state park for the Forth of July and had to go home because it was so cold and there were flakes flying. I lived areound the Marquette, Gwinn, K.I. Sawyer area and found the people very freindly and welcoming. Maybe it was because of the air base, a lot of transplanted people. The taxes were high while I was there but I think the schools are better there, they were financed by property taxes. From... Read more

I have lived here (Grand Haven) my entire life (34 years). There are MUCH better places to live. People like the lake in the summer, but it brings cold, clouds, and gloom. There aren't many days to enjoy it. The winter is ever-lasting, with lake effect snow fall. The women are huge, and the people are not friendly. I travel all over the United States, and realize that Michigan is one of the worst states to live. My wife and I are moving to TN soon.

I've lived here all my life and it's just really bland. Detroit is definitely no place to go and the people can be a little more edgy. I must say however, the seasons are very nice and the U.P. is definitely a nice vacation spot.

When I lived in Indiana, my brother and I decided to drive to Detroit for a baseball game. Shortly after we passed the border into Michigan, a bug splattered against the windshield. My brother said, Well, you can tell we've left Indiana. There's the first sign of wildlife.

People here are hard-working, intelligent (unlike other areas of the country), and friendly. I have lived in other states I will not mention, only to return back here, my home state where I grew up. Beautiful water, nature everywhere, nice change of seasons that never leave you bored. Has nice small towns as well as big cities - can't beat it.

Michigan is my home state and Detroit is my home city. Both I love. I think we have a beautiful state with lots of things to do. Sure the cost of living is higher but I still take pride in my state.

I think i could live anywhere in Michigan except for metro detroit. Some historic nice little town on one of the four great lakes that it touches would suit me i guess.

The UP is beautiful-and some of the towns on lake Michigan are charming and peaceful- Holland is a real pleasant town.

There's something charming about a little mining town by a lake. Unfortunately, there's something not-so-charming about the people living there. I know you'll think I'm crazy if I say that Texans are generally smarter than Michiganders, but it seems to be true. The people I spoke to in Marquette couldn't hold a conversation if their life depended on it, and of course they attempted to in that god-awful Fargo accent.

Southeast Michigan is a growing crime problem. The taxes one pays on a house once a year are extremely high. Detroit has been the murder capital of the United States more than once and the fall out is moving into the surrounding counties more and more every year. Check web sites for statistics on crime for Wayne county (Detroit) and the surrounding counties or each surrounding city. If you are not into warm summers, this is the place for you. If you love rainy weather and very long, cold winters you will love this place. If you appreciate steady and ever growing crime rates, this is the place for your whole family. Check to see how much car insurance one will end up paying annually due to a non-stop growth in car thefts. Many good neighborhoods have been going down hill more and more every year. Research the statitistics and find out for yourself. Don't take anyone's word for it here. Research taxes before ever thinking of purchasing a home in this state. Research crime growth before m... Read more

I was born and raised in Western Michigan, and I miss it so much! There is no place like it in the world! I miss the Great Lakes, the 4 seasons, and the culture. I have to admit I don't care for Detroit at all, though.