West Bloomfield or Farmington Hills.....or Troy? (Detroit, Sterling Heights: homes, neighborhoods)

[Life1234Mar]

Troy schools are very diverse. True there is a large white population, but there are significant numbers of many other races too. Troy would be great for raising a family - its not really a bar/nightlife town, and is rated as one of the top 5 safest cities in the country year after year.

[GinaJ]

Not to confuse you more but have you thought of Birmingham? I currently live in West Bloomfield and grew up there but a different part. I went to Birmigham schools though lived in WB. As a young adult I lived in Farmington Hills. Some areas of Farmington Hills are pretty and some are to me not so great. I know little on Troy other then the mall. I think WB is a very nice area along with Bloomfield Hills. I will say that some of the attitudes here are not the nicest and it can get to me. I moved to Ca for awhile and that was one of the things I did not miss. I do feel that WB and Farmington Hills are growing in different races. When I grew up in WB that was not the case. My school was not diversed at all and it was public but now I see that changing. Everything in time I guess. Good luck in your choice.

[marsbar91]

Troy is very diverse depending on where in Troy you choose to live. The side near Troy High School which is closer to Bloomfield Hills is more upscale and has a large Asian/White population. The other side is less upscale, but still really good school Athens High School with a large Chaldean, Arab, Asian(Indian and Oriental), and many different Eastern European ethnicities as well.
Both schools are very very good and Troy is close to pretty much all the towns you listed. Very safe, maybe a bit boring, but if you want excitement all you have to do is drive 15-30 minutes down the road to Rochester Hills or Royal Oak for shopping and other entertainment.

[Ryeno]

I lived in Troy for over 10 years before I moved to CA.

Its a good city but its going down the drain. The whole white flight, ghetto expansion thing. On the Troy Athens side its really noticeable how much worse its getting. So personally I wouldnt buy a house unless its on the other side Livernois. I cant speak personally for the Troy High side, but its a good deal nicer then the Athens side.

That being said I loved growing up in troy. Being in a kinda rich/middle class area but also being around hardcore people. Really gave me a rounded out personality. Being in CA I truly realize how lucky i am to turn out the way I did.

If i were you I would personally buy a house in Lake Orion or Clarkston. They are much more far out, so it'll take a good while or possibly never for the detroit ghetto to engulf them.

[firecracker123]

I remember looking at Troy, BHills, WBloomfield and even Birmingham *briefly until I saw the taxes*.....we ended up in Rochester Hills...I ABSOLUTELY love it...it is everything I wanted, we are of mixed races with 3 kidides (13, 6, and 3), very active family who enjoy the library, sports and such and it provides all of that with surperb schools......some of the best...

Troy looked nice, but at the time we were looking there was nothing that caught our attention as far as houses go and Bloomfield, again nice but we wanted a younger commuinty, not one where one neighbour could be retired and the other had teenagers...here, 25% of my daughters elementary school is from my subdiviison and I couldn't be happier.....

THANKS to all on this board that helped me over the summer come from Toronto to here

[hemmie]

Can someone tell me what the commute would be like (including in inclement weather) from Troy, Bloomfield, etc.? The diversity and other descriptions above are very appealing to me, but the distance to Wayne State... eek. Also, are the neighborhoods pretty? Or too McMansiony? Thank you!

[Coldjensens]

Rochester Hills is very nice. Rochester is a great town. But it is a considerable long commute to Detroit. I would not do it.

[Felicialisa4040]

Originally Posted by khfar

Are you serious? West Bloomfield has a huge Chaldean population. As well, there are many Asians, Indians, African Americans. My daughter's class at school is hugely diverse.

Khfar,

I like your interjection on the above mentioned remark. I am African American with a son transitioning into the 4th grade when school commences, and am trying to decide where to purchase my first home. My first choice has been West Bloomfield because of all the great things I've heard about the school district. In your own opinion, can you shed light on some of the sects with WB that are more racially diverse than others. Hence, diversion would be my 1st preference. Aside, from WB I have pondered Farmington/FHills, Walled Lake, Commerce and Bloomfield.

[Lawrenceof]

If you want a local government that is truly sensitive and responsive to Muslim culture and sensibilities, then Dearborn is for you. Your kids will be on vacation for Eid and a multitude of other Muslim holidays. Dearborn government truly is democratic in that it writes its local laws and schedules its holidays in response to the needs of the majority of the population. You will love it here, and the Henry Ford Library is outstanding. Don't overlook us; we have beautiful areas, many lovely homes and quick access to Wayne State University as well as very affordable tuition rates at Henry Ford Community College with special breaks for Dearborn residents. Choose us!

[MWnative]

Originally Posted by Ryeno

I lived in Troy for over 10 years before I moved to CA.

Its a good city but its going down the drain. The whole white flight, ghetto expansion thing. On the Troy Athens side its really noticeable how much worse its getting. So personally I wouldnt buy a house unless its on the other side Livernois. I cant speak personally for the Troy High side, but its a good deal nicer then the Athens side.

That being said I loved growing up in troy. Being in a kinda rich/middle class area but also being around hardcore people. Really gave me a rounded out personality. Being in CA I truly realize how lucky i am to turn out the way I did.

If i were you I would personally buy a house in Lake Orion or Clarkston. They are much more far out, so it'll take a good while or possibly never for the detroit ghetto to engulf them.

Thank you for confirming my suspicions regarding the eastern side of Troy. I noticed a lot of uncouth people around the stores in that area. The homes are much more affordable, but just from my visits to that part of town in recent months, I agree it’s noticeably declined in the last two decades. When I visited friends around there in the 90s, it felt much more upscale than it does now. I’m wary of buying a house there. I lived in Sterling Heights and I didn’t like it at all. I’m guessing the eastern part of Troy is very similar to Sterling Heights.