Safest area downriver for single 26-year-old female? (Dearborn, Lincoln Park: condos, crime)

[MariaElisabetta]

Hello all! I am starting a new job this summer in Allen Park, MI and am looking to purchase a house in the area. I am a single woman in her mid-20s and want to be sure I purchase my first home in a clean, quiet, SAFE neighborhood. Any suggestions of where to look/where to avoid? I am in the market for a reasonably-priced starter home. Thanks in advance!

[Coldjensens]

Crime statistics are available on Citydata. Tht is a good starting point, but statistics do nto tell a whole story (what types of crimes may be more important).

Hands down the safest cleanest quietest community downriver is Grosse Ile. In fact it is one of the safest places in Michigan. It is also pretty expensive. I have seen some smaller homes sell for $150,000. There are some condos that sell for under $100,000. Some of the condos are pretty neat with water views and some even have docks. From what I have seen the conods are mostly inhabited by older persons, but there are exceptions. Grosse Ile might be a bit boring for a 26 y.o. It is pretty quiet and has virtually no night life.

Wyandotte is more exciting, but not as safe clean or quiet.

If Grosse Ile is out of your price range, then you might want to look around Southgate, Riverview, Woodhaven, or possibly Trenton. The first three are just solid middle class urban sprawl. They are fine places, but have no real identity. You just sort of cross from one town to the next without knowing it.

Trenton has lots of nice starter homes. If you find one near elizabeth park, you are lucky. I think that I would recommend Trenton if Grosse ILe is too expensive and Wyandotte is too crazy or too high of a crime rate.

You probaly want to avoid Mevindale, Lincoln Park, Ecorse, River Rouge, and possibly Allen Park (Allen park is a decent enough place, but not really describable as clean safe and quiet compared to other downriver communities). You might also look at parts of Flat Rock and Gibraltar.

You are lucky. Home prices are very very low right now. Our house has fallen 65% in appraised value since 2006. If you are committed to buying a house, this is a good time. Keep in mind that if you buy, it is very very hard to sell. Thus you better plan to live there for a while.

Welcome. Downriver is a great place. You will enjoy it here.

[trinkit]

You might try west Dearborn which is right next to Allen Park.

[Coldjensens]

Parts of dearborn are nice, parts are not so nice. Look around there. Dearborn is heavily middle eastern and in fact has the largest moslem population outside of the middle east. You can find som egreat middle eastern food there and quite a lot of cultural activities. They have two colleges and a great commuinity theater group as well as Greenfield Villiage/Henry Ford. Safety in Dearborn depends on where you are.

[redford dude]

Allen Park seems pretty nice to me, but as a young person you might find Wyandotte by the water to be pretty hip. Trenton has some great historic homes too. I don't know if the tax credit is still available but you could probably find a decent house in Lincoln Park for a song of a price right now.