Question about Michigan Economy and Living (Detroit, Ann Arbor: apartment, lease, work)

[cardwellave]

I'm so glad!

I could get some pictures of the older homes. They are scattered around, so a little hard to find, but they are there. Most of Garden City is from the 1940s.

The city is about 30 minutes from downtown Detroit and 35 minutes from Ann Arbor. It is quite centrally located. The main road the center of town is Ford Rd which serves as mile 0 in the Detroit Mile Road plan.

I'm actually considering going around and taking some pictures in town tomorrow now that I've drummed up some interest.

We don't have a visitor's center that I know of. It's not really a travel destination per se. Yet, anyway.

[cardwellave]

Oh and here is a picture off GC's website of the Golden Feather Restaurant I was recommending earlier:

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

I'm so glad!

I could get some pictures of the older homes. They are scattered around, so a little hard to find, but they are there. Most of Garden City is from the 1940s.

The city is about 30 minutes from downtown Detroit and 35 minutes from Ann Arbor. It is quite centrally located. The main road the center of town is Ford Rd which serves as mile 0 in the Detroit Mile Road plan.

I'm actually considering going around and taking some pictures in town tomorrow now that I've drummed up some interest.

We don't have a visitor's center that I know of. It's not really a travel destination per se. Yet, anyway.

Please post any pics you take tomorrow! Oh and what is the zip code so I can search in apartments.com or rent.com? Im sorry if I missed if you said this or not but is GC diverse?

[cardwellave]

In what way? GC is pretty much white middle class. Per city-data: 94.6% white, 2.0% hispanic, 1.1% black. I wouldn't say there's any sort of real gay community or art type community. There is a certain amount of Middle-eastern people in the city, but once you cross Inkster Road from Dearborn Heights to Garden City, the percentage of Arabic people goes down considerably. I believe the cultural aspects will come in time, hopefully in my time. Progress is slow, yet steady. I hope I'm not giving you an enhanced idea of the city. It does need a degree of help, as does most of working-class Wayne County. If you're looking for a fully developed downtownish type of city, there are many more around, but Garden City is certainly worth a look, especially if your rent range is around $700 /mo.

The zip code is 48135. There are a number of apartments in Garden City, mostly smaller units on Pardo Ave or Krauter Ave off Ford Rd. I've heard for example that the area around Ford and Henry Ruff is one of the least desirable due to the people living in the apartments. I am honestly not sure how these apartments are condition wise. There are probably 20 buildings of them scattered on these streets, mostly small 8 or so unit buildings. Westland has a ton of apartments worth a look as well. It's close to Garden City. The zip in Westland with the best apartments is probably 48185. I am also confident you could find a rental home around $700 /mo as well.

I'll try my best to snap some photos tomorrow. I'll probably upload them to a site and post them for you to view. Snow here is melting right now so it's a shame you can't see how it looks in the summer!

[detshen]

Originally Posted by babigyrl5

What you think of Hammtramck (sp)? I heard if I live in Detroit and I dont live downtown to live in that neighborhood

Hamtramck in the good parts is kind of a funky artsy town, it was originally a polish neighborhood and that's still true to a degree, but now there are non polish white, black, and middle eastern people living there as well. There are music clubs and coffee shops. It's the sort of place you really need to investigate so you end up in a good area. I go to the polish market often, but I don't know enough to recommend a specific area.

[cardwellave]

Everything I've heard about Hamtramck is basically that it has a great nightlife and stuff, though in its entirety is a little if not a lot unsafe at least in parts and is surrounded in its entirety by one of the worst parts of Detroit. In short probably a cool place for 20 something adults, and probably a poor environments for kids. I've heard different regions of the town (interesting because it's such a small town) are ones to stay away from and certain ones are very good to be in, so it's really finding the right part to live in. The thing that would bother me about living there is having to travel outside not only Hamtramck but also through and out of Detroit to get to malls and things like that. I'm actually planning a day trip there soon.

By the way Acupunk, if you're talking about the Polish Market simply called Polish Market, they do have locations in Shelby Twsp, Troy, and Wyandotte as well in case you don't want to go to Hamtramck.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

Oh and here is a picture off GC's website of the Golden Feather Restaurant I was recommending earlier:

Heh. My Dad used to take me there years ago when I was a kid in high school and I remember enjoying their large pepper steaks. That's all that I know about Garden City. Whenever the name of the city comes up I think "Golden Feather" and "big pepper steaks".

[detshen]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

Everything I've heard about Hamtramck is basically that it has a great nightlife and stuff, though in its entirety is a little if not a lot unsafe at least in parts and is surrounded in its entirety by one of the worst parts of Detroit. In short probably a cool place for 20 something adults, and probably a poor environments for kids. I've heard different regions of the town (interesting because it's such a small town) are ones to stay away from and certain ones are very good to be in, so it's really finding the right part to live in. The thing that would bother me about living there is having to travel outside not only Hamtramck but also through and out of Detroit to get to malls and things like that. I'm actually planning a day trip there soon.

By the way Acupunk, if you're talking about the Polish Market simply called Polish Market, they do have locations in Shelby Twsp, Troy, and Wyandotte as well in case you don't want to go to Hamtramck.

I do like going to Hamtramck, we go to that restaurant Polish Village ,I think it's called, any way, we like to make a "polish day" out of it. Shelby and Wyandotte and Troy are far for me. Thanks for the suggestion though

[babigyrl5]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

In what way? GC is pretty much white middle class. Per city-data: 94.6% white, 2.0% hispanic, 1.1% black. I wouldn't say there's any sort of real gay community or art type community. There is a certain amount of Middle-eastern people in the city, but once you cross Inkster Road from Dearborn Heights to Garden City, the percentage of Arabic people goes down considerably. I believe the cultural aspects will come in time, hopefully in my time. Progress is slow, yet steady. I hope I'm not giving you an enhanced idea of the city. It does need a degree of help, as does most of working-class Wayne County. If you're looking for a fully developed downtownish type of city, there are many more around, but Garden City is certainly worth a look, especially if your rent range is around $700 /mo.

The zip code is 48135. There are a number of apartments in Garden City, mostly smaller units on Pardo Ave or Krauter Ave off Ford Rd. I've heard for example that the area around Ford and Henry Ruff is one of the least desirable due to the people living in the apartments. I am honestly not sure how these apartments are condition wise. There are probably 20 buildings of them scattered on these streets, mostly small 8 or so unit buildings. Westland has a ton of apartments worth a look as well. It's close to Garden City. The zip in Westland with the best apartments is probably 48185. I am also confident you could find a rental home around $700 /mo as well.

I'll try my best to snap some photos tomorrow. I'll probably upload them to a site and post them for you to view. Snow here is melting right now so it's a shame you can't see how it looks in the summer!

Well Im Black and I live in a very diverse neighborhood and I dont want to lose that wherever I move. I love being around all types of people, I dont want to "stick out" if you know what I mean lol.

[cardwellave]

Oh gotcha. I wouldn't think you'd stick out. It's not like a stuck up elitist community. Pretty open minded I'd say. I see plenty of black people around. Diverse, again I'm not really sure. Like just people of different ethnicities? I think you get some of that pretty much anywhere. I'd say Garden City/Westland is more diverse than say Northville or Plymouth or any of the townships in Macomb county mentioned, just because it is a little more working class rather than the rich white areas. I think you'd be pretty comfortable.

I'm actually off to try and take some pictures.