Overwritten.net
Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: Pugnate on Saturday, August 27, 2022, 09:36:35 PM
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So, my sister and her hubby have gone back to Grand Rapids in Michigan and settled down there. My parents were visiting them, so I took a couple of road trips with my wife and kid to meet them.
Their house is extraordinary. It's a massive and beautiful house which would cost 3 or 4 mil. easy in the Greater Toronto Area. But I think they paid around 500K.
I am trying to be polite but Michigan itself feels like a very neglected state. Driving from Ontario is like going from an advanced and wealthy province to a state that really needs help. The highways are broken and just awful. My car has low-profile tires and no spares and I was scared they'd burst. Some of the roads are so bad you feel like you're riding a horse. To make matters worse, there's no rhyme or reason behind the road closures. You have no choice but to get off the highway for construction and oh man, the backroads are terrible.
We went into a store in Grand Rapids and when the lady at the counter learned we came from Canada, the first thing she mentioned were the roads heh.
I was also told that the water isn't safe to drink in many parts. Of course, Flint is also in Michigan and infamous for its water problems.
Didn't really have time to do much except check out some excellent museums but we went to Olive Garden on the way back.
THIS IS WHY THERE IS A HEALTH CRISIS!
I think any Italian would cry eating there. The portions are huge and there is just cheese all over. It's super delicious though. The fresh bread, sauces, and salads were all so tasty.
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Michigan has certainly had its share of hardships. Detroit is making something of a comeback, I think. Our company conducts a fair amount of business in and around the Grand Rapids area.
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Yeah some places arent doing so hot. Its a real shame we kind of dont have our act together as a nation to make sure things like "the roads are usable".
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The difference becomes even more stark when you continue through Michigan and get to Ohio an hour later. It starts to feel much more like Ontario again but with everything a fraction of the cost.
Michigan has some nicer places like Ann Arbor but even those are dragged down by the overall health of the state. If you took that same city and moved it a few hours in any direction and it'd be a destination.
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Oh yeah. Ohio is where my sister got married a few years ago. It's not so bad.
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Michigan is a bit of a shitshow, Flint aside. But that's a lot of America. Real nice spots where the wealthy people are, then everything else is kind of fucked.