Are the Grosse Pointe(s) still as good as their rep? (Detroit: best suburbs, for sale)

[Philly Cat]

We live in suburban philly and my partner got a job in Detroit at the Rennaisance Center. He grew up in the area (Taylor) and he said GP is "the best of the best" and although demographics, crime stats, and the old homes all check boxes for what we need, it seems that homes in GP are much cheaper than comparable homes in Novi, Birmingham etc.

I'm not insinuating that Grosse Pointe (I mean all the pointes when I say this) is the hood at all, but has it declined from its former glory as where "the auto millionaires live" and is now just a run-of-the-mill upper middle class inner suburb? I ask because we are far from rich and can easily afford a home there.


What's the area like now?

[animatedmartian]

Suburbs like Novi and Birmingham are just trendy and filled with new development where Grosse Pointe is less so. But it's still one of the better suburbs.

[Philly Cat]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Suburbs like Novi and Birmingham are just trendy and filled with new development where Grosse Pointe is less so. But it's still one of the better suburbs.

Would you say its "the best"?

Also, how is the area of the city right over the GP border, by Mack and Cadieux with the side streets named after places in England? Street view looks exactly the same as GP but the home we see for sale is literally half the price. I know Detroit Public Schools generally are not good but since our mortgage on one of those homes would be a third of what we are paying now, it would make private school a reality.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by Philly Cat

Would you say its "the best"?

Also, how is the area of the city right over the GP border, by Mack and Cadieux with the side streets named after places in England? Street view looks exactly the same as GP but the home we see for sale is literally half the price. I know Detroit Public Schools generally are not good but since our mortgage on one of those homes would be a third of what we are paying now, it would make private school a reality.

That area of Detroit is known as East English Village. The neighborhood itself (Outer Drive to Cadieux), is mostly fine and the residents there are active in keeping up the neighborhood. However, a few blocks outside of it, crime and urban decay can get pretty bad and it's often a block by block situation where some streets look okay but the next one over can have a ton of vacant homes especially to the west and the other side of the freeway. It's generally wise to stick to the main roads and not linger too long if you don't have a set destination in this area.

Grosse Pointe... I don't think it's the best, personally, but it has its pros and cons. A few pros would be its proximity to downtown Detroit and that they're lakefront suburbs. Another pro is that generally traffic doesn't get very heavy since it's not really a pass-through suburb like some of the others.

Some cons would be that each Grosse Pointe is kind of small and so that limits options on housing and what there is amenity-wise. The nearest mall is kind of in decline and has more stores aimed at lower income residents though that's not to say GP is devoid of any shopping. Another con is that much of the adjacent areas within Detroit and a little bit of Harper Woods are pretty crime-ridden and Detroit especially has a lot of visible blight. Sometimes it makes the Grosse Pointes seem like an island which not everyone is comfortable with. But for as long as Detroit has been in decline, none of the decline has spread into any of the GPs (either by design or socioeconomic factors).

They're certainly not the best suburbs, mainly due to location and size, but they're at least in the top 10 of areas to live within Metro Detroit.

[jonnynonos]

Grosse Pointe is seen as old money; Bloomfield Hills/Birmingham as new money; I would imagine the latter exceeded the former in per capita wealth long ago. But there are four or five different Grosse Pointes, and it is very stratified as to which is the wealthiest/least wealthy. Grosse Pointe Shores for example may still indeed be the wealthiest municipality in the state if counted by itself, whereas Grosse Pointe Woods is pretty middle class, or at least some of it is.

Grosse Pointe probably still ranks pretty high across metrics of affluence; one if it's problems is that downtown Grosse Pointe barely exists whereas Birmingham is pretty cool/vibrant. Of course Grosse Ponite is much nearer downtown Detroit, so if you like Detroit, it's a big plus, if you prefer an affluent suburban downtown, you'd prefer Birmimgham.

[Coldjensens]

"The best of the best" depends on what you want from your hometown. The pointes are certainly nice and for a short commute to downtown or midtown it is your best option for suburban living. The Detroit suburbs have something to offer everyone as the best of the best. Each person will have a different "best" Personally, Birmingham does not appeal to me and I would not live there. IT is simply not the style/atmosphere I want to live in.

What is important to you? Shopping? Choose Novi. Quaint small towns? Choose Northville, or Plymouth. Semi urban lifestyle? Royal Oak or Wyandotte. Schools? Again that will depend on your criteria. However there is a large list of suburbs with excellent schools. Water access? Another rather lengthy list. Nature? Farms? Airport access? Safety? housing stock? Again that depends on your preferences.

I would suggest you rent and explore before settling in. spend a year or two getting to know the entire area before committing to one place. It is really hard to tell what is best for your personal preferences until you get to know the different places.

Oh an do not write off Detroit Schools altogether. they have two decent high schools Renaissance and Cass Tech. Also Detroit Performing Arts high school is pretty good I hear.

[Arthur Digby Sellers]

Birmingham is the most affluent burb in Metro Detroit. When people think of auto millionaires in Grosse Pointe, they are usually referring Grosse Pointe Shores, as that is by far the most affluent of the Pointes. Edsel Ford and many other auto scions still live there. The rest of the Pointes are a mixed bag -- but still very affluent in comparison to the area in general. That is likely where you are seeing lower home values than other comparable burbs.

[zthatzmanz28]

The best of the best is probably West Bloomfield where gated driveways are typical.

The Pointes, Grosse, Shores, Farms, Park, BLANK, etc..(what happens if Detroit changes it name to THE POINTE?) are nicer than many areas, but whether they are nicer than Novi, parts of Farmington, Northville, and even Milford (all are a longer commute to the Ren-Cen) is debatable.

One has to compare their expectations with the reality of what the Points offer. Personally, if I am making over $150K (the minimum I would need to even consider any of the Pointes) and working downtown, I would look to the northern burbs like Troy or Rochester. I also grew up in Taylor-tucky and we rarely talked about the Pointes. Most of Downriver was infatuated with Grosse Isle and most parts of Oakland County when I was there.

[jonnynonos]

You certainly don't need to make anything close to $150k to live in the Pointes, unless perhaps you are the sole provider of a large family.

And it's Bloomfield Hills that has the outrageous per capita/median family income, not West Bloomfield.

[reppin_the_847]

The recent Paige Stalker murder was quite shocking to say the least. It happened on the Detroit side of the border, but not far from GP. Christina Samuel from Detroit was also murdered somewhat near that area as well.