Michigan's Forgotten Coast is a Great Place for Children
Growing up, I didn’t know how good I had it.
I had a huge yard with what seemed like more space than my imagination could fill. My parents kept a garden that I can remember “helping” with as I stuffed my face with fresh-picked strawberries. The woods were a short walk from our house and I can remember building forts with my friends and secretly guarding its location from our parents and older siblings. Deer feasting on the fallen apples in our backyard or grazing in the fields around our house, turkeys and pheasants that quickly crossed our path as we went by, and birds of all shapes and sizes were often welcome visitors, not to mention the many friends we had in the barn. Cows, calves (baby cows), pigs, and rabbits to name a few, were not only our furry friends, they gave us kids our first “job” as we learned to care for them as we were required to feed and water them regularly.
And then there were the seasons. Summer was always a welcome time of year as school would let out and our days were spent outside, camping, or at the beach. We had so many beaches to choose from that I can fondly remember visiting a handful each summer. Fall was another favorite time of year as it brought all the beautiful colors of the leaves and flowers changing, and game was always a welcome staple on our dinner table. In winter, we would turn the snow piles my dad would make from clearing the driveway into snow forts, and we thoroughly enjoyed sledding or ice-skating with friends. Spring always brought the feeling of things bursting to life again after a cold winter’s passing. I look back on my life growing up in the rural countryside of the Forgotten Coast and I can clearly see why I chose this life for our own children.
The Forgotten Coast is an ideal place to raise your children. I know this to be true wholeheartedly from personal experience, both my own as a child growing up here and as a parent raising kids here now. I am including a list of the reasons below. I hope this helps you as you consider whether or not to choose the Forgotten Coast here in the upper thumb of Michigan as your forever home or future home for your family.
Art & Culture
Areas throughout the Forgotten Coast are making great strides to continue to build on art and cultural experiences. From art installations to artists in residence programs, to live music and arts and crafts offerings, there is soon to be no shortage of arts and cultural opportunities for your family to enjoy and perhaps be a part of!
Education
Did you know that our area is known to have one of the greatest numbers of country schools in Michigan? We have more than 5 country schools! If that doesn’t interest your family, there are a variety of parochial and private schools in addition to the many highly-regarded public schools offering various curriculums, activities and opportunities. What about home-schooling? Yes, you can do that too. There are quite a few groups of parents who home-school their children and still get them together regularly for fun activities, as well as provide opportunities for learning and socializing.
Healthcare
You may be surprised to find that our area offers quite a plethora of well-organized and outfitted healthcare services, from EMS to walk-in clinics, to hospitals, primary care centers and beyond! We have nationally recognized healthcare systems known for their excellence in patient care, and typically, not a high turn around in care providers so you can build the kind of relationships you desire with your family’s physicians and caregivers.
Lack of Natural Disasters
We don’t experience a whole lot of natural disasters. Fires tend to be put out quickly, flooding has not imposed a huge risk for any of us other than those near the shoreline when the water was high (it is now receding), and when it comes to wind, it can be fairly windy here, but it is not like anything a hurricane can impose. Storms, we have recently had a few bad storms, in fact even a few tornadoes. This was the first time in my entire memory that something like this has happened here, and although it was no greater than an EF-2 and no one was greatly harmed, there was damage. What we saw afterward, however, is what I feel makes this area so special. We saw a great number of neighbors, residents, business and friends come together to support those who were affected. So although we cannot say nothing bad ever happens here, we can say we have the right people and services in place to help those in need.
Low Cost of Living
Property and homes here tend to be way below that of the national average or what you find in the cities or in suburbs. Less money being spent on housing and essentials gives your family more opportunities to increase your quality of life. I can get behind that, how about you?
Nature & Parks
If you’re like me, spending time in nature is an incredible way to learn about the world around you, to relax and unwind from the stresses of everyday life, and to keep your mind and body healthy. Here, nature is as close to your backdoor as possible and considering where you choose to live you could be minutes from the lake or woods. Children growing up here are sure to have no shortage of nature or outdoor recreation activities to choose from growing up. There are also a ton of parks to visit, many within walking distance.
Quality of Life
I feel like there is no better place to lay down roots than a place that gives you the opportunity to pursue life, liberty, and happiness for yourself and your family. If happiness for you means a big beautiful garden or fire pit, or possibly to raise a bunch of chickens in your backyard, or heck, even to paint your house pink, I think you won’t find much trouble from the powers that be to stop you. Now, I know there is no place on earth without blemish, but here it seems that is few and far between. Of course, like anywhere there are factors that could play a role in those pursuits, like living in town versus out of town for example, but the overall consensus is that you can make many of your dreams come true when it comes to raising your children, caring for your home and property, and building a life here on the Forgotten Coast.
Sense of Community
To feel like you belong in a place that looks out for one another is what it feels like living in a community in the Forgotten Coast. Neighbors look out for neighbors, friends help friends, and most importantly when you or your family really needs a hand, you would be hard-pressed to not find someone or an organization or a community to band together to give you the hand up you need. From spaghetti dinners to cornhole tournaments, raffles and beyond, I have seen how our communities have come together time and time again to support local families and causes when tragedy strikes or a need arises.
Safety
I have never felt an innate sense of fear living here, and I feel this to still be true to this day. I know I can send my children on the school bus without fear of their return or whereabouts. I trust their educators and our community which looks out for each other. If you look at the data, you will find that our crime rates are much lower than the national average. We have full-time police departments and very well-trained fire departments in place to continue to ensure the safety of our communities and families.
Kids can be Kids
Last but not least, I really feel that kids can be kids on the Forgotten Coast. In a world and a time when society and the internet can have such a great influence on kids to grow up too quickly, the Forgotten Coast offers a haven and wide-open spaces for kids to run, play, and have an imagination. If this is important to you, you will certainly find it here.