Michigan is a nice place to visit, but I don't think I would want to live in Michigan. It gets a little too cold up there in winter. However, the Great Lakes are pretty, and I think it would be interesting to see what the upper part of Michigan is like.

i am heading to michigan soon with my girlfriend we live in tennessee shes from tennessee and ive lived here pretty much all my life but never been to michigan she has family up there and loves the place well half of it she loves the northern part ive always looked down on the place because my father worked for GM down here and raised me to think that the people that moved here from michigan are the rudest people around which i can say that because some of the most ready to agrue fight and be an ass are from there but i tend to see those are from the southern nasty city part but she tells me that the northern area by the lakes is the best but from readin these comments im worried about the people up here but ill review again after ive been there

I went to Saint Joseph a few years back for vacation and I really enjoyed it. It reminded me of a Florida beach town. I flew into Kalamazoo in the 1980's when I worked for an air ambulance and was not impressed with that area. I hear the upper peninsula is very nice and I would love to visit.

If you took all of the worst aspects of all of the states, and threw them into one state, you would have Michigan. A great motto for Michigan would be: "Michigan: where the weather is cold and the people are colder."

Crime: You're probably aware that Detroit is the murder capital of the United States. What you might not be aware of is that other big cities like Flint and Saginaw are also very, very  bad and getting worse, basically like Mini-Detroits. Avoid any large city in Michigan like the Plague, at least the ones in the Southern/Eastern parts of the state.

Employment: Highest unemployment in the nation, been that way for several years now. You have trouble even getting an interview for a job you're overqualified for.

Cost of living: not sure of all of the intracacies of this, but things tend to be more expensive here than most areas of the country. Such as gasoline.

Weather: Winter sometimes starts in September and sometimes lasts until June. Unimaginably harsh winters. Usually takes up a solid 1/2 of  the year. this topic segues nicely into...

Roads: After you've gotten over that harsh winter, think you can enjoy the nice summer with a little road trip? Wrong. We are the construction zone capital of the U.S., horrid roads and seemingly endless amounts of construction. Also, herds upon bevies of deer. I hit one and did $1500 worth of damage to my car. I know someone else that's hit a total of 4 deer in Michigan in his lifetime.

Recreation: Not a whole heck of a lot to do here. Some mildly interesting things in Detroit, such as the Zoo and the Ballpark, but that's if you're brave enough to go there. The Cascade Falls in Jackson as mentioned by SilverFox are nice, but get boring after about 5 minutes. Most of the areas described by SilverFox are in the Up North area, and, while nice, are some of the most 'out of the way' places in the country, and not exactly easy to get to.

but all of that is not even the worst of it. the worst of it is..

the people: rude, clique-y, very busy, and love to have arguments. There are no random hellos here, like you will find in say, New Jersey. One time, I did this little experiment and sat down on a couch at the community college I was attending, to see how many strangers would respond to my 'hello'. The percentage was low, like in the teens, it was actually pretty hilarious. You can do alot of nice things for your friends, but if you do one thing you don't like, they'll sever ties with you and carefully overlook all of the good you've done for them. Very grudge-holding. Meeting new friends here is pointless as pretty much everyone is in a clique. One time I offered to take a prospective new friend out to dinner. He agreed, but kept rescheduling and rescheduling, and when he finally agreed, he was late. People here are very busy, to the point that they let their relationships, and grades, suffer. You cannot spontaenously do anything with people here, it is all planned out. People have spaz attacks over the most minor of inconveniences. Customer service anywhere is non-existent, you rarely get acknowleged of your presence, and when you do, you get the fakest 'thank you' or 'have a good day' you've ever experience in your life.

The only positive of MI are the picturesque, pristine nature areas, but again, that's mostly confined to the hard-to-get northern section of the state.

I hate to leave here in a way, as all of my family lives here, but I want out so bad. Probably not the state you would want to move to.

I can't take credit for this, got it in an email

MICHIGAN POEM Michigan's so lovely

And the gentle breezes blow

 Seventy miles an hour

 At twenty-five below

Oh, how I love Michigan

When the snow's up to your butt

 You take a breath of winter

 And your nose gets frozen shut.

Yes, the weather here is wonderful

So I guess I'll hang around

 I could never leave Michigan

 'Cause I'm frozen to the ground!   

As I understand this topic--TRAVEL DESTINATION reviews–I'm thinking all the complaints below about living in urban southeast Michigan are off topic. I lived in Michigan until I graduated from U of M, and since most of my relatives still live there, I visit often enough to keep in touch. I'm aware of the residents' economic and urban problems. But I don't think that's the topic. As a tourist destination, the Wolverine State has a lot to offer.

Don't bother visiting urbanized Southeast Michigan, where the population is centered. There's nothing special there you can't see elsewhere in some similar form.The one exception is in Jackson, in the south central area, home of the largest illuminated man-made waterfalls in North America, the "Cascades". Six fountains border sixteen stepped waterfalls, over which water tumbles in continually changing patterns of colored lights, coordinated with music. The falls are lit after dusk until 11 PM every summer evening. And if you enjoy auto racing, Jackson is near the Michigan International Speedway.  Detroit--not a tourist destination.  Ann Arbor--while nice, it's like many other nice college towns; ditto for the U of M campus in Ann Arbor.

If you're a hiker or camper, the Wolverine State is well known for its pristine wilderness. It has the largest state forest system in the nation, and has four national forests. Just over 50% of the state is forest.

Explore the Upper Peninsula, rocky and mountainous, and Northern Michigan (the upper half of the Lower Peninsula), which are heavily forested. These very pretty, sometimes sparsely populated areas are geologically and demographically much different from Southern Michigan (the lower half of the Lower Peninsula).

See what connects the Upper and Lower Peninsulas: the five-mile-long Mackinac Bridge, one of the longest suspension bridges in the world. Visit Mackinac Island, which in the19th century was a popular tourist attraction and summer colony. It's historically preserved, motor vehicles are not allowed, and transport is via horse-drawn carriage. Check out its wonderful old Grand Hotel, with the world's longest porch, and site of the film Somewhere in Time. Not too far away are the Soo Locks, the busiest locks in the world, with ships passing from one Great Lake to another. Interesting to watch.

Michigan has miles and miles of magnificent shores and sand dunes, since it's bounded by four of the five Great Lakes. It has the longest freshwater shoreline in the world, and the second-longest total shoreline in the United States (Alaska has the longest), more than Florida and California. If you like lighthouses, Michigan has about 150, the most of any U.S. state.

Enjoy boating and swimming? The "Winter Water Wonderland" is home to more than 11,000 lakes and has the third largest number of recreational boats in the nation.

If you're a golfer, you're in luck. Michigan is home to more public golf courses than any other state.

worst state in the United States second to California

Lots of fun stuff to do in Michigan. The outdoors is great and the historical places are many.

I used to give Michigan a higher star. but not now. we live here and it is pretty bad here right now. the unemployment is the second worse in the nation.  and now in the last few months we are part of the unemployed. My spouse lost is job of 23 years when his place of work closed down. the economy is terrible right now. if you come here looking for employment I would suggest try another state. we have no idea what we are going to do . my husband has been trying to find a job for four months now with no luck for every job listed there are 100- 200 people trying for the same job. Michigan used to be a pretty nice state to live in with all of the lakes to visit. and there was fairly good employment. now I am terrified of losing our home. and to{ add to our wonderful luck the car my spouse counted on to find a job just broke down and we cannot afford to fix it] I wish I could sing Michigan's praises but I have very little praise Michigan for now. I guess if you want to visit Michigan come and say hi. but would not reccomend trying to live here right now.a 2.5.

people have really bad attitudes and they act like there is a wall around michigan and you cant leave the state...they totally freak out if someone leaves the state, its crazy..."you're gonna LEAVE THE STATE?"...like as if michigan is the entire country...its a giant tax state -- they want to tax services now, bad place for small businesses, potholes that they are always fixing but seem to do a horrible job, people all paranoid about automobile factories, high insurances, i dont smoke but its 6 bucks for a pack of cigerettes, the gas is always higher than ohio & kentucky, the media and people are angry, good paying jobs but hard to secure one without driving into the ghetto (detroit or flint areas), snobish people in oakland county who are angry because they are paying for detroit, the lansing area is okay but it's very expensive and few good paying jobs outside of the university and hospital, rushed people that always say they dont have time, all activities revolve around bars and dance clubs, grand rapids is probably the best place to live...

Michigan is just nasty. The smog from Detroit reaches all the way to Ann Arbor. It seems like it was probably a nice area maybe 80 years ago, but it just went downhill. Upper Michigan is not bad, and scenic with lots of Pine trees and fresher air, but because of the southern area it still gets a 1 star.

I hate to see so many people ragging on Michigan. As a life long Michigander, I can tell you that it is one of the richest states in terms of culture and grandeur. We have the whole upper peninsular, which is so rich in minerals for the rockhound, and we have wonderful cities like Grand Rapids- the hometown of Gerald Ford!

I did my education here and I had some fun, but the state as a whole is not that great. People pointed out the job market, but it's far more than that. The people here are insanely overweight. Most do not do a thing to stay in shape except life the remote and stuff down brats while they drink beer. People are always ready for an arguement here. It's like they need to offer a class on "how to relax 101." And if you are laid-back, they will smell you out and try to insult you because they don't like to see anyone walk around with a huge smile like myself around there. There's no tolerance for people from non-Midwestern cultures. They get angry because I grew up in warm weather while they sat in snow but don't understand the other problems that we face in warm weather climates such as super high cost of living, low paying jobs, and illegal immigrants. It all balances out. Another thing I find funny is when they say they are going "Up North." These people instead of exercising go sit in a campground somewhere in some place where there is absolutely nothing around but trees and drink themselves retarded around a campfire. BORING! And these people love to talk about buying land. It's like there is a big contest going on to see who can collect the most land and have the biggest house. Think about it -- who wants to have a huge house in the backwoods with nothing to do?? BORING. Major lack of swimming activities, volleyball, or tennis. They do have some basketball games and I used to rollerblade around the MSU campus. Also, beware. These people will mark you as a traitor if you leave the state and go outside the Midwest. They will stop calling you and won't return your calls and if they answer they are too busy. There is a major jealousy or something that I can't pinpoint that makes Michiganders clanish and resentful towards people in warm climates. I had friends here for 2 years that called me all the time but the minute I was done with college and went back home to AZ, I tried to keep in contact and they wouldn't return my calls. I would have loved to visit them. If someone could message me and let me know why people are so anti-Arizona, or whatever it is, I'd love to know. Also, very difficult to get people to take part in activities here. It's like pulling teeth -- you literally have to beg them to go do something.

I went to michigan state so I am giving you an opinion from someone from East Lansing/Okemos/Haslett area.

Out of all the areas I've been to, this is definitely one of the better areas. There is nightlife here with lots of parties and bars/clubs. The jobs are not all that but if you are going to school, different situation. It gets pretty cold here in the winter if you like that sort of thing. The people here are a little too fast for me overall, but I enjoyed the experience. There are a lot of fat-bottom women that let themselves go and some of them have attitudes. The construction gets really annoying here and ruins the summer-driving. People always have A LOT on their mind and I get the impression a lot of people are really edgy and quick to insult/defend themselves because they have been promised a lot of things that they weren't delievered. The thing that turns me off is that people love a good arguement/debate here. If you are that type where you walk through life with a head of steam, then this is the place for you. You're not going to get random friendly "hello's" from strangers here like in the South. People are very "to the point" and direct. Kind of boring after about 3 months of living here. You can only drink/party so much. If you like ice hockey, skiing, snowboarding, and snowmobiling, this is the place. If you like cold weather and a white Christmas, you are in the right area. Overall, a decent place -- I wouldn't call it great but I wouldn't call it bad either.

Economy is awful here. There are only a few employers, and since the 70s, this state has lost jobs to other parts of the country as the economy continues to decline.

Flint, Saginaw, and Detroit are awful for the most part. Greektown in Detroit is manageable, but getting there on the disgusting, pothole infested roads can be a real nightmare, and give you a flat tire. Construction abound of I-696, I-75, M-14, and I-94, where they use construction projects as a way to employ the labor force. Some projects aren't even necessary, yet this is the government's desperate measure.

Lansing is an OK town, but very boring and rather bland, except for Washington St. There are some nice restaurants there, but majority close after 3PM because downtown is a ghost town after dark.

Grand Rapids and Ann Arbor are nice towns. Ann Arbor tends to have really snobby people, probably due to the academic atmosphere. The University of Michigan in Ann Arbor is very pretty, but I can tell the students there think a bit too highly of themselves.

Going north is beautiful. Find the beaches, up by Ludington, north of Muskegon. If you stay Muskegon and south in the summer, the shores of Lake Michigan are cluttered by tourist traffic from Chicago that comes up US-31.

Weather...God, if you have seasonal affective disorder and require light to live, don't come here. November to March are bad in the southern part of the state.

Up north, you can get 200 inches of snow and the snow can come as late as Memorial Day or as early as 1 week after Labor Day. Be prepared for dismal winters here.

Many other places much worse to live. Economy is horrible- climate is ok, but not mild. Detroit has tried to rebuild- but the decline of American auto makers is killing it. Crime rate outside of Detroit is low- some peaceful pretty areas to live- its just the bad economy that hurts this state.

"If you are looking for; scenic beach fronts, palm trees, over-friendly people, beautiful girls, hot sex, the best beer, high end shopping districts, picturesque skylines, quirky accents, safe and clean streets, then you are severely narrow-minded and unrealistic." What is so narrow-minded about looking for something pleasureable?? I live in Tempe, AZ and I have cousins that live here. Everytime I visit here the best part is leaving. My cousins live in Midland, MI. And all they have there is a few clubs, but no huge party scene. I was at UM to party and it was lame compared to ASU. The only thing that was cool is the bars closed at 2, but the house parties at AZ rock this place. As far as attractions, there are none. The people are stubborn and always trying to get something done really fast (They never relax here or take their time). If you are laid-back and chillaxin, this isn't tha place to be. It reminded me of a giant factory. Everyone is all about their jobs. Even the girls here are all about 'where do you work? what do you do?' and if you tell them you are a student like myself, or you don't have a money story you get brushed. I told girls I was from Arizona and they all acted like I was lying and I finally had to pull out my ID on a group of girls. What is the big deal being from Arizona? I know we have better weather, nicer people, more to do, and better parties, but what's the point in getting all edgy?? Wow, I'd have to say Michigan needs to improve in the department in accomodating out of state visitors.

Reading many of these reviews, it seems that most of the visitors have only been to the eastern part of the state. That does not do much justice to a state that offers quite a bit more than just a decrepid city center. I was born in Michigan, and have called it home for my entire life. Although I'll always have some bias when I write this, I'll be brutally upfront as much as possible. I've been to over thirty states and 6 different countries around the world through Asia and Europe so I have experience in meeting all different types of homosapien. First of all, yes, we have the some of the fattest people in the country. It's pretty depressing to know that fact, seeing that many people have a affinity for fast food...but I have also meet some of the fittest, most motivated people I've ever met. There are an abundance of biking and hiking trails all over Michigan which do get used frequently. Michigan offers many activities for almost everyone in each of the four seasons. Detroit. If you are looking for; scenic beach fronts, palm trees, over-friendly people, beautiful girls, hot sex, the best beer, high end shopping districts, picturesque skylines, quirky accents, safe and clean streets, then you are severely narrow-minded and unrealistic. No, Detroit isn't steeped in revolutionary era history. No Detroit doesn't have the friendliest inhabitants. Detroit is not a romantic getaway. Detroit is not a tourist trap. But, I do know that Detroit is home to some of the most hardworking people in the world. Detroit has some of the most devoted sports fans, and (I believe) the best ownership in their professional hockey and basketball teams. American music has so many roots in Detroit, from funk, to soul, to electronic...Knowing this makes me pround to even set foot in the city. Too many people have taken the easy way out and quit. Detroit is a hardend town having gone through one of the worst riots, crime rates, and industrial downfalls in this country's history. But one thing is for sure. After being down so long, Detroit only has one way to go, and that is up. If you do want to exibit some of the above mentioned qualities, then I suggest getting out of the complexities of southeastern Michigan and try going to the western part, northern, north eastern, north western, or upper pennisula. If you want to visit unblemished forests, and converse with quirky accents then the U.P. is the place. Sure, it's not much different than a Canadian accent, but hey, we're just right next door. Food? Try a Pastie. Hearty and filling. Not for South Beachers, or Atkins dieters. Need I say something about beaches? Best times to visit is in the middle to early fall. Sure, they don't rival Key West or Malibu Beach, but they are pretty good. Lots of sand, sun and yes beautiful girls. Only thing is they are so crowded during peak times. Get there early, early in the morning. Leave by early afternoon when everybody and their extended family gets there. The ones I visit are in West Michigan , but there are plenty all around. I recommend Ottawa Beach in Holland, or Ludington state park. Those are only two of the dozens, if not hundred public beaches we have. For the idiot who visited Mackinac Island. No bitching about not finding a decent beach. There's plenty of things to see and do on Mackinac Island. A prime example of narrow-mindedness and unrealistic expectations. I don't know what your idea of fun is but it probably involves sitting in a wheelchair sitting at a bingo hall on Wednesday nights. Most of the people are down to earth. We don't like to waste time, but we're finding that we have too much lately (unemployment). We don't want to be stressed, but we still have the sense of humor to make fun of ourselves and Detroit. Many people I have known are simple, hardworking, practical people (hence the convienence of eating fast food and becoming fat). Yes, there's a problem with unemployment and depression , but Michigan is largely blue-collar. The problem goes hand in hand. I wouldn't recommend anyone looking for a middle-wage factory position anywhere in Michigan. It truly sucks, and it's depressing to hear, watch or read about some greedy corporate company closing up shop and cutting off thousands of workers to get cheaper ones in (name a city), Mexico. Most of the employment goes to services now or higher salary jobs such as in the medical field, but that's kind of the trend in the U.S. seeing that many baby boomers are getting older. I do hear issues of racism which doesn't surprise me. I seem to notice that in the rural areas moreso than urban.

I have been through the airport many times. I have no desire to go anywhere else.

I'm from ChapelHill, NC and this state sucks. I lived in NJ, NY--I even lived in Oklahoma. I thought OK was bad, but this place is way worse then any place I have lived. I'm here only because of my husband. The people here are so nasty that it's unbelievable. I live in Grand Ledge near Lansing and it's not too bad, but still. Why are people here so racist? so evil??? Damn, it's annoying. Interacial dating here is really high and it's funny how the people are still so racist. Folks here stare at you all the time, like they have nothing better to do with their life. Stuck up? I read that somewhere--where? and why? Excluding the campus, people here are not attractive at all. Alot of wiggers here. Most african americans must be near Detroit and Flint. Don't think I want to go there do to the crime statistics I've read. This place is miserable--the people don't make it any better. I'm married, so it's hard for me to get up and go back to NC right now--but it's in the making. Good luck to any newcomers--this place is horrible.

Michigan is a poor way to waste valueable years of your life. The people are mostly self-centered with bad attitudes. A construction cone is something that's very common to the people of Southeast Michigan as every major interstate is always being torn up. People wear miserable looks on their face as they trudge through the snow and sleet to get to their jobs that they hate. The attitude factors into the personalities as it's very hard to find anyone that has one. It's very difficult to get laid here as the females are all into exclusive relationships that revolve around money. I come from Las Vegas and am a Blackjack dealer who has worked here in Detroit for 2 years and am working on getting a transfer back to Nevada or someplace where the people are somewhat normal. I'm 27 years old and I have slept with 42 girls, and I have only been laid once in almost 2 years here in Southeastern Michigan. The hard-nosed attitudes get old, and they make you feel like you are aging twice as fast as you really are. Not to mention you lose 6 months a year of leisure time with horrible weather. I think the sun shines here about 2 days from December to February. These factors make Michigan unpleasant and unbearable to visit, let alone live in. The males only live to about 65 here and then they die of stress related causes. The wives slave-drive the husbands until they die. Also, the job demands here are very uptight and people take things way too serious. If they don't drive you into depression here, they will drive you into a heart-attack, so make sure you have good health coverage.

Michigan is like bad sex. Its boring, not very hot, and smells funny (Detroit). I've lived here all my life and I'm planning on moving to Colorado. The seasons, with the exception of winter, are nice especially fall. If you are a hunter plan on private land. There are 1 Million (litteraly) hunters in this state, most of which shouldn't even be allowed to drive, let alone have a gun! All in all, if you are thinking of moving here plan on taking a lot of vacations and make sure you have reliable employment, the economy sucks.

billgarris and larrneuman, both totally right on the money. Maybe Michigan is especially materialistic and nasty. I can drive my Civic around all day and girls will not look my way on the road, but borrow someone's Audi, Beemer or even a nice Accord and the women will flag you down! I swear to god this really happens. It's scary. Then when one of them gets you, they will extort you into buying bigger and better houses. I live in a McMansion neighborhood, pretty nice, and two of my neighbors have moved from the same one-story house in my cul-de-sac to another bigger, better McMansion neighborhood with more expensive, bigger houses with golf courses! Another guy I knew had a nice one-story in one of those neighborhoods, got married, the fool, and has moved out of that one into a bigger one in the same development! Ann Arbor is totally awful, you can read my review as to why, or just Google "Ann Arbor" and "snotty". Ann Arbor is pretty mean and nasty on-campus, but the locals away from there are usually pretty nice and smart. The cliques are big here, they determine whether your kid gets playing time on teams, whether he'll have friends, whether people will want to hang out with you. You'll usually get the invitation into a clique if you move in a McMansion neighborhood, read, people want to hang out with you. Do the right thing and refuse, they're probably just looking to use you anyway. Finally, there are nice people here, you just have to look hard. They do exist. In many of the other areas of Michigan, you can pretty much identify people from stuck-up cliques if you live here long enough. They're not hard to avoid. As for some of the poorer people, the blue-collar types and factory workers, they vary. Some of them may be the best people you've ever talked to, others may be complete ignorant jerks who try to pull you down. Eminem is a good example of that sort of mentality, even though he's rich now. It's also relatively not as racist as Ohio and many southern states, which is good for me. I just wanted to add something, it seems like in Michigan, people don't know how to think. I think it comes from years of low-skilled jobs in the lumber and the auto factory industry. If you dare suggest anything complicated, intelligent and perfectly rational, people will take it as a declaration of war because they're not smart enough to understand. Or they'll say it's dumb to save face. Even many of the richer people in much of the state are honestly just trash who started their businesses with "shady money" or got lucky. Sadly, these idiots are entrenched here, and dragging down the area with their negative mentality. The people want to bring jobs back to the state, but don't seem to understand that improvements to the education system are necessary. If anyone could tell me of a better place in America to live, I'd love to hear, don't hesitate to private-message me. I promise I won't bring Michigan's bad habits there!

GEORGE CARLIN POST 9-11 (His wife recently died...) Isn't it amazing that George Carlin - comedian of the 70s and 80s - could write something so very eloquent...and so very appropriate post 9-11. A wonderful Message by George Carlin: The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings, but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom. We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space. We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We plan more, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less. These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, over-weight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill. It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete. Remember, spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent. Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak, and give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. HOW TO STAY YOUNG 1. Throw out nonessential numbers. This includes age, weight and height. Let the doctor worry about them. That is why you pay him/her. 2. Keep only cheerful friends. The grouches pull you down. 3. Keep learning. Learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. Never let the brain idle. "An idle mind is the devil's workshop." And the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 4. Enjoy the simple things. 5. Laugh often, long and loud. Laugh until you gasp for breath. 6. The tears happen. Endure, grieve, and move on. The only person, who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. Be ALIVE while you are alive. 7. Surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. Your home is your refuge. 8. Cherish your health: If it is good, preserve it. If it is unstable, improve it. If it is beyond what you can improve, get help. 9. Don't take guilt trips. Take a trip to the mall, to the next county, to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is. 10. Tell the people you love that you love them, at every opportunity. AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away. -George Carlin

Mattmcdowell, All those things you named off involve alcohol. Yeah, its nice to go to a bar every once in awhile, and a house party at a university can be fun too when you are young, but tell me some fun things in general I can do without carrying around a 40 all the time?? Also, mentioning Windsor and Sarnia is not Michigan, thats a whole different country this is supposed to be about rating Michigan. In the summer, you can go water-skiing or tubing, fishing, biking, and rollerblading for fun. But after the 4 months of decent weather, there is nothing to do here that doesnt involve getting drunk. Its true that people arent very social here but there isnt a lot of places to be social at. I suppose you can join a rec league if you like to play sports. In general, its a nice place to live about 4 months of the year and other than that, if you dont like to drink all the time, theres hardly anything to do here. Overall, it is a unique looking state with 4 climates for every calendar year. It is what you make of it, but dont get too attached on one thing (i.e. swimming), because the weather is always changing. There isnt much consistency here with weather and the people are edgy at best, but there are some you will find once in awhile that are warm-hearted. If you are into the winter sports, which I'm not, there's snowmobiling, skiing, and ice fishing. Theres nothing past a casino or mall for activities that don't involve freezing or drinking.

I’m tired of reading all these crybabies rip on Southeastern Michigan. I live in Sterling Heights, and I’ve been allover the country on business trips, I am 27 years old, and this is one of the better places in the country to live. It’s green, it has four seasons, and there’s a lot of opportunities here. Of course it’s an “uptight” town as you call it –- we are Metro Detroit, a blue-collar working town where people get things done and get to the point. When I’m buying groceries, I don’t want to hear somebody’s life story. I just want to get my stuff and get out of there. Yeah, we are a straight to the point town and that’s what makes it great. And you people that cry about not getting any women are pathetic. The reason you can’t get any girls is because you have no game. If you want to find a dumb blond hillbilly that will do all your dishes and tell you how great you are, you aren’t going to find that here I’m sorry, you’ll have to go to Mississippi or Louisiana for that one. But if you want a girl that’s goal-oriented and strives to get somewhere in her life besides raising two kids in a trailor or small apartment, then you’ve come to the right state. We are under a lot of stress in Metro Detroit because we are busy trying to get somewhere and aren’t a bunch of people that are content with making 30 grand our whole lives. If you want that slow, retarded, or “laid-back” attitude as you call it, you aren’t going to find that here. If you want to sit in traffic jams, wait 20 minutes in line at the gas station, be a broke surfer bum that has no money, live in a one-bedroom apartment you’re whole life, and listen to a bunch of plastic fake attitudes say “Right on dude”, then go to California. If you want a hillbilly wife that wants to pop out 5 kids and live off 25 grand, then go to the South. If you want to be around real, goal-oriented people who aren’t looking to be actors or be on Jerry Springer, then come to Southeastern Michigan. Yes, we’ve got a high unemployment rate, but if you have your education you shouldn’t have a problem finding a job. Our jobs are also very good paying and most of them start around 35 to 40 grand. One of my friends from U of M just got his business degree and started at 43 grand working for a GM based company in Detroit. If you like to make lots of money, buy things, and go to sports games, you’re in the right place. We have the 2004 world champion Detroit Pistons, who are the best basketball team next to the Spurs, who play at The Palace. We have boating and swimming at Metro Beach in the summer. There are lots of high-scale classy bars to meet classy people at from 14 to 20 mile rd. Pontiac has tons of clubs like Tiki Bobs (who has a huge party every college night on Tuesday and Friday), Clutch Cargo, and tons of bars along “The Loop.” We have Windsor right across Detroit, which has tons of party spots. We have Sarnia right across from Port Huron which has tons of bars and clubs (but Windsor has way more). We have Port Huron’s “Boat Night” which is at the end of the summer. There’s “Cruise Night” down Woodward where you look at the classic cars. There’s the University of Michigan and Michigan State University for big house parties and fraternity parties. East Lansing has tons of bars downtown loaded with beautiful women. I’ve been out there 10 times or so. I’ve been to Western Michigan and Spring Lake has a spectacular view and it has a huge festival on the 3rd week of August every year. We have lots of people that take ski trips with their friends in the winter. And, we have the casinos in Detroit and Windsor. To conclude, there are tons of things to do here. You people that talk down on Southeastern Michigan are probably losers who can’t get any women and have no money. Here’s a little tip: If you sit around and cry all day you’re not going to get anywhere but if you stick you’re chest out, get a real job, and start socializing a little bit, you shouldn’t have any problem -- there are tons of single women here. This is a working town, with a working attitude. In California or New York, you will never make enough to own anything. In Florida, there are no Fortune 500 companies and you will make little or nothing your net value and sit with a bunch of hillbillies and retirees in a small house. But if you want to own a nice new house, new cars, and have a boat, then this is a great place for you. If you want to go play in the sun and stick your head in the sand and be a loser with no money you’re whole life, then go somewhere else – nobody is forcing you to be here. Love it or leave it. I happen to love it.

As far as nature/scenery goes, the state would get 5 stars in that category, but on the overall picture, the people drag the rating down. And I mean they drag it ALL the way down. (more on that in just a minute.) Not sure why the people here are so jaded, perhaps it's the weather. Winter has been known to take up a solid 1/2 of the year (that's not hyperbole), and the other half is totally unpredictable. You probably won't want to plan any outdoor weddings or events here, as the saying here is that "If you don't like the weather in Michigan, wait five minutes and it will change." Snow in May is not unheard of. Now regarding the people. A lot of it is the younger crowd, which is really depressing to me because I am young myself. Where to begin... Customer service here is almost nonexistent. Spend tons of money in a store? Good luck even getting acknowledged, let alone thanked, or asked to come back. If you do get thanked, it's more often than not obviously faked. It's not entirely the customer service reps fault though, as management does little to fix problems. In just about every job I've had here, I've had to essentially work 2 or 3 or more jobs in one, constantly correcting others errors or finishing the work they were too lazy to do. Where does this problem stem from? Probably grade school, as here kids are allowed to torment otheres on a daily basis and prinicipals do little to assist. One time I saw a young student get leveled by a bigger kid, and a teacher actually laughed at it! Try to starting up a convestation with a stranger here and see where that takes you. Most people here will look at you like a martian from Outer Space if you try to strike up a friendship. Tight cliques are formed in high school, and carry on through adulthood. The people here are very unforgiving, as if you irritate or inconvience them in the SLIGHTEST way, they keep a mental record of it for life! A lot of grudges here. Asking for an apology to someone who wronged you is useless, as people here are very stubborn and set in their ways, and will never admit they made a mistake. Parents getting overly defensive of their kids is quite common here, and if their kids are inconvienced in the slightest way, their (usually rich) parents start opening up a can of whoop-tush. Meanwhile their kids act like total brats because they know they can get away with it. For the most part, there are two types of people here: rude people, and people that appear to be nice, but backstab you the SECOND you're out of earshot. Lots of gossipping, and backstabbing here. It's like one long episode of Survivor, I kid you not. Impossible to trust anyone. People here go out of their way to get noticed, and feel they have to be seen doing something important every second. Looks determine heavily how successful you become. Most kids will talk on their cell phone when they have absoultely nothing to say. They just do it to be seen. Gotta look important. Gone are they days when you could spontaneously ask someone if they wanted to go to a restaurant or wherever, as people here overload their schedules, failing college courses because they've put too much work on themselves. And then there's crime. You probably know that Detroit is widely considered the murder capital of the country. Flint is also very high-crime, a sort of mini-Detroit. Saginaw is not exactly crime-free either. The state seemes to top a lot of undesirable lists, such as worst schools, and highest unemployment. We do have an awesome governor now (Jennifer Granholm), but she's limited in what she can do, because she has to deal with a GOP controlled congress who block her every move. Summing it up, you might be able to find happiness here if you rich and good-looking, otherwise, the outlook is not good I'm afraid. I really wish I could rate my homestate 5 stars, I really do. Maybe one day we'll get there.

I lived in Warren, Madison Heights, and Troy for 5 years from 17-21 until I had to move out of there. The Southeast Area: Traffic is horrible, the casinos are in the ghetto, and there isn’t a lot of things to do for young people. Many young people go to Windsor, Canada for a good time. The people are very intense and uptight. It seems like people can’t get enough of arguing and heated debates there. The girls are extremely judgmental and the guys all talk negatively about the other guys thinking it’s going to allow them to get ahead of the next man. If you say hello to a girl you don’t know randomly, they automatically think you want to get into their pants and go into full-fledge defense mode. I am a fairly decent looking guy who has now been married for 3 years (I didn’t meet my wife in Michigan), and most of the girls just dusted me here when I tried to be friendly and strike up conversations. I never had any problems meeting women up until my family moved here when I was 17. When I moved out of here, I realized that Southeast Michigan is one giant materialistic rat race. All the girls are aiming for a guy who makes $100k a year so they can have a big house. The males and females here both think in terms of “Lets Keep Up With The Jones” and they compete for who has the most play toys (boats, snowmobiles, big televisions, new computers, stereos, new SUVs, campers, etc.). Too bad they rarely use them because they are too busy working 50 hours a week to pay them off and the wives can never get enough money from their husbands. People are under stress to make their payments on their play toys and big companies keep going out of business and the car companies aren’t what they used to be. The unemployment rate sits around 6-7% most of the time, which makes the industry ever-competitive when you have all these people aiming to make the big bucks to live the “Michigan Dream” (the SUV, 50 hours of work, tons of payments, and an unsatisfied wife with a couple kids). The people are really heavy and overweight. I’m not saying this to be critical, but the facts are that people are too concerned about money and let their physical health go. Many women put on weight when they get married and men grow the bear guts. In the process, people alienate themselves from others for the most part. Oakland, Macomb, and St. Clair County is full of wallet-sniffers with high expectations for their man. Ann Arbor is very stuck up and full of Louis Vuitton wearing people with their noses high in the sky. They want a man that works 50 hours a week so they can drive around a SUV and be the town bitch with the nice nails. The women slavedrive the husbands and the divorce rate is very high. The guys are uptight and quick to judge. They have a standard of perfection to uphold, and if you don’t meet those demands, people are quick to insult you and/or talk about you behind your back. It’s extremely difficult to meet new people unless you are in a clique, which are also very difficult to get in if you are new to the area because most of them are established in high school and stay together through the college years. People don’t like to have any random conversations. Go to any commercial outlet and you will get the fakest formulated “Thank you – Have a Nice Day” that you will ever seen (lots of times, they just say it and won’t even look you in the eye). Other than there being nothing to do, the weather is cold most of the year. And my final bit of advice, is don’t wear an opposing rivals sports apparel or people will start fights with you. I grew up in Colorado Springs before I moved here and I wore my Avalanche jersey and people would make threats on my life, threaten to beat me up, make rude comments when I walked by, etc. People love to start fights here for anything and they often go out of their way to start them. Overall, it was a bad experience for me.

I live in Michigan. In Oakland County. Michigan has many friendly people, a pleasent area. But as a student soon to graduate, I dont know if I would like to live here through my college years. Dont get me wrong, but I hate the cold weather. It's just too much.

If you like cold weather 3/5 of the year, this is a great place to be. The people are very uptight in the Southeast area and the majority of the state, stressful job market (very high unemployment), and very competitive people. Business is very cutthroat. The women are very standoffish, cliquey, and uptight. If you aren't in the "inner circle" and you greet people, they will say "Do I know you?" There are a lot of "busy" women here that have twenty excuses not to "hang out" because they have to do their nails on monday, wash on tuesday, homework on wednesday, etc. you get the point. Married women control all the households in this state. This state is full of wallet-sniffing women that will give you the go-around instead of just telling you "i'm not interested." And if they do want to hang out, have fun trying to find something to do. People spend a lot of time ripping on other people and talking behind people's back. It's full of racism and segregated. The Western part of the state is probably the best part of the state as the people are much friendlier than the Southeast. The water is very polluted. Mackinaw Island has nothing up there, and the only form of entertainment is a casino. A lot of waterfront, but no decent beaches. There's no sunshine here from December to March and it shows as people are very angry, edgy, and depressing to be around. The state is good for hunters and fishermen and snowmobiling. Lots of motorboats, but very little use because of the horrible weather. Most boats are used on few weekends within 3 months of the year, and the rest of the year they sit in people's driveways covered up. They have Henry Ford Museum, Frankenmuth for chicken dinners, East Lansing for huge house parties, and that's about it. If you are young, East Lansing and Ann Arbor are fun huge houseparty and bar cities when the schoolyear is on and you are between the ages of 18 and 24. If you like sitting around a bon-fire, you can throw one of those in the summer. Overall, there's probably about a good 5-days of entertainment here. The rest of the time you will be freezing and looking for something to do.

If you like cold weather 3/5 of the year, this is a great place to be. The people are very uptight in the Southeast area and the majority of the state, stressful job market (very high unemployment), and very competitive people. Business is very cutthroat. The women are very standoffish, cliquey, and uptight. If you aren't in the "inner circle" and you greet people, they will say "Do I know you?" There are a lot of "busy" women here that have twenty excuses not to "hang out" because they have to do their nails on monday, wash on tuesday, homework on wednesday, etc. you get the point. Married women control all the households in this state. This state is full of wallet-sniffing women that will give you the go-around instead of just telling you "i'm not interested." And if they do want to hang out, have fun trying to find something to do. People spend a lot of time ripping on other people and talking behind people's back. It's full of racism and segregated. The Western part of the state is probably the best part of the state as the people are much friendlier than the Southeast. The water is very polluted. Mackinaw Island has nothing up there, and the only form of entertainment is a casino. A lot of waterfront, but no decent beaches. There's no sunshine here from December to March and it shows as people are very angry, edgy, and depressing to be around. The state is good for hunters and fishermen and snowmobiling. Lots of motorboats, but very little use because of the horrible weather. Most boats are used on few weekends within 3 months of the year, and the rest of the year they sit in people's driveways covered up. They have Henry Ford Museum, Frankenmuth for chicken dinners, East Lansing for huge house parties, and that's about it. If you are young, East Lansing and Ann Arbor are fun huge houseparty and bar cities when the schoolyear is on and you are between the ages of 18 and 24. If you like sitting around a bon-fire, you can throw one of those in the summer. Overall, there's probably about a good 5-days of entertainment here. The rest of the time you will be freezing and looking for something to do.

weve got more coastline than any other state except alaska, that alone makes us better than most states. and im only gonna say this once. michigan is 10000000000 times better than ANY state below the mason dixon line (with the possible exception of florida)

The Northern Half of the l.p. is pretty nice, same with the u.p and Muskegon is pretty nice too. Go anywhere else, like detroit. You'll be wanting to leave.

wow a lake. what else

Ewww what atractions do they have!!!

I know damn well I'll state is one of the nicest states in the country and nobody can tell me it isn't. BrownGirl82 is out her mind!!

Boring state. Nothing to do. Don't go there.

It's got everything!!!!

I lived in Michigan for 11 years and have been up to visit at least 10 times since then. I would never want to live in the lower part of the state-most of it I found flat and boring. I did enjoy the U.P. however. It's open country and beautiful peaceful beaches are wonderful. Anyone who's been there knows however that the lakes are way to cold, we would swim in the smaller lakes but the Great Lakes-brrrr. One year it didn't get above 0 in the entire month of January! And every year we were there we had snow-not always sticking but still snow every month of the year. We were at Van Ripper (sp) state park for the Forth of July and had to go home because it was so cold and there were flakes flying. I lived areound the Marquette, Gwinn, K.I. Sawyer area and found the people very freindly and welcoming. Maybe it was because of the air base, a lot of transplanted people. The taxes were high while I was there but I think the schools are better there, they were financed by property taxes. From what I hear the health care is better than where I am now-Indiana.Because of the long winters one of the biggest past times is drinking, bar hopping is common-esp. on snowmobiles. That's probably why most of the U.P. is over weight too. It's a nice place to visit but...

I have lived here (Grand Haven) my entire life (34 years). There are MUCH better places to live. People like the lake in the summer, but it brings cold, clouds, and gloom. There aren't many days to enjoy it. The winter is ever-lasting, with lake effect snow fall. The women are huge, and the people are not friendly. I travel all over the United States, and realize that Michigan is one of the worst states to live. My wife and I are moving to TN soon.

I've lived here all my life and it's just really bland. Detroit is definitely no place to go and the people can be a little more edgy. I must say however, the seasons are very nice and the U.P. is definitely a nice vacation spot.

When I lived in Indiana, my brother and I decided to drive to Detroit for a baseball game. Shortly after we passed the border into Michigan, a bug splattered against the windshield. My brother said, Well, you can tell we've left Indiana. There's the first sign of wildlife.

People here are hard-working, intelligent (unlike other areas of the country), and friendly. I have lived in other states I will not mention, only to return back here, my home state where I grew up. Beautiful water, nature everywhere, nice change of seasons that never leave you bored. Has nice small towns as well as big cities - can't beat it.

Michigan is my home state and Detroit is my home city. Both I love. I think we have a beautiful state with lots of things to do. Sure the cost of living is higher but I still take pride in my state.

I think i could live anywhere in Michigan except for metro detroit. Some historic nice little town on one of the four great lakes that it touches would suit me i guess.

The UP is beautiful-and some of the towns on lake Michigan are charming and peaceful- Holland is a real pleasant town.

There's something charming about a little mining town by a lake. Unfortunately, there's something not-so-charming about the people living there. I know you'll think I'm crazy if I say that Texans are generally smarter than Michiganders, but it seems to be true. The people I spoke to in Marquette couldn't hold a conversation if their life depended on it, and of course they attempted to in that god-awful Fargo accent.

Southeast Michigan is a growing crime problem. The taxes one pays on a house once a year are extremely high. Detroit has been the murder capital of the United States more than once and the fall out is moving into the surrounding counties more and more every year. Check web sites for statistics on crime for Wayne county (Detroit) and the surrounding counties or each surrounding city. If you are not into warm summers, this is the place for you. If you love rainy weather and very long, cold winters you will love this place. If you appreciate steady and ever growing crime rates, this is the place for your whole family. Check to see how much car insurance one will end up paying annually due to a non-stop growth in car thefts. Many good neighborhoods have been going down hill more and more every year. Research the statitistics and find out for yourself. Don't take anyone's word for it here. Research taxes before ever thinking of purchasing a home in this state. Research crime growth before moving here. Think about your family and their welfare. Remember, this state has many financial and funding problems. Think very hard before moving to south east Michigan. Check crime rates and insurance rates in each city you are interested in, via the internet/web sites. The facts speak for themselves.

I was born and raised in Western Michigan, and I miss it so much! There is no place like it in the world! I miss the Great Lakes, the 4 seasons, and the culture. I have to admit I don't care for Detroit at all, though.

Currently in florida and man do I miss my Michigan.