Please recommend a Detroit area to a mid 30s native couple who have been spoiled by the west coast! (Ann Arbor: houses, transfer)

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by craig11152

But do most states have a system where taxes can jump as much as they can here if a house hasn't changed hands in decades? How many states have a system like we do where tax increases are capped yearly?

And my research indicates Michigan property tax rates are higher than California overall.

And no matter where you come from its nice to be aware as you are looking at houses what will happen to the taxes.

When we sold our house in California, the taxes on it went from $2800 a year to $17,300.

[usroute10]

Originally Posted by Ddrizzle

Thank you for the well thought out opinions everyone!

After traveling most of SE MI this week, we've narrowed our choices down to Royal Oak/Ferndale or Ann Arbor. These are out gut feelings:

Ann arbor - The only place that really meets all of our requirements. It doesn't have the beach but it has Argo park and Huron River. It's cold, but it has people filling the streets during the day. The only downside is the current lack of choice but that's the market in general. Oh, and cost in downtown proper.

Royal Oak - I wouldn't say it has a downtown. I'd say it has a main street that is on a major, noisy road. However it has nice new colonials under 750k and feels far enough removed from the blight of Detroit.

I want to raise my kids in an area where they will be challenged and invigorated by others and it feels dangerous to do so out here. Where do I drop my kid off for coding classes? Who will they talk to, to learn about different religions, cultures and food? How will they learn what industries out there pay well so they can figure out what they want to do? Will they get bullied by kids who don't know better instead of brought up by their peers who are also on a similar track?

Again, thank you all! This has been enlightening. I feel like I learned more about my home state in 5 days than I did in 25+ years. We have a lot to think about!

-I think you underestimated Royal Oak's downtown, it has 2 major north-south thoroughfares - Main Street and Washington Street, as well as plenty of stores/restaurants along the east-west running sidestreets

-The biggest suburban downtown in the Detroit area might be Pontiac. The 2nd largest is Birmingham. There is a nice park adjacent to downtown Birmingham, and nearby, there is also a nice park centered around a small lake. Just north of Birmingham is Bloomfield Hills, home of the 200-acre campus of the Cranbrook Institute. The Cranbrook Institute - just 3 miles from downtown B-ham, is absolutely beautiful with architecture, fountains, reflecting ponds, landscaped gardens, a lake - I have done a few 3 mile long hikes on the grounds. Plus it has an Art Museum and a Science Museum with a Planetarium. You might be able to find that coding class there, or something else, who knows? Birmingham isn't very diverse on paper, but it has a fairly notable Jewish and Chaldean (Middle Eastern Catholic) population. Lots of great public and private schooling options in that general area.

-You do make a good point about the stagnation of the metro, which, IMO, I think is a direct correlation to the abandonment and steep decline of the city, as well as the limited economy. These suburbanites on here don't want to here that, they are fine with the status quo.

-Another suburb to look into is Berkley. It lacks greenspace, trails, and racial diversity, but has 2 decent main streets, and is very close to Royal Oak, Ferndale, Clawson, and Birmingham - all suburbs with walkable main street areas.

- Lastly, Dearborn is another place you could into. It has 2 main street areas and is renowned as the home of the Greenfield Village/Henry Ford Museum, and also for its Middle Eastern population. Greenfield Village hosts lots of events. Dearborn also has a couple cool trails along the Rouge River. Hines Drive, a 17-mile long bike path/scenic drive/string of parks ends in Dearborn.

-You can't go wrong with Ann Arbor. Housing is limited though and is very expensive.

[HarryAleman]

Originally Posted by Ddrizzle

Thank you for the well thought out opinions everyone!

After traveling most of SE MI this week, we've narrowed our choices down to Royal Oak/Ferndale or Ann Arbor. These are out gut feelings:

Ann arbor - The only place that really meets all of our requirements. It doesn't have the beach but it has Argo park and Huron River. It's cold, but it has people filling the streets during the day. The only downside is the current lack of choice but that's the market in general. Oh, and cost in downtown proper.

Royal Oak - I wouldn't say it has a downtown. I'd say it has a main street that is on a major, noisy road. However it has nice new colonials under 750k and feels far enough removed from the blight of Detroit.

Ferndale - A much better downtown experience than Royal oak. The stretch on Woodward somehow feels safer and like the cars aren't as big of a deal compared to main street in Royal Oak. Its other main side street has much more interesting and unique shops and feel compared to RO as well. However, there is literally nothing available within a couple block of downtown and none seem to be new or remodeled. I'd take a new bigfoot colonial from RO here and it would feel nice.

Plymouth/Northville downtowns - Quaint. Too boring for us. Nice to walk around in but the moment you leave you are in oldschool suburbs by nothing else. Yes, you can drive anywhere near by, but the point is that if it's 15 minutes or farther from exciting things then it misses the whole point of location.

Gross point - Heard good things but it's too long of a drive from family

Wyandotte/Milford/Rochester/Etc - Sounds like they are nice but if their downtowns are smaller or less busy than Plymouth then there's no way we'd even consider it. These are the type of areas I'd be ok driving to for a day. I realize the energy of people and the innovations that come from it are more important to us.

Even though I knew not to expect a lot, I will say I am still a little disappointed with the areas. MI is my family's home and I care about it, but I see a lack of education, industry and the innovation in these areas that would come along with it (outside of Ann arbor). I'm not knocking it, and the only reason I even have this perspective is because I left and saw what areas could be like. In many ways (but not all) SE MI seems like it's about 10-20 years behind the cutting edge of the west coast.

I want to raise my kids in an area where they will be challenged and invigorated by others and it feels dangerous to do so out here. Where do I drop my kid off for coding classes? Who will they talk to, to learn about different religions, cultures and food? How will they learn what industries out there pay well so they can figure out what they want to do? Will they get bullied by kids who don't know better instead of brought up by their peers who are also on a similar track?

Again, thank you all! This has been enlightening. I feel like I learned more about my home state in 5 days than I did in 25+ years. We have a lot to think about!

I’m not sure moving somewhere with an overriding wish that it is different than it is, is a great strategy.

This is DETROIT.

And Ann Arbor is only superficially like the Bay Area. It’s a giant university town. That’s what it is. It’s character has been the same since the 60s. There is overlap between the old-hippie intellectualism of Ann Arbor and the performative liberalism of the coasts, but ultimately it’s a completely different vibe. This is Michigan. The culture doesn’t revolve around emoting tech bros and it never will.

[mgkeith]

The older communities or very new subdivisions are most likely to have sidewalks. Those are great to have if you have a baby or young child. A backyard is wonderful, too. If you grew up here you may have sensed that, but might not have given it much thought when you were childless. Best of luck!

[Coldjensens]

Ann Arbor has some issues. Game days are awful as are move in and move out days. You will have to deal with drunk students doing dumb loud things unless you are too far outside of the core to enjoy the benefits of the city. People sometimes yell at you in restaurants if your conversation is not liberal enough.



However being along the river or on the arb woudl be awesome. There certainly is a lot there.



WYandotte does not fit in with the other cities in your group. It is a bigger downtown scene and much busier. There are usually more people walking about on weekends than I typically see in Ferndale. However it is a very different vibe. Plus it is pretty far from your desired location. My son lives in Ferndale and hopes he can live there forever. Of course that is how I felt about Ann Arbor when I lived there in my youth. I would not care to live there now unless I could afford the top of the arb or a riverfront property.
I still recommend that you rent for a year or two. You will find your likes and wants are different than you thought they were. This is a terrible time to buy a home anyway. Wait for the crash.

[personone]

It’s been a good while since my time in Ann Arbor and Michigan, but when you gave your initial desires as a mid 30’s couple, the first towns that came to mind as a mixture of nice suburbs with nice downtowns for an older (30’s-40’s) young professionals would be Royal Oak and Birmingham.

I recall Plymouth being nice, but don’t remember it being overly impressive. Although maybe when mix in housing, affordability, and other things, it becomes more desirable.

While I love Ann Arbor as a UM alum, I’m not sure I’d love it as a mid-30’s couple. And the nice housing is a good distance from downtown. Although, when you take into account safety, schools (if you have kids)shopping options, nice housing, and still having access to a downtown; AA is hard to beat, and is kinda a Midwestern Berkeley.

But if I’m looking at it from the perspective of a mid 30’s person (which was just a few years ago for me) who still enjoys more mature nightlife, such as nice suburban downtowns, I would have to say Royal Oak and Birmingham are the first to come to mind. I remember some fun times going out in those towns.

Although, I’m not a native Michigander, so I don’t know all the details, especially when you mix in housing and cost of living differences between the different suburbs.

[Ddrizzle]

Imo the downside for royal oak and Ferndale is lack of big parks, rivers or bodies of water. Otherwise it would be good enough compared to ann arbor.

Ann arbor has a mix of every age, lots of cultures (and food) and has the Huron River and parks besides it. Jist don't go to university street every day.

[craig11152]

https://www.facebook.com/groups/7872...28664173841282

If this link works you can take Ann Arbor for a test drive while you check out the larger area. But you need to move quickly. ������

[globalnomadmw]

I've lived all over Michigan and also all over the world... my $0.02:

Lived in Royal Oak Single / late 20s - loved every minute of it. Walked everywhere stumbled home from bars, went to the comedy club that was usually pretty good, lots of places to eat and close to almost everything in the Detroit metro.

Lived in Ann Arbor in for business school in very late 20s, early 30s - wasn't too bad. But you better like what is going on there and not get bored because it's an island in the ocean and everything else to do is FAR away by car. And I think the vast majority of people will outgrow a college town pretty soon after having their first kid. Not all, but most.

Dated my wife in Canton in early / mid 30s - bedroom community. drive everywhere. Not at all my cup of tea

Lived in Birmingham after marriage in mid / late 30s - was royal oak but grown up. walked everywhere. Best walkable town in Michigan in my opinion. Ann Arbor wishes it was this upscale. People were a liiiiittle "I'm rich and I know it" from exterior appearances but it was just perception. They were very normal when you got to know them.

Now I live in Chicago and I'm basically doing it all over again in a new metro after living overseas for half a decade

[adams_aj]

Rochester/Rochester Hills.