Best & Worse Cities in the Metro Detroit area (Warren: sale, rental)
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Lol, I didn't mean to sound like I had a bad opinion. I meant more than I actually haven't spent enough time in enough area to really provide a full opinion on it.
I've spent plenty of time in flea markets and the other trade centers, so not too much actually phases me.
Troy must have gotten cut off in my post. This was for a lady on Yahoo Questions but Yahoo wouldn't let me post it all. So that was under Rochester Hills. I'm mad it got cut off in my post.
I have been to Milford twice and did like the little historic kind of isolated feeling of it. It has that feeling that it hasn't changed a lot in a few years. My friend grew up in Milford does like it but she is glad she is in Rochester Hills simply closer to everything.
This was only for Macomb and Oakland County and like near Downtown Detroit area.
The lady I made this for her husband is getting a job downtown and she didn't tell me where at but her requirements were the following:
1. Near a shopping mall.
2. Have plenty of amenities either city wise or provided by businesses. (Things to do, gyms, clubs, ect.)
3. Near hospitals and doctor offices and basic things like a pharmacy, fast food, grocery store, ect.
4. Provide a safe environment for her two kids (One is in elementary the one in junior high).
I didn't recommend Detroit because of those things. I enjoy Detroit and myself, would live in Detroit. My friend did live in Midtown on East Ferry St and liked it. He bought a house in East English Village last spring and enjoys it. Simply because I am sure she does not want to drive 45min to go to Costo rather than shop at the 'Ghetto R Us' grocery store on the corner I didn't recommend Detroit. Plus, I'm sure she didn't want her kids to attend the fabulous 'Detroit Public Schools, there is no better place to learn.' As for Detroit I do visit the city a lot (Friends of Belle Isle Conservancy member). I enjoy Greektown, Midtown, the Riverwalk, The Dequindre Cut, Eastern Market especiall the antique shops, Campus Martius, the casinos are nice to visit especially when you win a lot, and I enjoy Palmer Woods Holiday in the homes and Boston-Edison. But, like I said, it just wasn't in the best interest of the lady who I was talking to, to have her move her family to Detroit. Unfortunately, due to a lot of reasons, the city has a bad reputation. I wish it didn't and I do hope that we shake that reputation after a while but I am not sure it will happen. I have spent time usually a weekend or two at friend's houses or people I work with in Detroit. Mainly the Indian Village area, East English Village, Boston-Eddison, Palmer Woods, Joseph Barry (hello kwame) Palmer Park, Detroit Gold Club neighborhood, Virgina Park, West Village, and Sherwood Forest.
Rochester Hills does have a historic district commission. This has been started in two past two years I believe. There are a lot of historic home mainly along the Auburn Area. They are pretty well hidden. The Rochester Regional Chamber of Commerce works with the City of Rochester and Rochester Hills to combine resources for the area. You have to remember the area was known as Avon Township before the City of Rochester annexed it's self from the township. The Rochester Hills Museum is located in Stoney Creek Village off of Tienken Rd. It is similar to the Troy Historic Museum. I suggest you check it out I thought it was interesting at least. Rochester Hills, MI - Official Website - Museum
I have been to Canton once, for IKEA. I have a co-worker who lives there and says yeah pretty much the best thing in Canton is IKEA that is it. Since I just went there for IKEA I didn't recommend it since I have never experienced Canton.
Novi would have been a good suggestion but I have only been there for Twelve Oaks and did like driving through the city but, like I said, have no real experience there.
I didn't recommend anything 'Downriver' or past Dearborn simply because I have not personality visited them. I have been to Romulus for Detroit Metro and have a friend who goes to U of M who lives in Grosse Ile but, I personally have never been there. I didn't want to recommend a city or area I have never been to and have her not enjoy the visit. Plus those are kind of a drive to Detroit.
Walled Lake I found kind of plain I guess.
Dearborn does have a 'large middle eastern population'. Mainly East Dearborn. It is well known and I am glad that we have little 'enclaves' in the area for different ethnicities. Like Dearborn for people of Arab descent, it is great to experience their culture, food, grocery stories, ect.
West Bloomfield does have the largest concentration of Jewish people in the state of Michigan.
I am unaware of a 'Downtown Sterling Heights'. I know the Dodge Park area by the Police Station and Stevenson High School but there is nothing there. I mean I think for Sterling Heights, Utica, Shelby Twp., ect the 'Downtown' for all three of those is the Van Dyke Ave. area. I don't know doesn't really give me a 'Downtown feel.'
Farmington Hills and Farmington are often confused for the same city and I am aware of the difference. There is no technical 'Downtown Farmington Hills' but from what i've herd it's shared with Farmington.
Location: Detroit's eastside, downtown Detroit in near future!
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op you could have easily saved a lot of time and typing by saying "worst: anywhere near Detroit" and "best: the further the better" lmao at you thinking anywhere in trashy Warren is nice
op you could have easily saved a lot of time and typing by saying "worst: anywhere near Detroit" and "best: the further the better" lmao at you thinking anywhere in trashy Warren is nice
Ironic you take such liberties in "trashing" other cities, yet you are so defensive about Detroit.
I typed this up for a lady on Yahoo! Answers. My responses were too long since I included a lot of information about each city so I just sent her a list. But since I typed it up and there seems to be people relocating to the area I figured they could just look at my post and get information from this. Enjoy :-)
My whole family is from the area. Grandparents are from Virgina but moved here. Family here lives from Traverse City, to Rochester Hills, to Warren, to St. Clair Shores, to Port Huron, to Muskegon, to Grosse Pointe Farms, to Dearborn, to Bloomfield Township.
I am including the Detroit area and it's suburbs here. Nothing like Flint (god knows who would want to live there anyways.)
Worst places to live:
Detroit (Unless you live in Boston-Eddison Historic District, Palmer Woods with the ghetto members of city council, Indian Village, with their private security patrol to protect you.)
Dearborn is a nice area with The Henry Ford museum and Greenfield village but is full of arabs, not a big problem but for some people it maybe. If you move to Dearborn move to the other side that doesn't border Detroit to avoid crime.
South Warren : along 8 mile or bordering 8 mile is bad for crime. 'The ghetto is creeping up' is what residents say and it is true.
Hazel Park : north of 9 mile is alright but south is bad because it borders Detroit. Hazel Park is mainly a blue color community that is small and close-knit and has a reputation for southern people or rednecks living in it.
Ferndale : Downtown Ferndale along 9 mile is nice but bordering Oak Park or Hazel Park it gets ghetto and scary looking.
Oakpark : Depends on where you are it can be bad or good.
Royal Oak Township (Not Royal Oak the city) : Very small and impoverished. Bordered by Oakpark, Ferndale, Detroit, Southfield, and Pleasant Ridge.
Eastpointe (East Detroit, changed the name to try and be like beautiful Grosse Pointe but will never be) : Close to Detroit, housing values are dropping, well known fights at the high school, also well known for drug houses along Gratiot.
South Roseville : Again close to Detroit and known for small crime, north Roseville is fine.
Mt. Clemons : Starting to go downhill and a lot of crime and drug busts have been happening.
Pontiac (Ponticrack) : Take Detroit, take away the casinos, take away the big businesses, take away the beautiful downtown, make all the parks scary and into drug dealing havens, take away a police department, and you got Pontiac. The city is a mini Detroit (Residents wise, housing wise, property value wise, and crime wise).
Good Places to live:
Warren : Northern Warren and Central Warren is good. Great community services, good senior services, redone city hall, lots of community events, everything for business wise (grocery store, restaurant, bar, fast food, ect. is in the city.) Easy access to i696
St. Clair Shores : The Nautical Mile of shops, restaurants, bars, ect. Beautiful parks and lake access. Marinas, Yacht Club, some neighborhoods are on canals for people with a boat to easily get on the lake. Easy access to i94 and i696
Grosse Pointe (The Park, The City, The Farms, The Shores, and The Woods) : Beautiful upscale communities along Lake St. Clair, known for their old housing, east coast like atmosphere, private residents only parks, The Village of Grosse Pointe, The Hill on Kercheval, excellent schools, and unsurpassed city services (Snow removal, recycling, trash pickup, leaf pickup in the fall, ect.) Easy access to Downtown Detroit and i94
Sterling Heights : Part of Warren Consolidated Schools and the award winning Utica Community Schools, like Warren has everything you can imagine with in a close drive. Home of Lakeside Mall (kind of empty though since building The Mall at Partridge Creek down the road). Easy access to M59 (Hall Road, can be a bad thing though during rush hour). Sterling Fest is a week long city event festival held every year.
Shelby Township : Utica Community Schools district, a lot like Warren and Sterling Heights with older housing as well as new Upper Middle Class McMansion style housing as well as upscale Condo development. Good city services and police and fire response. Downtown is mainly centered along VanDyke Ave. and Hall Rd.
Utica : Small city surrounded by Shelby Township. Part of the Utica Community Schools district. Small redone downtown area, Historic Cass Ave. housing, not a lot in the city and it is very small, but well known for its downtown. Easy access to M59
Royal Oak : Royal Oak is a fairly older developed (50s, 60s) city. The Downtown is always busy with clubs, bars, restaurants, shops, people walking in the spring and summer, no matter what time or weekday. Very safe and well developed community with a lot of parks. Upscale Lofts available in Downtown. Trendy among the 20 - 30 something age group. Easy access to i696 & i75
Pleasant Ridge - Pleasant Ridge is known for its historic homes, tree-lined streets and active citizens who dedicate their time for the betterment of the community. Located along Woodward Ave. and bordered by Northern Ferndale Pleasant Ridge is a very LGBT friendly community along with Ferndale and Royal Oak. Easy access to i696
Huntington Woods - The city of homes. Two Historic Districts and part of the Detroit Zoo is located in Huntington Woods along with the other half in Royal Oak. School districts include Berkley School District, Ferndale School District, and Oak Park School District. The Detroit Rackham Golf Course is located in the city. Easy access to i696 and i75
Berkley - Bordered by Lathrup Village, Huntington Woods, Beverly Hills, and Royal Oak. A lot of churches in the community for every imaginable religion. Serviced by the Berkley School District and Royal Oak School District. Downtown section feels like that 'classic downtown city in movies' and gives off that feel too.
Farmington Hills - Bordered by Farmington, Novi, West Bloomfield, Redford Township, and Southfield. Constantly ranks as one of the safest cities in America and in Michigan. Served by Farmington Public Schools. Close to Twelve Oaks shopping center, a recently renovated downtown, boutiques, a vintage cinema, numerous restaurants, exotic car dealerships, art galleries, and public parks including Heritage Park. Easy access to i696
Beverly Hills - A village in Southfield Township. Bordered by Royal Oak, Bingham Farms, Birmingham, and Lathrup Village. Small community known for the private Detroit County Prep School, Beverly Park, and distinct housing, very clean tree lined Boulevard like streets. Easy access to i696
Birmingham - Nice well kept downtown. Not as nice as Royal Oaks but includes a lot of upscale lofts and apartments, expensive older homes,Birmingham City School District, installing new Radio Read water meters for residents, young uppity kind of people like the city.
Bloomfield Hills / Bloomfield Township - Eastside of Bloomfield Hills you will find average Ranch style homes and everyday looking houses. Westside you will find very large homes, McMansions, and Mansions. Bloomfield Hills consistently ranks as one of the top five wealthiest cities in the United States, and has the highest income of any city outside of California, Florida or Virginia. Cranbrook Schools and Art Center and Science center are located here as well as the famous Kirk in The Hills church. Bloomfield Hills School District operates the area and runs the International Academy school system also. Several private schools are located also in Bloomfield Hills and Bloomfield Township. Lots of homes are hidden from view by trees, large yards, gated entry, and private neighborhoods. Bloomfield Township offers more city services for residents such as parks, ect. Easy access to M59
West Bloomfield Township - Known for it's large homes and rolling hills, lakes, and private clubs and neighborhoods. The school districts that serve the town include the West Bloomfield School District, Farmington Hills School District, and Walled Lake School District. Cass Lake, the largest lake in the county, is in part of West Bloomfield, and Pine Lake, which has a private country club on its shore, is only a few miles away from Cass and lies completely within West Bloomfield. In addition, directly west of Pine Lake is Orchard Lake, which also has a private country club on its shore. Orchard Lake is surrounded by the city of Orchard Lake Village. Several smaller lakes are scattered around these larger ones. West Bloomfield has a large Jewish population. Small downtown area, very clean parks, responsive police, boating is a big activity, private walking trials line the city, and it is close to Novi's Twelve Oaks mall.
Rochester Hills - Historic, Distinctive, Progressive. Fairly new city formed in 1984 when voters changed the name from Avon Township to Rochester Hills with the city bordering nearby Rochester. Famous Yates Cider Mill is in Rochester Hills. Includes Oakland University, Meadowbrook Hall and Mansion (It was built between 1926 and 1929 by Matilda Dodge Wilson (the widow of auto pioneer John Francis Dodge) and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson.) Bordered by Oakland Township, Auburn Hills, Troy, Rochester, and Shelby Township. A lot of everything you ever need is in the city including hospitals, doctors, fast food, restaurants, bars, The Village of Rochester Hills (outdoor mall), ect. Avondale Community Schools and Rochester Community Schools service the area as well as Oakland Community College and Rochester College. Easy access to i75 and M59.
Rochester - Surrounded by Rochester Hills and bordered by Shelby Township. Busy small downtown with shops, bars, restaurants, ect. Very walkable city. Cloe to Yates Cider Mill, has several festivals downtown as well as 'The Festival of Lights' where all the buildings in downtown are covered in Christmas lights.
I didn't include cities that are more north or west because I am assuming you are looking for well developed suburbs or cities close to Detroit if you need or want to go downtown and have freeway access. All these cities I have visited, been to, driven through, or done things in. Since neither is more than 30 miles from my house. Do research on the cities websites and read about them, look at the school districts websites, contact the cities and see if they have a 'Residents Welcome Packet' to tell you about the city, view their park information on their websites, and do not forget to research community services.
Welcome to Michigan.
Thanks for interesting perspective and list!
UTICA - that's one I hadn't explored before, but looking on google maps, I kinda like it! It's small, but I'd like to give it a better look next time in MI.
BIRMINGHAM - another one I missed, or decided to miss. I shouldn't have, also looks great, at least through google maps.
DEARBORN - that's the one I quite liked having explored much of the others you listed. Granted, the Middle Eastern population might be a negative for some, but to me, it's a huge positive. i.e. seems to be a safe community, good neighbors, walkability, etc.
UTICA - that's one I hadn't explored before, but looking on google maps, I kinda like it! It's small, but I'd like to give it a better look next time in MI.
BIRMINGHAM - another one I missed, or decided to miss. I shouldn't have, also looks great, at least through google maps.
DEARBORN - that's the one I quite liked having explored much of the others you listed. Granted, the Middle Eastern population might be a negative for some, but to me, it's a huge positive. i.e. seems to be a safe community, good neighbors, walkability, etc.
Birmingham has a nice downtown located on woodward. The same woodward that runs all the way through downtown Detroit. It's kinda upscale, posh with a lot of people carrying themselves like they're king of the world. Anyways, I kinda like it.
Dearborn - meh. Nothing about it is interesting. You want a nice community with a bunch of muslim shops hit hamtramck. Hamtramck is my favourite part of Detroit even though it really ain't Detroit.
Has anyone eaten at la shish (sp?) recently? I ate there a lot but then moved. The owner got pinched and since I returned I haven't stopped and checked it out. It's a chain, but a damn good one. Or was. Too bad the feds pinched him. Hopefully the guy gets back to Lebanon. But is the food still decent?
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