offered a job in troy, Where is a good place to live? (Detroit: apartments, lofts)

[gooby]

I was offered a job in troy and I am trying to find as much information as possible on places to live. i have a preschool and a elementary age children, so a good school is very important. We are coming from overseas but we grew up in Saginaw area so we are kind of familiar with Michigan. It has been a long time since we lived there so i need lot of help.
Thank you

[animatedmartian]

Troy would be a good place to start. Very usual sprawling suburb. The north and west side of the city has newer and more expensive housing. The cheaper homes are on the southeast side. The two school districts are pretty good, but of course the one with the more expensive housing is slightly better. Overall, Troy would be the best place to start looking.

[FF-fan]

I think Troy would be your best bet. Yeah it's a sprawling suburb, but there's plenty of shopping (Somerset for high-end shopping, and several retail spots around town) plus the schools are pretty good. I'd also check out Rochester and Rochester Hills if you're willing to live a bit further from Troy itself; great communities (the former is small, but has a great downtown / the latter is larger and another sprawling suburb) both with good schools and safe.

[rdub1968]

Yep, Troy. Lived there for over 5 years and loved it.
You'll probably be working in a congested area traffic wise, no sense in making your commute any longer.
I found the northern part of Troy (up near Square Lake) is nicer than the area around Maple.

[snoopygirlmi]

Troy is known for its good schools. A lot depends on where you work. The Northern most part of Troy will put you in the Avondale school district (which is a combo of Rochester Hills/Auburn Hills/Troy), so make sure you know where your borders are when choosing a place to live.

If you are looking for more urban, then Troy's the place to be. Troy's really a commuter town because a lot of people come into town to work, but leave at the end of the work day.

[jmz768]

Pretty much any of the cities surrounding Troy are nice. If you end up considering Sterling Heights, stay on the north side of town.

[DTWflyer]

Can't go wrong with Troy, Rochester, Birmingham, or Bloomfield Hills school districts.

Many have said Troy which is obviously a good start itself.

Another area to consider is that there is an area in the southwestern corner of Troy that goes to Birmingham schools, which is a nice generally quiet neighborhood. The houses are 1960/1970's era which decent sized lots and a good walkable/bikable neighborhood. Check out the area bordered by Adams, Wattles, Beach, and Big Beaver.

Nice part about living here is that you are close to dowtown Birmingham and feel part of that community (which Troy itself lacks) but its also more affordable than Birmingham itself.

[us66]

Warren Consolidated Schools are in the SE corner of town and are held in much lower esteem than the other schools in Troy. A small part of the city just outside of Clawson has Royal Oak schools, I think, which may be a half-step lower as well. Stay north of Maple, except between John R and Dequindre, where you'll have to stay north of Big Beaver.

[keithwand]

Uh Troy or Rochester Hills.

[Mkrajenke]

Troy : Large Suburban City bordered by Birmingham, Madison Heights, Sterling Heights, Shelby Township, and Rochester Hills. Very good and large school district (Troy School District). Controversal mayor (Not Kwame like, just expressing her personal views about people and their lifestyle and culture like.) Most shopping and the main 'Downtown' is focused along Big Beaver Rd. (Metro Parkway in Macomb County or 16 mile) or Rochester Rd. Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Meijer, Wendy's, McDonald's, strip mall shopping and Michigan's famous Somerset Collection mall. Higher than some suburbs in taxes but you do get very good city services, a lot of parks, nature center, Troy Community and Athletic Center (like a fitness gym but the city sponsors it), library, water park. New 'Downtown Troy' development is in progress but slow due to the economy. Plans to turn Big Beaver Rd. into a 'World Class Boulevard'. (Similar to New York's 5th Ave, Beverly Hills Rodeo Drive, Nevada's Vegas Strip, Detroit's Woodward Avenue, ect.) Easy access to M59 and i75


Royal Oak : Royal Oak is a fairly older developed (50s, 60s) city. The Downtown is always busy with clubs, bars, restaurants, shops, people walking in the spring and summer, no matter what time or weekday. Very safe and well developed community with a lot of parks. Upscale Lofts available in Downtown. Trendy among the 20 - 30 something age group. Easy access to i696 & i75

Birmingham - Nice well-kept downtown. Not as nice as Royal Oaks but includes a lot of upscale lofts and apartments, expensive older homes, Birmingham City School District, installing new Radio Read water meters for residents, some private schools, young uppity kind of people like the city. Easy access to i75

Rochester Hills - Historic, Distinctive, Progressive. Fairly new city formed in 1984 when voters changed the name from Avon Township to Rochester Hills with the city bordering nearby Rochester. Famous Yates Cider Mill is in Rochester Hills. Includes Oakland University, Meadowbrook Hall and Mansion (It was built between 1926 and 1929 by Matilda Dodge Wilson (the widow of auto pioneer John Francis Dodge) and her second husband, lumber broker Alfred G. Wilson.) Bordered by Oakland Township, Auburn Hills, Troy, Rochester, and Shelby Township. A lot of everything you ever need is in the city including hospitals, doctors, fast food, restaurants, bars, The Village of Rochester Hills (outdoor mall), ect. Avondale Community Schools and Rochester Community Schools service the area as well as Oakland Community College and Rochester College. Easy access to i75 and M59.

Rochester - Surrounded by Rochester Hills and bordered by Shelby Township. Busy small downtown with shops, bars, restaurants, ect. Very walkable city. Close to Yates Cider Mill, has several festivals downtown as well as 'The Festival of Lights' where all the buildings in downtown are covered in Christmas lights. Easy access to M59


Good luck :-) I recommend researching the cities online and visiting their websites to find out what services they provide. Royal Oak and Birmingham are nice 'walkable' communities where as Rochester Hills and Troy is not too pedestrian friendly. Rochester is also pedestrian friendly.