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What's your brief synopsis of each area? We are relocating from Houston and like these areas. Brighton looks to be closer to some of the lakes and nature areas, we like some of the homes we have seen in S Lyon and it seems to be in a convenient location and of course Ann Arbor itself is nice and offers more amenities, although more expensive. Just wanting some thoughts from locals, maybe there is something more that we don't know.
Agree with mgkeith. A lot depends on where your job is and what the commute would be. With Brighton and Ann Arbor, highway access is a lot easier than in South Lyon.
Brighton is kind of the border between mid-Michigan and Detroit Metro area. If it matters, it's in Livingston County. Livingston County is very Republican.
South Lyon is really rural, not as built up as Brighton or Ann Arbor. South Lyon and Lyon Township are solid Republican areas, but Oakland County is more mixed than in the past. The County still leans Republican, but not by very much.
Ann Arbor is the college town of the immediate area. Unlike some other college towns, it's really noticeable when the college population arrives in the fall and leaves in the spring. My husband's work sends out notices in the fall reminding people about increased traffic in the area when moving day arrives for U of M. Very progressive.
A lot really depends on your motives for moving to these areas.
For instance, we recently purchased in Lyon township because it would get us back in Oakland County and it's about 20 minutes from my husband's work in Ann Arbor. Also, we could get a lot of house w/o having to pay so much in taxes.
We didn't want to be so far out of the Metro area like you would be out in Brighton. Brighton is just too far out for our taste. (Although, we did consider looking at houses out there.)
However, depending on your income, Washtenaw County has some good incentives for 1st time home buyers in the area.
We are relocating from Nevada soon and have been looking (online) in these areas as well... With hubby often commuting to the airport as well, we are trying to stay within an hour or so radius... Good schools are also a big requirement... Some "rating" sites differ on that though... Some of his colleagues have said that Chelsea, Dexter, and Howell are worth looking into as well, but I am drawn to the conveniences it looks like Brighton enjoys... Many folks have told us to be aware of the taxes (townships are best?)... Have you any luck settling on an area yet?
Brighton would give you easy access to the freeways, but 96 gets really congested in the am because this is a "booming" area for people wanting affordable housing. Ann Arbor is about 30 minutes from the airport. Brighton is about 45 minutes from the airport. So, it really depends on what you want. Do you want more city or more country?
A lot of people also recommended Chelsea, Dexter and Howell to us, but they are all really small and really rural.
We really are more city folks. A lot of people like that they can live in the country and have the big city about 15-20 minutes away.
Brighton would give you easy access to the freeways, but 96 gets really congested in the am because this is a "booming" area for people wanting affordable housing. Ann Arbor is about 30 minutes from the airport. Brighton is about 45 minutes from the airport. So, it really depends on what you want. Do you want more city or more country?
A lot of people also recommended Chelsea, Dexter and Howell to us, but they are all really small and really rural.
We really are more city folks. A lot of people like that they can live in the country and have the big city about 15-20 minutes away.
Good luck whatever you decide.
Also, the critical US-23/I-96 interchange in Brighton is a nightmare right now because it's being completely rebuilt. But road delays aside, it is fairly rural still and convenient to the attractions of Ann Arbor, Milford, Lansing and even Detroit. Howell, BTW, is only 10 minutes past Brighton and not as tiny or rural as you might think. The two towns are a lot alike. (I live in one and work in the other and are blending as I type this into one big exurban bedroom community/shopping center.) The county they are in are considered very desirable to live in and getting expensive again after a previous housing boom & bust.
Ann Arbor is much more citified, with a tons of restaurants, educational attractions, shopping, etc. but it's a tangle of one-way, dead-end, pedestrian-clotted streets that a lot of people despise driving on. Parking is so bad that students entering the university there are advised not to bother bringing their cars. And it's VERY expensive, putting Brighton and Howell in the shade when you consider what you get and what you pay for it. It would be a big adjustment after living in Houston. If you want Ann Arbor atmosphere, buy next door in Pittsfield Twp or Ypsilanti. Same ambience, MUCH more affordable.
South Lyon has a lot of McMansion type of neighborhoods, really bloated housing costs considering that it's not close to anything and there's nothing to do there. I don't recommend it, especially if you have kids to raise. The schools there are pooh. Ann Arbor schools are excellent; Brighton and Howell very good. South Lyon, I want to repeat, has pooh instead of school systems.
Funny you should mention these three areas. I looked at all three when I moved here from N.C. this past January. I moved here (well, technically back here, since I lived in Milford until I was 15) for a great job and we were looking strictly for an apartment. We owned a house for 20 years and at our age just didn't want to put up with the hassle anymore. So, here goes my reviews:
Ann Arbor - I work in AA and I echo Cliffie's review. It is a college town with lots to do if you enjoy the types of things he mentioned, but I think that driving downtown is more of a nightmare for me than even he described. I got detoured off of my normal route to work one day and was funneled into the downtown area. Holy Guacamole, worst thing I've ever experienced. Regular streets turn into one way streets at the drop of a hat and the names of the streets seem to change on every other corner. My poor GPS program finally freaked out and said "F it pal, you're on your own!"
As for buying a house in Ann Arbor, my co-workers and friends have told me that the prices are outrageous. It seemed to mirror the housing prices in Chapel Hill, NC. Apartments are about the same. High cost, few if any amenities.
BTW, steer clear of Ypsilanti! I could spend hours telling you about my apartment hunting experiences there, but suffice to say that it is one of those places you drive your kids around in so they can see how good they have it.
Brighton - It was a nice place when I lived in Milford and from what I saw it still is. There doesn't seem to be many apartment complexes there but to me, a former home owner, that can be a good thing. From reading the other reviews it seems to be a good fit for you. One thing I would caution you on though: I first moved here it was the dead of winter. I found out very quickly that driving on both the very congested I-96 & U.S. 23 is like driving on an ice skating rink. Add to that the construction that is going on at that interchange and I very quickly found a back way Ann Arbor. The funny thing is that this road is barely plowed but the snow gives you better traction. As one of my neighbors told me, "Snow is your friend, ice is your enemy". And that back way takes me thru...
South Lyon - I only drive thru there and never really considered living there, so I will defer to the knowledge of others. I can only tell you that the downtown are seems fairly well maintained and the couple of the residential areas that I have driven thru seemed nice. Old, but nice. I did run into a young couple that had graduated from South Lyon High School and they did say basically the same thing Cliffie said. They said that they didn't realize how bad the school was until they got to college. WARNING: This couple graduated from SLHS a few years ago and told me that drugs are rampant there! Hmmm...maybe South Lyon isn't as nice as I think it is.
We settled on an extremely nice apartment complex in new Hudson. It's quite expensive but we get a lot of bang for our buck. The cool thing about New Hudson is that it's a quick drive to Brighton, Milford, and Novi. I think you should also consider Milford. It was an AWESOME town to grow up in as a kid!!
I can't answer any of your questions about the schools but all of the areas you mentioned will give you easy access to the airport. Good Luck!!
South Lyon has a lot of McMansion type of neighborhoods, really bloated housing costs considering that it's not close to anything and there's nothing to do there. I don't recommend it, especially if you have kids to raise. The schools there are pooh. Ann Arbor schools are excellent; Brighton and Howell very good. South Lyon, I want to repeat, has pooh instead of school systems.
This is pretty much all wrong.
South Lyon has lower housing costs than its neighbors (Novi and Northville) and is very centrally located to all those automotive jobs along 96 and 275 (which is why there's all the growth). Schools are generally high performing, certainly higher performing than Ann Arbor, Brighton and Howell.
The only thing you got right is that there are lots of McMansions everywhere.
South Lyon was a quaint small town that got popular and then infested by trendiness (McMansions, ugly conforming subdivisions, chain restaurants and stores). I grew up there. It was the horse capital of the USA. It was also partly a factory town (Michigan Seamless Tube). It was a quaint small town. Now it is no longer cute. Pretty much suburban sprawl. It is not a bad place, the schools are great and it still has a touch of small towniness. My dad still lives there and it takes him hours to buy groceries because he always runs into people to chat with. However much of the quaintiness has been replaced by Mcmansions, McCoffee shops, McAuto parts and other Mcjunk that is pretty much what you find in all sprawl areas. It is only a matter of time until it gets a Walmart or Sam's infestation and then the transformation to the dark side will be complete. With that come the complainers - those who moved to get away from suburbia, then complain that it does not have the amenities of suburbia - pretty soon it is suburbia and everyone wants to move away.
Brighton was always sprawlly. Nice enough. Just strip malls, box box stores chain restaurants and subdivisions. It is a crossroads area as the 96 ans 23 meet there. It is bigger than South Lyon, but maybe not if you include Lyon Township (which is usually lumped in with S.L.). Brighton is in Livingston County and therefore often not considered to be part of the Detroit Metro. It is also the last significant suburb type place before you get to the farm towns (Fowlerville, Fenton, Howell etc). For many people Brighton is where you stop for gas on your way to or from Lansing or the West side of the state. (Although gas is much cheaper in New Hudson just a few miles further).
I believe S.L. schools are considerably better than Brighton, but that may have changed. A lot of the lifelong S.L. residents are looking to move to someplace less infested with McStuff and less crowded.
Both places have area that are still fairly rural.
South Lyon and Brighton are both close to Kensington Metropark which is a significant plus.
Ann Arbor is a whole different concept. It is an awesome city. Beautiful historic homes and architecture all over the place. Busy always. tons to do. Fun, cultural crowded, traffic flow is terrible. It is a city for walking and bikes. It is the most educated city in the USA. It is probably the most liberal leaning city in Michigan. It likes to separate itself from the Detroit Metro (tell someone from Ann Arbor they are part of the Detroit Metro and you will get an earful). It tends to be somewhat elitist and some say snobby. But not snobby in an "I am rich" sort of way but in a "This is the best city" or "We are all smarter than anyone from anywhere else." Both of which may be justified, but are still sometimes annoying. Ann Arbor is crowded and expensive. It can be hell to get in or out of the city on game days. There are lots of neat little museums and theaters, thus many AAers say they have no need of Detroit. Depending on the location, I would be happy to live in any of the three.
As for schools, South Lyon and Ann arbor are, or at least a few years ago were in close competition. South Lyon and the better AA schools are in the top 50 schools in the state. Brighton has a way to go (again unless things changed in the past 5 or so years).
Last edited by Coldjensens; 08-19-2015 at 05:45 PM..
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