Potential job near Detroit. Is it worth it? (Ann Arbor, Southfield: apartments, houses)

[nep321]

I currently live in Fairfield County, CT (near NYC) and have been asked by a recruiter if I am interested in pursuing a position located in Southfield, MI. The job is with International Automotive Components (IAC) and pays $76K. It would be a career promotion as well. The job requires global travel up to 15% of the time. Currently, I make $75K plus $15K bonus.

I have never been to the Detroit area. Obviously, Detroit's reputation is unbelievably bad. My friends here in CT are like, "hell no....do not pursue that job." But I'm not that stupid. The same thing could be said about many blighted cities in the U.S.

Are the suburbs any good? Is there a large, quality gay population of guys aged 25-35? I'd be willing to commute up to 30 minutes to work.

It also seems like I could afford a house easily. Where I live now, a home costs $400K on average, but there it seems to be around $100K. Wow! I could buy two or three homes all for myself!

And there are direct flights to BDL (Hartford, CT) so that I can visit family in just 90 minutes.

Anyway, should I pursue this or should I steer clear?

[animatedmartian]

Detroit's not as bad as people make it out to be unless you're dirt poor, but that's with anywhere. The most significant gay/young population tends to be around the Ferndale/Royal Oak area. Plenty of small homes and apartments in this area would probably pretty affordable for you as well as plenty of nightlife and shopping.

I think it would be a good job for you to accept if you have no other specific criteria that you'd be looking for in an area. The only other thing you might come across is a culture shock given that this is the Midwest and Midwesterners are stereotyped as insular and unfriendly... that might make a bigger difference to you rather than whatever media image there is of Detroit.

[pokeable]

Originally Posted by nep321

I currently live in Fairfield County, CT (near NYC) and have been asked by a recruiter if I am interested in pursuing a position located in Southfield, MI. The job is with International Automotive Components (IAC) and pays $76K. It would be a career promotion as well. The job requires global travel up to 15% of the time. Currently, I make $75K plus $15K bonus.

I have never been to the Detroit area. Obviously, Detroit's reputation is unbelievably bad. My friends here in CT are like, "hell no....do not pursue that job." But I'm not that stupid. The same thing could be said about many blighted cities in the U.S.

Are the suburbs any good? Is there a large, quality gay population of guys aged 25-35? I'd be willing to commute up to 30 minutes to work.

It also seems like I could afford a house easily. Where I live now, a home costs $400K on average, but there it seems to be around $100K. Wow! I could buy two or three homes all for myself!

And there are direct flights to BDL (Hartford, CT) so that I can visit family in just 90 minutes.

Anyway, should I pursue this or should I steer clear?

Royal Oak and Ferndale has one of the larger gay populations in the state (the other being Ann Arbor, 60 minutes away). Lots of restaurants and bars.

DTW is a Delta-captive hub, so you can fly to Asia, Europe and most places in the US nonstop.

COL is much lower, but you won't find a $100K place in Royal Oak or Ferndale.

[Delaware Davy]

Actually, it sounds like a very good career opportunity with some nice perks attached!

My vote? Go for it!

[scorpio516]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

The only other thing you might come across is a culture shock given that this is the Midwest and Midwesterners are stereotyped as insular and unfriendly... that might make a bigger difference to you rather than whatever media image there is of Detroit.

The stereotype is the opposite though - midwesterners are overly friendly.

Now New Englanders, they are the unfriendly bunch

I'm only familiar with Hartford and NE of there in CT, but you'll have more money than you know what to do with...

Oakland County, where Southfield is, is the 61th richest county in the country. Sure, you live in the 38th richest county right now, but Oakland county's median household income is only $5k less than Fairfield county's. Livingston county, which lots of people commute from, is richer than either. But it's very white and quite conservative.

Bloomfield Hills is the 8th richest town in the country.

IIRC there are not any full-time gay bars in Detroit. There is are a couple part time gay club in Ann Arbor and a full time bar.

You could live a full life with only going into the city of Detroit for special events (Tigers/Lions/Red Wings or NAIAS) or to take in good museums (but there are some nice museums in Oakland and Washtenaw counties too)

[Retroit]

I wouldn't move for a $14,000 pay cut.

[nep321]

Originally Posted by Retroit

I wouldn't move for a $14,000 pay cut.

It's not a pay cut. It's a $1,000 pay increase in salary. It is unknown as to whether there is a bonus. And $90K around where I live isn't great.

[Meemur]

Nep321, I'm from Ann Arbor, originally.

First, Southfield is not Detroit. Please go there and drive around over a long weekend. Southfield is livable, although rather gritty and industrial, not the "newish city" you've lamented about in past threads.

I don't know the state of the roads at the moment, but we had a joke about Michigan's seasons being Winter, Construction, Construction, and Construction. They are always working on I-94 and the freeways. Look in some potholes and a guy or gal from China will be waving back at you.

Your "peeps" will most likely be outside of Ann Arbor in Dexter or Saline, maybe Plymouth (haven't been there in ages). That's where a lot of the older gay couples have settled. You would probably like those areas but they would be a bit of a commute from Southfield, especially in the winter. Try posting in the Ann Arbor forum for more current info.

OP, it's hard to know with you. I can see you actively hating some of the areas around Detroit because they are old and falling apart, but I can also see you getting into the "vibe" of some of the outlying communities. If you found the partner you've been dreaming about, there are certainly small towns with affordable housing, especially along the I-94 corridor.

If you're at all serious, I strongly encourage you to go there for a long weekend and drive around. The videos of Michigan don't really capture the Good, the Bad, and the truly Ugly. It's something you have to experience, all the way from trying to drive down Telegraph Rd. in a torrential downpour (and watching the water rise up out of nowhere, truly scary!) to seeing a lingering sunset along Lake St. Clair, to looking at the closed up businesses and wondering . . . why?

It might grow on you.

Just don't buy any $1,000 houses in Detroit and try to rehab them. (See the thread about Go East, Become Homeless. Link Below)

Go East... and become homeless

[MS313]

Can't believe the results of this poll (you probably should have left the bonuses out of your regular salary on your post). But obviously your friends don't know anymore about Detroit than you do. It's nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be, especially if your not living in the hood. And trust and believe, your not going to be living in the hood if your making $76k/ year unless it's by choice. Some of the safest suburbs in the country are in Metro Detroit. I hear Ferndale has a nice sized gay community. Honestly it's only $1,000 more a year but adjust for cost of living it's probably quite a bit more. So really this comes down to a personal decision of rather you want to leave where you are now or stay.

[nep321]

Yeah it's just hard to decide, because I've never been to that area of MI. I've only been to Kalamazoo and that's it.