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Bay City, Michigan
Bay City is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan located near the base of the Saginaw Bay on Lake Huron.
The city is geographically divided by the Saginaw River, and travel between the east and west sides of the city is made possible by four modern drawbridges which allow large ships to easily travel down the river. The city is served by MBS International Airport, located in nearby Freeland, and James Clemens airport.
Bay City is well known in Mid-Michigan for its numerous festivals and celebrations which take place during the summer months. Among them are the River Roar, St. Stan's Polish Festival, the Independance Day Fireworks Festival, the Pig Gig Ribroast, and the River of Time living history reenactment. Many of these events take place along one or more banks of the Saginaw River, often in Wenonah Park on the east bank or the larger Veterans Memorial Park on the west bank.
Bay City
Population (year 2006 est.): 34,449
Elevation: 585 feet
County: Bay
Land area: 10.4 sq miles |
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Midland, Michigan
Midland is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan in Flint/Tri-Cities region of the state. It is the county seat of Midland County. A small portion of the city is in Bay County.
Midland
Population (year 2000 ): 41,685
Elevation: 636 feet
County: Midland, Bay
City area: 35.0 sq miles
Places of Interest
Midland has many cultural opportunities in fields ranging from music and theater to science and the arts. The Midland Center for the Arts delivers hands-on exhibits in science, art and technology. The Center provides two state-of-the-art auditoriums for audiences of 400 to 1500 to enjoy everything from the Midland Symphony and Theatre Guild to world-class orchestras and dance companies.
Midland City parks number over 80 with over 3,000 acres (12 km²) of park land. Small neighborhood parks nestled within residential areas are found throughout the city. Larger groups enjoy the amenities of two of Midland’s largest parks, Emerson and Plymouth. These parks feature large sheltered picnic areas, playgrounds, a pool and a major softball complex.
Skaters of all skill levels utilize Midland’s new 107,000-square-foot (9,900 m²) Civic Arena, which has two NHL-sized rinks and one Olympic-sized rink. A new BMX track is located in Midland’s growing Downtown area. Winner of a 2005 Michigan Cool Cities grant (a grass-roots, volunteer-based training program to revitalize a downtown area), Downtown Midland offers dining, shopping and entertainment for the whole family.
Walkers, joggers, bikers, and skaters can use the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail, a ribbon of asphalt stretching 30 miles (50 km) to the neighboring city of Clare. Midland County’s system of natural pathways continues to expand, with the recent addition of the Chippewa Trail, which connects to the Pere Marquette trail. The Chippewa Trail ends at the Chippewa Nature Center and their facilities of over 1,000 acres (4 km²) of deciduous and coniferous woods, rivers, ponds, wetlands (marsh, fen, bog, and swamp) and upland fields.
Also in the recreation mix are two golf courses, the Midland Community Center (with multiple swimming pools and exercise facilities), the West Midland Family Center, the North Midland Family Center, the Midland Gymnastics Center, the Midland Community Tennis Center and the Grace A. Dow Memorial Library. In addition, Midland is the home of Hangtime Sports, an 89,900-square-foot (8,350 m²) facility with eight indoor courts.
Nature is found in abundance at Midland’s Dow Gardens. The 100 acre (0.4 km²) garden and arboretum was the original gardens of the Herbert H. Dow homestead and is open for tours. In addition, the Alden Dow Home and Studio offers tours of this landmark American architect’s unique and influential style.
More than 100 places of worship county-wide represent most denominations and a variety of architectural styles. Midland’s Volunteer Center recruits upwards of 2,000 volunteers each year, and the United Way of Midland County supports 25 community organizations.
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Saginaw, Michigan
Saginaw
Population (year 2006 est.): 57,523
Elevation: 584 feet
County: Saginaw
City area: 18.2 sq miles
Places of Interest
The city's main entertainment can be found in the downtown area, where places such as The Dow Event Center and the restored Temple Theatre offer live entertainment. The Dow Event Center is also home to the city's junior ice hockey team, the Saginaw Spirit of the Ontario Hockey League. The downtown area, which contains a number of office buildings from the early 1900s, is located near the Saginaw Club, a local businessmen's club and educational complex founded in 1889. Once vibrant, the downtown area has been in decline in recent years and presently struggles with an elevated crime rate. Downtown is not to be confused with the Old Town/West Side City area located on the other side of the river and about one mile (1.6 km) south. Old Town houses many popular bars, locally owned restaurants, and arts organizations.
Copyright (c) 2007 Tri-City Local.com. Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
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