Question about Michigan Economy and Living (Detroit, Warren: homes, condo, lease)

[detshen]

Originally Posted by babigyrl5

Well my job is 100% travel so I can live anywhere in the United States, I still would get paid the same, and they don't offer relocation since I am only home technically 3 days out the week. I would prefer a 2 bedroom only because of my cat. When I was in Chicago he was used to our huge 6 bedroom house and basement, he hates I took him to something smaller and it would be unfair to downgrade even more. Plus I like having an office. I guess the max I can pay is $800 but I do want to have a few hundred left in my paycheck after paying rent...

That's one spoiled kitty! LOL. I think you could find a two bedroom in Ferndale or parts of Royal Oak for $800, it might take extra effort to find it for $700. RO and Ferndale tend to draw more creative types of people so you can find culture, and of course the city has cultural offerings a short drive away. IMO Ferndale is the most diverse area. It is known as a comfortable place for gay people and it also seems to have a mix of black and white. I don't spend a lot of time there(I live in the city), but there is a health food store on the main street that I like and I love that the customers and employees are all different races.

Detroit tends to be very segregated, many people don't like this, myself included, but it's hard to change. There is racism from both sides, but IMO many people are not racist, they just seem to have a hard time bridging the gap due to historical racism. It sounds like you are a very open person, because of that I don't think you will have a hard time making friends with people of all races. I wish more people like you would move to the area.

[sikes0000]

You are gonna have to look outside those areas a little. Try Canton if you want to live near Ann Arbor. If you want you could try Livonia and surrounding areas to be in between Royal Oak/Ann Arbor. But they are what some people might call bedroom communities (not much happenning IMHO). But at least you wouldnt have to drive out of your way to go have fun. And you couldn't get much safer.

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by sikes0000

You are gonna have to look outside those areas a little. Try Canton if you want to live near Ann Arbor. If you want you could try Livonia and surrounding areas to be in between Royal Oak/Ann Arbor. But they are what some people might call bedroom communities (not much happenning IMHO). But at least you wouldnt have to drive out of your way to go have fun. And you couldn't get much safer.

Well my "goal" is to be no more than 45 minutes from Detroit and/or 20 minutes from Ann Arbor lol. I may have just created my own little town or rearrange the US geographical map lol but that is what I want. I heard RO, West Bloomfield and Ann Arbor were the best cities to live in for a single 25 year old woman. Plus all my friends are in either Ann Arbor or Detroit so thats what I am aming for

Any cities you can suggest now? lol

[cardwellave]

In that travel distance?

-Westland (LOTS of apartments, very affordable homes as well)
-Garden City(lots of apartments, very affordable homes as well, one of my favorite towns, up and coming downtown area as well. You'll hear bad press about this area but I love it. Many of the apartments also lie one block of Ford on a street called Pardo Ave which has a lot of small buildings of apartments.)
-Livonia
-Ypsilanti Township

[detshen]

Royal oak and West Bloomfield are farther from Ann Arbor than you want. Your best bet is to look at the western suburbs Cardwellave mentioned like Westland, Garden city, Livonia, Plymouth or find a place in Ann Arbor. The Western suburbs are safe and probably affordable enough, but they aren't very diverse. I find them a bit bland, but they are convenient for shopping and other necessities if you don't mind driving to culture and entertainment.

[cardwellave]

Everything is what you make of it. Me and my family do something new in Westland/Garden City, Downriver, or Livonia every weekend. There's always restaurants you haven't been to, or streets you haven't been down. I sort of gravitate towards Garden City due to the history of the city and the Downtown area, one which is authentic (not fabricated like Dearborn Heights or Livonia) and is improving all the time.

[Coldjensens]

funny. I was going t post a question about garden City since I have never been there and never herd anyone talk or write about it I was wondering if there was anything to it. It has a very nice sounding name, but has always been just aplace that I drive past on the freeway.

[cardwellave]

Hey, I could talk for days about Garden City. Feel free to send me a PM and ask me anything about it. I'm sort of a historian on the area.

In general the downtown has been somehwhat revitalized, not to the extent of Northville or Plymouth or Ferndale or Wyandotte, but it is pleasant. The city is pretty small. About two miles tall (Cherry Hill to Warren) and a little over 3 miles wide (Inkster to some sloppy borders on the west side including Venoy Rd and Radcliff St.)

The "pleasant name" comes from the British garden layout of neighborhoods, making larger lots to be able to grow a garden in tough times. You can see on a map some of these larger blocks still exit (Between Bock St and John Hauk St for example) though some of those larger blocks were filled in with other streets (example Donnelly St). The area was first discovered by John Lathers, and the city pays homage to him these days by the 1940s era Lathers Avenue on the east side of town and the Lathers General Store at the Garden City Historical Museum, open Wednesdays and Saturdays on Merriman Rd and Elmwood Avenue (North of Ford Rd.). The city also has two boulevard style (divided) avenues running east-west between both Warren and Ford and Ford and Cherry Hill (Maplewood Ave and Marquette Ave respectively). I've found this has really enhanced the landscape of the city.

The city has a lot of 40s bungalows on the east side along with some smaller sided and bricked ranches. Some areas do have some VERY old homes from the middle 1800s, as well as brand new subdivisions, such as Victoria Gardens (near Marquette Ave and Henry Ruff) and some new condo developments around Krauter Ave and Dillon St and on Meadow Lane off Middlebelt.

I myself am planning to volunteer on their Main Street Project initiative soon to be underway. They are also starting a Farmer's Market in Garden City this summer. Right downtown is the first K-Mart ever built at Ford Rd and Brandt Ave, and right behind it is Henry Ford's honeymoon home, a registered Michigan Historic site. Garden City is also home to the first Little Caesars, on Cherry Hill near Merriman.

Garden City is also home to great schools; all were recently redone or remodeled extensively. They have a very low crime index, and lots of good businesses and restaurants throughout with easy access to Westland Mall, Downtown Detroit, and the freeways. They are also home to Garden City Osteopathic Hospital, so urgent care is never too far away.

Anything else you want to know, please ask!

And here is a picture of Garden City's greatest old building, the Faulkner Buidling, former city hall, and home today to Orin Jewelers on the corner of Ford and Middlebelt, in the heart of the Downtown District.

[detshen]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

Everything is what you make of it. Me and my family do something new in Westland/Garden City, Downriver, or Livonia every weekend. There's always restaurants you haven't been to, or streets you haven't been down. I sort of gravitate towards Garden City due to the history of the city and the Downtown area, one which is authentic (not fabricated like Dearborn Heights or Livonia) and is improving all the time.

I meant no offense, I have family in Garden City, I've just always loved Detroit and being in the city.

You should be on the board of the Chamber of commerce if you aren't already, I'm pretty sure you know a lot more about Garden City than my family. LOL

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

Hey, I could talk for days about Garden City. Feel free to send me a PM and ask me anything about it. I'm sort of a historian on the area.

In general the downtown has been somehwhat revitalized, not to the extent of Northville or Plymouth or Ferndale or Wyandotte, but it is pleasant. The city is pretty small. About two miles tall (Cherry Hill to Warren) and a little over 3 miles wide (Inkster to some sloppy borders on the west side including Venoy Rd and Radcliff St.)

The "pleasant name" comes from the British garden layout of neighborhoods, making larger lots to be able to grow a garden in tough times. You can see on a map some of these larger blocks still exit (Between Bock St and John Hauk St for example) though some of those larger blocks were filled in with other streets (example Donnelly St). The area was first discovered by John Lathers, and the city pays homage to him these days by the 1940s era Lathers Avenue on the east side of town and the Lathers General Store at the Garden City Historical Museum, open Wednesdays and Saturdays on Merriman Rd and Elmwood Avenue (North of Ford Rd.). The city also has two boulevard style (divided) avenues running east-west between both Warren and Ford and Ford and Cherry Hill (Maplewood Ave and Marquette Ave respectively). I've found this has really enhanced the landscape of the city.

The city has a lot of 40s bungalows on the east side along with some smaller sided and bricked ranches. Some areas do have some VERY old homes from the middle 1800s, as well as brand new subdivisions, such as Victoria Gardens (near Marquette Ave and Henry Ruff) and some new condo developments around Krauter Ave and Dillon St and on Meadow Lane off Middlebelt.

I myself am planning to volunteer on their Main Street Project initiative soon to be underway. They are also starting a Farmer's Market in Garden City this summer. Right downtown is the first K-Mart ever built at Ford Rd and Brandt Ave, and right behind it is Henry Ford's honeymoon home, a registered Michigan Historic site. Garden City is also home to the first Little Caesars, on Cherry Hill near Merriman.

Garden City is also home to great schools; all were recently redone or remodeled extensively. They have a very low crime index, and lots of good businesses and restaurants throughout with easy access to Westland Mall, Downtown Detroit, and the freeways. They are also home to Garden City Osteopathic Hospital, so urgent care is never too far away.

Anything else you want to know, please ask!

And here is a picture of Garden City's greatest old building, the Faulkner Buidling, former city hall, and home today to Orin Jewelers on the corner of Ford and Middlebelt, in the heart of the Downtown District.

Thanks. We will get off the freeway and take a look one of these days. Are there any decent restaurants? We are always looking for a family meeting place that is somewhat between South Lyon, Plymouth, Ypsilanti and grosse Ile. Garden City might be pleasant if it is near the freeway. We need a resturaunt that is not too pricey, suitable for families and can handle a group of about 15 people. We have not found anything in Canton that we like. Maybe Garden City.