Michigan cities: Lansing, Grand Rapids or Ann Arbor?
All three cities are very nice and in fact, perhaps a bit better than Detroit. But considering your situation Ann Arbor, is too much for a college life, I dont recommend this area unless your in your early twenties. Grand Rapids, is coming up city, which means, there arent much attractions to keep you entertained and out on the move, its also a bit farther to Lansing than Ann Arbor. Lansing is going to be your best bet, its right dab in the middle, and its the capital of Michigan, its nicely policed as well. But choose a place that is easy for you to commute to and from work, especially when you have a child, in case of emergencies you want to be able to get home.
What is Lansing, Michigan like?
Lansing is the capital of the US state of Michigan.The city's population rose close to 1,15,000 making it the fifth largest city in Michigan.ClimateLansing receives heavy rainfall and snowfall in winters which last from November to April while the summers are hot and humid and start as early as may and can last up to October. On summer days,the temperature soars up to 32 degrees of Celsius and fall as low as -20 degrees of Celsius on cold winter nights.2. Cultural eventsThe Lansing JazzFest and the Old Town BluesFest are the largest music festival that take place each year in the state. One of the major musical event which ropes in thousands of people is the Common Ground Festival that takes place in a week of July.3. Major AttractionsTierpark HellabrunnThe zoo is situated on the right bank of the river Isar, in the southern part of Munich near the quarter of Thalkirchen. Hellabrunn has been the kids favourite and is worth making a visit here.It certainly is the perfect one day activity place for families.Know the place completely here- Tierpark HellabrunnLegoland GermanyIt really is kids delight and a fun place to spend time with your family. The place has several rides which are all to fall for and kids never get bored trying them again and again. Along with the fun rides the place offers good food which is certainly at a reasonable price and delicious as well.Know the place completely here- Legoland GermanyWilhelma Zoo and Botanical GardenIt is one of the most diverse zoo that you'll find in this area. It is home to over 600 animals and conducts several programmes and events for children and their families.The place is a great value for your money and lets you spend quality time with your family and friends.Know the place completely here- Wilhelma Zoo and Botanical Garden4. NightlifeGreater Lansing is "Alive After Five!"Listen to live music at venues like the Green Door Blues Bar and The Exchange.
Moving to Michigan Whats it like there?
It depends on which part of Michigan you plan on moving to. For example, the northern part of Michigan gets much colder than the south, where it snows earlier and heavier. In the south, the winters aren't as bad, but it's Michigan, so it's still cold. Our summers though are really nice with clear skies. It's very beautiful though. Nobody in Michigan is more than six miles away from a natural body of water. We have a lot of trees and natural beauty. Ann Arbor is a great city (it was even voted the 2nd smartest city in the US). It feels like a big city, but also has the small town touch. It's very diverse where you can literally meet any type of person and people are very liberal. The University of Michigan provides a lot of the atmosphere there too. This town is full of fun interesting things to do...great family and night life...great museums and an abundant number of awesome parks and sports to do here...handicapped access everywhere and incredible amounts of culinary treats and experiences in the outdoors...life goes by fast here and can truly be savored. You are missing out if you do not come to Ann Arbor...to raise your family. be a student, meet people from all over...or retire...health care is exceptional and always years ahead with the St. Joseph system and the U of M Health System. There's not enough time to do all you want to do. And so many wonderful places to see if you are willing to drive a few hours to the lakes or festivals and best of all the residents of Ann Arbor are one solid community investing in the future and our kids and living life to the fullest too with passion and heart. I don't think I am biased..lol....but having lived here, in Florida, NC, Europe, Africa, CT, Pittsburgh, Georgia, Texas, I think I have a good span of what is a winner and Ann Arbor surely is. It's even a a town that also treats their dogs as their best friends as they should be, the dog parks are wonderful !
What's a reasonable hourly labor rate for an auto mechanic, and what factors contribute to that rate?
I’ve paid various pricesm guessing from $50 to $85.example 0: City of San Francisco - 2003 replace doo-dad in transmission, they looked up the “hours to replace doo-dad” in a reate-book or sort, the book said 12 so they charged me 12 hours. It could have taken em 5h or 15h, but they charged me 12 hours. Labor rate was $85/hour.example 1: San Jose 2014, 30k miles ago - Replace head gasket on an inline-6 engine. The shop is certainly all about car repair - the office is a small room filled with parts and whatnot. Headgasket + head rebuild (machined and cleaned) + new oil + new coolant + parts + labor was $1500 total before tax. Dealer would be $3–$4k (I did not even check, quoting those numbers from an online forum). So for the work, guessing even $500 for parts, then $1000 labor for machining, head rebuild, and replacement, I am certain it was more than 10 hours, so less than $100/hour in labor. Guessing 15 hours, thats around $70/hour.As others have said, it really depends. KEy is find a shop that values you, and they’ll take care of you as a customer.