The Director

Anyone here know the area around Adrian, Michigan? I would imagine that most Detroit and Toledo folks do. Anyway, it looks promising for an interview with a big company headquartered in Adrian. I know nothing about Michigan therefore I'm curious about living conditions there like:

Terrain: Got trees, grass, other greenery...hilly or flat...forest and lakes, etc?
Seasons: What are the 4 seasons like?
Cost of Living: Avg cost of a 3 bed/2 bath home?
Fun stuff: Whatcha got to do that's enterntaining?

Thanks for any help and info, ya'll. :thumbs:

Lambinator

Merillat?

If you are looking for the tropics this time of year, Adrian isn't it :lol:

Try these links for info: http://www.lenaweechamber.com/ http://adrianmichigan.net/

The Director

:thumbs: BING! We have a winner! :thumbs:

Yep. It's Merillat. Now I just gotta win round two of the interviews and decide if I like it well enough to live there. :confused:


[Modified by Jim McK, 12:59 PM 2/25/2003]

Lambinator

If you can stand garaging the Vette 4 months a year, or you want to drive in salt/snow, you'll like Adrian. It's not a bad place. And close enough to Detroit for our get togethers. Plus you'll be close to Michigan Int'l Speedway, the Woodward Cruise, and lots of other Detroit events.

It's not a warmer winter climate like Atlanta, but the other 3 seasons are nice.

C3 RV

I used to live in Adrian and my ex and one of my kids still lives there. Merrilat is probably the premier employer in Adrian. Adrian has tree-lined streets, two liberal arts colleges, a downtown, and a small mall. Most of the housing stock in-town is older - some quaint, some trashy. Most new construction is in the surrounding country on acreage. Housing costs are probably less than other, more metropolitan parts of Michigan. Nearby Tecumseh has a nice historic district and quaint downtown. The Irish Hills are nearby and that area is hilly, green, and has recreational lakes. Aside from the Irish Hills, the county is generally flat agricultural.

There is no freeway access from Adrian. People take 2-lane roads US, State, or county roads to reach Toledo, Ann Arbor, and beyond. If you change jobs, you'll probably want to move because commuting to Toledo, Ann Arbor, Lansing, or Detroit is tedious - especially in the winter. (Been there, done that). If you live in the country, unless you live on a main road, you will probably be on a gravel or dirt road, unlike states like Ohio where every country lane is paved. Unemployment is probably above the state average. One of my daughters recently moved in with me because she couldn't find anything beyond fast-food employment in Adrian. There is some local entertainment, but many folks go to Ann Arbor (about 45 minutes away) for concerts, theater, restaurants, etc.

Here are the census facts & figures you can compare with other areas:
http://quickfacts.census.gov/qfd/states/26/26091.html

The Director

Thanks for the info Greg. Sounds like the best idea might be to live 1/2 way between Adrian and Ann Arbor. My wife will want to work and if there's nothing in Adrian, she would need to look elsewhere.

All that is tentative at this point though. We shall see what happens in the next week or two.

Storz

that is a nice area, Ann Arbor is a cool town, and your right by all of the major highways. Winter up here sucks, I will be honest with you, but summers and the other seasons are great :thumbs: Lots of lakes in the area, terrain is all glaciated so there are no rock cliffs or mountains but gentle rolling hills and lots of forest/woods. "up-north" is about a 3 or 4 hour drive from that area and is beautiful, the great lakes are awesome. i think you will like it :yesnod:

The Director

Ahhhh...thank you brother Storz. :thumbs:

Since my wife and I were born and raised in flat, hot, ugly Florida we tend to be a bit of a different case. We LOVE the snow and ice! One of the things that ticks us off about Atlanta is that we don't get much or any. Heck, we have driven to Tennessee and Virginia 5 times this year just to chase the snow and ice down. :crazy:

If I get the Merillat job, I think we will be happy with the area and seasons up there. Yeah I might have to park the Vette some, but I have a new 4-door 4X4 Chevy truck so no problemo. :thumbs:

C3 RV

Good luck with your interview. Let me know if you need any more info. I'll fill you in on what I know about the other towns in the area as I've lived in the general vicinity for about 23 years.

For your wife, The Ann Arbor area has a lot of employment opportunities in healthcare ( 3 hospitals including U of M), education (4 universities / colleges and a community college), pharmaceutical R&D, and lots of high tech. Ann Arbor has the lowest unemployment rate in Michigan. The Ann Arbor News is online as part of http://www.mlive.com . Again, good luck.


[Modified by C5 RV, 6:15 PM 2/26/2003]

GS 163

Thats funny, I grew up in Michigan for 21 years and couldnt get out fast enough. Now I live in flat, hot ugly Florida.:D

Black94LT1

I think everyone has covered it pretty weel, but I thought that I would add that New housing in that area is approx. $125/150 per sq. ft. The US23 corridor south of Ann Arbor is pretty affordable for SE Michigan, adn there are some pretty nice areas. Watch out for the dirt roads however, as they seem to be quite prevalent (quite a surprise when I moved here 12 years ago).

Preston

9TSIX

Summers are short here in Michigan so we tend to overload the cruises and such but one you have to do is the Woodward Cruise (30,000 cars) and try the Run To Hell (small town near Ann Arbor area).

When you come, keep rooting for your old pro football and baseball teams but change to Red Wings for hockey. :yesnod:

ddecart

Oh sure, start working for Merrilat AFTER I spend $10k on cabinets for my house! :lol:

Lots of good advice here. If you haven't been to Michigan, and you like snow, you'll probably like it here. Adrian is a sub-suburb of Ann Arbor (sort of). It is definitely NOT a built-up area. Living between Ann Arbor and Adrian is probably a good bet for both housing and employment for the wife.

I think Noggles grew up in Adrian. I mentioned this post to him. We'll see if he has anything to add.

Noggles

Yes, I grew up near that area.

As a matter of fact, one of my scholarships coming out of high school was a full ride to Adrian College. :jester

Seriously, the area is terrific. There is so much to do if you like the outdoors. I grew up in the Irish Hills area and spent most of my time hunting, fishing, and having fun with outdoor sports. There were 150 lakes within 10 minutes of my home.

The 4 seasons ae certainly distinctive. Summer is the races at MIS, bugs, heat+humidity and tornado watches.....fall is beautiful, and hunters come out of the woodwork; winter is cold, but temperate at times too; lots of ice fishing opportunities!! -- and Spring is perhaps the shortest season.

It's a place I'm happy I grew up in, but the population is exploding there now. Then again, where isn't it?

Noggles