Please recommend a Detroit area to a mid 30s native couple who have been spoiled by the west coast! (Ann Arbor: sale, rentals)

[Ddrizzle]

Hi everyone! I'm on mobile so will try to keep this succinct! Wife and I could really use some help determining the best spot for us to live. We haven't seen much of the nicer areas in the state and also have some biases we'd be happy to shake with your help.

Our story:

- Grew up in the lower income suburbs people barely talk about here and never talk about moving too
- Somehow managed to get good tech jobs on the west coast and got even luckier with stock options. Fully remote after covid
- Considering moving back because 90% of our family is still within an hour of Detroit and we want to have support for our first child (and save a $&%# ton of money vs west coast)


Requirements we desire of an area and home:

- Walkable downtown or mainstreet with local, healthy, unique restaurants, bars and attractions
- Safe enough for a newborn
- Newer home options or very well kept older homes
- Around 2,400 sq ft or higher and 3 bedrooms with A more open floor plan for hosting family and friends
- Within 45 minutes of Brighton, Livonia, Ferndale/Royal Oak and a large destination park area (Mayberry or a lake)
- Around 750k or under (we can technically afford any area in the state but would like to keep the house price low to save and stash money into stock)
- Decent school district (might not matter for 5 years)
- Some form of local trail to exercise on or nature/park to escape to nearby

Things we don't care about:
- Big yard
- Traffic (west coast makes Detroit look tame)

Things we want to avoid:
- Typical mcmansion suburb with nowhere to actually walk to. We crave the energy of people out and about
- Older style suburbs with nothing but main drags and mini malls for miles
- Outdated areas with old signs and a car repair shop or coney on every corner
- In the boonies

Places we are aware of and think might fit:
- Birmingham (seems a little too preppy and slow. Not familiar with mainstreet)
- Royal Oak (downtown is nice but not walkable/people first)
- Plymouth (great walkable downtown but small and in the middle of nowhere)
- A safe area of Detroit? (Literally no idea here but sounds lots to do in areas like midtown)

Places we are aware of and scared of:
- Novi/Northville (would love to have our biases crushed here because it seems to hit all of the notes except suburban hell)
- Westland

I hope someone out there has some insight! I know our situation is a bit unique and we have been a little spoiled by what the west coast can bring. Sadly, the west coast is also chokingly congested and the homes are incredibly overpriced for the comfort (or lack therof) of what you get.

Happy to trade west coast advice as well!

[NoMansLands]

I grew up in Plymouth, it's your best bet for what you are looking for, although the houses are not new in the 5-10 minute walk to downtown. Have no idea why you say it is in the middle of nowhere as it is almost precisely situated halfway between Detroit and Ann Arbor.
I think Royal Oak is very walkable, not sure why you don't think so too. Plymouth is where it is at these days. What about Ann Arbor? Someplace else I've lived with a great walk score. Downtown Northville is very walkable too, a little older crowd than Plymouth, but to a stranger the two towns almost look identical, same cutesy shops, both have nice small restaurants. Novi, no, not walkable. Birmingham, very walkable too, but again, the houses bordering downtown are not new for walkable score. You would have to tear down an old house and rebuild something new to have a newer house within ten minute walk of any downtown outside of Detroit where you could buy one already revamped. Brighton is walkable in its very small downtown, same goes for Chelsea which is bigger than Brighton in that regard, or Saline, but it seems you are looking for a larger city with more action. If you want nightlife, venues, theatre, concerts, Detroit is just about your only option, but I'm still hesitant about raising a family there. If you want cutesy shops, ice cream parlors, and don't mind that they roll up the sidewalks by 10 pm, then you go to Plymouth/Northville. Birmingham, less friendly, more money, more shops, but walkable definitely.

[Ddrizzle]

Thanks. Plymouth keeps coming up. So from my point of view this is how I'm viewing the main choices:

Ann Arbor
- Has a downtown that is large and walkable, especially for MI
- Great people energy
- Huron River and parks nearby
- Good schools
- Good mix of food which reinforces mixed cultures
- The most expensive
- Furthest from family

Plymouth
- A baby Ann arbor that might be a bit too white and conservative for our personal tastes (not sure here, it's been a while)
- Walkable downtown with stuff going on but small
- Big parks nearby
- Go to canton for diversity and food
- Good schools
- More central to family and friends

Royal Oak
- Wants to be hip, walkable, affordable, parent friendly but doesn't seem to do any of then well
- Good options in downtown but it feels uncomfortable due to the car-first mentality of the area
- No large nature areas nearby, but does have small parks
- Good distance to Detroit, family and friends.

Others I've talked to have brought up Rochester, Wyandotte and Grosse point but I'm completely unfamiliar with them and they are likely too far.

[Ddrizzle]

Also I forgot to mention that Ann arbor is our ideal choice but is the most expensive and farthest from family.

[Ddrizzle]

Looks like someone else had a similar idea https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/com...t_of_royal_oak

[craig11152]

I've lived in Ann Arbor since 1984. Its the area I know best.
When you talk about houses and walkable downtowns does that mean you want to live near downtown or once you arrive downtown its then walkable after you park the car, get off the bus or lock up the bikes?

[Ddrizzle]

Originally Posted by craig11152

I've lived in Ann Arbor since 1984. Its the area I know best.
When you talk about houses and walkable downtowns does that mean you want to live near downtown or once you arrive downtown its then walkable after you park the car, get off the bus or lock up the bikes?

Ideally live next to downtown, walk into it and go wherever. I realize that's much harder harder AA due 4o rentals and price.

I think we'd settle for a short drive to downtown, particularly if we are by Argo Park or something like that.

[craig11152]

14 Ridgeway St, Ann Arbor, MI 48104 on Zillow.
Fits most of your list except a smidge above your price.
But something must be wrong with it since its been on Zillow 88 days. That's an eternity in this market.

[craig11152]

One thing to keep in mind is property taxes in Michigan
Specifically we have a complex (to me) system whereby the rate of yearly increase is capped while you own the house.
But when a house is sold the taxes can be adjusted to the current market value.
So as a buyer if the house you buy has been in the same hands many years the tax jump can be significant.
If the house changed hands fairly recently there has already been a recent adjustment making the new adjustment less troubling.

Somebody else can explain it better than that I am sure. And perhaps correct anything I said inaccurate.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by craig11152

One thing to keep in mind is property taxes in Michigan
Specifically we have a complex (to me) system whereby the rate of yearly increase is capped while you own the house.
But when a house is sold the taxes can be adjusted to the current market value.
So as a buyer if the house you buy has been in the same hands many years the tax jump can be significant.
If the house changed hands fairly recently there has already been a recent adjustment making the new adjustment less troubling.

Somebody else can explain it better than that I am sure. And perhaps correct anything I said inaccurate.

They are coming from the West Coast. They will laugh at our puny taxes. Taxes are adjusted upon a sale in most states