commuting from Ann Arbor to Grosse Pointe??? (Detroit, Livonia: wood floors, renting) - Michigan (MI) -Washtenaw County - City-Data Forum

racwalt1 · 01-04-2010, 08:34 PM

My finace and I have relocated to MI. We are currently renting in Ann Arbor while we decide where to purchase a home. I grew up in Grosse Pointe, MI and met my fiance at UofM. I loved Ann Arbor as a student, (his job moved us back to MI and he works at UofM in the athletic department now) but now as an adult the tiny one way streets, crowded traffic and little homes on tiny lots are a turn off. I have been looking at the suburbs outside of Ann Arbor (Polo Fields, Barton Hills etc..) and I do not like the newly built communities. Where is the privacy? There are no fences, everyone's yard runs into the other. All of the homes are cookie cutter too, one of many models someone picked out of a book 10-15 years ago. Also, we have 2 dogs, how do people with pet's live in these neighborhoods that do not allow fencing? I also do not like the HOAs that dictate what you plant, and how you decorate the exterior of you home for the holiday's etc... I grew up in GP and like older homes, with high ceilings, wood floors, plaster details, slate roofs, private yards on large lots in the city. I can't seem to find anything like this with in 30 minutes of Ann Arbor under $400,000. Help anyone? Will I be able to purchase a older home near AA? Do I have to give up our idea of a dream home or will he have to commute to GP? If we decide to buy in GP, how bad is the commute? Is he going against the major traffic? Even though I've lived in AA and GP I have never spent much time on 94 during rush hour. I know that on a normal dat the drive is 45min, which doesn't seem bad to me, only 15 min longer than the average commute. I appreciate any and all feed back.

tablemtn · 01-04-2010, 09:03 PM

Well, you could look around the Saline area, or some of the smaller townships to the west of Ann Arbor (if you live near Dexter, the large commercial facilities along Jackson Ave. are nearby).

Commuting from GP to AA would be a long slog. And it doesn't really matter which route you take (94, 96, Ford Rd., Michigan Ave., etc). Especially in the winter, when weather slows things down. You're talking about up to 2 hours or more per day in the car. Driving from UM's athletics offices down State St. or up Main St. to the freeways can take a while, too.

It would be one thing to work in AA and live in Canton or suburban Ypsi, but Grosse Pointe is quite far. That kind of commute would gradually reduce your quality of life.

scolls · 01-04-2010, 09:06 PM

I used to travel 94 all the time for work. It isn't as bad as 75 or 696 but there are bottleneck areas like by 75 and by the airport. In terms of traffic not the worst out there, but you are still talking a good bit of mileage.

scolls · 01-04-2010, 09:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tablemtn

Well, you could look around the Saline area, or some of the smaller townships to the west of Ann Arbor (if you live near Dexter, the large commercial facilities along Jackson Ave. are nearby).

Commuting from GP to AA would be a long slog. And it doesn't really matter which route you take (94, 96, Ford Rd., Michigan Ave., etc). Especially in the winter, when weather slows things down. You're talking about up to 2 hours or more per day in the car. Driving from UM's athletics offices down State St. or up Main St. to the freeways can take a while, too.

It would be one thing to work in AA and live in Canton or suburban Ypsi, but Grosse Pointe is quite far. That kind of commute would gradually reduce your quality of life.

It only takes me 15-20 minutes to get to Canton. You must be an awful driver if it takes an extra 2 hours to get to Grosse Pointe.

canudigit · 01-05-2010, 06:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scolls

It only takes me 15-20 minutes to get to Canton. You must be an awful driver if it takes an extra 2 hours to get to Grosse Pointe.

I believe that poster meant total time spent in the car, or about an hour each way. We live in Dundee, and when we go to downtown Detroit, it takes just under an hour, so AA to Grosse Point, considering that AA is only 15 min. up the road from us, wouldn't be much less than that. Our son commutes from here to U of M Dearborn and it takes him about 40 min. on a good day. If you figure in snow, accidents, etc. it would be more.

I would seriously look around the smaller towns near AA such as Saline and Chelsea if you prefer older houses with character. It would be in the opposite direction from Grosse Point, but there are houses like that to be had in those towns, and they have a quaint, small town vibe that Grosse Point, while it is beautiful, lacks.

annika08 · 01-05-2010, 08:29 AM

I live in Ann Arbor; I think it would suck to drive on a regular basis on these torn-up roads from A2 to GP, especially now that it's winter and plowing/salt service is practically non-existant when it snows.

Have you considered Chelsea, Saline, Milan, Canton, Whitmore Lake, Plymouth Township? Those are all nice areas and much closer to A2 than GP.

J'aimeDesVilles · 01-05-2010, 09:44 AM

I would agree with what most of the other posters have said about the nearby areas with the exception of Canton. Canton is mostly newer, cookie-cutter suburbia doused with an overabundance of retail/fast food, etc. It is the poster child of suburban sprawl and ugliness.

What about Livonia? I am not overly familiar with it but I believe it has some older housing with good sized yards. It is about a 20 minute drive from A2.

The drive to and from GP would be brutal in the winter and construction. Plus you have to go through downtown Detroit and deal with that traffic.

Dexterguy · 01-05-2010, 09:50 AM

Grosse Pointe to Ann Arbor is a long drive, but if you have your heart set on living in Grosse Pointe I would go for it. There is no place around Ann Arbor that has the specifications that you mentioned. Once you get into the "suburbs" of Ann Arbor it gets quite rural and doesn't compare to the more urban lifestyle that you would get in the Pointes.

If it makes you feel any better, I know a guy who drives from Grosse Pointe to Fowlerville everyday. He knows it's a killer commute but he loves the Grosse Pointes.

racwalt1 · 01-07-2010, 10:55 PM

Thank you everyone. I have looked at some of the areas you have suggested, however, most of the older homes in these areas seem like old farm houses or bungalows. While these homes are quaint, that it'sn't really our taste. We prefer a more stately home, preferably brick with plaster detailing. I'm begining to realize that what we want doesn't exist outside of GP in our price range. We can afford a large home in newer areas but those areas are the antithesis of what we want....we'll keep looking.

Coldjensens · 01-08-2010, 08:17 AM

Chelsea - No contest.

Dexter could be nice too.

Plymouth maybe, but you will not find privacy unless you go out to the township and then you may as well go to any rural area.

Find an old farmhouse in one of the surrounding townships.

Did I mention Chelsea?

If you do nto mind a long drive you could look at Tecumseh too.