[Zblackerby]

Lapeer is the county seat of Lapeer County. It has a population of about 9,000.

The Lapeer County Courthouse was built in 1845-46. It is the oldest standing courthouse in Michigan that still serves its original purpose.
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The Pix Theatre was built in 1941 and restored in 1997.
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[flar]

Cool, looks like a typical Michigan town, wooden frame houses and brick mainstreet.

[Evergrey]

nice town... where is Lapeer County?

[xzmattzx]

I'd never heard of Lapeer before, I had to look this place up. It's nice to see regular small towns in various states; it helps to give an impression of the types of architecture common in that state or region.

nice town... where is Lapeer County?

In between Flint and Port Huron.

[themapman]

It's a nice small town. The suburbs and exurbs of Detroit will soon reach that far north. It's a short drive though from much of northern Oakland County, including Pontiac. Great pics.

[Top Of The Park]

I love small town America

[hudkina]

Lapeer is the northernmost extent of Metro Detroit. Lapeer County is in Detroit's MSA and sends nearly 40% of its workforce to the Tri-County area.

The county is still mostly rural, and has yet to really see any "exurban" development. It is starting to push northward though along Lapeer Rd (M-24), which is being "upgraded" into a median divided highway. You also have development creeping up along Van Dyke Rd (M-53), which is another major North-South route through the county.

The population of the County is about 95,000, and could possibly reach 100,000 by 2010. About 35,000 live in the area around Lapeer, with another 22,000 living in the Imlay City-Almont-Dryden area.

[daniel_t]

Wonderful pics. Such a charming lookin town. I really like the feel of the place. Great work.

[denveraztec]

Wonderful Structures!

[JackStraw]

very nice

[Zblackerby]

For those wondering exactly where Lapeer County is located...
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c198/DowntownZack/Lapeer/lapeer.gif

[LMich]

The Thumb, represent!

Thanks. It's been great to see Michigan so well represented here in the last few weeks between Flint, Port Huron, and now Lapeer. The Thumb and Tri-Cities is a very underestimated and overlooked area of Michigan despite sitting on a major Canadian-United States trade route. Lapeer County is also growing healthfully.

Yeah, fortunately, Detroit's sprawl hasn't hit the area, yet. I really don't expect it to, either. It's going to be even more connected to Detroit than it already is through commuting, though. Hud, I suspect the vast majority of the folks of Lapeer commute to Oakland County, right?

[robk1982]

Well, I guess now I don't have to go and take pictures downtown. Lapeer is interesting in that it can be thought of as the northern-most part of the Detroit area, the eastern-most part of the Flint area, the "Gateway" to the Thumb, and yet is basically a stand alone town. About the only big-box retail that Lapeer is missing is an electronics store (Best Buy) and a book/music store (Borders).


Zblackerby, are you also from Lapeer? Send me a PM if you would like.

[Zblackerby]

Actually I live in Canton but I've been like everywhere on this side of the state lol

[circle33]

Some nice stuff there. I look forward to a tour of Marlette someday.

[Jibba]

Looks like this place is in good shape which is always nice to see. Thanks for the tour.

[kcexpress69]

Very nice shots, Thank you!! :tup:

[hudkina]

LMich, of the 21,762 people who commute outside of the county for work, 46% commute to Oakland County, 22% commute to Macomb County, 17% commute to Genesee County, 5% commute to Wayne County, 3% commute to Sanilac County, 2% commute to St. Clair County, 2% commute to Tuscola County, and 1% commutes to Saginaw County. The rest commute to other areas.

[LMich]

Thank you for that extremely specific answer. ;) I'm surprised to see the commutes to Genesee County so low.

[Evergrey]

It's nice to see regular small towns in various states; it helps to give an impression of the types of architecture common in that state or region..

Exactly... that's why small town threads are so fascinating...

[hudkina]

LMich, there aren't as many jobs in Genesee County as their are in Oakland/Macomb. Keep in mind the Pontiac/Auburn Hills/Rochester area is only about 30 miles south of Lapeer, with the Oxford/Lake Orion area in between. Also keep in mind that the Imlay City/Almont area is only about 25 miles north of the Sterling Heights/Utica area, with the Romeo area in between. In comparison Flint is about 20 miles west of Lapeer.

[subterranean]

Thanks for the great photos. I especially love that Second Empire gem with the red shingles and that third (what I would call) Gothic Revival church.

My friend grew up in Lapeer and she usually speaks of it in a contemptuous manner, though I think most people in their 20s are that way with the place where they grew up. Especially if it's a small town. But a lot of these small towns are great places to raise families, with decent schools and safe neighborhoods.

MSHDA partially funded a good chunk of a park project there not too long ago, which I hear was a huge success.

Unfortunately Lapeer is getting some exurban activity. Not in town, but just south there are some pretty huge houses going in.

[Ex-Ithacan]

What a pleasant looking small town, just beautiful. And I love that county courthouse. Thanks for the tour.

[direfloyd]

Why don't you do a thread of Canton Zblackerby???? LOL, just kidding!!! Great picture, Lapeer is looking good!

[Michi]

I spoke with some people from Lapeer and they testified that they've witnessed the growth of the southern half of the county coming up from Macomb in particular. Driving up those north-south corridors, you can definately see the development, even if it isn't "Burning-Tree Farms Palisades" McMansion subdivisions as far as the eye can see.

[LMich]

God, I hope it doesn't become the disaster that is now Livingston County.

[hudkina]

Exurban development is inevitable, and I'm not so much against that as I am against endless miles of McMansions and Walmarts.

[LMich]

That's most often what 'exurban' has come to mean in Michigan, though, especially because of the lack of commuter rail. It is different if exurban development is happening around Lapeer or tightly along a rail transit line (a TOD), but it's almost certainly auto-centric subdivision in cow pastures and soybean/corn fields. There just doesn't seem that there can be anything good about exurban development in Michigan given the lack of commuter rail.

[Zblackerby]

Why don't you do a thread of Canton Zblackerby???? LOL, just kidding!!! Great picture, Lapeer is looking good!

lol I'd rather not take any photos of Canton :yuck: