Moving to Michigan, job in Warren

[bhw2]

Macomb Township and Shelby Township are both nice. Good school districts ( Chippewa Valley and Utica Community Schools) very close to good shopping(Lakeside Mall and Partridge Creek Mall) and Hall Road which has all the restaurants and shopping you need. Fairly close to I-75 and I-94 to get around the Metro area. I would suggest these areas. As well as northern Sterling Heights.

[Northsider 248]

Warren's alright if you stay north of 696. Absolutely do not go south though. South Warren is incredibly run down and crime and abandonment are rising very fast. North Warren is just an average suburban area, somewhat of a less wealthy St. Clair Shores.

[Revolennon]

One thing to keep in mind is that in Metro Detroit, going places takes time. There is a lot of traffic and even more traffic lights/intersections, so it often takes longer to get somewhere than estimated. This is multiplied in the winter and snowy months (which is usually from about December-March, but we've had snow in May before).

I used to live at 11 Mile and Ryan in Warren and worked at 14 and Livernois in Clawson, which was only about 7 miles, but on heavy traffic days it might take me 40 minutes to get there, and in snowy conditions up to an hour.

Also, when it comes to shopping, the main areas are Hall Road, which is in the northern part of Sterling Heights, and surrounded by Macomb and Shelby Townships. On Hall Road there are two large malls, Lakeside and Partridge Creek, both nice, though Partridge Creek is more upscale. The second main shopping area is around 16 Mile Road (called Big Beaver on that side of town) and Coolidge. There you have the Somerset Collection, which is the high-end mall in the area (and I would venture to say the highest end mall in the state), with all the designer stores.

When it comes to actual cities, they all have their good and bad.

Troy is a nice area, very upscale and one of the safest places to live in Metro Detroit. Real estate is more expensive though, due to it being such a great area. You don't get as much for your money as you would somewhere else.

Clawson is small (literally one square mile) and close-knit. Might be a little smaller than what you're looking for. To put it in perspective, having worked there I probably met everyone in town.

Macomb and Shelby Townships are very suburban, some might say cookie-cutter. My hubby and I were interested in Macomb Twp. for awhile, but decided against it as the after-work commute is brutal no matter where you're coming from. The main road in that area is Hall Road (again, the big shopping area) and there is just no fast way to get through it during the evening commute.

I would say definitely stay out of Warren. My hubby used to work at the Tacom base (where your husband will be working) actually and though he loved having less than a 5 minute drive to work (like I said, we used to live at 11 and Ryan), the area left a lot to be desired. The area is deteriorating. Crime is moving north from Detroit and after awhile I suspect Warren is going to be a very bad place to live.

Rochester Hills is also a nicer area, has a university in town and a great mall. It's more spread out, but not rural in any sense of the word. We also considered Rochester when we were in the market to move.

Royal Oak is smaller and very artsy. It's a hip town with lots of young people and a thriving nightlife scene. Basically, it's where young single people go to meet other young single people.

Based on your requirements I would say you'd probably be happiest in Troy. It has a great school system, lower crime than other Metro Detroit areas, is within your husbands time limit for his commute, has a lot of housing within your price range, has great shopping, restaurants and is consistently voted one of the nicest cities in the country in which to live.

[apt2110]

I think if you're looking for a good commute time (metro detroit traffic can be bad), I'd suggest you live around Troy. Your husband's commute should be less than 30 minutes. Troy was recently ranked #2 for lowest crime rates in Michigan (Livonia is #1 but Livonia is a bit of a drive from Warren). Troy also has an excellent public school system. I'm sure you can find a house around your budget. I agree with some other people's posts that you should find a home North of 14 miles. Anywhere near Big Beaver is pretty good. North Warren (north of 12 Mile) is pretty good too. The houses here might be smaller than the ones in Troy though. School system is good and low crime rates (south warren, south of I-696 freeway, is deteriorating but north warren hasn't been affected and should be fine for a long time).

[us66]

Originally Posted by apt2110

I think if you're looking for a good commute time (metro detroit traffic can be bad), I'd suggest you live around Troy. Your husband's commute should be less than 30 minutes. Troy was recently ranked #2 for lowest crime rates in Michigan (Livonia is #1 but Livonia is a bit of a drive from Warren). Troy also has an excellent public school system. I'm sure you can find a house around your budget. I agree with some other people's posts that you should find a home North of 14 miles. Anywhere near Big Beaver is pretty good. North Warren (north of 12 Mile) is pretty good too. The houses here might be smaller than the ones in Troy though. School system is good and low crime rates (south warren, south of I-696 freeway, is deteriorating but north warren hasn't been affected and should be fine for a long time).

I second the Troy idea, but there is more than one school district in Troy, and while none are bad, some are better than others. Troy, Birmingham, or Bloomfield (pretty sure a small piece has Bloomfield schools) are the ones to have. Warren Con or Royal Oak, while doable, are less desirable. Sterling Heights is also an interesting idea as well. Troy, western Sterling Heights, and NW Warren have a lot of ethnic diversity compared to most of the metro area.

[hiphopcr]

I think it's funny that people in Michigan think they have traffic. Coming from LA, the traffic here is about 1% of what bad traffic really is. And you coming from SLC, the "traffic" here will be a breeze.

[acebandage]

Warren north of 12 mile is a very safe community. Warren has great parks and a really good rec center. I have lived there for years and never once had a problem. Taxes are low and you get more house for your money. Sterling Hts is also very good, low crime and taxes.
Novi is very nice, but the commute to Warren would be horrible! Not worth the cost and time in my opinion.
Good luck in your move.

[ragnarkar]

Troy: I recommend the northeast area. West (west of Livernois) is too expensive. South (south of Big Beaver) has some not so great areas (usually apartments.) Schools are excellent, I can attest to that since I grew up here.