Moving to Northern Michigan

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  • Moving to Traverse City area, MI

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    Jul 17, 2024

    Having been born in the Bay Area and lived here most of my adult life, I am experiencing both excitement and trepidation as my family (me, my partner, and our toddler) moves to the greater Traverse City area, in the Northern lower peninsula of Michigan--a move precipitated by a need for lower housing costs and a desire for a slower pace of life. We don't have friends or family in the immediate vicinity, though we do have family elsewhere in Michigan. If you're familiar with the area, I'm curious to hear any recommendations you have for building community, engaging in family-friendly activities, connecting with other writers/artists/social impact leaders, places to go, meals to eat, thing to do, etc. We will be in a shorter-term rental exploring various geographic communities within the greater Traverse City area, so if you have experience with certain towns or neighborhoods and their pros and cons, I would also welcome hearing from you. Thank you so much! 

    Jul 17, 2024

    I went to Interlochen Arts Camp when I was younger (about half an hour's drive from Traverse City).  Interlochen is wonderful and has performances of world-class artists open to the public along with many talented student performances.  The surrounding area is also great, especially in the summer -- I loved Sleeping Bear Dunes (45 minutes from Traverse City) and Mackinac Island (a bit further but nice for a weekend trip).  

    Jul 24, 2024

    I went to camp at Interlochen near Traverse City for many summers and loved it dearly. I didn’t spend that much time off of the campus, but did go into TC occasionally and mostly remember the delicious cherries. Definitely go to concerts and events at Interlochen whenever you can!

    Jul 24, 2024

    Hey Bearclover,

    I grew up in a town about 50 miles north of Traverse City and lived there for a year back in 2010 (things have likely changed quite a bit since I was there so grain of salt of what's below). A few recommendations, feel free to reach out if you'd like to discuss more:

    Location:

    • Depending on what you're looking for the downtown neighborhoods are really nice, particularly those west of the boardman river
    • For more rural areas you really cant go wrong with any of the surrounding areas, all have their advantages and disadvantages

    Ways to get connected:

    Places to Eat

    Activities

    TC is a great spot and if our family were to ever move back to MI that's definitely where we'd land, there is a nice mix of events, restaurants, and activities as well as lots of beautiful outdoor areas to explore (both in winter and in summer). If you haven't spent time in this part of the country before I would caution you to be prepared for the winter, weather can be rainy, cold, snowy, and overcast from ~November through ~April and the days get quite short which can be an adjustment for folks, especially if you're coming from an area like the bay where there is a lot more sun and a more mild climate. 

    Jul 25, 2024

    I grew up in Michigan and love visiting Traverse City! I still go back to TC every year to visit family and friends. TC is like the Lake Tahoe of Michigan - beautiful, lots to do and see but very touristy (and therefore expensive to live there.) Beware of the long winters that are cold, dreary (NO sunshine), with short days of little daylight. 

    Jul 31, 2024

    P.S. Check out this NYT article on TC! NYT

    Aug 1, 2024