Suburbs with downtowns

[syrnative]

Michigan schools overall are very good for normal kids. EXCEPT DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS in Wayne County, sadly. The best school district hands down is Bloomfield Hills, Oakland County. Special needs kids have a difficult time anywhere in Michigan!!! NO CHOICES for them at all. That's why we are looking to move out state. Good luck with your search.


Very interested in this statement. My son has a learning disability and we are looking at the possibility of moving to Auburn Hills next spring. What kinds of issues are you talking about and in what schools? Always looking for inside info anywhere I can find it. Feel free to PM. Thanks.

[MICoastieMom]

Originally Posted by bonniemcdonald

Ann Arbor definately has a great downtown, but it's not diverse - it's really more a university/medical town.
Special needs kids have a difficult time anywhere in Michigan!!! NO CHOICES for them at all.

Have you been in Ann Arbor lately? It remains one of the most diverse areas of Michigan ever since I was a little girl and had family living there. There are five different housholds of family members still there, in all parts of the city, and they all have diverse neighbors.

Find the second statement perplexing as well. As a parent of two special needs children and a (retired) educator in special ed, it is my belief that Michigan has one of the best special ed programs through the Dept of Education, owing to the fact that a number of districts were taken to court and found to be out of compliance on federal statutes many years ago. Without knowing your specific circumstances, it is impossible to comment or refute.

I will say that budget crunches have hit every school district, however, special ed programs can't be altered too much with violating federal mandate. Districts may no longer provide transportation, and some districts may consolidate programs with other districts to save money.

[gater61]

You should look into New Baltimore, Michigan! Located in Macomb County, about 35 minutes North of Detroit. It is a small (quaint) coastal town located on Lake St Clair (Anchor Bay actually) and is Metro Detroit's little gem. Also voted the #1 'up-and-coming' town in Metro Detroit! There is a website with pics and information on the city, it's [url]www.newbaltimoremi.com[/url]

Good luck! =)

[TheProf]

I don't really consider college towns that host huge, public universities like Ann Arbor, as suburbs... I feel the same way about East Lansing viz Lansing, even though, unlike A2, it's right next door to the larger city (and even carries its name)... Even though there are, obviously, a lot of traditional bedroom commuters who work in downtown Detroit and Lansing, respectively, these 2 towns relate much more to their resident universities than to any neighboring larger cities... Hence they're not suburbs in the traditional sense and their "downtowns" are for students, faculty and visitors of their resident universities.

[usroute10]

Originally Posted by gater61

You should look into New Baltimore, Michigan! Located in Macomb County, about 35 minutes North of Detroit. It is a small (quaint) coastal town located on Lake St Clair (Anchor Bay actually) and is Metro Detroit's little gem. Also voted the #1 'up-and-coming' town in Metro Detroit! There is a website with pics and information on the city, it's www.newbaltimoremi.com

Good luck! =)

New Baltimore's Main Street is lame. The best mix of good schools, safety, diversity, affordability, downtown, and adjacent charming residences in the Detroit area is probably Farmington/Farmington Hills and maybe West Dearborn.

[y2c313]

Sorry, but the only place I recognize as a true downtown is Downtown Detroit. Downtowns only exist in big cities.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by y2c313

Sorry, but the only place I recognize as a true downtown is Downtown Detroit. Downtowns only exist in big cities.

down·town
/ˌdounˈtoun/Submit
NORTH AMERICAN
adjective
1.
of, in, or characteristic of the central area or main business and commercial area of a town or city.

[Man_In_Black]

Just move to Detroit. Suburbs suck. The commute here to the suburbs each morning for work is cake.