You don’t realize how good Michigan’s Mexican food is until you have to live a year in someplace like the greater Toronto area. My (Mexican) wife and I were lucky enough to live just down the road from a famed Mexican restaurant in Streetsville. Absolute crap, and expensive to boot. We were actually relieved when a common chain (Rosies or something like that) opened near us. Not great, but peor es nada.
Ironically, in my current neighborhood of Mexico City I can’t find any good Mexican food. Have to travel for it, and lower-middle class, the better (not a good idea to go into poor areas).
As for Mexican Town, head a little further down West Vernor until you get to Mi Pueblo. Not as “fancy” as Los Galanes, but much, much more authentic, and fantastic to boot!
I live in Grand Rapids and really like it here. Close to great beaches, parks, low cost of living, farmers’ markets, lots of schools to choose from, and more and more to do downtown. Lakes big and small everywhere. There are most of the great things about bigger cities without the high cost. (I mean, you can usually park for free!) There is more and more talk about expanding / bringing great attractions to the city. ArtPrize began last year and there is a lot of buzz about what it will do for the city.
Michigan has some of the best Universities in the country and I think that helps a lot.
Lots of nice vacation spots, I have visited other state parks by the other Great Lakes and have always been disappointed compared to ours. Grand Haven, Holland, Muskegon, Traverse City, and Mackinaw Island.
There are signs of recovery - I can’t speak specifically for Detroit, but my husband works in Tool and Die, which was hit hard by the fall of the auto industry, and he is seeing the early signs of life in that industry again. Hopefully in the long run we will diversify and it will end up making us stronger as a state. There is a lot of growth in medical fields/hospitals/research in Grand Rapids.
Oh, my dear, you need to learn to use the campus bus. Main Street is full of wonderful places to eat and fun things to do. It’s the center of Ann Arbor life. Go forth and explore your world!
So… “Michigan has no good Mexican food” means… “there is no good Mexican food within a one block radius of me.” 10 blocks is like a 10 minute walk. Live a little. Or just enjoy the delightful Korean stylings of “Coffee Break” and shut up about it. I miss their BiBimBop.
That’s the good thing about building roads and bridges in Michigan these days, it only costs half as much because you only have to build the lanes heading out of the state.
I miss their BiBimBop.