Good/bad neighborhoods & suburbs? (Detroit, Royal Oak: income, living in, vs)

[Phil P]

I just had a pretty good phone interview for a company right downtown Detroit. If it pans out and I decide to go forward with it, I'd need some place to find for rent. I'm a single dude age 22 who basically wants decent affordability, a close commute, and a place where crime isn't horrendous. I have the money to spend on a bigger rent bill, but I don't want to pay hand over fist. I'd probably buy after say 6 months or so if I stay up there, so I'd just want a decent little place to rent until then, when I can spend more time exploring and getting my bearings and figuring out what Detroit is like.

It looks like Hamtramck would fit this description right? Or is there somewhere else that would be better?

[animatedmartian]

Hamtramck would probably be your best bet. Midtown might have a few deals, depending on where exactly your budget falls, but yea Hamtramck will likely have more availability at lower price ranges.

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Hamtramck would probably be your best bet. Midtown might have a few deals, depending on where exactly your budget falls, but yea Hamtramck will likely have more availability at lower price ranges.

Alright, thanks! I'll keep my eye open for places in that area. I'll let you guys know if this does actually go on through.

[citylover89]

Originally Posted by Phil P

I just had a pretty good phone interview for a company right downtown Detroit. If it pans out and I decide to go forward with it, I'd need some place to find for rent. I'm a single dude age 22 who basically wants decent affordability, a close commute, and a place where crime isn't horrendous. I have the money to spend on a bigger rent bill, but I don't want to pay hand over fist. I'd probably buy after say 6 months or so if I stay up there, so I'd just want a decent little place to rent until then, when I can spend more time exploring and getting my bearings and figuring out what Detroit is like.

It looks like Hamtramck would fit this description right? Or is there somewhere else that would be better?

I don't know what city you are coming from, but I wouldn't recommend Hamtramck as a first choice, even for a guy. It's not horrendous crime but I don't consider it to be safe city at all. I used to hang out there a lot. What is your budget? Midtown, Corktown or Downtown might have studios - 1 bedrooms in your price range.

If you do choose Hamtramck, this might be a good tool if you want to know more about the crime levels:
http://www.crimemapping.com/map/mi/hamtramck

City-Data has statistics on crime for Hamtramck too:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Hamtramck-Michigan.html

[Phil P]

Originally Posted by citylover89

I don't know what city you are coming from, but I wouldn't recommend Hamtramck as a first choice, even for a guy. It's not horrendous crime but I don't consider it to be safe city at all. I used to hang out there a lot. What is your budget? Midtown, Corktown or Downtown might have studios - 1 bedrooms in your price range.

If you do choose Hamtramck, this might be a good tool if you want to know more about the crime levels:
CrimeMapping.com - National Map

City-Data has statistics on crime for Hamtramck too:
http://www.city-data.com/city/Hamtramck-Michigan.html

Wow, that crime mapping site made Hamtramck look a lot less appealing.

I'm from CO Springs. My budget could go up to $1500 a month and my commute time could go up to 20/30 mins, but I don't really want to pay for a really nice interior since I won't really even be there long enough to settle down. Just somewhere that's not too crime ridden.

[craig11152]

You can live in Grosse Pointe Woods or Grosse Pointe Park for 800 a month. Very little crime. Short commute


http://www.realtor.com/realestateand...6_M43570-37741

http://www.trulia.com/for_rent/Grosse_Pointe_Park,MI/

[citylover89]

Originally Posted by Phil P

Wow, that crime mapping site made Hamtramck look a lot less appealing.

I'm from CO Springs. My budget could go up to $1500 a month and my commute time could go up to 20/30 mins, but I don't really want to pay for a really nice interior since I won't really even be there long enough to settle down. Just somewhere that's not too crime ridden.

Even if you lowered your budget to $1000-1200, you can find a decent apartment at that price, I would say nice depending on where you look. To save commute time, you should be able to find something Downtown, Corktown, or Midtown Detroit. If you are afraid that Detroit is going to be too "gritty" for you, Grosse Pointe is very close and a nice city. You're 22? I'd look in Royal Oak or Ferndale. I am 26 myself and I've lived in Royal Oak. The rent is around 850+ for a 1br in those cities. There is a large population of 20 somethings that live there, some of them from the West and East coasts so you may find it easier to meet people there. Both of those cities are around a 20-30 minute commute from Detroit, have a nightlife scene and are safe.

[Regajohn]

Phil P.,
You may get some good responses here, but you're tagging onto a thread that was started for a totally different reason than YOUR relocation (curious dude from Cleveland). I think you'd be better off to start your own thread listing the specifics as to ... where the job is (and who its with if you feel comfortable), your budget, your desired maximum commute, max $$$ per month, and any other specifics as to your desired place to live.
Do you want to be - near green spaces, near malls, near bars/clubs, coffee shops, etc.
Do you want a large complex with swimming pool and workout room, or a smaller place with few amenities, or a duplex/triplex old house, etc.

[Phil P]

Yeah, I know I kinda hijacked Cleverfields thread, but I didn't want to start another thread as there's a lot of hanging variables and I'm not too picky initially as I'm not settling down for good on the first move. I thought there wouldn't be enough substance for one. I just wanted a few names and locations to look at if this does indeed materialize.

Thank you all for the suggestions though. From what I've seen checking around, Royal oak, Ferndale, Midtown, or Grosse Point would all be acceptable choices for me.

Spinning this back on topic though, it is kind of interesting to think about which towns/burbs you would pick for yourself if you had income restraints of $500 monthly on housing vs $1000 vs $1500 vs $2000. It seems like Detroit does offer a lot for quite a few different income ranges.

[MS313]

Originally Posted by Phil P

Alright, thanks! I'll keep my eye open for places in that area. I'll let you guys know if this does actually go on through.

Yeah Hamtramack isn't super safe like the suburbs but for a place so densely populated it's alot safer and more diverse than many of the areas around it.

Crimemapping, while a great tool, you have to take things into consideration. I just did a 1 mile radius around a random address in the Little Italy neighborhood of San Francisco and it came out to alot more crime than Hamtramack. The same result when I searched West Hollywood and Santa Monica. Basically, you will need to take big city precautions anywhere within Detroit (including downtown-midtown). It works better if you check it out yourself, hang around for a bit and see how comfortable you are, maybe even talk to a few people who live there or store owners/clerks. I'm personally considering Hamtramack myself.

As some other suggestions have said, downtown or some areas near downtown. The Grosse Pointe(s), most inner ring suburbs will do just fine as well.