I also moved from metro Detroit to the Bay Area, and no way I'd move back. The people there don't believe they can make any changes in their lives or the world, so they don't. I have a ton of friends with sad stories out there now. I've helped a few of them get out to California and they'd never go back either. It's a place that crushes all of your dreams. Everyone there tries to tell you that you're stupid, that your idea is stupid, and that you should just give up.

On the plus side, Ann Arbor is tolerable, but small. There are no real cities in Michigan. The closest is Chicago, and while I'd love to live there, the terrible winters (sub-zero temps with 40mph winds in the city corridors due to the Great Lakes and walls of skyscrapers), lack of mountains, and lack of sunshine would make it hard.

Rent and food are cheap, but you're in the middle of nowhere with not many interesting + motivated people to talk with, and there's not much actual good food (people there can't afford $50pp meals). The young people are mostly leaving (or they want to). There are a lot of crazy / malicious business people out there as well (I experienced many of them doing basically computer consulting). Mountain biking out there is great (look up MMBA if you're interested) but the mosquitos will eat you alive if you stop, even for 30 seconds. The lakes are nice and cottages (usually smaller homes on lakes, usually "up north") there are well within reach of the middle-class.

I'm done with nasty people with nasty attitudes. They can keep their murder mitten.