What do Detroit residents think of Saginaw- Bay City?

**Ocean2026** · January-22-10, 06:41 AM

I just wondered sometimes there's rivalry between different cities or different parts of a state,sometimes there's kinship. Do people in Detroit visit Saginaw or Bay City? Do they see it as a nicer or worse place to live?

MichMatters · January-22-10, 06:54 AM

Why'd you choose Saginaw-Bay City, out of curiosity? Detroiters don't think much of the place, if ever. As with any major metropolitan area in any state, Detroiters don't think of much outside their region. In fact, I don't think many in the state, period, think about the Tri-Cities. They've kind of been forgotten. The region is even smaller than that of Flint's, which is has declined in importance in the state over the decades, and we rarely think much about Flint, anymore, so you can imagine how how little thought is given to the bay region.

**Baselinepunk** · January-22-10, 07:36 AM

Just where is Saginaw / Bay City?

**313WX** · January-22-10, 07:45 AM

Other than Frankenmuth, the Tri-Cities are irrelevant to Detroit.

**texorama** · January-22-10, 08:15 AM

I go there from time to time but admit it's only because I used to date a Bay City resident. The Dow Gardens in Midland are a unique destination, not only in Michigan but in the entire U.S.

**rb336** · January-22-10, 08:27 AM

Have a friend who moved to saginaw for work -- hates it. it's one of those "there's no there there" places, and he doesn't care much for the people he's met either

Bearinabox · January-22-10, 08:30 AM

One time, I was on my way up north, and they were doing some work on the Zilwaukee Bridge. I got detoured along that spur that runs through downtown Saginaw, and then got back on I-75 and finished driving up north. That's pretty much what I think of Saginaw-Bay City.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-22-10, 08:52 AM

Saginaw makes me sad. In many ways it is worse off than Detroit or Flint.

Bay City is not so bad, but is still not booming.

Midland is a mish-mash of ugly, blah, and some nice.

**wolverine** · January-22-10, 08:56 AM

Growing up in Saginaw, I miss alot of things about that area. I can say that tri-cities residents think about alot of places outside their metro, but with a far better attitude.

Interesting statement about Saginaw, DP. I would say the neighborhoods of Saginaw are overall better off. You may not see that if you spend all your time on the East Side. But the West side is holding out pretty well. Flint has a much more intact downtown with a decent amount of business activity where Saginaw's suffers with tons of empty lots and very little business. Though that depends on what 'downtown' we are talking about. Oldtown is looking better every year and has very few vacancies. Most of the un-rented commercial space is the 2nd or 3rd levels of buildings along Michigan Ave...which should be renovated into lofts anyways.

**DetroitZack** · January-22-10, 09:11 AM

I have visited each of the tri-cities, taking pictures of its old architecture downtown. I loved Bay City and want to go back, same with Saginaw. Though Saginaw to me was much more depressing. Midland is a bore.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-22-10, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by wolverine

Interesting statement about Saginaw, DP. I would say the neighborhoods of Saginaw are overall better off. You may not see that if you spend all your time on the East Side. But the West side is holding out pretty well. Oldtown is looking better every year and has very few vacancies. Most of the un-rented commercial space is the 2nd or 3rd levels of buildings along Michigan Ave...which should be renovated into lofts anyways.

What makes saginaw worse off is that it has always been a satelite location of GM and Michigan Bell. Now that GM and AT&T are all but shut down there, there are no major jobs generators except for maybe St. Mary's, and perhaps Frankenmuth.

W of the River is starting to exhibit the same sort of cancer you find on the E side of it. While Old Town is certainly in better shape than Downtown, when you get into the nearby neighborhoods it most certainly is not. Though it is much better than say the NE corner of the City which reminds me a lot of certain parts of Detroit that have been forgotten.

There is blight up by Bay Rd and Davenport Roads, the strip areas around Fashion Square are becoming blighted. I do love the throwback Little Ceasers Pizza Station up there though.

What is the story with Old Town? Was this once a totally separate City? Bay City has the same sort of secondary downtown along Midland. Just wondering.

**6nois** · January-22-10, 12:07 PM

I grew up in Bay City, and spent much of my High School years escaping to Saginaw. In all honest all three places are pretty bleak. The politics and nature of the places is slowly becoming more and more regressive which makes it very unattractive to live. Saginaw and Bay City are physically attractive. In terms of the amount of historic architecture. Old town in Saginaw is probably one of the most viable areas in terms of mix of businesses density and quality of life. Although I am partial to the Cathedral District because the houses are so fabulous.

Bay City was a collection of villages that slowly merged to become Bay City, and West Bay City, the state then forced both of them to merge to become one which then made it one of the largest cities in the state at that time. So that is why there are two downtown areas. I am pretty sure that Saginaw was the same sort of thing. It largely had to do with industry in Bay City each lumber mill created their own village.

**jcole** · January-22-10, 12:13 PM

I find it really interesting that people here in SE Michigan can be so disparaging of another city that's in the same boat we are when it comes to unemployment and poverty when the city of Saginaw actually has some big box stores, malls and chain restaurants.

**6nois** · January-22-10, 12:17 PM

jcole none of that is in the City of Saginaw. It is in Saginaw Twp. which is possibly the bleakest of all the places in the area. It's just miles of strip malls replaces strip malls and mazes of parking lots, it is hardly progress or the image of a stable community.

**hudkina** · January-22-10, 12:23 PM

An interesting bit of information that some might not know is that Saginaw used to be two separate cities. The original "Saginaw" is now the "Old Town" neighborhood, while the current "Downtown" was originally a separate city called East Saginaw. I believe East Saginaw grew to be the larger of the two cities before the two finally merged. I always thought it was strange how the original Saginaw became overshadowed by the "Downtown" on the other side of the river.

bartock · January-22-10, 12:27 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitZack

I have visited each of the tri-cities, taking pictures of its old architecture downtown. I loved Bay City and want to go back, same with Saginaw. Though Saginaw to me was much more depressing. Midland is a bore.

I agree that Midland is something of a bore, but there are a couple of things worth checking out. The County courthouse in Midland, like the old part of Flint's [[Gennessee's) old courtrooms are fantastic. Dow put a bunch of money into renovations a couple of years ago. The baseball stadium looks really neat and I know they were building a [[relatively) large hotel in town. Kind of old school, in a company-town sort of way.

Retroit · January-22-10, 12:30 PM

I though it was where the Bay City Rollers were from until I found out they were from Scotland and got their name from throwing a dart at a map.

**psubliminal** · January-22-10, 04:55 PM

I have relatives in Midland, many of whom worked for Dow, one owns a huge flower shop on Ashman [[Smith's Flowers). I'm more familiar with the west side of the city where they all lived. I drove there last summer to visit a few cemeteries.

I must have driven up north the same time as Bearinabox; I remember having to detour through Saginaw, and must have taken a wrong turn. It was all empty looking factories, very desolate. I was praying for a gas station to ask directions when I somehow stumbled upon the road that led me out of there.

**Baselinepunk** · January-22-10, 05:19 PM

Has anyone found this Saginaw / Bay City yet? Google maps got bupkis.

**Susan Messer** · January-22-10, 06:40 PM

My husband, who grew up on the east coast, just outside NYC, lived in Bay City for a couple of years, and thinks of it as one of the best times in his life [[except for now, of course). While he was there, he found a fabulous yoga teacher, a great film society, a group of environmental activists, and a community of good friends.

**wolverine** · January-22-10, 06:53 PM

Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

What makes saginaw worse off is that it has always been a satelite location of GM and Michigan Bell. Now that GM and AT&T are all but shut down there, there are no major jobs generators except for maybe St. Mary's, and perhaps Frankenmuth.

W of the River is starting to exhibit the same sort of cancer you find on the E side of it. While Old Town is certainly in better shape than Downtown, when you get into the nearby neighborhoods it most certainly is not. Though it is much better than say the NE corner of the City which reminds me a lot of certain parts of Detroit that have been forgotten.

There is blight up by Bay Rd and Davenport Roads, the strip areas around Fashion Square are becoming blighted. I do love the throwback Little Ceasers Pizza Station up there though.

What is the story with Old Town? Was this once a totally separate City? Bay City has the same sort of secondary downtown along Midland. Just wondering.

GM and AT&T are becoming more irrelevant to the area's economy year by year. I don't even think they make the top ten employers in the county anymore.

That blighted area around the entrance to Fashion square is no more. Little Caesars drive or whatever it was called had been cleared out and curb cuts removed at least for two or three years now. Not sure what's there. Typically my visits back to Michigan don't involve going down Tittabawasee or bay roads.

Oldtown is called Saginaw City. The denser collection of building you see along 675 with the Citizens bank building is East Saginaw. They were two entirely separate cities that merged.

Retroit · January-22-10, 06:54 PM

Originally Posted by Baselinepunk

Has anyone found this Saginaw / Bay City yet? Google maps got bupkis.

It's somewhere north of Hell.

MichMatters · January-22-10, 09:20 PM

It seems to me that you could amputate the whole Thumb and Bay regions, and most Michiganders wouldn't notice. Saginaw-Bay City-Midland really have to do a better job marketing themselves, particularly because they aren't at a natural transportation crossroads. You have to quite literally go out of your way from just about anywhere in the state to get to them.

You know a small region, though, that really doesn't get the respect it deserves? Traverse City. It's been quickly growing, progressive for a small urban area, insanely clean and well-kept, and with some of the most underrated geography in the state. If I ever had to move to a smallish area, it't be up in Traverse City. Michael Moore bringing up to the area big city amenities doesn't hurt, either. TC is the perfect example of how to develop yourself when you're a post-industrial economy that doesn't sit on a major transportation corridor.

**DetroitPlanner** · January-22-10, 09:58 PM

Originally Posted by wolverine

That blighted area around the entrance to Fashion square is no more. Little Caesars drive or whatever it was called had been cleared out and curb cuts removed at least for two or three years now. Not sure what's there. Typically my visits back to Michigan don't involve going down Tittabawasee or bay roads.

Ya sure we are talking about the same Little Caesers? I stopped there a few months ago coming back from my Cabin?

**Johnnny5** · January-22-10, 10:24 PM

Originally Posted by MichMatters

It seems to me that you could amputate the whole Thumb and Bay regions, and most Michiganders wouldn't notice. Saginaw-Bay City-Midland really have to do a better job marketing themselves, particularly because they aren't at a natural transportation crossroads. You have to quite literally go out of your way from just about anywhere in the state to get to them.

You know a small region, though, that really doesn't get the respect it deserves? Traverse City. It's been quickly growing, progressive for a small urban area, insanely clean and well-kept, and with some of the most underrated geography in the state. If I ever had to move to a smallish area, it't be up in Traverse City. Michael Moore bringing up to the area big city amenities doesn't hurt, either. TC is the perfect example of how to develop yourself when you're a post-industrial economy that doesn't sit on a major transportation corridor.

I agree. I think the only thing holding it back is the fact that get nearly 10ft of snow every winter!