Ypsilanti information? (Ann Arbor, Port Huron, Coldwater: for sale, rentals, high crime)

[foggychicksrule]

I currently live in Coldwater (born & raised), and found out that my employer in Hillsdale will be closing in a few months. There are no jobs in this part of the state…at least nothing that I can support my family with. So if we stay in Michigan (and don’t move to Raleigh), we have to move!

I really love Ann Arbor, but I couldn’t afford to live there with a family of 6. I started looking at Ypsilanti online, and it seems pretty nice. Obviously I need to visit and look around for myself, but I was hoping that I could get a little information from here too.

Houses: not sure yet if we will be renting or buying…I’d like to rent, but having a hard time finding affordable rentals big enough for us. I found a couple of houses for sale that my husband and I like, but I don’t know what the locations are like (986 Madison and 124 S Prospect). Any information?

Business: I really want to open my own business, but I can’t pinpoint exactly which idea I want to move forward with. I also don’t know what current businesses are in Ypsilanti, or whether there might be enough market in the area to be successful. Here are my ideas:
a cupcake/pie shop;
a play center for kids with a separate “social” area for parents (so they can have a coffee date with friends and watch their kids play in a supervised area, as opposed to needing a sitter);
or a baby boutique, selling more unique baby clothing and accessories (mid- to higher-end) – with a full service baby shower section also.

How do you think these would work in Ypsilanti? Any other ideas?

[MI-Roger]

I wouldn't touch any property on Madison St or S Prospect!

Contrary to the common thread of disdain for Ypsilanti in nearly all posts on this site, the town isn't all bad. Like most towns it has its really nice areas, its OK areas, it questionable areas, and its bad areas. The two streets you mentioned are both deeply in the bad areas!

Downtown has one bakery, Terry Bakery, that is open weekends only. There is also one custom artisan bread shop downtown.

The Depot Town area has one custom cake shop, one health food co-op bread shop, and the sole Ice Cream parlor just closed due to employee theft. A new dessert place may succeed, but it would be seasonal.

Ypsi really isn't the place yet for an upscale clothing store. A bit of history here; Ypsilanti used to be richer and more exclusive than Ann Arbor. The opening of the B-24 factory during WWII changed the town to a distinctly blue collar status and the town declined slowly for 50+ years while Ann Arbor rose to prominence.

The other item which contributed to the decline of the city was the closure of the Ypsilanti Regional Psychiatric Hospital by do-gooder NIMBYs in the 1970's. As these people of power decided (correctly) that the institutionalization of psychiatric patients was not the proper way to treat their mental diseases, they also decided that the population of the hospital should be relocated to group homes within the city limits of Ypsilanti. (My gawd, we can't have these people in Ann Arbor!) The entire downtown area became the new campus for these former psychiatric patients and the shoppers fled for the shopping centers and Mall, leaving the stores to die slow deaths. The former patients have since passed on due to old age but the vacuum of local shopping choices still remains.

High rent costs in Ann Arbor have resulted in the recent relocation of a lot Bohemien artistic types from Ann Arbor into much less expensive Ypsi. The town is clearly seeing a rebirth, but it is slow..........

[foggychicksrule]

Darn...wasn't what I was hoping to hear. But thanks for the reply!

[indigonation]

Originally Posted by MI-Roger

A bit of history here; Ypsilanti used to be richer and more exclusive than Ann Arbor.

Yeah right you wish, that makes for a good pipe dream, but take a travel through Ann Arbor then go to ypsi. Literally EVERYONE I have talked to has told me steer clear of ypsi, and all sorts of horror stories about people being shot, stabbed, robbed, sexually assulted, you name it, I had a friend leave this area completely because she got robbed by someone from Ypsilanti, and she was scared for her life. (now I admit I don't know anything about it myself but hearing that many stories convinces me its no place I would want to live) Ypsilanti is more blue collar ghetto, thugish rap lovin people "urban" people that lack any sense of class, culture, or being cool, and are basically savages. At least Ann Arbor has class and culture, and is creative and expressive. Say what you said to my friends face who was so traumatized by some of the stuff going on in Ypsi that he ended up in a mental institution for three months. I mean he was paranoid if I even turned east towards ypsi and we were well within the AA city limits. God Forbid Detoilet. Ann Arbor is the Best, Ypsi is ghetto, and will always be second best. In fact if it wasn't for Ann Arbor Ypsi would be like inner city Detoilet right now.
Peace Love and Freedom!
Power to the People!!!

[MI-Roger]

indigonation;

The portion of my comment you highlighted was in reference to the time period prior to 1940. Ypsilanti has had more than its fair share of problems since then, but the rumors and tales of hysteria you included in your posting are no longer valid either.

Things are much better, but improvement continues.

[foggychicksrule]

MI-Roger,
Can you elaborate a little more on the "bad" areas? Is it a crime problem, gangs, or just run-down poverty areas?

[indigonation]

Originally Posted by MI-Roger

indigonation;

The portion of my comment you highlighted was in reference to the time period prior to 1940. Ypsilanti has had more than its fair share of problems since then, but the rumors and tales of hysteria you included in your posting are no longer valid either.

Things are much better, but improvement continues.

Ypsi is as the eight worst crime infested city in Michigan Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed Your probably right ill look it up I don't know much about Ypsi and have only traveled through it, never gotten out anywhere other than Save A Lot and Frog Island Park and the downtown(which was actually quite interesting) i am honestly just repeating stories I am told by people in Ann Arbor, I just thought I should put some of this out there, cause if any of it is possibly true its not a good Idea to live there. (the high crime ranking way above at least 3 places which I know from experience are really bad tells me it probably is) I did not think the downtown or campus area looked that bad, some of the other areas I wouldn't want to touch so far as safety of living. I actually have been through it before, Ironically it was one of the towns I used to go through on my way to southfield (I went to school there a while ago) coming back from and heading towards visiting my family who used to live near Tecumseh, when I went through Ypsi I always thought of it as "the first part of the ghetto going into the city" of course going down US 23 I probably did not see the best part of it. Cause I recently traveled down a section of 23 and I can see why some might go OH my god (its actually gotten worse than what it was on those trips 3-4 years ago), what you need to do is go down washtenaw or packard, and look around the Historic area. That didn't seem at all bad. Some of this I think has got to be overblown because when I was walking around Ypsi I saw a girl that looked like she was terrified and stuck there (must have been some "brave soul" from AA going to "the Ghetto"). Anyways visit it and make up your own mind. I honestly don't know, but based on what I have heard, I would not live there. It honestly seemed to me that its more like a Port Huron like place where if you end up in the right place youll absolutely love it and have a totally positive experience, (in Port Huron those two types of areas were sometimes only a block away from each other) and if you end up in the wrong place youll be terrified a lot of time, get robbed and taken advantage of and at some point may even be begging for your life.
Good Luck

[raaa]

Originally Posted by indigonation

Yeah right you wish, that makes for a good pipe dream, but take a travel through Ann Arbor then go to ypsi. Literally EVERYONE I have talked to has told me steer clear of ypsi, and all sorts of horror stories about people being shot, stabbed, robbed, sexually assulted, you name it, I had a friend leave this area completely because she got robbed by someone from Ypsilanti, and she was scared for her life. (now I admit I don't know anything about it myself but hearing that many stories convinces me its no place I would want to live) Ypsilanti is more blue collar ghetto, thugish rap lovin people "urban" people that lack any sense of class, culture, or being cool, and are basically savages. At least Ann Arbor has class and culture, and is creative and expressive. Say what you said to my friends face who was so traumatized by some of the stuff going on in Ypsi that he ended up in a mental institution for three months. I mean he was paranoid if I even turned east towards ypsi and we were well within the AA city limits. God Forbid Detoilet. Ann Arbor is the Best, Ypsi is ghetto, and will always be second best. In fact if it wasn't for Ann Arbor Ypsi would be like inner city Detoilet right now.
Peace Love and Freedom!
Power to the People!!!

I could name of bad area in Ann ARbor were people been shot or stabbed and some affordable.the boarders are not realy their you could have one or two bad area in ann arbor then one bad area on the southside of ypsi

[raaa]

Originally Posted by foggychicksrule

MI-Roger,
Can you elaborate a little more on the "bad" areas? Is it a crime problem, gangs, or just run-down poverty areas?

ypsi has no more run down area just a few small projects were people get shot just like ann arbor.

[raaa]

Originally Posted by indigonation

Ypsi is as the eight worst crime infested city in Michigan Moderator cut: link removed, linking to competitor sites is not allowed Your probably right ill look it up I don't know much about Ypsi and have only traveled through it, never gotten out anywhere other than Save A Lot and Frog Island Park and the downtown(which was actually quite interesting) i am honestly just repeating stories I am told by people in Ann Arbor, I just thought I should put some of this out there, cause if any of it is possibly true its not a good Idea to live there. (the high crime ranking way above at least 3 places which I know from experience are really bad tells me it probably is) I did not think the downtown or campus area looked that bad, some of the other areas I wouldn't want to touch so far as safety of living. I actually have been through it before, Ironically it was one of the towns I used to go through on my way to southfield (I went to school there a while ago) coming back from and heading towards visiting my family who used to live near Tecumseh, when I went through Ypsi I always thought of it as "the first part of the ghetto going into the city" of course going down US 23 I probably did not see the best part of it. Cause I recently traveled down a section of 23 and I can see why some might go OH my god (its actually gotten worse than what it was on those trips 3-4 years ago), what you need to do is go down



washtenaw or packard, and look around the Historic area. That didn't seem at






all bad. Some of this I think has got to be overblown because when I was walking around Ypsi I saw a girl that looked like she was terrified and stuck there (must have been some "brave soul" from AA going to "the Ghetto"). Anyways visit it and make up your own mind. I honestly don't know, but based on what I have heard, I would not live there. It honestly seemed to me that its more like a Port Huron like place where if you end up in the right place youll absolutely love it and have a totally positive experience, (in Port Huron those two types of areas were sometimes only a block away from each other) and if you end up in the wrong place youll be terrified a lot of time, get robbed and taken advantage of and at some point may even be begging for your life.
Good Luck

I've read so may stores about crime in down Ann arbor and i seen many people get arrested in the daylight hours . their were also a few shotting and stabing in little down town ann arbor then in down ypsi the"getto' it quieter and less bussy.Ann Arbor down also have graft i