Young couple / Moving to Ann Arbor or Royal Oak or...? (Detroit: ski resorts, apartment complexes)

[Marta&Javier]

Hello to all,

we are a spanish couple in late 20's and we have been offered a nice job opportunity in Michigan. Due to our future job we are quite flexible about the place to live but it should be around Livonia area, 60 miles (=100 km ) maximum, as in this area is where we will develop our career.

We have been reading a lots of posts in this website (also more information in the internet) and we came to the conclusion that Ann Arbor and Royal Oak could fit our expectations.

What we are looking for is:

- A place with activity (=life), like restaurants, bars, events, etc. You need to have into account that we are from Madrid so some of you can imagine the shock we are going to experience once we land there compared to this chaotic city... But anyway, Michigan seems attractive for us!! Sports, peaceful, beautiful area... (as far as internet shows...) and many other things.

- Also it seems a place were we can practice our favourite sports
In winter; cross-country skiing (if it snows enough), alpine skiing (as I have seen there are relatively close ski resorts by car and also nice ski-clubs), ice-skating, snowkiting and so on
In summer; kiteboarding (this one mainly hehe), biking, etc

We are going there for at least 3 years and our budget for a house could be up to $ 1.500. When I say house, I mean apartment, condo, etc (I really do not understand exactly the difference between these words in the US that's why I cannot be so accurate here). I mean, or a good house with a nice garden and plenty of space, and/or a nice apartment, and/or any other similar place. We are used to flats here but I would prefer space living there as it is not as much expensive as it is here (prices showed in internet) and there aren't much flats there... Wich is better!!

We would like to know also, how are the airport connections. I have seen quite a few airports in SE of Michigan and not sure if all operate all kind of flights. We would like to travel from time to time (ski trips, touristic trips, etc) and we are not quite sure if, for example, we want to fly to New York or to Denver, we can do it from the northern airports or we need to drive to Detroit Metro Airport.

So my 3 main doubts are:

- City to live (Ann Arbor or Royal Oak or...)
- To target a nice house/apartment... (wse). And what to search for (Apartment, Condo, etc)
- Airport issue

Sorry for the looooong and boring post but we would like to be sure so we are comfortable enough there. I am sure we will!

Thank you!!!

[Coldjensens]

[
What we are looking for is:

- A place with activity. It depends on what you need for activity. If you want a lot of people out walking around. Ann Arbor is your best bet. At least during the school year. It is packed. Midtown Detroit may appeal to you as well.

- Also it seems a place were we can practice our favourite sports
XC skiing requires you be ready to go at the drop of the hat. This year we have had some decent snow coverage that hung around. The past several years, it snows and melts, snows and melts. Hardly any ski days. The "resorts" are kind of a joke. They are not mountains. Barely hills. A ski run takes less then five minutes. Still it is fun, once you adjust. If you are a bit out of shape like me, you appreciate the frequent rests on the ski lifts and the super short runs. Skiing is pleasant and pretty, but not challenging. The really close ski hills like Mt. Brighton, are just plain silly. Ice Skating is popular, especially hockey. There are rivers and lakes all over. Many parks and cities have skating rinks (some indoor some outdoor). No idea what snowkiting is. Most of the snow sports involve a trip north (usually 4-5 hour drive). Sledding is fun at Kensington though (when there is snow). For the summer, biking is nice here. Canoing, kayaking, water skiiing, and all kinds of boating are popular (my brother races a hovercraft, that is fun). Fishing and hunting are really big. Fall is the best time of year.

$1500 is a decent budget for a rental property for two people. Spend time choosing your location carfully. Get temporary quarters for at least a month and check out different areas. You will want to be close to your work. Winter driving can be tough.


Detroit Metro airport (DTW) is pretty much it. Smaller airports have mostly connector flights to Detroit or Chicago where you get on a plane to somewhere else. There are some direct flights, but not many and they tend to be pricy. Sometimes you can get lucky. However in SE michigan, you are almost always going to fly out of Detroit Metro. Detroit is a major international airport.


- City to live (Ann Arbor or Royal Oak or...)

You have loads of choices. Ann Arbor Royal Oak and Midtown Detroit are your liveliest options. Wyandotte has some life too. There are dozens of really nice cities and towns to live in and lots of rural areas too. There are a few bad places, and some that are just bland.

- To target a nice house/apartment... (wse). And what to search for (Apartment, Condo, etc)
Rent what you want. Apartment or condo is essentailly the same. Renting a house usually means you take care of the lawn and shovel the snow yourself. Apartment complexes have more ameneties (like a gym or a pool) and they tend to do more things for you. My personal choice in Ann Arbor would be to rent an old house within walking distance of downtown.


Here are some other cities you might look at:

Chelsea*
Plymouth*
Northville*
Milford.*
Wyandotte.*
Novi
Troy
Ferndale
Mid town or down town Detroit.*
Grosse Pointe (s) (five different cities all clustered together)*
Trenton.
Grosse Ile.*
Walled Lake.
Rochester (pretty far from the airport)*
Dearborn.*
South Lyon.
Novi
Saline
Tecumseh
Brighton
St Clair shores.
Birmingham.
Bloomfield Hills.
West Bloomfield.
Franklin
Dexter*
Dixborough


This is bascially a starter list to consider. there are a dozen more that could/should be included, especially in north Oakland County and in Macomb county. I put * next to ones that I find specially appealing. Most areaas offer some unique advantage. SOme are near Kensington Metropark which is great. Troy has a really fancy shopping mall. Plymouth, Chelsea, Tecumseh Saline and Dexter are all small towns surrounding Ann Arbor. Dixborough is a little village on the outskirts of Ann Arbor. Some have water (lakes or rivers). Grosse Ile is a cluster of 14 islands. Some have quaint little downtowns.

Also not mentioned is most towns have a realted township. Townships are often more rural (forests and farms), but many of them have been built out with subdivisions.

[zthatzmanz28]

Ann Arbor or immediate area will probably meet your needs better. Alpine Skiing (LOL) is same distance coming from Royal Oak or Ann Arbor. X_Country is probably more convenient to Ann Arbor. So too is air travel.

House, apartment or condo? Apartments and condos are the same from the point of view of renting. Living area and little or no outside space for gardening.
The house will usually have some yard and you can always go big and find a house with enough space to keep a horse or two OR a really nice garden.

CJ, your list seems to have left TAYLOR out? Possible an oversight?

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

Ann Arbor or immediate area will probably meet your needs better. Alpine Skiing (LOL) is same distance coming from Royal Oak or Ann Arbor. X_Country is probably more convenient to Ann Arbor. So too is air travel.

House, apartment or condo? Apartments and condos are the same from the point of view of renting. Living area and little or no outside space for gardening.
The house will usually have some yard and you can always go big and find a house with enough space to keep a horse or two OR a really nice garden.

CJ, your list seems to have left TAYLOR out? Possible an oversight?

There are three nice houses bordering on Heritage park in Taylor. However none of them are for rent.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

There are three nice houses bordering on Heritage park in Taylor. However none of them are for rent.

I understand the place next to Steve Avery may be available there on Mortenview.

[DTWflyer]

Originally Posted by Marta&Javier

Hello to all,


We would like to know also, how are the airport connections. I have seen quite a few airports in SE of Michigan and not sure if all operate all kind of flights. We would like to travel from time to time (ski trips, touristic trips, etc) and we are not quite sure if, for example, we want to fly to New York or to Denver, we can do it from the northern airports or we need to drive to Detroit Metro Airport.



Thank you!!!

Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) is an excellent, world-class airport. It is a major hub for Delta Air Lines, which offers over 500 flights per day to hundreds of destinations around the world. In addition, every major domestic airline operates flights to their hubs out of DTW. There are numerous flights to NYC and Denver per day, plus nearly a dozen to Europe (Amsterdam, London, Paris, Frankfurt), and at least 5-6 to Asia (Tokyo, China). DTW is consistently ranked as one of the best airports in the country. So, you'll be more than happy with air service out of DTW.

The only other airport in the region if Flint (FNT). Located just north of the metro area, it is an alternative but has limited flight options, with limited service to Atlanta, Chicago, and a few seasonal Florida destinations.

I'd say if you want a mix of culture, parks/recreation, reasonably close to the airport, and a reasonable commute to Livonia, I would definetely look at Ann Arbor. At the very least, rent a place at first in Ann Arbor, Plymouth, or Northville until you get a chance to learn your way around the area.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by DTWflyer

Detroit Metro Airport (DTW) is an excellent, world-class airport. It is a major hub for Delta Air Lines, which offers over 500 flights per day to hundreds of destinations around the world. In addition, every major domestic airline operates flights to their hubs out of DTW. There are numerous flights to NYC and Denver per day, plus nearly a dozen to Europe (Amsterdam, London, Paris, Frankfurt), and at least 5-6 to Asia (Tokyo, China). DTW is consistently ranked as one of the best airports in the country. So, you'll be more than happy with air service out of DTW.

And yet, there are no direct flights to Orange County CA. Sigh.

[usroute10]

I would suggest Birmingham. It has a HUGE downtown for just a small little city. Excellent community. Excellent city parks and amenities. Very near to Royal Oak and Pontiac. You are not far from Stony Creek Metropark, and Metro Beach and Kensington Parks are 45 minutes away.

The Detroit Area for the most part is really not a beautiful area. Up in the Rochester area and down in the Plymouth area and Ann Arbor area, you will find nice rolling hills. Those communities along Lake St. Clair and the Detroit and St. Clair Rivers have excellent water views and access, as well as the inland lake area of northwestern Oakland County. Belle Isle Park is unique. However, for the most part, the Detroit Area is a pretty flat and dull area geographically, with endless sprawl. In the less populated western and northern parts of the state of Michigan, you will find the most beauty.

[Coldjensens]

Brimingham is nice (kind of snooty and too much new/yuppified architecture for me). I love to go to Birmginham for an evening or to work in our office there for a few days, but personally I would not chose to live there. Naturally there are lots of nice people there, but it is also the trendy place for the neuvo riche and their trophy wives and all that goes with it, that tends to ruin it for me. Everyone's tastes are different though. However it is a long way from the airport.

[scorpio516]

I'd suggest Ann Arbor. I'd think it would be the least culture shock for you, much easier to get to outdoors activities, DTW is easy to get to, and you don't have to leave town to see cultural events.

There are a few metroparks right outside of Ann Arbor ( Huron-Clinton Metroparks ), some big parks inside, and some nice state parks by Chelsea (Waterloo and Pinckney state recreation areas).
Growing up outside Ann Arbor, I was able to Nordic ski in my backyard. Decent alpine skiing is either a 8-10 hr car drive or a plane trip to New England, Colorado/Utah, or California.

Cycling - there are some decent roads - but lots of pot holes - and some good mountain biking, but very few hills in Southeast Michigan. If you enjoy biking in the Pyrenees or the Sistema Central, your going to be let down. However, if you don't like climbing hills, you'll be happy! I biked most of the summer around Ann Arbor and never shifted off the big ring in the front.