New to the cold... places near Northville (Detroit, Ann Arbor: fit in, apartment)

[Joe_Flow_1]

I am sure you guys see this question a ton, but I am looking at taking a job in Northville and I kinda looked at the other threads about royal oaks.... Ferndale... and so on.

I have never been to MI thus never been to Detroit. I am trying to figure out a fun place to move that may be a little younger (I'm 28). I kinda grew up in rough areas of Florida so I am no novice in living in rough areas, but I am looking for somewhere that's not too far from work but has things to do like good foods, maybe towns that have little local car shows at a local diner or something.

I am trying to keep an open mind about coming MI. So any additional helpful advice for the city would also be nice too.

Thanks Guys and Gals.

[Coldjensens]

Northville is a great town. It is not the site of a lot of 20-30 something night life, but Ann Arbor is not far away. If you are going to live in Northville, live right downtown. Otherwise you are just paying more for a better school system and getting no benefit over cheaper nearby areas.

There are several areas for some nightlife.

Ann Arbor - College, Grad students and recent grads who love the twon so much that they will not leave.

Royal Oak - Michigan's in place for late 20s early 30s singles and dinks.

Detroit. A great place if you are careful about where you go. Go to the right areas and you will have fun. Go to the wrong areas and you may have something else. Go with someone who knows what they are doing.

Hamtrammack - once the punk rock mecca for this area (in the 1970s - 1980s). Still lots of bars with bands, no more punk, but more of a broad range of music.



I suggest that you live in Northville and hang out in Ann Arbor (you will find bar or two in Northville and Novi, one in New Hudson, One in South Lyon. The are some hotel bars and a few Applebees type places (bar restaurants) that get a little bit of life in the Northville/Novi area.

Or

live in Farmington/Farmington Hills and socialize in Royal Oak (and a few local places).

Depending on where in Northville you work, Plymouth could be a good option for you. Not a lot of night life, but a nice neat place and close to Northville and Ann Arbor.

As far as little car meets, there are little car groups meeting all over the place. I know that Plymouth has lots of festivals etc downtown, including an electric car show. I have seen classic cars in groups in Northville, but never saw where they are going to/coming from. Some groups specialize in a particular type of car, others involve cars from all three makers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler). Most of these towns had little parades and festivals of all sorts.

you will have to come lok around. Northville is on of the nicest little town in the area, but it is expensive and not exciting. Everywhere within a reasonable range may be a bit quiet for you. When you visit, be sure to check out Kensington Metropark. After you see it, you may base you location on proximity to kensington.

[RingWalk]

I really would not live in Northville. There are virtually zero twenty-somethings there. My family has lived there for a very long time. It is a wonderful spot to raise a family and my favorite town in the state aside from maybe Harbor Springs or Petoskey, but it is not a good place for a young person to live.

Let's put it this way there was a 28-ish kid who lived in that beautiful apartment building downtown I know who graduated from Northville High. Not only was he literally the only person from his high school to stay in Northville, his parents, who'd moved away, used to call him up and ask him why in the hell he hadn't moved somewhere.

I would look in Royal Oak, Birimngham, Detroit, MAYBE Ann Arbor...

Beyond that SE MI is really just quiet little bedroom communities. But Northville makes even quiet little bedroom communities look like raging party neighborhoods.

[Joe_Flow_1]

Thanks guys.

[DaniellaG]

I am from MI and moving back full time but have been in FL for a few years. Overall I like MI better. I am not sure where you live in FL but I am comparing similar areas in MI and FL. In MI there is no reason to live in a rough area because you can get an affordable place in a safe area. In FL that is not the case always. What is your budget? How far are you willing to drive to work? Don't forget about snow in the winter and construction in the summer. It sounds like you would like Royal Oak but that drive may take a toll after awhile. Ann Arbor a lot of people enjoy.
You may want to think of living near work and then driving to the areas you would enjoy to hang out at.

[Joe_Flow_1]

I grew up and lived in the Cocoa Beach area. I have a job offer in Northville and so I am just trying to get the lay of the land before I head up there. I really don't care if I live in Royal Oak or not, but I was just reading the other posts and it and Ferndale is usually what I see your people my age.

I see there are lakes and stuff just north of Novi that is pretty close, I like the more rural areas. I have two pits, so I rather not stay in a too dense of a place. I probably fit in the mid-income middle class (I am an engineer). My wife is a chocolatier, so she may try to work for someone or may start her own shop in the burbs. Any suggestions where they need chocolate would be nice too.

Thanks

[RingWalk]

I would advise her not to open up in Northville. It will be tempting because it LOOKS the part and the rent will be the right price. But the reality is there is no foot traffic and retail there is a very, very tough proposition. If you can afford it, Birmingham. After there, Royal Oak.

That is if the goal is to make money. If she is just killing time, she might be able to pay rent in Northville.

Of course there are probably exceptions...but as someone very familiar with the city, you really see em come and see em go.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Joe_Flow_1

I grew up and lived in the Cocoa Beach area. I have a job offer in Northville and so I am just trying to get the lay of the land before I head up there. I really don't care if I live in Royal Oak or not, but I was just reading the other posts and it and Ferndale is usually what I see your people my age.

I see there are lakes and stuff just north of Novi that is pretty close, I like the more rural areas. I have two pits, so I rather not stay in a too dense of a place. I probably fit in the mid-income middle class (I am an engineer). My wife is a chocolatier, so she may try to work for someone or may start her own shop in the burbs. Any suggestions where they need chocolate would be nice too.

Thanks

Plymouth or Ann Arbor might be good choices for a Chocolatier. She could also try a few locations in Downtown Detroit. There are tons and tons of shops and malls in Novi.Of course more foot traffic means higher rent.

Northville, South Lyon, Milford are all smallish towns with some, but not a ton of foot traffic downtown. A well managed, well marketed business can make a go of it, but it is hard. All of those neat little towns have considerable turnover amongst food providers, movie theaters, specialty shops and the like. A lot of that turnover is due to Randy Retiree or Susy homemaker thinking that they can operate some kind of business with no training and no experience. After all, you just need to open a shop and have a good product or service right? Wrong. If your wife has no expereince in managing a business, she should probably find someone to work for for a while first. There are a lto of decisions that can cause a small busienss to fail and only a few that can cause it to succeed.

Every city around that area has outlying rural areas just a few miles from town. Most towns have an associated Township that is rural or at least partly rural. In places, the dirt roads start right about Northville city limits.

Not surprisingly, the lake areas are not rural. They are thickly settled. One area that might ppeal to you is the East side of Brighton/Brightin Township along the Western edge of Kensington Metropark. The park has a lake (as well as 5700 acres of parkland). If you ever tire of Kensington, Island Lake State Park is just across the "street" (I-96).

Maybury Park is also just outside of Northville. No lake there but it is a nice good sized park.

[paulatrb]

Joe
I am also an engineer moving to Detroit (Southfield or Wyandotte).
I am curious about what you are going to do: rent or buy
Thanks!

[Joe_Flow_1]

I am going to rent the first year to give myself enough time to figure out the area. The housing market is so depressed in the area, and things will probably get worse, so there is no rush to buy at the moment, prices still have about 10% to 15% more to fall before we see things start to settle.