Kalamazoo & Grand Rapids Among the Most Exciting Michigan Cities

A study of the most exciting places in Michigan was recently released that highlighted Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo.

I've lived in or near Kalamazoo for nearly 20 years.  Even though you'll hear negative junk from some lifelong Kalamazoo residents, I think this area is the perfect place to live.  I'm thrilled to see Kalamazoo on this recent study from Movoto.com for the most exciting places in Michigan.  Here are some of the key factors considered to come up with the results below:

• Nightlife (per capita)
• Live music venues (per capita)
• Active life options (per capita)
• Arts and Entertainment (per capita)
• Fast Food restaurants (the fewer the better, because fast food is boring)
• Percentage of restaurants that are not fast food (the higher the better)
• Percentage of young residents ages 18 to 34 (the higher the better)

Out of the 56 Michigan cities with at least 20,000 residents Movoto.com narrowed it down to the 10 most exciting places in the Mitten below.

10 Most Exciting Cities in Michigan

10. Detroit

Motorcitiy's highest scores: Arts & Entertainment (#8), Music Venues (#10), and Population Density (5).

9. Birmingham

Birmingham scored #1 in two categories: Active Life Options and Fast Food.  They were also 5th in the state for non-fast food restaurants.

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8. Wyandotte

Wyandotte's highest scores: Nightlife (#5) and Arts and Entertainment (#5).

7. Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo's best scores: Nightlife (#4), Music Venues (#4), and Population 18-34 (#5).

6. Hamtramck

This city on the outskirts of Detroit was #1 in Michigan in these categories: Nightlife, Music Venues, and Population Density.

5. Marquette

Marquette's highest scores: Nightlife (#2), Fast Food (#3), and Population 18-34 (#4).

4. Royal Oak

Royal Oak's highest scores: Music Venue (#7) and fast food (#7).

3. Grand Rapids

Grand Rapids' highest scores: Nightlife (#6) and Population 18-34 (#7).

2. East Lansing

The home of the Michigan State Spartans grabbed the #1 spot in these categories: 18-34 population and Non-fast food restaurants.

1. Ann Arbor

The home of the Michigan Wolverines grabs the top spot while ranking high in these categories: Active Life Options (#2), Fast Food (#2), and Music Venues (#3).

If you think this study got it wrong, let us know in the comments.  Meanwhile, check out the 10 most boring cities in Michigan by clicking here.

READ MORE: People Move to Michigan From These States The Most