Downtown Detroit or Royal Oak/ Ferndale--Help! (Burt: loft, condo, home) - Michigan (MI) - Page 3 - City-Data Forum

Cato the Elder · 05-24-2007, 08:26 PM

My wife and I both grew up in the 'burbs and denounced them after moving to Center City Philadelphia. We loved the walkability, culture and history of the city, which was affirmed by a year spent in San Francisco proper. When Detroit came calling, we looked long and hard at the city as an option but we just couldn't do it with a baby on the way. The great news about Metro Detroit is that there are other options that aren't basically strip malls, Applebees, and Walmarts.

IMHO, Royal Oak is one of the best options out there - kind of in between Ferndale and Birmingham in character - not too edgy, not too chichi, more concentrated and bigger than Berkley while maintaining a similar affordability. It has one of the most substantial night life scenes in the Metro. As stated elsewhere, you can make it downtown in 20-40 minutes, depending on the time of day and route. You can shop and eat in downtown RO or nearby - ma-pop hardware store, Trader Joes, Westborn Market, Zumba's, Hollywood, etc. There's also the farmer's market, which is one of the best outside the city. You can also easily get to the large chains such as Home Depot, Einstein's, and Costco. Somerset Mall is represented by all the top retailers.

It's not THAT ethnically diverse, but I feel it's more socio-economically diverse than most, which I feel is more important (a reverse example is a place like Stanford University where you have every ethnicity under the sun but most everyone is middle-upper class ala the Huxtables).

To give an example of the things to do, today, my wife and I went to lunch at Pronto in downtown RO where we enjoyed a great meal at a sidewalk table, I took my son to the Detroit Zoo this afternoon for the first time, we met up with my father-in-law for dinner at Potbelly's while my wife had a reunion with some college friends at Sangria in downtown RO, and then I took a nice early evening walk with my son to get ice cream along Woodward Ave. Each day for us is different and we marvel at the available options at our fingertips. It was never this convenient or affordable in Philly or SF.

bem629 · 05-25-2007, 07:34 AM

Okay, I'm sold on Royal Oak and I put my deposit down on a place. Quick question--the job that I have (working for the federal government in downtown Detroit) will pay for my bus pass. Does anyone take the bus that goes along Woodward? How long is it from R.O. to Downtown Detroit? Is it reliable/ safe etc.? Would save lots of money and be good for the environment!

jeffncandace · 05-25-2007, 08:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bem629

Okay, I'm sold on Royal Oak and I put my deposit down on a place. Quick question--the job that I have (working for the federal government in downtown Detroit) will pay for my bus pass. Does anyone take the bus that goes along Woodward? How long is it from R.O. to Downtown Detroit? Is it reliable/ safe etc.? Would save lots of money and be good for the environment!

Man I wish I knew about the bus. In general though, I haven't heard much positive. Bus drivers just went on strike the other day because they want security officers on the bus with them. That doesn't bode well.

On another note, you made the right decision. I just moved to RO and we love it here. The last few posters described it perfectly. It's not as edgy as Ferndale to the south but more down to earth than upscale Birmingham to the north, yet your in close proximity to both of those towns. Personally, I feel we live in THE hot spot of Metro Detroit.
Best of luck to you!

Cato the Elder · 05-25-2007, 10:08 AM

Metro Detroit's biggest weakness when it comes to livability is mass transit - but hey, it's Motor City. I believe the closest train station to downtown was Michigan Central to the southwest - not exactly convenient - which closed down some years ago. Now you can take Amtrak from RO to the city, but the station is north of Wayne State. Even then, I was advised not to take it b/c of the cost and unreliability. From what I understand, the bus down Woodward is supposed to be the best bet for both Wayne State and downtown. I imagine that many drive downtown like we do at Wayne State - it is what it is.

kyearley · 05-25-2007, 12:19 PM

Thanks for all the info, I'm pretty much sold on Royal Oak as well. Any recommendations on apartment complexes or the "best" part of Royal Oak to move into?

jeffncandace · 05-25-2007, 12:32 PM

No recommendations on apartments because i live in a house, but I can tell you there is no "bad" part of Royal Oak. Because you're young and make decent money, I would say check out the area immediately surrounding downtown Royal Oak, or actually in downtown itself. That way you will be in the heart of it all for socializing after work, and within walking distance of whatever your heart desires!!

Cato the Elder · 05-25-2007, 01:04 PM

As mentioned, there are no areas to necessarily keep away from, but RO does have different little areas with different feels. Main St. and 11 Mile Rd. is the nexus of the town. Most shops and restaurants branch off of Main St. and Washington Ave. between 11 Mile and Lincoln. In your situation, you probably want to stay within walking distance of this area - so roughly between Woodward Aave, Campbell Rd, Catalpa/Gardenia, and Lincoln. The further south and east you go, the closer you'll be to highway noise from I-696 and I-75. My RE agent lives off of 4th St. and he takes his dog to a park somewhere nearby, if that's an issue for you.

You could probably rent a modern downtown loft for okay prices if you want to go that route. The other end of the spectrum is renting a nearby bungalow which gives you more space but probably also more responsibilities. I see a good number of these for rent. Then there's everything in between like duplexes, apartments, condos, etc. You can do most of your legwork online then narrow it down in a day or two during a visit. Good luck.

csemrau · 07-03-2007, 08:14 PM

How is the commute time to the north east side of Pontiac? I know that wide track is under construction. But I'm not moving until next summer. I'm asking for historical commute times - ie before construction.

Bye the way, my husband thinks I'm crazy to even consider Royal Oak. More money for less house and less land compared to Ypsilanti. I am trying to find a place that is liberal and has a community who talk and interact with each other. I would like a racially diverse place, but that doesn't seem to exist outside of Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor.

jeffncandace · 07-05-2007, 01:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by csemrau

How is the commute time to the north east side of Pontiac? I know that wide track is under construction. But I'm not moving until next summer. I'm asking for historical commute times - ie before construction.

From Royal Oak? Not long at all, probably around 15-20 minutes or so average. If there is alot of traffic, during peak rush hour it could be around 30.

Quote:

Originally Posted by csemrau

Bye the way, my husband thinks I'm crazy to even consider Royal Oak. More money for less house and less land compared to Ypsilanti. I am trying to find a place that is liberal and has a community who talk and interact with each other. I would like a racially diverse place, but that doesn't seem to exist outside of Ypsilanti/Ann Arbor.

We just moved here 1 year ago from southern California. Personally, my wife and I are willing to give up more house in exchange for more community. IMO, RO offers more community. Also more charm and character, and a more centralized location. Ypsilanti has a few good neighborhoods, but is not known for being a good place to live, in general.

As far as racial diversity goes, RO is far more diverse than I would have thought before moving here, and is definately more diverse than alot of communites here in the Detroit Metro. The vibe here is good, in my opinion.

We also prefer a liberal community, and RO is definately that. We are adjacent to Ferndale, which is the unoffical epicenter of Detroit's gay community. RO, Pleasant Ridge, Huntington Woods, Berkley, Ferndale, Birmingham...all of these communites would fall under what you are looking for. Good luck!

trainhopper · 07-06-2007, 02:02 PM

I live in one of the historic homes right downtown Royal Oak, and can't say enough good things about this town, from the restaurants, shops, music, and people.

If you're looking for apartments, Urbane Apartments (Urbane Apartments--More Than You Expect) has the best thing going. Their modern, new renovations are popping up not only in downtown but a little farther north in Royal Oak, where you'd be closer to Berkley and Birmingham. Bem629, you should have seen that building on 6th and Washington before Urbane bought it - it was pretty scary. That corner looks fantastic now, with the new apartments and 6 Salon on the main floor.

For those with kids, there are parks and great schools and lots of festivals and parades, etc. I'm happy to give more ideas of things to do. Also, the family website Welcome to GoCityKids has loads of events and attractions listed for this area.