Downtown Detroit or Royal Oak/ Ferndale--Help! (Saginaw, Pleasant Ridge: insurance, apartments, condos)

[bem629]

Hello Everyone,

I've enjoyed reading through all of the posts. I'm going to be moving to Michigan for two years to do a clerkship with a judge in downtown Detroit. I'm trying to decide where to live. I'm considering downtown Detroit but also Ferndale/ Royal Oak.

Could you please give me some advice about where to live? I'm interested in a nice large studio or small one bedroom in the $600-900 range (900 if really nice!) and I'm only going to be working 40 hours per week.

[UDetroit[/u]: I'm not afraid to live downtown and think it would be awesome to be able to walk to work. But I've heard there is no supermarket and that car insurance is outrageous. Also, I don't want to be afraid to go for a run at night... Is safety really an issue? What are the best downtown apartments (near the People Mover area)?

Ferndale/ Royal Oak: Seems hip and diverse and somewhat liberal. Do most people rent houses? Are there better places than Craigslist to find apartments? How bad is the commute from downtown RO in rush hour? Ferndale? Any downside beside the commute to living in either of these communities?

Thank you for any advice. I really appreciate it!

PS: I'm a single 31 year old male, just finishing law school, originally from Michigan but haven't lived there in 10 years and it was in the rural parts up near Saginaw....

[bem629]

Hello Everyone,

I've enjoyed reading through all of the posts. I'm going to be moving to Michigan for two years to do a clerkship with a judge in downtown Detroit. I'm trying to decide where to live. I'm considering downtown Detroit but also Ferndale/ Royal Oak.

Could you please give me some advice about where to live? I'm interested in a nice large studio or small one bedroom in the $600-900 range (900 if really nice!) and I'm only going to be working 40 hours per week.

Detroit: I'm not afraid to live downtown and think it would be awesome to be able to walk to work. But I've heard there is no supermarket and that car insurance is outrageous. Also, I don't want to be afraid to go for a run at night... Is safety really an issue? What are the best downtown apartments (near the People Mover area)?

Ferndale/ Royal Oak: Seems hip and diverse and somewhat liberal. Do most people rent houses? Are there better places than Craigslist to find apartments? How bad is the commute from downtown RO in rush hour? Ferndale? Any downside beside the commute to living in either of these communities?

Thank you for any advice. I really appreciate it!

PS: I'm a single 31 year old male, just finishing law school, originally from Michigan but haven't lived there in 10 years and it was in the rural parts up near Saginaw....

[BurtsBees]

Do NOT move into Detroit, if you value your life that is. Run at night? You'd be a sitting duck with a target on your head, IMO. Definitely move to Pleasant Ridge/Ferndale/Royal Oak.

[detroittigers]

Give me a break.

I lived downtown for 2 years (townhouse on Woodward). It was AWESOME!

Dont be afriad. Downtown is safe. Royal Oak is full of snobs.

You won't find too many nice homes downtown obviously but Condos and Studios are developing every day.

Go for it.

[Guardian]

Originally Posted by BurtsBees

Do NOT move into Detroit, if you value your life that is. Run at night? You'd be a sitting duck with a target on your head, IMO. Definitely move to Pleasant Ridge/Ferndale/Royal Oak.

I was downtown last night at around 11:30 pm and guess what happened? Nothing. I wasn't shot, mugged, or killed and, I actually felt safe.

[bem629]

Originally Posted by Guardian

I was downtown last night at around 11:30 pm and guess what happened? Nothing. I wasn't shot, mugged, or killed and, I actually felt safe.

Ha! That's good to hear--do you actually *live* downtown, though? These pro/anti Detroit comments are interesting... but haven't been helped me make up my mind yet!

[BurtsBees]

A white person in Detroit is a sitting duck. This is from the police perspective.

[nickbii]

Originally Posted by bem629

Could you please give me some advice about where to live? I'm interested in a nice large studio or small one bedroom in the $600-900 range (900 if really nice!) and I'm only going to be working 40 hours per week.

Detroit: I'm not afraid to live downtown and think it would be awesome to be able to walk to work. But I've heard there is no supermarket and that car insurance is outrageous.

There is no supermarket downtown itself, but there's a drug store and lots of little stores in the office buildings. They're not great if you need to do grocery shopping, but if you just need some straws or a bottle of Coke they'll do the trick.

There are a couple of nice grocery stores in the WSU area, which is less than 5 minutes from downtown driving. On surface streets. At rush hour.

You'll have trouble finding a Studio for more than $800. The Lofts at Woodward Center are $795, and they're right downtown and brand new. $500 seems typical, for units right downtown.

If you're going to have a car you can do much better; which makes up for the car insurance. WSU area we're talking $400 for multi-bedroom.

Originally Posted by bem629

Also, I don't want to be afraid to go for a run at night... Is safety really an issue? What are the best downtown apartments (near the People Mover area)?

Public safety's not a problem downtown. WSU is quite safe, too.

Nick

[Guardian]

Originally Posted by bem629

Ha! That's good to hear--do you actually *live* downtown, though? These pro/anti Detroit comments are interesting... but haven't been helped me make up my mind yet!

Sadly no. But it's not because I'm afraid to, its because I'm too young to live on my own.

Originally Posted by BurtsBees

A white person in Detroit is a sitting duck. This is from the police perspective.

Wow. Do you really believe this?

[mhogan10010]

I'd go with Royal Oak. I grew up in the Western Suburbs. A few years ago the wife and I were considering moving back to MI. Royal Oak was close to the top of our list.