[khfar]

Can anyone give me more information on this area? Like elementary schools, are there young people living there, kids? We are being relocated to Detroit from Texas, and are looking into the suburbs. From what I see on Realtor.com, the GP area is the only thing I've found that has the type of houses we like. We're not really into new builds, we prefer older, updated homes. Are there any other areas like that?

Thanks a lot!

K

[ChairborneRanger]

Look at the likes of Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills as an alternative, the older section of Rochester, etc. The Pointe's are too close to Detroit and are in decline.

[JennFromMichigan]

Hi K. It's been a while since you posted your question but I can tell you that you'd LOVE the Grosse Pointe area. It is very expensive and the taxes are very high too but you're right that these houses have 'character'. It depends on where you'll be working but if it's going to be downtown Detroit, then Grosse Pointe is a good bet as you can get downtown via I-94 or Jefferson Ave. If I could afford to live there again, I'd be there in a heartbeat. Good luck to you!

[RedWingsFan]

I agree with one of the other posters, Gross Pointe is too close to Detroit to consider moving there with your kids. You can look out further in other cities. Gross Pointe used to be really nice but it's showing it's years and it's just too close to the city for my taste.

[Angel Bear]

There's homes with character all around Metro-Detroit actually. There's small pockets of them even up here in the Utica area. There's a few nice areas in Livonia that are older and nice...just have to know where to look.

My favorite communities with older homes with character are: Berkley, Royal Oak, Birmingham, Northville, Plymouth, Ferndale--Ferndale though is close to Detroit though, and also, check out Ann Arbor too

The Grosse Pointes are near Detroit, but very nice I think when I've been there. You're also close to St. Clair Shores and other smaller communities, so you don't have to drive to Detroit for groceries or the Mall or anything like that, etc. Personally though, if I had kids, I'd want them to be aware of other cultures and such, but that's just me.

Good luck on your search!

[Activ8a]

Personally, I'm fairly turned off by Grosse Pointe, both because of its gross high-prices and gross racism and blatant segregation that's been going on for years and years there. The east side in general is over-rated, in my opinion.

There are some nice historic neighborhoods in Detroit itself, such as Palmer Park and Boston Ave. A few areas of Pontiac and Auburn Hills are also pretty good.

[itsgood2beme]

[font="Century Gothic"][color="SeaGreen"]Grosse Pointe is a wonderful place to live and raise a family.

Someone above mentioned it is too close to Detroit - big deal, having grown up in Grosse Pointe - it is a VERY SAFE PLACE to live and the police are always out and in force, unlike other places!!!

I moved back to Michigan after spending 8 years in Chicago and the ONLY place I could see myself moving to was Grosse Pointe.

Grosse Pointe has so much to offer ~ you have the lake, yes- taxes are higher - why, you pay for a quality education and you aren't forced to send your children to private school!

Plus, the city actually comes through and removes the snow off your sidewalk for you, plus the streets are always taken care of in the winter -can't say that for a lot of other places in Michigan!!!

Plus, your taxes include rights to a private park - most people would consider it a mini yacht club - boating facilities, beaches, pools, tennis courts, boat house - for your personal use, etc...the list goes on.

You really do get what you pay for! i could go on and on about Grosse Pointe....if you would like check out this site for info on Grosse Pointe....

[zygnoda]

Grosse pointe is really nice. If you look at the page on this site for grosse pointe crime is well below the US average. Grosse Pointe woods and G.P. Shores have even less crime. Shores has barely any. I used to live down by there and I love driving through there to look at the homes.

[galex213]

Grosse Pointe is very safe despite it's proximity to Detroit. The schools are rated among the best in the nation, the parks are beautiful, private and free, the police force is top notch and responds to calls with in minutes and it is a pleasant 15-20 minute commute to downtown Detroit. No other suburb can boast such an easy commute! There are kids galore. Grosse Pointe is a very family oriented community. There are 3 distinct downtown shopping areas and a host of activities and organizations for the kids. Anyone who says Grosse Pointe is too close to Detroit has never lived there and doesn't know what they are talking about.

There is a myriad of housing available ranging anywhere from apartments and duplexes to modest single family houses and mansions. Yes, there are some very wealthy people in Grosse Pointe. However, there is a large amount of affordable and moderate priced housing available especially in Grosse Pointe Park and Grosse Pointe Woods.

However, if you are looking for ethnic diversity, you will not find it in Grosse Pointe. This is Grosse Pointe's one weak point.

I moved to Michigan from the East Coast and lived in Detroit for a few years before moving to Grosse Pointe 11 years ago. If I could choose anywhere in the metro Detroit area to live, I'd ONLY choose Grosse Pointe.

[tudorhouse]

Please ignore posts from people who say Grosse Pointe is too close to Detroit for your kids. They obviously don't live here. I also had to laugh about comments that GP is in decline. There are so many new developments going on right now...how can they say that? My husband and I have lived in Grosse Pointe Park for two-and-a-half years now. Our house is literally two streets from the dividing line. And...I can honestly say...we love it here. You couldn't pay me to live anywhere else in Metro Detroit. GP is beautiful; it's much like a small town; people are friendly; the schools are great; it's family oriented; the city services are impeccable; and the police are top-notch. Usually, negative comments come from people who don't live here and are, frankly, a little jealous. Good luck in your decision.