Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester or Shelby? (Detroit, Livonia: upper-class, to rent, low crime)

[onthemove2?]

I am hoping someone can help me. My husband and I moved here 2 years ago for his job. We purchased a home in Canton and recently sold it after only living in it for one year. His company has offered to let him work in Troy because we didn't care for the Canton area. Can anyone tell me about Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester or Shelby? We have driven out there five times in the past two weeks. From what we can see, we like the landscape (hills) much better than Canton, Plymouth and Northville areas. The traffic is just as awful (we always go at rush hour) but he won't have to drive on the expressway. Schools are good. Home prices are very pricey, but I don't mind paying it for an area that suits us better. My greatest fear is purchasing another home and not being able to sell it! (our last one sold in 2 weeks for quite a bit more than we paid) Thank goodness. We don't want to rent a home in Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester or Shelby, just buy. So what are your opinions on the area. We have two small children to consider too. Thanks!!

[jeffncandace]

I personally like a town with some personality to it, which I know that Troy and Bloomfield really don't have. Rochester does have a cool downtown area. I know that all 3 are family friendly, safe and have good schools.

I know nothing about Shelby.

[TurboState]

Originally Posted by onthemove2?

I am hoping someone can help me. My husband and I moved here 2 years ago for his job. We purchased a home in Canton and recently sold it after only living in it for one year. His company has offered to let him work in Troy because we didn't care for the Canton area. Can anyone tell me about Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester or Shelby? We have driven out there five times in the past two weeks. From what we can see, we like the landscape (hills) much better than Canton, Plymouth and Northville areas. The traffic is just as awful (we always go at rush hour) but he won't have to drive on the expressway. Schools are good. Home prices are very pricey, but I don't mind paying it for an area that suits us better. My greatest fear is purchasing another home and not being able to sell it! (our last one sold in 2 weeks for quite a bit more than we paid) Thank goodness. We don't want to rent a home in Bloomfield, Troy, Rochester or Shelby, just buy. So what are your opinions on the area. We have two small children to consider too. Thanks!!

Royal Oak is the place to be! Houses are cheap there now, and on any rebound, RO will be at the top of the heap.

[jeffncandace]

I live in RO and agree with the previous poster, but limited my response based on the phrasing of your question. I absolutely love this town! Ro is sanwiched between Birmingham and Ferndale. Ferndale is young, hip and edgy. B'ham is uspcale, upper-class. RO is somewhere in between, but way more down to earth than B'ham. All 3 towns have great, walkable downtown areas with a wide range of shopping and dining options. Living in RO, you are in close proximity to what all 3 have to offer.

If your tastes run for subdivision-y, larger lots homes, and strip-mall shopping instead of Main street-type shopping, then the other towns you mentioned are more for you.

Hope this helps!

[M TYPE X]

Like hills? You want Rochester. Shelby and Troy are flat, flat, flat.

[JenM]

I'm gonna assume you mean Shelby Township. It's a very nice surburbian area. There is no downtown, but it is in a great school district and has a low crime rate. My second pick would be Rochester. It has a cool downtown area. Both places have high traffic volumes though!

[Angel Bear]

I live in Utica, near Shelby Township. I'm a 10 minute drive to Rochester if I want to go walk around a downtown. Royal Oak is only a 25 minute drive for me if I want to do the same. I believe that Macomb County taxes where I live are cheaper than Oakland County--not sure any more though.

The housing market is much, much different from when I bought 8 years ago. You can obviously get more for your money right now.

I don't have kids, but I'm an auntie to many. I believe that you can't go wrong with Troy, Utica, or Rochester schools. If I had kids, we'd be in Rochester or Rochester Hills, even though the housing is more and the taxes are higher...but not as high as Troy.

IMHO, Royal Oak doesn't have very good schools...I have many friends who teach there and well, things are not optimal. It just depends though on what's important to you...

If I wasn't moving to CA, I'd be moving to Royal Oak...we're in our 30's and don't plan on kids, so it would work very well for us.

BTW, there's traffic everywhere in Metro Detroit...it's hard to avoid it. There's lots of short cuts though once you get to know the area

Best of luck with your move...I grew up in Livonia and Plymouth and love that side of town, but wanted a change so that's why I live here too. It's pretty much the same, IMHO.

Psst, the shopping, restaurants, and such are great on the "East Side" LOL--don't be surprised if your western suburb friends start calling you an East Sider...I had never heard of that until I moved out here LOL. I still don't get all of that, but glad I won't have to stick around much longer to figure it out...hee hee!

Bear hugs,
L

[TrippingJay]

If your husband is working in Troy, the best bet would be to stay in the western part of Troy or Bloomfield Hills/ Bloomfield Twp.

Bloomfield and Troy schools both offer excellent schools, nice subdivisions and lots of green areas. Troy also has a great recreation center that was featured in Sports Illustrated. Troy is also centrally located, so you're not too far from Rochester, Utica, Birmingham, Royal Oak and even Downtown Detroit.

Rochester and Shelby are both great family-friendly areas but your husband's commute would be much longer compared to living in Troy or Bloomfield Hills. Also, I feel that there is an overabudance of housing developments in those areas which would make it harder for you to sell.

[BurtsBees]

West side = West of Woodward. East side = East of Woodward.

[Cato the Elder]

Originally Posted by Angel Bear

BTW, there's traffic everywhere in Metro Detroit...it's hard to avoid it. There's lots of short cuts though once you get to know the area

Traffic? You'll learn all about real traffic once you land in Orange County. Don't worry though, I'm sure the weather will make the smog, congestion, and $500k 600 sq. ft. shack worth it!