Moving for work in Grosse Pointe (Detroit, Pontiac: apartment, leases, waterpark)

[Cliffie]

e130478 refers to Grosse Pointe SHORES which is the home of the ultra-rich. The city of Grosse Pointe and Grosse Pointe Farms are a notch or two below that as price goes; Grosse Pointe Woods and Grosse Pointe Park are a notch below those. Right next to Grosse Pointe Woods is St. Claire Shores, which is even a little more affordable, but at that point the places are getting pretty small -- on the other hand there are more apartments to rent there, so I would check it out if I were you...Oh, and try looking in Eastpointe, which is across Mack Avenue for all the other places I just mentioned.

Linky: Apartments for Rent in Grosse Pointe, MI - 454 Rentals

[Pcmcvey]

Thanks for all the information. We are also looking at Sterling Heights and Rochester Hills for more of the suburban feel. Any ideas about how these places are regarding safety and family friendliness?

[GMonkey]

Sterling Heights you can probably find your price range. Rochester Hills? Not so sure. What do you mean by "suburban feel"? McMansions and yards with no fences? Lack of character? Why add a commute when you can be in a great area by sticking within the Pointes. Anyplace you rent is going to want 1.5 or 2X the first months rent for a deposit.

[snoopygirlmi]

Yes, you can easily find something in your price range in Rochester Hills.

The difference is that you get more house for your money in Macomb County (Sterling Heights) than you will in Oakland (Rochester Hills).

Rochester (surrounded by Rochester Hills) was voted one of the safest communities in Michigan. Rochester Hills seemed to be more family-friendly to me and I've lived in both cities. Both communities have a lot of community events and family activities. Rochester has its own police department while Rochester Hills outsources its police service to the county sheriff's department. Rochester Community schools are top-notch. Utica schools are so-so. Sterling Heights is also a really safe area.

Still, as GMonkey said, why add a long commute ?

If I were to move to the East side again, then I'd definitely look at the Pointes. There really isn't easy highway access anywhere north of Troy (including the two communities you are looking at). Commutes are really rough going south in the mornings because depending on the location of your home, there isn't the infrastructure to support the large volumes of traffic. A lot of roads that really need to be two lanes (one way) are still one lane (and traffic gets backed up real quick). And, sadly, a lot of people really hate the roundabouts and don't know how to use them and fight every effort to get them built.

It took my husband 45 minutes to get from RH to Southfield because there wasn't an easy direct route to where he needed to go. That's w/no accidents or "weather" related problems either.

[Eddybrown]

Grosse Pointe area was one of the first (within Wayne) suburbs the rich fled to from 1950 and beyond. It actually saw population growth until 1970. The depopulation has from 1970 until now been slow and most of them who have left are the children. If they stay in Detroit metro they move further away from Detroit. Those who stay are mainly old people with fairly high income. Grosse Pointe City has a median income of 90,000 and is more than 90 percent white. The other cities: Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Farm, Grosse Pointe Shores and Grosse Pointe Woods show similar statistics.

Grosse Pointe Area is significantly high income and has a high concentration of white Christians. The city of Grosse Pointe Park borders Detroit (proper), which makes it a high-risk area for investments. Grosse Points Park lose around had 16,000 people in 1970 but had just above just 11,000 people in 2010. Grosse Points Park borders neighborhoods East English Village (Detroit), Morningside (Detroit) on the East side and an area called Jefferson Corridor (Detroit). Both East English Village and Morningside see constant investments from Wayne County to keep these two neighborhoods relatively safe and free from extreme blight.

The reason is of course obvious, there is a high risk that blight, poverty and crime will spread to Grosse Point Area and so would Detroit be even more isolated. Because of all the investments those communities within East English Village and Morningside that borders Grosse Pointe Park are inhabited by large minority of black working to middle class people. Still between 15 to 40 percent of the people living in those communities (not mentioning Grosse Point) are below poverty line. Those neighborhoods and communities within the Jefferson corridor show an even worse pattern with around 30 up to 60 percent of the population below poverty in those communities that borders Grosse Pointe Park. The further North and deeper within Grosse Pointe Area the more safe you are. Grosse Pointe Shores is entirely bordered by other cities within Grosse Pointe Area.
Living in Detroit Metro is like living in Johannesburg Metro in South Africa. The city-core (Detroit proper) is extremely unsafe and the working and middle hide far out in the suburbs. Still, there is a small community of upper-middle class and old-money rich that hang around close to the city of Detroit and Grosse Pointe would be one of the last larger areas in Wayne County close to the city of Detroit that is still inhabited by mostly middle to upper class people.

There is no city within Metropolitan Detroit that is seeing a bright future. In fact, most of Michigan is slowly dying off. There is a slightly increase population in the entire state but that is mostly because of a small Hispanic and Asian immigration. In 2011 Michigan had the 34th lowest median household income in United States and in 2007 it had the 26th highest median household income and which was slightly higher than the US median household income. Michigan is sad but once prosperous cites like Flint, Lansing and Detroit is even sadder. Michigan is gone and the only thing that is left is a few mansions, a few wealthy and the scared and dull left-wing middle class in Ann Arbor.

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by Eddybrown

Living in Detroit Metro is like living in Johannesburg Metro in South Africa. The city-core (Detroit proper) is extremely unsafe and the working and middle hide far out in the suburbs. Still, there is a small community of upper-middle class and old-money rich that hang around close to the city of Detroit and Grosse Pointe would be one of the last larger areas in Wayne County close to the city of Detroit that is still inhabited by mostly middle to upper class people.

There is no city within Metropolitan Detroit that is seeing a bright future. In fact, most of Michigan is slowly dying off. There is a slightly increase population in the entire state but that is mostly because of a small Hispanic and Asian immigration. In 2011 Michigan had the 34th lowest median household income in United States and in 2007 it had the 26th highest median household income and which was slightly higher than the US median household income. Michigan is sad but once prosperous cites like Flint, Lansing and Detroit is even sadder. Michigan is gone and the only thing that is left is a few mansions, a few wealthy and the scared and dull left-wing middle class in Ann Arbor.

And posts like this are not really geared to attract new blood and turn things around, Eddy.

There are nice -- and not-nice -- neighborhoods checkerboarded all over the Metro area. A lot of them will be what the OP is looking for in terms of places to live. There are a lot of open jobs they are having trouble filling there because so many skilled people fled to Arizona when the economy tanked in 2008-2009. Businesses are opening and people are needed to work in them. Crime is DROPPING and has been for years, even in the scariest neighborhoods. Welcome!

[MS313]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

And posts like this are not really geared to attract new blood and turn things around, Eddy.

There are nice -- and not-nice -- neighborhoods checkerboarded all over the Metro area. A lot of them will be what the OP is looking for in terms of places to live. There are a lot of open jobs they are having trouble filling there because so many skilled people fled to Arizona when the economy tanked in 2008-2009. Businesses are opening and people are needed to work in them. Crime is DROPPING and has been for years, even in the scariest neighborhoods. Welcome!

NO, they don't realize that. They sit on these forums and complain complain complain, and then work overtime to discourage anyone from coming. Some posters even flat out beg them not to move to Metro Detroit or try to ridicule them from doing so even when they clearly state that they have a job offer, family reasons, ect for doing so. I'm starting to think that they try to keep any newcomers away just because they enjoy the decline of Detroit. They have some weird obsession with it or something and they don't want things to change anytime soon. If they did want things to change, they would be trying to encourage and help the newcomers, but instead their doing the opposite.

[Cliffie]

Originally Posted by Pcmcvey

Thanks for all the information. We are also looking at Sterling Heights and Rochester Hills for more of the suburban feel. Any ideas about how these places are regarding safety and family friendliness?

Rochester Hills? Sterling Heights? The Grosse Pointes ARE the suburbs. You don't have to drive for an hour to get that suburban feel! To me, anyway, Sterling Heights has the same look and feel of the single-family-home neighborhoods in downtown Detroit. Rochester Hills is something like two hours away when the traffic is bad. If you have a job in one of the leafiest and calmest suburbs on Detroit -- the Grosse Pointes -- feel free to live in that very same suburb.

[GMonkey]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

Rochester Hills? Sterling Heights? The Grosse Pointes ARE the suburbs. You don't have to drive for an hour to get that suburban feel! To me, anyway, Sterling Heights has the same look and feel of the single-family-home neighborhoods in downtown Detroit. Rochester Hills is something like two hours away when the traffic is bad. If you have a job in one of the leafiest and calmest suburbs on Detroit -- the Grosse Pointes -- feel free to live in that very same suburb.

I can't even imagine having a job right in Grosse Pointe and then choosing to live in Sterling Heights or Rochester/Rochester Hills. It just doesn't make any sense whatsoever.

OP--Do whatever makes you happy, but I would definitely suggest at least renting near your place of work for a year. I'd be shocked if you didn't love it and chose the higher expense and much longer commute.

[Pcmcvey]

So I have learned a little more about the job. First off I got offered, second I will be traveling between six locations ranging from Grosse Pointe to Pontiac. I will only be there for roughly 6 months so renting a house becomes more difficult due to most people wanting a minimum of a year lease. With all that being said we have been looking at The Preserves apartments in Sterling Heights. Does anyone have any information on these apartments? Any other areas to consider? We would like to live in Grosse Pointe but it seems as though that will be difficult to do due to short term lease needs. Thank you everyone for your input and we are looking forward to moving to Michigan, even for a short period.