Why I think Metro Detroit is Great (Ferndale, Pleasant Ridge: home, live)

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by skchi

I agree with the OP! I live in Chicago, and we have tons and tons of great stuff. But, it can get very expensive. Also, traffic is so horrible that at times you feel like you just want to stay home to avoid it.

Which Detroit suburbs are the most walkable? I have a car, but I prefer to walk when I need to go to the library, restaurants, movie theater, bookstores, etc.

You aren't kidding! I had to be in Chicago for my son's college orientation which was being held at one of the hotels at O'Hare Airport early on a Sunday morning. We couldn't leave our home here in SE Michigan until roughly 7:30 PM the night before. I could not believe the traffic in Chicago by the time we got there at around 11 PM!!! Eight lanes of bumper to bummer traffic in the pouring rain...it was awful, and I, a naive country bumpkin, was thinking, "Wow. There must be a huge accident up ahead or something, or why would traffic be this bad?" Duh...I told a friend of mine who travels to and from Chicago a lot this story and he just laughed and laughed. He was like, "Duh! It's Chicago, the third largest city in the country. It NEVER slows down!" I am not a total rookie, as I have driven in several large cities in the U.S. on various vacations, cities such as Boston, Philly, Atlanta, and Phoenix. However, I have never seen traffic like I saw in Chicago that night! Wow!!!

[Coldjensens]

Walkable cities:

Royal Oak, Fernbdale, Brimingham (for the ultra wealthy), Ann Arbor (probably the best), Plymouth, Wyandotte (for those not looking to walk real far), Chelsea and Dexter (both also small)), Farmington, Milford, Ypsilanti (if you have pepper spray, it has walkable areas with bad places in between).

Downtown Detroit is also a very walkable place, just make certain that you know where you are going and donot get into bad areas. Windsor in Canada is also quite walkable.

[jeanniepep]

Here's what I don't get: for one city (or area) to be classified as a "good place to live," why does that have to mean everyplace else is BAD? Arizona is awesome so Detroit is a hell hole? Detroit is terrific because Miami is terrible? How does this even make sense?

I have been to Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Key West, Fort Myers, San Antonio, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Boston . . . they are all really great places with a lot to offer and I'm sure I'd be happy living in any one of them! But the fact is, I live in Ferndale and I really really love that too! This fact is really going to startle ya: a good friend of mine recently had to move from Grand Blanc MI out to Scottsdale AZ, and she loves BOTH PLACES! Can you believe she would be spineless enough to actually live one place and not hate everyplace else on earth?

I just don't understand all the bashing and negativity (obviously this doesn't apply to many of the posters, specifically you guys who are just giving helpful information about Metro Detroit neighborhoods). If we were all together having this chat in person over a beer, would we speak this way to each other? Can't we all just get along?

[krock1dk]

Originally Posted by mogo

Originally, Phoenix was #1 on my list of places I wanted to move to. But, like you said, when I looked at the things important to the daily grind, I felt that Metro Detroit had the advantage. I never felt safer in Phoenix than Metro Detroit.

You also put into words something that I had a bad feeling about, but never thought through completely. It seemed that the Phoenix economy was not very solid. I couldn't figure out what made it viable, other than the scenery.

Detroit is, for the most part, a one industry town. But that industry has left us with a solid foundation full of assets and infrastructure that are important to bringing in new businesses. If Phoenix went through what Detroit is going through, I think it would fare much worse.

I left feeling that the two were very similar in many ways, but that Metro Detroit had better schools, and was much more family oriented than Phoenix.

You are also correct. Phoenix's economy is notoriously known as a city with an up-and-down economy that is very cyclic, unstable, and actually very very weak. For decades and decades, the Phoenix area has relied on one industry for its well-being: construction. And we all know how this has been affected by the foreclosure mess. In fact, Phoenix has seen the most number of job losses per-capita and the most foreclosures in the country. And dont even get me started on the overhelming lack of jobs here. Phoenix is a 'minumum wage town' due to its reliance on retail and tourism (another struggling industry). And because Arizona is so AWFUL in education, corporations are not seeking to expand operations here or relocate here. Arizona also does very poorly in social services and ranks 49th in unemployment benefits. At most, you can only earn, regardless of income, $250 a week. Trust me when I tell you: Arizona is nothing but a worthless that was mean to be a desert and nothing else. A person can do far far better than Arizona when looking 4 a plce to move. I became unemployed a few months ago and am trying to get out ASAP when I get the money to do so. Michigan is better, hands down.

[Indentured Servant]

People need to realize that it is the PRODUCTIVE industries and industries that can export goods and or services, which created the rise in our standard of living. Most other opportunities are born from our ability as a nation to manufacture and export goods. A service oriented economy is a third world economy without a strong productive manufacturing sector that produces the type of income and exports that increases the national standard of living. It’s the great pensions from manufacturers that allowed many people to move to Sun Belt cities to retire. It creates the type of exports that allows our nation to not have to borrow the difference, going deeper into debt in the process.

In light of that, the problems of Michigan only foreshadow the problem of this nation. People should not expect to run from Michigan and find greener pastures at this point in time. The time to do that is when Michigan was in recession and other states were doing fine. It’s like an economic Tsunami that always hits Michigan first, but eventually floods the mainland.

[Northman]

I've always loved metro Detroit. I planned on moving back there after living in the south for nearly 30 years, but wound up in Petoskey instead. I love living here, too, but I often miss many of the things that the Detroit metro has to offer.......especially being a single, 40 year old guy. Let me tell you, there aint many single women up here. Also, the legions of restaurants, bars, delis, pizzerias, etc. The proximity to a major airport. The concert and theater venues. The sports teams and venues. The more ethnically diverse population. The great downtown Detroit architecture. Having abundant choices of where to shop for anything you want. Just to name a few things I love about the DM.

I spent last Thursday and Friday down there. Stayed with my cousin in Livonia. We went to a Wings game, ate at Lafayette Coney, hung out at The Starting Gate in Northville, went to Northville Downs, played Disc Golf (a blast) at Hines Park, visited with family........so much to do.

I certainly love it up north, but I could easily see myself moving back to the DM someday if I remain single. It's a fun town with a ton of stuff to do, despite having the problems that plague every big metro area.

[Bluefly]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

Walkable cities:

Royal Oak, Fernbdale, Brimingham (for the ultra wealthy), Ann Arbor (probably the best), Plymouth, Wyandotte (for those not looking to walk real far), Chelsea and Dexter (both also small)), Farmington, Milford, Ypsilanti (if you have pepper spray, it has walkable areas with bad places in between).

Downtown Detroit is also a very walkable place, just make certain that you know where you are going and donot get into bad areas. Windsor in Canada is also quite walkable.

Rochester too.

[krock1dk]

Originally Posted by Indentured Servant

People need to realize that it is the PRODUCTIVE industries and industries that can export goods and or services, which created the rise in our standard of living. Most other opportunities are born from our ability as a nation to manufacture and export goods. A service oriented economy is a third world economy without a strong productive manufacturing sector that produces the type of income and exports that increases the national standard of living. .

Words to live by! I moved to AZ from MI 4 years ago, and am shocked as to how weak the economy is here (AZ) and how low salaries are. No industry at all!

[Jrbtz44]

I would also have to agree that Royal Oak and Birmingham are the best towns for walking. Ferndale would be up there too, but I wouldn't feel quite as safe as RO or Birmingham. I, personally, have lived several places outside of the Detroit metro (including Kansas City, Denver, and Chicago) and I have to say that Troy is definitely one of the best places I've lived! Yes the metro area has some bad areas (as do ALL metro areas), but to say the area is boring or a hell-hole makes me think that the person either isn't looking or doesn't know the area well enough to know where to look! Just my opinion though...

[EDIGuy]

Originally Posted by jeanniepep

I have been to Jacksonville, Orlando, Tampa, Key West, Fort Myers, San Antonio, New Orleans, Minneapolis, Chicago, New York, Boston . . . they are all really great places with a lot to offer and I'm sure I'd be happy living in any one of them! But the fact is, I live in Ferndale and I really really love that too! This fact is really going to startle ya: a good friend of mine recently had to move from Grand Blanc MI out to Scottsdale AZ, and she loves BOTH PLACES! Can you believe she would be spineless enough to actually live one place and not hate everyplace else on earth?

I grew in SOFLA and loved it because I knew nothing else. I moved to Metro Detroit (Pleasant Ridge then Ferndale actually) and lived there for the past 17 years and thought I hated it. I just moved to Mobile, AL and am realizing what I had in Michigan and am dying to get to back there. I'm sure this area is great for the people from here but too slow for me. I used to say I hated it but I love it (michigan) and will get there eventually...

Boo to all those dissing Michigan, Home is what/where you make it. You're happy somewhere else, that's fine, be happy there.

Indentured, Chill.. take a breath.. I can feel the tension from here. not everything needs to be a battle, ignore the small-mindedness.