Due to the high cost of real estate in Califonrnia the wife and I have often talked about moving. Well we’ve pretty mush decided on moving back east. One place I was thinking of is Grosse Pointe, Mi. (if any Grosse Pointe resisdents are here I’d appreciate your thoughts). I remember it was a very nice when I was a kid but that’s a 25 year old memory.
Particulars.
We’re a Black couple with three boys in the middle school and elementary age group.
We’re self employed, so the job market isn’t a factor.
I’d like to be close to a major US city for arts, theater, museums, etc.
Well… Grosse Pointe has a reputation for being a place where stuffy rich people live. Are you a stuffy rich person? If so, you’ll fit right in.
For a slightly more… erm… open-minded destination, you might consider Ann Arbor. Great schools, cute neighborhoods, and a bus system so you don’t have to ferry your kids absolutely everyplace. The University attracts some pretty impressive cultural events locally. Personally I consider it to be 1,000X the place to raise kids that the 'burbs are. It’s certainly no farther from Detroit than Grosse Pointe (not that I consider Detroit a major US city, but that’s another discussion).
I had forgotten Ann Arbor, thanks for the suggestion. I’m more yuppie than stuffy. Missy2U do you have a particular place in mind? The only time I was in Chicago I spent it in the train statiion.
If you’ve been living in California, Chicago’s climate is going to be a major shock to your systems.
I like the Philly area, obviously – when I had to pick a place to live when I left academia, this is where I came (I grew up here), and I’ve been here ever since – 18 years. Cheaper than California, if not cheap, and some of the suburban school districts are pretty good. Plenty of stuff going on in Philly (music, art, etc.), plus NYC is only a couple of hours away.
Quick question: When you say "I’d like to be close to a major US city for arts, theater, museums, etc. " is it the case that you do use those things in your day to day life or is it more a case (as it would be with me, I am sad to say) that you value that those things are near on some level but don’t really use them much?
Also, have you thought East Coast at all, or are you pretty much looking at the Mid West?