Move to the Thumb
Instead of selling you my photos, let me talk to you about an underrated place to call home
…Thumb sales pitch ensues…
A little over a decade ago we packed up and moved from Chapel Hill North Carolina to Harbor Beach on Michigan’s Forgotten Coast (AKA The Thumb). It was a bit more daunting back then…it’s a bit easier these days with the improvements towns and cities have made, the investments and dedication of entrepreneurs….
When we moved we were fairly young and wanted somewhere we could do our own thing. Somewhere the cost of living wasn’t overwhelming but had access to the water. The Thumb is an underrated jewel for folks with those kinds of goals. For me, it was also somewhere close to home.
When we moved, things were not great in the area. A lot of towns that needed a lot of things. Many towns didn’t have grocery stores. There was very little to be found as far as nightlife, art, or live music. Those things (and a lot more) have really changed in the last decade. People noticed the opportunities around and started to fill those needs.
Today the area isn't all the way there yet…but it’s come leaps and bounds in the last 10 years…and I only see that continuing to move forward. Get here soon…before we are no longer “Michigan’s Forgotten Coast”!
Over the last decade, things have gotten WAY cooler…all over the area.
When we moved, there wasn’t much opportunity to experience live music unless we went to the city. Boy has that changed…especially in the summer…but even in the winter months now. Venues all across the area are embracing live music…and musicians are taking note. I even got to see the Grammy winning Billy Strings play on my local beach!
There’s a big effort (especially in the Port Austin area) to bring public art to the area. Learn More
Now there are way more easy options to access the nature all around us here. Adventure rentals, cleaned up waterfronts, more parks, etc
Little towns that need you!
Our area is a perfect work from home place. It’s inexpensive, crime is low, great infrastructure, high speed broadband (including fiber), walkable communities, and best of all, direct access to nature. We have SO many beaches.
You can have an impact. Local organizations need members…especially younger ones. You can easily…
There are creatives here…you just have to look a little bit to find them.
Chronically Underrated
The west coat of Michigan gets all the attention. Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice..but it’s also expensive! We have tons of beaches and water access. We don’t (yet) have the attention they get.
Talk about the other more developed areas of the MI coastline and how our area has long been forgotten…so it’s less expensive and just on it’s way up now.