Any folks from the MI UP AKA God's Country?

outdoor · #1 05/15/14, 04:07 PM

Been researching the UP for a homestead. Hear the economy it not really the best right now. Any suggestion on where would be a good place out in the country. Call PM if not want to post in the open forum.

farmerdan · #2 05/15/14, 04:27 PM

I student taught in Baraga and Pelkie. I would have stayed there if the economy was better. That's was like a zillion years ago. I like the whole Copper Country area.

outdoor · #3 05/15/14, 04:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by farmerdan

I student taught in Baraga and Pelkie. I would have stayed there if the economy was better. That's was like a zillion years ago. I like the whole Copper Country area.

That is all nice land up there, I love Bruce Crossing, Trout Creek.... Seems with all the Alaska shows every Tim, Dick n Harry want to move out to the Bush... Prices of bare land anywhere in the US seem to be really going up.

haypoint · #4 05/15/14, 04:51 PM

Far from jobs, cheaper land. Close to jobs or water, more costly. some areas have good soil, some very poor. Some areas have 200 inches of snow. Farmers compete for land with downstate hunters. Some communities are close knit, having seen decades of hippies do the back to the land thing.
Short growing season in most areas.

Sanza · #5 05/17/14, 10:28 PM

Just so you know.....Gods country is up north of the medicine line! Lots of farmland, lots of bush, and lots of good jobs! And not a lot of people.

AngieM2 · #6 05/17/14, 10:51 PM

When I lived in Munising the Kimberly Clark plant seemed to be the largest employer.

I only got to live there 18 months, and 6 months of that I drove to Marquette for work 5 days a week. The 42 miles between on M-28 along the Lake was wonderful.

But that was about 30 years ago, but from photos I've seen, it's still beautiful up there.

willow_girl · #7 05/18/14, 06:25 AM

Nice place to visit but too... danged ... cold!

Heck, even the winters in the north-central LP, where I lived for 20 years, seem horrible in retrospect.

Seven years in SWPA have made me soft and weak ...

Riverdale · #8 05/18/14, 06:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by willow_girl

Nice place to visit but too... danged ... cold!

Heck, even the winters in the north-central LP, where I lived for 20 years, seem horrible in retrospect.

Seven years in SWPA have made me soft and weak ...

Sissy!

Lived in Marquette for a couple years in the early '80s. In the 90's, I used to go camping/fishing between Manistique and Munising.

Louisiana Pacific is looking for both a maintenance mechanic and an industrial electrician for their Newberry facility, good pay, especially for the area.

**Kris in MI** · #9 05/18/14, 03:38 PM

LOL about the cold. My son just returned down state this weekend from his third year at Michigan Tech (waaaayyy up in the Keweenaw). On Tuesday he and a few friends went on one last hiking/camping trip before heading downstate for summer internships. He said they awoke to an inch of snow on their tents Wednesday morning. Yes, the 14th of May!

Dh and I lived up there in the early 1990's, when Dh attended Michigan Tech. There has been some development since then, but jobs are still mostly minimum wage and hard to come by. If you have to live in a city to work, though, the U.P. cities beat the lower Michigan cities any day of the week in my opinion.

SLFarmMI · #10 05/18/14, 04:24 PM

We were up in Houghton just about 2 weeks ago picking DS up from Michigan Tech and there was still quite a bit of snow on the ground and the lake was still frozen. Beautiful country up there though (don't know if it's beautiful enough to make me enjoy the 10 hour drive though).

rxkeith · #11 05/18/14, 06:33 PM

i live north of tech in the keweenaw.

this winter was a rough one. when folks in their 80s say this was a bad one, you can believe it.

land here is still affordable compared to other areas, prices will vary depending on what part of the U.P. you are looking at. any lake front property will be pricy. wages are not as high. not as many jobs, due to population density.
the big employers, are hospitals, schools, and prisons.
some people love it here, and wouldn't live anywhere else. others can't wait to leave. living here does have its challenges, but there aren't many places where you leave your doors unlocked or your car running in the parking lot during the winter while you are grocery shopping and its still there when you come out.
if you are stranded on the side of the road, some one will stop to help you out. low on funds, and in a pinch, people will help you out. pay the next time you pass through. can't put a price on that.

crime is low. still there unfortunately, but we know who the knuckle heads are.
most households have guns of some sort, and like to hunt. that might be a crime deterrent. folks like to go out in the woods and shoot.

keith

ronbre · #12 05/20/14, 05:17 PM

there are some on here, but a lot more in the northern lower penninsula, like me.

fishhead · #13 05/20/14, 06:43 PM

We used to live in Munising, Marquette, Christmas and 10 other places in MI. I still have fond memories of a place called Little Lake.

I remember that MN had the reputation of being bitter cold compared to anywhere we lived in MI.

outdoor · #14 05/21/14, 06:29 PM

Anyplace in MI is great except the big cities.

weedlady · #15 05/22/14, 03:56 PM

I'll be moving to the UP when I retire in about 4 years. Can't wait. I would go now if I could find a job.
M

bigsmooth · #16 05/23/14, 10:15 AM

I live outside Grand Rapids and you can't beat it. West Michigan is a great place to live and raise a family. We make good money and cost of living is low.

With that said I love the lower peninsula all along the west coast from Grand Haven north. Traverse City is one of my favorite areas (but not cheap).
The UP is beautiful especially when the colors change! The drive along M-2 is hard to beat. Tahquamenon falls is a favorite spot in the UP.

I have never been to the Western UP but hop to at some point.

fishhead · #17 05/23/14, 07:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by weedlady

I'll be moving to the UP when I retire in about 4 years. Can't wait. I would go now if I could find a job.
M

Me too!

I'm working on learning a computer skill that will allow me to work anywhere with a high speed internet. It will also let me continue working into my 70's.

ronbre · #18 05/24/14, 10:07 AM

good luck on finding high speed internet in the UP..I'm in Traverse city area SE and have a Wilson Cell Phone repeater and my internet is off my cellphone as a modem for my laptop..

Shayanna · #19 05/25/14, 07:23 AM

I live in Manton (northern lower) and I think land is rather cheap here. Plus its not too far of a drive to Traverse city or Cadillac to work. And don't let anyone fool you, there are plenty of jobs if you aren't picky. And Munson Hospital is begging for people.

Shayanna · #20 05/25/14, 07:23 AM

And we always welcome new neighbors. :-)