Moving to Detroit? Need help (Flint, Royal Oak: apartments, rentals, lofts)

[cari5228]

Pretty soon I will be attending Wayne State University and I need to know where to live. I don't want to live on campus. Which neighborhoods in Detroit would you recommend living in? I don't want to hear the usual oh Detroit is ghetto, don't move there, etc. I am moving there. I don't know anything about which neighborhood to live in so I want an honest answer. I'd like to live in a decent neighborhood and there must be some in Detroit somewhere. I'm originally from Flint...I have lived in the hood most of my life...I have a ccw...I'd just rather not live in the middle of a war zone...any heads up would be greatly appreciated!

[Remisc]

I would recommend Corktown. Ethnically diverse Detroit neighborhood just outside of Downtown, and not very far from Wayne State at all. I'm not 100% sure about the crime, but it looks like a safer area to me. Do your research!

[Coldjensens]

Downtown, Corktown, Near Eastern Market. Hamtrammak if you do not mind some challenges (or threats).

However if you are going to drive, you may want to look at Royal Oak.

[ForStarters]

Hey cari, Midtown (where WSU is located) has a lot of great places to live and is a happening place. Downtown is also great because, well, it is downtown and has all the activity of city life. Corktown, which is off Michigan Ave just outside of downtown is also a nice neighborhood, and similarly, Eastern Market , which is just outside of downtown off Gratiot is good. There's also places along the river that are very decent and have great views. You may also want to look at New Center (uptown), which has some cheaper places, but be conscious of the specific neighborhoods. Lastly, I know several students who live in southwest Detroit around Mexicantown, which is worth considering. You will find WSU/CCS/UDM students living in all these places, but primarily in Midtown around campus.

If you want to walk to school, I would suggest staying in Midtown, or along the Woodward corridor. There are some brand new lofts along Woodward, but I'm not sure how pricey they are. Downtown is convenient if you want to ride the bus, bike, or drive.

It will be obvious to you the areas of Detroit that aren't the best. Definitely do your own research, but I would suggest that the places listed above are your best bets.

As far as the suburbs go, Ferndale would be a solid pick, then Royal Oak in terms of proximity to WSU and youthful environment.

This site is very helpful for finding places to live in the city. Just click the name of the district, i.e. "Downtown" and a list of places will come up. Downtown Detroit Partnership - Downtown Housing Guide (http://www.downtowndetroit.org/ddp/housing_intro.htm - broken link)

Whatever you decide on, Welcome to Detroit!

[Cherry]

Woodbridge.

[electronica]

Hey there. I hope you enjoy Detroit, I know I did, and I miss her. These are the neighborhoods in the city that I would recommend. And screw Royal Oak, live in the city! Who moves to a city to live in it's suburbs, c'mon now people!
Palmer Woods
Indian Village
Boston-Edison (very close to campus)
Midtown (campus is in midtown)
Woodbridge
English Village
Downtown
All of these areas are very nice. It might be hard to find rentals in Palmer Woods or the Indian Village, as these are all single family homes, but the rest should be easy. I would say midtown is the most convenient to campus, but they are all nice areas.

[detroitlimited]

First off, all these neighborhoods are safe. I lived in Midtown and Woodbridge and I have many friends in the other areas I list. I would live in any of them.

Midtown if you want a walkable urban experience and apartment living. You can walk most places, and you won't ever really need to leave. And there are 24hr bus routes if you do need to leave. This is the location of the WSU, the College for Creative Studies and the Cultural Center (which includes the Detroit Institute of Arts, Detroit Science Center, African-American History Museum, Detroit Historical Museum and the main branch of the Detroit Public Library) and the Detroit Medical Center as well as many theaters, galleries, venues, restaurants and a small but growing number of retail shops.

Woodbridge if you want to be close to campus but have a house, duplex, townhouse or apartment with a yard and a more small-scale neighborhood feel. You may want a car, but WSU is still within walking distance. The closest to WSU is more of a college zone, and overrun with hipsters.

Downtown if you want the apartment living and a walkable urban lifestyle, but outside the University/Cultural center/Midtown area. Downtown is the location of the Central Business District, the bulk of the Theater District, Greektown, Paradise Valley district, and three out of four professional sports teams, as well as two out of the three Detroit casinos. There is also the People Mover, a 3-mile loop around Downtown that brings you within a block or two of virtually every Downtown destination. Great choice if you don't like being outside, because between the People Mover, the RenCen, and other indoor "arcades," you don't ever really need to go outside more than a block or two. Other amenities include the beautiful new YMCA facility, the new Rosa Parks Transit Center and new International Riverwalk. Getting to WSU and Midtown is easy, as there are more than 5 bus routes to take you there, two of which are 24hrs.

Corktown if you want a house and yard and neighborhood feel, but not taken over by students and hipsters, or if you want to be closer/walking distance to Downtown. There are also many bars to walk to, and Mexicantown is the next neighborhood over, which is an area I would also recommend. Also, Corktown does have some nice warehouse loft buildings. I associate Corktown with the late20s /30-something crowd.

Eastern Market if you want loft living and close proximity to all things food. There are many markets and restaurants here and Saturday is the big farmers market. Problem is that it is too far to walk to WSU, and there is no direct bus (you have to go Downtown to transfer) so you'd have to bike or drive to school.

Mexicantown/Hubbard-Farms if you want a neighborhood feel similar to Woodbridge, but without the college feel and with more urban amenities (more grocery stores, commercial areas with actual shops, more restaurants, etc). There is a diverse housing stock, similar to Corktown or Woodbridge, so you won't have a problem finding your desired type of housing (apartment or townhouse or duplex or what have you). The main problem is that it is a little far from WSU, and you would have to take two buses to get there, or drive a car.

--

Ferndale and Royal Oak don't live here, as they aren't in the city of Detroit and are EXTREMELY OVERRATED. Only live here if you desire a suburban lifestyle where you dive everywhere while taking on a yuppie aesthetic and claiming to be urban. These are faux-urban suburbs that have functionally replaced Detroit in the minds of many suburbanites as a destination for nightlife, shopping and an "urban" experience, however fake it may be.

[zthatzmanz28]

The apartments there on 4th and Holden are really nice. Perfect for a student and rather reasonable.

[detwahDJ]

I have to stick up a bit for the Royal Oak area. It depends on what you want. The other places mentioned are good, but if you want entertainment you'll have to commute.
I gigged there in the '80s & '90s. There were venues in the north Woodward corridor - not much in the other areas (some around Wayne U & downtown).
Also the R.O. area is a gateway to other places north and west (east is nice but dull).
R.O. seems to have it all more bunched together.
I haven't been there since '97, so take this for what it's worth.

[Northsider 248]

Originally Posted by detroitlimited

Ferndale and Royal Oak don't live here, as they aren't in the city of Detroit and are EXTREMELY OVERRATED. Only live here if you desire a suburban lifestyle where you dive everywhere while taking on a yuppie aesthetic and claiming to be urban. These are faux-urban suburbs that have functionally replaced Detroit in the minds of many suburbanites as a destination for nightlife, shopping and an "urban" experience, however fake it may be.

I beg to differ. The city of Royal Oak is extremely overrated, I agree; but the downtown area is alot nicer and a whole lot safer than any of the areas you mentioned. As for Ferndale, it's a great city with a huge variety of people; and it's not very suburban at all. The eastern neighborhoods are right next to Hazel Park, which is the second most densely populated city in Michigan.

I'd recommend them over almost all of the neighborhoods detroitlimited listed, the exceptions being Eastern Market and Downtown. Woodbridge, Midtown and Hubbard Farms are actually pretty dangerous.