Mount Clemens/Harrison Township/Lake St. Clair cities -- good areas? (Detroit: gated, work)

[HockeyFan]

Looking at Google Earth, this area looks close to the water, very nice. I've found some great looking houses in Harrison Township, many on North River Road and South River Road (the roads that stick out into Lake St. Clair, not the North River Road by downtown Mount Clemens).

However, I am also reading about a mob attack in Mount Clemens, and the crime rates in that city are not that low. Is this area generally safe, or not?

Also, how are most of the cities along Lake St. Clair -- from New Baltimore down through the Grosse Pointes -- viewed? Are they safe? Desirable? Any amount of nightlife -- mainly restaurants and bars? Shopping? Schools?

Thanks in advance!

[cardwellave]

Grosse Pointe is sort of stuffier. New Baltimore, Algonac, etc are sort of quieter towns. Mt. Clemens has a great nightlife.

I prefer Port Huron, it's pretty working class though, but has a great location. Sort of a commute from Detroit though.

[BurtsBees]

Mt. Clemens, stay away.

Harrison Township is nice, patrolled by the Macomb County Sheriff. St. Clair Shores is nice, Grosse Pointes are very very nice. Chesterfield, New Baltimore are also nice.

[cardwellave]

Why would you stay away from Mt. Clemens?

[HockeyFan]

I hear mixed opinions on Mt. Clemens -- some say great downtown, great nightlife... others have safety concerns. The pictures look very nice, decent sized downtown that seems to have quite a bit to do.

Port Huron is probably a little further than I'd like from the city, but I certainly enjoy any cities near water.

[cardwellave]

Whether or not Mt Clemens is a little questionable, its not even close to Detroit or Flint or even Pontiac. I wouldn't worry.

[BurtsBees]

Mt. Clemens is a mini Pontiac, I would worry.

Especially now with the mob attacks, which are being investigated as hate crimes since its a group of 25 black males beating up on white males/females.

[Dexterguy]

All of the cities on Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River are all very nice. Grosse Pointe is the wealthiest and most kept up. St. Clair Shores is also a nice city on the lake, some people call it "The poor man's Grosse Pointe". Don't get me wrong you still can not be poor to live in SCS. Near the water in SCS it is almost as much as the Pointes. Harrison Twp is also nice but is a little bit more "spread out" and is not as organized as SCS or the Pointes for sure. If you are commuting to Downtown Detroit or to the south I would not go any further north than New Baltimore, once you get that far away from the city the commute gets bad, plus fuel costs.

[HockeyFan]

Although I would not be commuting downtown for work initially, that possibility is always there... and as a sports fan, I'd spend quite a bit of time downtown. Generally, how long would it take to get downtown from New Baltimore?

[brikag]

I lived in Clinton Township, near Mt. Clemens. and it was perfectly fine. My friends tell me the area is still like that....Frozen in Time. Kids playing in the front yards. Dads mowing lawns. Moms gossiping over the fenceline. That sort of suburbia. We lived betwwen west of Clinton river rd and Romeo Plank. My best friend lives near 16 mile and Grosebeck near the Catholic school I attended and he says it's great. No problems.
Good Luck!