Saginaw

Saginaw is a city in Central Michigan; it is the largest of the "Tri-Cities" of the Saginaw Bay area with Bay City and Midland. About 50,000 people (2019) live in this town, which survived an economic downturn when the logging industry ended at the turn of the 20th century. As with many Michigan cities, it is struggling to adapt to the challenges of having an economy based on the automobile industry.

Understand
Saginaw's population has declined from a peak of 91,000 in 1970, to fewer than 50,000 in 2019, as its economy has contracted.

Saginaw has built an impressive network of health care facilities - hospitals, specialists, cancer treatment centers - that serves residents from many of the surrounding counties.

Economic development is focused on comparative advantages in innovation, clean energy, and continued manufacturing exports. The city continues to have a higher proportion of manufacturing jobs than the US average.

History
Saginaw was a thriving lumber town in the 19th century and an important industrial city and manufacturing center throughout much of the 20th century. During the late 20th century, its industry and strong manufacturing presence declined, leading to increased unemployment, crime, and a population decline. The populations of neighboring communities, such as Saginaw Charter Township, have grown, and the metro area had almost 200,000 residents in 2019.

By car
Interstate 75 runs east of the city and links Saginaw to Mackinaw City and the Upper Peninsula to the north, plus Flint, Detroit, and Ann Arbor (the latter via US-23) to the south. Interstate 675 links to I-75 and leads directly to Downtown Saginaw.

By plane
is in nearby Freeland, about midway between Midland, Bay City, and Saginaw. The airport is served by United Express flights from Chicago-O'Hare, plus Delta Connection flights from Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul, plus seasonal flights from Atlanta.

Get around
You'll need a car. Public transportation is limited. The Saginaw Valley has five primary tourist areas: Birch Run, Chesaning, Frankenmuth, Saginaw City and Saginaw Township. These are spread out by as much as 25-30 minutes by car.

Do

 *  Bowling Alleys
 * Golf Courses
 * Friday Night Live Morley Plaza (on N. Washington between Citizens Bank and The Temple Theatre). Summer concert series. Food vendors on site, beer tent, children's games. Free admission.
 * Shiver On The River Annual walleye ice-fishing contest on the Saginaw River. Typically begins in late January and concludes in early February, but depends on ice and weather conditions.
 * WKCQ Country Fest Country music festival typically held on the third Saturday in June on Ojibway Island.
 * Friday Night Live Morley Plaza (on N. Washington between Citizens Bank and The Temple Theatre). Summer concert series. Food vendors on site, beer tent, children's games. Free admission.
 * Shiver On The River Annual walleye ice-fishing contest on the Saginaw River. Typically begins in late January and concludes in early February, but depends on ice and weather conditions.
 * WKCQ Country Fest Country music festival typically held on the third Saturday in June on Ojibway Island.
 * Shiver On The River Annual walleye ice-fishing contest on the Saginaw River. Typically begins in late January and concludes in early February, but depends on ice and weather conditions.
 * WKCQ Country Fest Country music festival typically held on the third Saturday in June on Ojibway Island.

Freeland

 * Many large and small antique shops to explore. The Antique Warehouse has more than a hundred stalls featuring uncommon treasures.

Bay Road Corridor

 * Home to most of Saginaw's national retail outlets and chains.
 * Home to most of Saginaw's national retail outlets and chains.

Eat

 * Pasongs, Great Asian food. All food is made in a single wok, so wait times can be lengthy.  Only open Monday through Friday, 11AM - 7PM.
 * Pasongs, Great Asian food. All food is made in a single wok, so wait times can be lengthy.  Only open Monday through Friday, 11AM - 7PM.
 * Pasongs, Great Asian food. All food is made in a single wok, so wait times can be lengthy.  Only open Monday through Friday, 11AM - 7PM.
 * Pasongs, Great Asian food. All food is made in a single wok, so wait times can be lengthy.  Only open Monday through Friday, 11AM - 7PM.


 * Spatz's Hot Bread The ubiquitous bread of Mid-Michigan.  Available at almost any grocery store, this bakery product is produced locally and is the great secret of the area. It has a distinctive wax wrap in solid white and red. People as far away as Marin County, California have it shipped to them.  The bread is best described as 'Your Grandmother's Bread'.  It is heavy, turns rock hard in about three days (great for toasting then), but it is the closest to fresh baked bread you will find. Many locals don't say they're going to get a loaf of bread, instead they say, 'I need to pick up some Spatz's.'

Drink


Hamilton Street in Old Town Saginaw City has a variety of bars and taverns that attract drinkers of all ages.

Sleep
Check out the Montague Inn, a restored lumber baron's mansion. A very popular place for summer weddings, with beautiful grounds and a lovely honeymoon suite and guest cottage.

Most of the hotels lie outside the city limits. There are many national chains available.

Stay safe
Like many cities in the U.S., Saginaw does have its challenges with crime, most of it related to drug and gang activity. Fortunately for Saginaw, these areas for crime are largely centered in areas not frequented by visitors to the area. Visitors unfamiliar with the area would be wise to avoid residential neighborhoods in the city of Saginaw, especially east of the river and particularly at night. Old Town Saginaw can also get a bit rough, especially late at night when the bars clear out. It is highly advisable to travel in groups and avoid poorly lit or deserted areas as the occasional mugging, while hardly commonplace, is not unheard of. That being said, if you exercise common sense and don't go looking for trouble, you'll be fine.

Media

 * Visitors Bureau
 * Newspapers
 * The Saginaw News / MLive.com
 * Radio stations
 * 790 AM WSGW - News/Talk Newsradio 790
 * 1250 AM WNEM - All News
 * 100.5 FM WSGW - News/Talk (not simulcast with AM 790)
 * 100.5 FM WSGW - News/Talk (not simulcast with AM 790)

Go next

 * Flint -- The home of the modern labor union movement in the US. Flint has a great art scene for a city of its size and is much less pretentious.
 * Bay City -- Less than 20 minutes from downtown Saginaw, downtown Bay City is known for diverse local eateries and shopping. Also visit the scenic Riverwalk and other public parks along the Saginaw River.