Grand Blanc, Michigan, and its neighbor, Grand Blanc Township, are upscale suburbs of Flint and are located about 60 miles north of Detroit. Born as a village in 1822, Grand Blanc took off about 40 years later with the arrival of a railroad and is now home to about 43,000 people.

If you’re thinking of joining these delightful people, a variety of homes awaits you. New construction has taken place relatively recently, with a plethora of fresh 2, 3, and 4-bedroom customized houses available. The houses in Grand Blanc have been built as the years have ticked by, so you can find ramblers from the ‘50s and ‘60s, colonials from the ‘70s and ‘80s, and more modern designs from the last 15 years. Grand Blanc is rather built out; however, its curving roads and golf courses give it a wonderful sense of space and of place.

Who lives here? All sorts of people, including many who work at General Motors’ Customer Care and Aftersales, McLaren Health Group, and Ascension Genesys Regional Medical Center. There’s young and old. The male/female distribution is split well down the middle. The median age in 2010 was 39.1, which is close to the national average. In short, Grand Blanc is a fair representation of a typical suburb.

And what do those people who live here do when they’re not working? First, they’re outdoors. Grand Blanc is in Genesse County, which boasts Michigan’s largest county park system: 11,000 acres of forests, lakes, and natural treasures. Ride the Huckleberry Railroad through the woods or take a trip on the water with Genesse Belle paddleboat. Fish in one of 15 lakes. Bike in the warm months and sled in the cold months. Kayak, camp, or swim. You can even try some equestrian. And for those days when you just want to take the kids to the playground, enjoy the smaller parks dotting Grand Blanc.

If you’re exploring the county park system, you’re probably up for taking in some of the features of the region. Just-up-the-road Flint boasts a planetarium and the Flint Institute of Arts. A bit further north on I-75 will get you to Frankenmuth, home of various indoor water parks and world-famous Bronners’ Christmas Wonderland. It’s the perfect place to take the kids to see Santa Claus.

And if you have kids, you’ll send them to Grand Blanc Community Schools, a district where students score above-average (relative to the state) in key measures such as ACT score (21; state is 19) and graduation rate (89%; state is 82%). Eight elementary schools are scattered throughout the district; two middle schools and one high school (go Bobcats!) round out the building collection.

Grand Blanc is a proud community with a lot to offer its residents. Come for a visit and consider the benefits of homeownership…you’ll be glad you did.