Understand
About 60,000 people live in this town that survived an economic downturn when the logging industry ended at the turn of the 20th century. As with many Michigan cities, it is currently struggling to adapt to the challenges of having an economy based on the automotive industry. A recent article on AOL listed Saginaw in the Top 10 of 'Ghost Towns of the Future', due to its declining population, vacant downtown area, and lack of services
Over the past 15 years, Saginaw has built an impressive network of health care facilities - hospitals, specialists, cancer treatment centers - that serves residents from many of the surrounding counties.
Saginaw is a town with very high rates of violent crime and gang activity. While locals have been known to exaggerate the threat, the potential for violent crime is real. 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. Downtown Saginaw can also get a bit rough, especially late at night when the bars clear out. That being said, if you exercise common sense and don't go looking for trouble, you'll be fine.
