Allegan michigan restaurants

source: Somerville PD radio
Saturday
11:54am: Hudson St. Animal Control called for an injured pigeon
1:00pm: Elm and Summer St. Injured person that fell off their bike.
1:24pm: Lincoln Park. Suspicious package behind a porta potty.
1:31pm: Lincoln Park. Suspicious package found to be “an empty cardboard box”
2:26pm: Maxwell’s Green. An ongoing issue with someone following their 10-year old
2:36pm: Herbert St. They’re trying to tow a female’s car and she won’t get out.
3:52pm: La Quinta. Called for a psyche emergency
3:55pm: Aberdeen Rd. Called for a person passed out in a large crowd (this is the Guster porch)
3:56pm: Aberdeen Rd. More calls. “These cruisers can’t get halfway down the street”
3:02pm: Vernon St. and Lowell. A party is requesting an ambulance.
4:04pm: Aberdeen Rd. “Is someone with that kid? This crowd is silly. There’s no way to get to him.”
4:05pm: Aberdeen Rd. “Was that band supposed to end at 4pm?” “That’s correct, 4pm”
4:06pm: Aberdeen Rd. “We’re being told he’s with EMS”
4:20pm: Car blocking a driveway. Property owner asked the car owner to move his car and he said no. Police issuing a citation.
4:49pm: Highland & Hamlet. “may need to close off the street” “trying to move cars out of Highland and Hamlet”
4:54pm: Sick person at ZaZa. Left before police arrived
5:39pm: Magnus Ave. Woman unable to get down to her house. People are banging on her vehicle. She’s very upset.
5:51pm: School Street. Female assaulted, punched in face.
5:52pm: Magnus Ave. “There's absolutely no way I can get down this street. There’s at least a thousand people here”
5:57pm: School Street. “Can you get one of our units to block school street? By Summer. The street is completely blocked with people”
5:59pm: Nashua Street. “Can you go to 3 Nashua St? Person trying to get into her driveway, it’s completely blocked.”
6:05pm: School Street. Units clear. Filed as “simple assault and battery”
6:08pm: 432 Medford St. Lifeline activation. “Can you give me a few minutes I’m kinda stuck here on School St” “You're better off coming up school street the wrong way”
6:22pm: Fremont St. 52-yo man with delusions, extensive history of psych-emergencies and violence, not known to have weapons
6:27pm: Citation issued for a blocked driveway, tow called
6:53pm: Tow canceled, owner of car arrived
7:27pm: 727 Somerville Ave. Earlier blocked fire hydrant is now clear
7:01pm: Neighborhood Restaurant. A black man with dreads yelling obscenities into the gate and walking back and forth in front of restaurant
7:06pm: 22 Waldo. Band still playing past 7pm
7:100pm: Winter and College Ave. Responding for an injured person
7:30pm: School St. Possible domestic. Person reported hearing fighting, one person saying they were going to kill the other person.
8:02pm: Newton and Webster. Report of man down.
8:05pm: Newton and Webster. With Fire, can’t locate man. Going to take another look around.
8:07pm: Wallet found at 7 Vernon St.
8:08pm: Concord Ave. Drunk male found.
8:09pm: The Burren. Drunk male. A couple of people are holding him down outside.
8:19pm: Perkins St. Possible domestic. Started at Myrtle St and spilled into Perkins.
8:22pm: Perkins St. “We’re being flagged down right in front of 70 Perkins”
8:25pm: The Burren. "Can you check how long a wait for a cab to go from the Burren to Whitey’s bar in Boston?" “10 minutes for a cab to get there”
8:30pm: Warren Ave. Person reported that neighbor has been making weird noises since last night.
8:38pm: The Burren. Green cab canceled. “It’s gone well past that”
8:56pm: Vera’s Union Sq. Black male with dreads and green sweater harassing females as they walk by.
9:00pm: Transferring one female from Pokeworks to the station. It is not an arrest.
9:13pm: Montrose St. Loud music.
9:19pm: Vera’s Union Sq. Black male is arguing with a female.
9:46pm: Vera’s Union Sq. Employees called and said the guy is harassing them
10:16pm: Michigan Ave. Woman was asked to call police because her boyfriend said there are cars waiting at the end of the street for him
10:22pm: Michigan Ave. No one found. Caller said he doesn’t want to talk to anyone and tells police to leave.
10:30pm: Cedar at Morrison. Loud music.
10:43pm: Broadway. Motor vehicle accident. “We believe someone hit a tree”
11:03pm: Broadway. We’re clearing. It’s on the state (right of way). State will need 2 tows, no one injured.
11:15pm: Oxford St. Two males fighting in the street. No weapons.
11:21pm: Oxford St. Those male fled down Summer St prior to police arrival.
11:32pm: Broadway. Two black males and a blond female fighting, punching each other. Vandalizing motor vehicles.
11:38pm: Broadway. "There were some kids play fighting, no vandalism."
Sunday
12:10am: Pinckney Place. Group outside being loud with music.
12:23am: Oxford St. Person having dispute with brother. Brother took off, not from area.
12:37am: Oxford St. Brother with a friend and is safe.
12:48am: Beacon St. Advised to take party inside.
1:12am: Conwell Ave. Loud party on back porch.
1:36am: Chester Ave. Motor vehicle being broken into.
1:37am: Memorial Road. Report of loud music.
2:11am: Cedar St. Blocked driveway. Rhode Island car.
2:58am: Mystic Ave. Shotspotter activation. 6 shots.
2:59am: “It looks like it’s by the basketball courts, 58 Memorial”
3:08am: “Can you start Cataldo to the Walgreens parking lot? We’re being told someone is possibly shot there”
3:12am: “The lot is empty.” I’m going to take a drive around the neighborhood. I don’t see anyone under duress”
3:22am: Memorial Rd. Ambulance to this location for victim
3:25am: “You have Cataldo responding correct? You might want to have them step up”
4:01am: Medford St. Report of a male kicking and yelling at cars in parking lot. Black or hispanic male wearing all black.
4:05am: Medford St. “Disregard. It’s in Medford. Medford PD notified.”
5:14am: “Did we receive any 911 calls when the shooting incident happened? Or was it just the shotspotter?”
5:21am: Vehicle towed, has a couple bullet holes.

We are relocating from Michigan. Can you tell me what your favorite restaurants are? If they have these dishes bonus for me! We hope to buy near European village. Mexican - chilaquiles and Al pastor Asian- Mongolian Beef or lo Mein Italian- carbonara Pizza - not deep dish - good sauce Seafood - crab cakes and hush puppies Best Sushi Rolls Mac and cheese Burger French onion soups Soft pretzel with beer chese Bar- casual, for drinks, good vibe Music - live or DJ Thanks in Advance. Any other suggestions welcomed

Hello everyone!
We're thinking of attending the Noir City film festival at the Grand Lake Theater for a week in January. Coming from Michigan and unfamiliar with the Bay area.
The film festival program, judging by this past January's, seems to run from 1pm to 11pm, so it appears that we will have ample time for sightseeing in San Francisco and the general area, too.
Two middle-aged sister. I don't see us renting a car, but you never know. Probably use taxies or rideshare. Would be very grateful for any hotel recommendations, areas to seek out, areas to avoid, other advice, as we plan our trip. In general would prefer a nice hotel with a restaurant/bar, or at least one handy to dining options.
Is the business district around the Grand Lake Theater someplace that features restaurants and bars we could dine at between films? Would it be better to stay on the other side of the bay and commute to the film fest? How far would that be?
Thank you so much for any advice! -- Melissa

I am taking my 16 year old nephew and my sister to Chicago and we are all first-timers from Louisiana and Mississippi. I am really excited about seeing this gorgeous city and exposing my family to life outside the South. Let us know if our itinerary works, and if these are the best places to eat, keeping everything casual and not too much structure. Saturday - arrive in Chicago, walk around downtown, lunch at Luke's, check out the Harold Washington Library and Rookery Building while we wait to check in to hotel, dinner at Miller's Pub. Bike to Navy Pier for fireworks if we aren't too tired from traveling. Sunday - breakfast at Goddess & the Baker, explore Millenium Park, lunch at Cafecito, take bus up Michigan Ave., explore the Riverwalk, water taxi to Chinatown for dinner at MCCB. Monday - breakfast TBD, take bus up Magnificent Mile to explore North Ave Beach and Lincoln Park, take bus to see Wrigley Field and walk to Byron's for lunch. Red line back downtown for dinner at Revival Food Hall, night time bike ride along lake to buckingham fountain. Tuesday - breakfast at Hero Coffee Bar, take the bus to Field Museum, late lunch at Lou Malnati's, water taxi on lake michigan, dinner TBD Wednesday - take Metra to Hyde Park, Valois Restaurant for breakfast, walk to Univ. of Chicago, return to hotel for late checkout, lunch at hotel, head to O'hare. Is it crazy that we do not have the architecture boat tour? I just don't know where we can fit it in. And part of me would rather spend $50 a person on a fancy dinner than a tour.

Sorry if already posted, the news is coming in so quick that it’s hard to decipher if something has already been posted, again I do apologize if this is a repeat The link below lists numerous counties, however, it does not mention exactly how many herds.
https://www.michigan.gov/mdard/about/media/pressreleases/2024/05/10/highly-pathogenic-avian-influenza-detected-in-new-michigan-dairy-herds
May 10, 2024
Today, Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (MDARD) Director Tim Boring announced the detection of highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in dairy herds in Allegan, Clinton, Gratiot, Ingham counties and an additional herd in Isabella. The Michigan State University Veterinary Services Laboratories confirmed these detections. Samples have been sent to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Veterinary Services Laboratory for additional confirmatory testing.
Regardless of species, biosecurity remains the best tool available to combat HPAI. On May 1, 2024, Director Boring issued the “Determination of Extraordinary Emergency HPAI Risk Reduction and Response” Order. In addition to other protocols, the order requires all dairy operations in Michigan to adopt enhanced biosecurity measures, collectively reducing the risk of introducing this virus on to farms. On May 3, 2024, additional guidance was issued to help producers enact these requirements, which went into effect on May 8, 2024. In addition to these requirements, following a few key steps can also be fundamental to protecting the health and vitality of Michigan's dairy cattle: Delay or stop incoming or returning animals from herds with unknown or suspect health status. Isolate all animals that are new or returning to your farm. Monitor the health of your animals daily. Contact your veterinarian if there are ever any animal health-related concerns or if you would like to develop a secure food supply plan. Sick animals should have dedicated equipment and be cared for after tending to healthy animals first. Clothing, footwear, and equipment worn/used around sick animals should not be worn/used around other animals until they are cleaned and disinfected. Use an EPA-registered disinfectant effective against avian influenza. Do not share tools, equipment, trailers, etc. with other farms. Clean and disinfect the interiors of trailers used to haul animals from other operations. Limit non-essential visitors to your farm. If individuals have recently been on a poultry farm, they should not visit a dairy operation, and vice versa. Require or provide clean clothing and footwear to those entering your farm. Use hand-washing stations and provide gloves to those working on your farm. As part of the disease response, MDARD is working with the herd's veterinarian to monitor the health of the animals and conduct trace investigations. MDARD continues diligently working with local, state, and federal partners to quickly respond to reports of HPAI to mitigate the spread of the disease and provide outreach.”

Hey all, I live in Shawnee (moved here from rural Michigan a few years ago, only recently navigating around) and recently I've started using TARC to get around. It's been incredibly refreshing going new places. So far I mostly go out around Baxter avenue which has so many nice little alleyway stops. Ate at Molly's today, lovely! Goodfella's is nice too. I'm wondering what other streets I should look out for that are good for walking around like this? Especially ones that have sit-down seating cafe's or restaurants that I can work at on the wifi while I'm out so I can be out of the house and explore longer. I've already found a few nice coffee places in the general area. Travel time isn't a huge deal, and I use daily passes on the ticket app so I don't mind if I have to use several connecting routes, so anything between Shively and St Matthews is good. Also I turn 21 in two months and am curious where the best places to find friends are? I already intend to go to Play soon. EDIT: important detail, am queer, so queer friendly joints are especially helpful

Article may be behind a paywall, I’ve posted it as best I can, it’s a long article… ^
Farmworkers have been exposed to milk infected with the bird flu virus. But there has been virtually no testing on farms, and health officials know little about who may be infected.
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/05/09/health/bird-flu-diaries-farmworkers.html
Even as it has become increasingly clear that the bird flu outbreak on the nation’s dairy farms began months earlier — and is probably much more widespread — than previously thought, federal authorities have emphasized that the virus poses little risk to humans.
Yet there is a group of people who are at high risk for infection: the estimated 100,000 men and women who work on those farms. There has been no widespread testing to see how many may be infected. None have been vaccinated against bird flu.
That leaves the workers and their families vulnerable to a poorly tracked pathogen. And it poses broader public health risks. If the virus were to find its way into the wider population, experts say, dairy workers would be a likely route.
“We have no idea if this virus is going to evolve to become a pandemic strain, but we know today that farmworkers are being exposed, and we have good reasons to think that they are getting sick,” said Jennifer Nuzzo, director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health.
A majority of dairy farmworkers are Spanish-speaking immigrants, often undocumented, who may not have paid sick leave or be protected by occupational safety laws. They may lack access to medical providers, and their employers can be intolerant of absences.
“This sector of workers is not only at the very, very highest risk because they’re having that direct, intimate contact with discharge, raw milk, with infected animals, but they’re also at the very, very highest level of risk in terms of having no social safety net,” said Elizabeth Strater, an organizer with United Farm Workers.
Interviews with more than three dozen federal and state officials, public health experts, farmers and workers’ organizations show how little is known about what’s occurring on farms: how many workers may be affected, how the virus is evolving and how it is spreading among cows.
So far, the virus, called H5N1, has been detected in cattle herds in nine states. While veterinarians have said there are unconfirmed reports of farmworkers with flulike symptoms, only 30 have been tested as of Wednesday.
Barring extraordinary circumstances, state and federal health officials do not have the authority to demand access to farms. Instead, the Food and Drug Administration and the Department of Agriculture are testing milk and ground beef on grocery shelves for the virus. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is waiting for infected people to show up at clinics.
“Do you want to find out about a virus when it’s spreading among people so much that they are coming into emergency rooms in hordes, or do you want to catch it on the farms so you can treat the people and slow the spread?” said Rick Bright, the chief executive of Bright Global Health, which focuses on responses to public health emergencies.
A tangled regulatory system complicates the situation, said Dr. Jay Varma, who served in the C.D.C.’s food-borne diseases branch and oversaw food safety as a deputy commissioner at New York City’s health department.
The agriculture department regulates large commercial farms and can mandate testing of animals — although it has not yet done so — but not of farmworkers. The department “doesn’t ever want to be in a position where it has to declare that food supply from the U.S. is unsafe, because some of those food products may be exported to other countries and that can have a huge economic impact,” Dr. Varma said. The C.D.C. has authority over ports of entry into the United States, but domestically the agency needs state approval to do much of its work. The F.D.A., Occupational Safety and Health Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and Citizenship and Immigration Services all have roles to play, but each has its bureaucratic layers and institutional culture.
This patchwork can be an impediment during a disease outbreak, some experts said. In 2009, the response to a cluster of bacterial infections in a salami product was delayed because the Department of Agriculture regulated the meat, the F.D.A. was responsible for the cracked black pepper that coated it and the C.D.C. was in charge of investigating the people who became ill.
Dr. Nirav Shah, principal deputy director of the C.D.C., dismissed the notion that bureaucracy was an obstacle as “overly simplistic,” and said the agencies responding to the outbreak talk numerous times a day to coordinate their activities and to work with state partners.
“This stuff is hard,” he said. But “we’re working together on this because we have common goals.”
Wary of scrutiny, very few farms have granted entry to health officials. Dairies found to have infected herds could see as much as a 20 percent dip in income. Farmers already face stagnant milk prices and high feed and transportation costs. Because of the relatively small number of cases — 36 affected herds out of some 26,000 nationwide and one infected farmworker — some farmers see the bird flu as a distant threat. Even those who support public health efforts are hesitant to let federal officials on their properties.
Jason Schmidt owns Grazing Plains Farm in Whitewater, Kan., “an itty bitty little” farm as he refers to it, with 70 dairy cows he raises himself. Mr. Schmidt said he supported the government’s public health role, but would not want officials traipsing around his farm.
If he were to see a sick cow, “I sure hope I’d report it,” he said. “But there’s that little devil on my shoulder saying, ‘Just keep quiet and divert that milk from those sick cows and put that down the drain and don’t say anything.’”
Mitch Breunig, who owns Mystic Valley Dairy in Sauk City, Wis., said that if his veterinarian determined it was “prudent,” he would test a cow with bird flu symptoms, but “I really don’t want the C.D.C. coming to my farm.” So far, the outbreak has affected not small farms, but the giant dairies that increasingly dominate the industry and often rely on migrant workers.
The owners of such farms “don’t care about our health, they just care that we do our jobs,” said Luis Jimenez, who works on a dairy in upstate New York and founded a group supporting undocumented immigrant farmworkers.
“Their cows’ health is more important to them than their workers,” he added.
Farms are often geographically remote, and the workers — who sometimes live on site — may not have transportation to reach medical care. And to many, the kinds of symptoms ascribed to bird flu infection may not seem particularly urgent.
“We’re talking about an eye infection or a cough, and these are people who have back aches and arm aches and broken this and that,” said Monica Schoch-Spana, a medical anthropologist at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
Even without access to farms, health officials could support migrant workers in other settings, advocates noted. “They go to church, they go to stores, they go to restaurants, and there are other ways to reach them,” said Amy Liebman, a program officer at the Migrant Clinicians Network. To make testing more attractive, community centers could offer other health care services, legal assistance and food, and educate workers on ways they can protect themselves and their families, Ms. Liebman said.
Dr. Shah said the C.D.C. was working with veterinarians and organizations like the Migrant Clinicians Network to reach farmworkers. “We, too, would like to offer testing to more workers,” he said.
On Monday, Dr. Shah asked that state health officials provide goggles, face shields and gloves to farmworkers, and collaborate with trusted community organizations to educate them on the importance of the gear in preventing infection.
Despite the risks to their health, farmworkers are not required to wear protective equipment. “It’s not a mandate, no one is being forced to do anything here,” Dr. Shah said. But the nature of farm work and the settings in which it is done — milk parlors that quickly render masks wet and useless, for example — can make wearing protective equipment challenging.
A few states have taken steps to contain the outbreak, with limited success.
Texas offered to provide protective gear to dairies, but only four came forward, according to a spokesman for the state’s health department. Idaho has also offered protective equipment since the outbreak’s onset, but no farms have taken up the offer.
Idaho health officials have not asked to go onto farms “for privacy and biosecurity reasons,” Dr. Christine Hahn, the state epidemiologist, said in an email, although they helped to test one farmworker for the infection.
Michigan is prohibiting exhibition of dairy cows and poultry until the outbreak has subsided. The state does not require testing of cows or farmworkers.
The current situation has shown that dairy farms may seed new outbreaks that quickly spread, as has long been the case on poultry and pig farms, several experts said. “If you had to hide a novel virus emergence in the United States, one of the best places to hide it would be in animal workers in rural America,” said Dr. Gregory Gray, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch.
Surveillance of those workers is “not nearly as strong as we might see for other population groups,” he said.
To build surveillance networks that include farmworkers and their families, federal, state and local agencies will have to first establish trust, said Dr. Andrew Bowman, a veterinary epidemiologist at Ohio State University.
“If you look at the influenza surveillance we’ve done in swine, that didn’t happen overnight,” Dr. Bowman said. “That took a decade to build.”
While surveillance is important, some experts cautioned against testing farmworkers without first catering to their needs.
“If we prepare to collect information that’s only going to benefit others and not necessarily directly protect them, I just think that’s a very hard thing to do ethically,” Dr. Nuzzo said.

The global oats market size is expected to reach USD 6.90 billion, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.8% during the forecast period. The growing consumption of whole-grain foods owing to its health benefits will enable speedy expansion of the market, states Fortune Business Insights, in a report, titled “Oats Market Size, Share & Industry Analysis, By Type (Steel Cut, Whole Oats, Instant Oats, and Others), Application (Bakery and Confectionery, Breakfast Cereals, Animal Feed, and Others), and Regional Forecast, 2020 – 2027.” The market size stood at USD 5.18 billion in 2019.
Information Source - https://www.fortunebusinessinsights.com/industry-reports/oats-market-100199
The occurrence of coronavirus has exerted massive economic stress onto sectors in various countries. We understand that this health emergency has negatively impacted various sectors across the globe. Rising support from governments and several companies can help in the fight against this highly infectious virus. There are some industries that are struggling and some are thriving. More or less, nearly every sector is estimated to be impacted by this pandemic.
We are perpetually working on our reports to help uplift businesses in this crucial time. Our expertise and experience can offer enormous benefits to help regain during this global pandemic.
The report on the oats Market illustrates:

• Prominent insights into the market
• Predictive analysis with key data
• Latest market trends and developments
• Stellar insights into the competitive landscape
• Crucial data about regional players
• COVID-19 Impact

Market Driver:
Significant Utilization in Animal Feed to Drive Market
The vast application of oats in the animal feed industry owing to its properties to improve feed value will foster the growth of the market. The higher fat content compared to other cereals enhances energy content in the feedstock. Similarly, it adds key components for easy digestibility in animals. The balanced amino acid composition along with palatability makes it ideal for poultry, horses, and piglets. Thus, boosting the growth of the market. However, the wide availability of whole grains such as wheat, barley, sorghum, and quinoa that possess nearly the same nutritional profile can as an obstruction for the growth of the market. Besides, heavy demand for barley owing to its negligible cholesterol and triglyceride levels can further dampen the growth of the market.’
Mass Disruption in Food Industry to Impede Development during Coronavirus
The lockdown imposed by the governments has disturbed the supply chain activities, resulting in market closure and disrupted the food services sector. The food manufacturers and processors are observing several inhibitions in their operations. The shutdown of hotels, restaurants, & Café has negatively impacted the global market. Nevertheless, the production remained unaffected as deliveries of seeds, fertilizers, and crop protection was made available by the governments. Moreover, the ease accessibility of food supplies and commodities by the governments can aid in recovering losses and incite remunerative business outcomes.
Regional Analysis:
Increasing Health-Conscious Consumers to Aid Growth in Europe
The market in Europe is expected to hold a significant share during the forecast period owing to the high production in countries such as Russia, the U.K., Italy, and Spain. The increasing health consciousness among consumers to boost growth in the region. The increasing demand for healthy grain-based snacks will bolster the growth of the global market in Europe. The hectic lifestyles of European consumers have led to high nutritional food products. Hence, increased production and consumption in European Countries will spur opportunities for the market. North America is expected to hold the largest share in the global market owing to the growing consumption of porridge or oatmeal as a staple food.
Key Development:
November 2018: Nestle SA announced that it has added a new product to its cereals range containing whole grains, called Oat Cheerios breakfast cereals in the UK.
The Report Lists the Key Companies in the Oats Market:

• Quaker Oats Company (PepsiCo, Inc.) (New York, U.S.)
• Morning Foods Ltd. (Crewe, United Kingdom)
• The Kellogg Company (Michigan, U.S.)
• Richardson International Ltd. (Winnipeg, Canada)
• Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, Inc. (Oregon, U.S.)
• Avena Foods Ltd. (Regina, Canada)
• Glanbia, Plc. (Kilkenny, Ireland)
• The Ancient Grains, Co. (Kildare, Ireland)
• Aussee Oats Milling Pvt Ltd (Gampaha, Sri Lanka)
• Blue Lake Milling (SA, Australia)

I made a similar post on the Dallas sub and thought it would be fair to post here to share my thoughts for those considering a move to Dallas or to reinforce your decision to not move to Dallas. I grew up in the Southeast, ended up in the Midwest for school, then landed a job in Chicago after college and ended up calling Chicago my home for over a decade.
COVID really changed my view towards living in a city environment and changed my life preferences. I decided I wanted a bigger place to live that's more quiet and getting that in the city would be hard. I thought about moving to the suburbs but I figured if I was going to live in a suburban environment, why not move somewhere warmer and a bit lower cost (many Chicagoland suburbs are really expensive for housing). I applied at some jobs in Arizona, New Mexico, Florida and ended up getting a job in Dallas.
Transportation: Public transit in Chicago is really good and in most cases, as long as you live on the north side, you shouldn't need a car. I always lived on the south side, so my partner and I shared a car. One issue we did have with CTA, especially on the south side was safety. My ex was assaulted, both physically and verbally many times. I will say that driving in Dallas is much easier and more efficient than in Chicago. In the DFW area, as long as it's not rush hour and you just want to run a few errands, a 5 mile trip will take you no more than 10min. In short, I find it easier to do tasks on the weekends in Dallas. Going to Costco, grocery store, clothing shopping, lunch out, and Home Depot can be done in just a few hours.
Safety: This is the one thing Chicago is notorious for. Of course we all know that Fox News greatly over exaggerates the crime in Chicago, but we also know that there is a bit of truth to it. Everyone I know in Chicago has been involved in some sort of crime or "sketchy stuff" at some point in their lives. In Dallas the crime is concentrated around bad neighborhoods or happens at night in popular nightlife districts but it doesn't spill over into other areas. Statistics may say one thing but my partner says she "feels" significantly safer in the Dallas area compared to Chicago. At least once a week she felt uneasy on CTA or walking around the Loop after work when it's dark in winter.
Employment opportunities: Both Dallas and Chicago have great job opportunities and I find the salaries between the two to be very similar. One thing I liked about finding jobs in Chicago is that they were almost always in the Loop or close to the Loop so I didn't have to worry about moving after getting a new job. One thing about Dallas is that jobs are spread out all over rather than centralized to a downtown area. This can be a blessing and a curse depending on how you frame it. People who want to live in the suburbs and live 10min from work will love it. But the issue is that if you switch jobs, you have to be strategic as to where the job is to avoid a long commute. At least in Chicago with most jobs being downtown, you already know how your commute will be.
Entertainment: For such a large metro area, Dallas is incredibly boring to me. All of the Dallas natives say there are plenty of things to do, but it's not on the same level as Chicago. Dallas has museums and other cultural activities, same as Chicago, but there just really isn't a cool neighborhood vibe where you can get off the train and walk around and discover a new quirky bookstore, record shop, and find new bars. You have to actively search for things to do. But how do you know what to search for? Like for example I once found out about a Thai food festival after it happened because that's an oddly specific thing to search Google for. Another issue is that when you search for things to do in Dallas online, the majority of them are in the suburbs and those events always are more family oriented. As you can imagine, a taco festival in Pilsen will have a different vibe than taco festival in Schaumburg.
Bar scene: One of the best parts of Chicago is the unique bar scene. Every neighborhood has bars that cater to different types of people. Dallas only has a few nightlife areas and most are just a single street with restaurants that also happen to serve drinks. I went to a "bar" that was highly recommended by locals and was so confused when I entered. It was literally a restaurant that just happened to have a bar serving drinks.
Out of town trips: In Chicago I really liked heading over to the Michigan beaches, Milwaukee for the day, or Wisconsin for some outdoor fun. In Dallas there really isn't a lot to do within a 2-3hr drive unless you like small Texas towns.
Outdoor activities: Chicago isn't the best outdoorsy city but it beats anything in Dallas which is probably one of the worst cities in the US for outdoor activities. People don't even leave their windows open because it's either too hot, too cold, or raining. I love camping and it's very hard to camp in Texas as almost all of the state is privately owned land. We don't have that many state parks and the ones closest to metro areas are always full on the weekends.
Politics: For me this is a wash. If you are more left leaning, Texas is one of the worst states to live in because of how overly vocal and conservative the state officials are. But I wouldn't say that Chicago politics are any less toxic.
People: We always hear negative things about Texas on the news but I don't think that represents people who live here. I always find Texans to be very friendly and nice.
Race relations: This one is so awkward to discuss but it's something I noticed almost immediately after moving to Dallas. Chicago is a very segregated city and black, white, Hispanic, and Asian people seem to live totally separate lives. And the interactions between races, especially between black and white people felt very constrained. For some reason, I felt like black people in Chicago were hostile to non-black people and many non-black people were uncomfortable being around black people. In Dallas, I witness no such awkwardness.
Food: The Chicago food scene is in general, better than Dallas but there are some areas where Dallas comes ahead. BBQ and Asian food is better quality and more readily available in Dallas. And surprisingly I find the tacos to be better in Chicago. In Dallas, most of the taco places are more TexMex and finding a taco place that's similar to Mexico City style isn't easy.
I think Dallas is a great place to live to further your career and we still have relatively low cost of living compared to other large metro areas. There are a lot of Chicagoland natives who have moved down this way and usually it's for lower COL and weather and just a more laid back lifestyle. I think the DFW metro area is a great place to buy a home and raise a family but may be lacking for people who aren't interested in this.

Any other Michigan bartenders work through tornado warnings yesterday?
We had three confirmed touch downs very close to the barestaurant I work at. Everyone’s phones were going crazy, it looked like the apocalypse outside.
My boss didn’t even come out of his meeting and I had to continue making drinks like we weren’t all about to die. I said, of course, this is how I go out, fucking slinging margaritas. 😂

I discovered manifestation about a month ago, I decided to start small to “test it” and build my belief. I started writing down things I’d see or happen that day. Most of which happen the same day or within a few days to a week. Examples at first were a person wearing light blue shoes or a bright yellow hat, stuff like that.
Then I started getting more specific like, I’m in Arizona. So I said I’d see something with the state Michigan on it, and boom. License plates, Michigan college stickers and hoodies and flags everywhere.
Last week I said I’d see a elephant, get a $40+ tip doing doordash and a penguin because Im in the desert how would I see a penguin? So I got two orders in a row from two different Indian restaurants with elephant decor, had a customer enter their address wrong so I had to drive to a new location and they tipped me $40 cash extra on top of the $7 in the app and I saw a billboard with a PENGUIN.
I said I’m testing this one more time, I said I’d see a Cleveland Browns logo. The next day a Ford Bronco car pulls in front of me painted in Browns colors with the logo and all with a Cleveland Browns license plate! It’s stuff like this all the time, for my SP? I just randomly see and hear her uncommon name all the time suddenly?
So all of this can’t just be coincidence?
Does anyone else have issues believing when it clearly works?

I discovered manifestation about a month ago, I decided to start small to “test it” and build my belief. I started writing down things I’d see or happen that day. Most of which happen the same day or within a few days to a week. Examples at first were a person wearing light blue shoes or a bright yellow hat, stuff like that.
Then I started getting more specific like, I’m in Arizona. So I said I’d see something with the state Michigan on it, and boom. License plates, Michigan college stickers and hoodies and flags everywhere.
Last week I said I’d see a elephant, get a $40+ tip doing doordash and a penguin because Im in the desert how would I see a penguin? So I got two orders in a row from two different Indian restaurants with elephant decor, had a customer enter their address wrong so I had to drive to a new location and they tipped me $40 cash extra on top of the $7 in the app and I saw a billboard with a PENGUIN.
I said I’m testing this one more time, I said I’d see a Cleveland Browns logo. The next day a Ford Bronco car pulls in front of me painted in Browns colors with the logo and all with a Cleveland Browns license plate! It’s stuff like this all the time, for my SP? I just randomly see and hear her uncommon name all the time suddenly?
So all of this can’t just be coincidence?
Does anyone else have issues believing when it clearly works?

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Hey everyone!
https://preview.redd.it/c10j8n0lhoyc1.png?width=3442&format=png&auto=webp&s=f5afdc05791775f2f6efe38d6a4d3fa699080915
This June, we're planning a round-trip road adventure from Toronto to Grassland National Park in our SUV. As we would be leaving late afternoon from Toronto, we are planning to stop at Sudbury, Thunder Bay, and Oak Lake before settling down at Grassland National Park for a 3 day stay. After that, we'll take a leisurely drive back home, stopping to rest whenever we feel the need.
We’re really looking forward to exploring the beautiful landscapes and would love to hear from anyone who’s taken a similar journey. Do you have any tips or must-visit places along this route?
Since we want to make the most of our driving days without a fixed schedule, we’re also curious about the best spots for overnight stays. We're open to sleeping in our car or pitching a tent — any recommendations for safe and scenic spots would be greatly appreciated.
Additionally, what are some essentials you wouldn’t travel without? We want to make sure we're fully prepared for both the expected and the unexpected.
Thanks in advance for your suggestions and happy travels to all!