What's the deal with Pontiac? (Saginaw: work, hospital, university)

[daw80]

It's not that bad I have lived there before but we moved to waterford which we still have a house there still trying to sell thats way under priced with a great neighborhood . I loved waterford lived there for six years grew up in lake orion which is ok but is getting expensive to me . Good luck to you and your family .

[Dexterguy]

Pontiac is not a horrible city but I would suggest living somewhere else. I would suggest the areas surronding it if you like that area. It may be more expensive, but you get what you pay for, Pontiac's city services are horrible! Mostly because of crime and it's continueing finacial problems. The suburbs around Pontiac are not in decline, and have much less finacial and crime problems.

[asap4500]

It's not that bad I have lived there before but we moved to waterford which we still have a house there still trying to sell thats way under priced with a great neighborhood . I loved waterford lived there for six years grew up in lake orion which is ok but is getting expensive to me . Good luck to you and your family .

It's not that good either. The only reason the snow is off the roads today is because it has melted. No street lights in some areas. Trash laying around in others. There are some bad areas in Pontiac, some ok and some good. Mostly bad though.

[chris1rt]

I recently moved to a suburb to take a job in Pontiac and was very concerned about the city. Being from a very small town in West Michigan, the thought of communting home from work on 2nd shift sort made me think twice about the move. However, I must say the city isn't that bad. It does have its problems, but stick the main roads and be alert. Most violent crime do occur amongst people who know each. Steer clear of crime activites, such as drugs buying/selling and you shouldn't have a problem. good luck!

[NotWhatWeWere]

Pontiac is pitiful, I have seniority here, 53 years, should have left when the getting was good. Pontiac has quickly become ghetto. Many years ago busing was implemented in our school system. The residents bought their homes in neighborhoods that they wanted their children to attend school, that changed quickly. Busing started and kids were bused to less desirable parts of the city. Many of the caucasian home owners sold and left the city. Property value has dropped dramatically, schools are setting empty. boarded up houses, burnt out houses, crime and drugs on our streets all hours. Beautiful surrounding areas, but be smart, avoid PITIFUL PONTIAC.

[GAisGreat]

Pontiac is very rough. A company I used to work for had a satellite office there, after getting robbed a couple times and other 'close calls', we started carrying a shotgun in the company car, and sending three people whenever we had to go there. I also know somebody that worked at a hospital there, she came from St. Louis, and she was trying to get a job somewhere else because she had become very scared just going to her car and having to drive through the city at night.

Pontiac is a pretty dangerous place. Anybody who says otherwise, either has never been to Pontiac, or is being very disengenuous.

[chris1rt]

maybe I am just being a bit optimistic (for lack of a better term) because I have to work there everyday. At least I don't have to live there.

[Bluefly]

People say don't live in Pontiac, but that depends on who you are. You sound like you might like it. It's essentially an old industrial city that used to sit on its own 30 miles away from Detroit. Then the sprawl bridged it to Detroit and now it's an industrial city surrounded by wealthy or stable suburbs. It's got some nice urban funk to its downtown. You might like it.

[ericka709]

This is the best description I've heard so far. I lived in Auburn Hills on the Auburn Hills/Pontiac/Rochester/Bloomfield border last year.

While living out there, two of my neighbors were robbed at gun point by 4 Pontiac youth. On the other hand, there are nice parts of Pontiac - typically off main arteries (like Telegraph, Woodward) that run through the Oakland County and areas that border the other suburbs.

Still, there are quite a few businesses that operate in Pontiac and show no signs of slowing down or closing. So, your experience during a weekday might be totally different than on a weeknight after all the professionals have left the city to retreat home.

I would live in Bloomfield Hills or Birmingham because the neighborhoods are safe, beautiful, and central. This will give you quick access to other parts of the metro area should this position not work out and/or you spend your leisure time in other parts of town.

Another caution, I'd be careful living in various communities north of Pontiac. When the bad weather hits, those northern suburbs get it bad...

Originally Posted by Bluefly

People say don't live in Pontiac, but that depends on who you are. You sound like you might like it. It's essentially an old industrial city that used to sit on its own 30 miles away from Detroit. Then the sprawl bridged it to Detroit and now it's an industrial city surrounded by wealthy or stable suburbs. It's got some nice urban funk to its downtown. You might like it.

[Panafrican]

Originally Posted by docmts2

I'm looking into job prospects in the Detroit metro area. ... Why is it taking so long to fill a six figure position that also offers a decent lifestyle? Is Pontiac that scary of a place? Is this a socioeconomic/class thing? Is it a race thing? Is it a crime thing? Or is it a combination of all of these? What's the deal?

Pontiac is one of the safest cities in the world. Go on Huron street in the downtown area on week end you will like it. If you don't want this job,let me know.