Impressions of Ferndale (Detroit, Ann Arbor, Dearborn: renters, credit, attorney)

[bem629]

Originally Posted by snoopygirlmi

Ditto what ErikU19 said. Don't move near 8 mile. Ferndale is improving, there are a lot of nice homes at 9 Mile or North of there, but you really have to check the neighborhoods before you move.

When I lived at 9/Woodward, it was better than 8 mile, but it was still kind of trashy.

Also, you should know that Ferndale is pretty liberal and open to alternative lifestyles - if that bothers you, it may not be the place for you.

For grocery shopping, you'll want to go north of 9 mile to get away from the stores which have security guards....that was just creepy to be around.

What is this "alternative lifestyle" you are speaking about? You mean gay folks? Nothing alternative about that, my friend!

--B
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[kimba01]

Originally Posted by bem629

What is this "alternative lifestyle" you are speaking about? You mean gay folks? Nothing alternative about that, my friend!

--B
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It is just an alternate to the generalized norm. But everyone's norm is different. You know what they mean. Nothing bad about it, just informative. It could be a problem to some.

[Coaster112]

That part of Ferndale is not the best. Don't live there if you have kids! It is trendy but Royal Oak is a little more trendy and safer. Northern Ferndale might be a better option! away from Detroit

[jeanniepep]

I know this is an older thread but I could have written it myself! We are moving from Lapeer to Ferndale and were just down there looking at houses yesterday.

We absolutely love the area west of Woodward and the few blocks just south (or north) of 9 mile, there are tons of cute houses there and the neighborhood had a great "feel." However, there is a house that we are both crazy about that is a little further south - just a little over 1/2 a mile north of 8 Mile and right off Livernois. It didn't seem particularly sketchy, but I have some reservations about getting too close to a questionable neighborhood.

We don't have kids, but I often have to stay alone...I also have small dogs that I'd like to be able to walk without being overly nervous. It seems crazy to flip out over what basically amounts to 5 blocks south of a neighborhood I feel totally comfortable with! But maybe it's not crazy, maybe it is smart to hug up close to 9 Mile. Can a current local give me the low-down?

[Coldjensens]

Go there knock on some doors and ask people who live there. Ask quite a few becuase you will get diametrically opposed opinions. Some will be jaded and should probbably be discounted.

Do not base your decision on comments from people who do not live there. We and others can give you some idea of what the area is reputed to be, but you cna only get realistic opinions from people who live there right now.

Ferndal in general is known as a very liberal/open minded city. It is a haven for openly homosexual persons and probably the only place other than Ann Arbor and some parts of Detroit where openly homosexual couples feel comfortable. It has an active downtown similar to Royal Oak but not as nice and considerably more rough. It is a great place to people who like to live in edgy urban areas. The schools are terrible. Crime is a problem, but it is not a war zone like some people would describe areas only a few miiles further into Detroit. A lot of people love it there becuase it is very vibrant, creative, and liberal.

That is my understanding of the genral reputation of Ferndale. Now you have to go make your own conclusions about specific areas.

Just keep in mind that a lot of people who have never even been there will give you strong opnions based on what Ferndale was like 10 or even 20 years ago. They will give you opinions based on rumours, prejudice, guesses and based on nothing at all. You have to make your own assessment.

Several Years ago Iour family lived in a part of California that people just exploded about. they woudl say that if white people lived there, they would be dead in a week. They said that that schools were terible and none of the high school kids could even read. A policeman told me before we moved there tha if I bourght my kids to that area, I should be arrested for child endangerment. We lived in this area in a really cool neighborhood for 9 years, raised five chidlren during this time and our kids scored in the top 90 percentile on natioanl tests after attending these terrible schools. We loved it there. It was a great neighborhood filled with wonderful people who looked out for each other. We did have to call the police a lot (as did other neighbors in cooperation for neighborhood watch type thing) but it was drug deals, spousal fighting, noise, overcrowding, nothing major). We also had friends who would nto come visit us becuase they heard that the area was terrible and dangerous. It was - 5 - 10 years before we moved there. It takes a while for an area to shake its reputation and people assert their opinions based on that reputation as fact. Often when you call them on it, they make up false stories to try to salvage their position.

INcidentally, we moved ot michigan and enrolled in one of the best schools here and our kids remained at or near the top of their class. So all the hype, horror stories prejudice, even hatred were just a bunch of hooey. You cannot always believe what people tell you, especially if they do not live there.

Having said that, you may want to look downriver. It is an area that is often overlooked. Wyandotte is pretty affordable, has a nice but small downtown and is farily conveiently located for access to Detroit. Trenton is smaller, but pretty nice too. It has a decent very small downtown and is right next to Wyandotte. (Grosse Ile is ownderful as well, btu probably outside your budget.). Allen park is very cheap and not as rough as Ferndale, but it is also not as exciting.


Good Lluck.

[jeanniepep]

Ahh, but Allen Park will be hoppin once they build that movie studio!

I actually grew up in Troy and had an apt in Royal Oak about 10+ yrs ago, and I loved it there (Royal Oak, not Troy - toooo boring). My cousin lives in Ferndale now and we've been down to hang out with her several times, so I'm not unfamiliar with the neighborhood in general...just not sure about which parts of it are truly to be avoided. We were just down there driving around last week and fell in love with the area west of Woodward and right around 9 Mile. There's one house on our list that is really really cute but is about a 1/2 mile north of 8 Mile so I'm feeling a little itchy about that one...just not sure if I'm being crazy or if I really should have reservations (it is only 5 blocks from an area where i felt right at home).

Creative, liberal, and gay-friendly sounds would be just perfect for us - that's actually one of the reasons we're so strongly considering Ferndale. We live in a very small northern(ish) town right now where all people do is hunt, have babies, and vote Republican. Suffice it to say that we do NOT fit in. We're not gay but find the whole culture of "couples must produce babies" extremely tiresome, so I'm hoping we'll fit right in despite our "conventional" relationship.

Downriver sounds nice but is really just too far from work and family...

[alwaystraveling25]

Originally Posted by jeanniepep

Ahh, but Allen Park will be hoppin once they build that movie studio!

I actually grew up in Troy and had an apt in Royal Oak about 10+ yrs ago, and I loved it there (Royal Oak, not Troy - toooo boring). My cousin lives in Ferndale now and we've been down to hang out with her several times, so I'm not unfamiliar with the neighborhood in general...just not sure about which parts of it are truly to be avoided. We were just down there driving around last week and fell in love with the area west of Woodward and right around 9 Mile. There's one house on our list that is really really cute but is about a 1/2 mile north of 8 Mile so I'm feeling a little itchy about that one...just not sure if I'm being crazy or if I really should have reservations (it is only 5 blocks from an area where i felt right at home).

Creative, liberal, and gay-friendly sounds would be just perfect for us - that's actually one of the reasons we're so strongly considering Ferndale. We live in a very small northern(ish) town right now where all people do is hunt, have babies, and vote Republican. Suffice it to say that we do NOT fit in. We're not gay but find the whole culture of "couples must produce babies" extremely tiresome, so I'm hoping we'll fit right in despite our "conventional" relationship.

Downriver sounds nice but is really just too far from work and family...

Hey Jeannie,

I had to throw my two cents to say that if you are looking to avoid the "couples must produce babies' area, do NOT move to Downriver! I grew up Downriver, and if I ever moved to Metro Detroit again, I would live in Ferndale or Royal Oak. Downriver is very blue-collar, conservative, and decidedly pro-heterosexual. I am gay, and there are no gay bars or restaurants (or anything there!). Unless I want to go to some very dangerous parts of Detroit (like where "Club Gold Coast" is), I have to trek 40 miles one-way to go to Pronto in Royal Oak or go out in Ferndale.

I would NEVER live downriver and be openly gay...it is definitely not as accepted there as it is in Ferndale or Ann Arbor.

I'm not saying Downriver is a horrible place to be, it is just very conservative and family-oriented, although it is very democratic. A lot of people have blue-collar jobs working for the "Big Three" and have strong religious values. It is definitely not a great place to be if you are strongly "liberal." I highly recommend you continue to target Ferndale.

I think you will enjoy it!

[Called_Out]

Oh my god - whatever you do don't move downriver!! Whoever suggested Wyndotte is out of his / her mind!! Gross

I'm a Ferndale resident (who lives south of 9 mile) and I think that in terms of purchasing a new house, I wouldn't hesitate to purchase new south of 9 again. I would, however, probably recommend staying north of Marshall St - esp. if you were looking east of Woodward. All of Ferndale is safe and young and fun, but you'd probably be making a better financial investment if you stay at least 3 or 4 blocks north of 8 mile.

In terms of the differences in neighborhoods (north of 9 versus south), here's a "local's" perspective: A lot of older residents and people who have inherited family homes reside north of 9, and there are certainly lots and lots of gorgeous homes. Most first-time buyers, however, are priced out of "north of 9 mile" Ferndale. As a result, you'll see a lot of young people - newlywed's, young families, and yes, renters - living south of 9. Your south-of-nine-mile neighbors will likely be couple's in their 20's and 30's who work for advertising agencies - young professionals or students who want to live in a place where they can still enjoy city amenities like walking or biking to the bar, but don't want the hassel of living in downtown Detroit. My south-of-9 neighbors include a women who teaches dance at a local university, an ad agency couple, an young attorney a stay-at-home mom and two real estate agents.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by Called_Out

Oh my god - whatever you do don't move downriver!! Whoever suggested Wyandotte is out of his / her mind!! Gross

.

Not that it matters since Wyandotte is clearly not suited for your desires, but this is a classic example of my comment about getting advice from people who do not live in a place and probably have not been there in decades, if ever. Ferndale actually has a considerably higher crime rate for most crimes (except shoplifting). It is more crowded, offers no water views, does not own its own power plant. . . . yet Wyandotte is gross? (and you can get Muskrat Stew in a Wyandotte restaurant - ok maybe that is gross).

There are people who post in CD who live in Wyandotte who can provide a realistic picture of the City (I only shop and dine there (not on muskrat)). Most of them will give very favorable descriptions (except for the schools). In any area you are considering, you need to talk with people who actually live in the specific area, or at least have a substantial familiarity with it.

[alwaystraveling25]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Not that it matters since Wyandotte is clearly not suited for your desires, but this is a classic example of my comment about getting advice from people who do not live in a place and probably have not been there in decades, if ever. Ferndale actually has a considerably higher crime rate for most crimes (except shoplifting). It is more crowded, offers no water views, does not own its own power plant. . . . yet Wyandotte is gross? (and you can get Muskrat Stew in a Wyandotte restaurant - ok maybe that is gross).

There are people who post in CD who live in Wyandotte who can provide a realistic picture of the City (I only shop and dine there (not on muskrat)). Most of them will give very favorable descriptions (except for the schools). In any area you are considering, you need to talk with people who actually live in the specific area, or at least have a substantial familiarity with it.

I agree with what you said, Coldjensens, which is why I commented to the OP that Downriver would not be a good match for her. I grew up Downriver (Lived in Taylor 22 of my 26 years), so I stand by my opinion as it being a good place to raise families, but definitely not the most open-minded or liberal area in Metro Detroit. Of all the gay people I know that live in Metro Detroit, none of them would live in Downriver because a) they don't feel comfortable there and b) there is not a real gay community there, like there is in Ann Arbor, Ferndale, and my current city. However, I can't completely "downplay" downriver b/c it was a good place to grow up and is solidly middle-class. I liked growing up there, but I would not choose to live there as an adult.