[Around The World]

Hello everyone,

I have read some of the topics on Farmington Hills and many of you say that the northern area is a lot better than others. I have found a very nice condo in Farmington Hills around 9 mile and drake. How is this area? Is it safe? Is it a lot better than the 8 mile/eastern area of Farmington Hills?

Also, I'd like to know how Farmington Hills, Novi, and West Bloomfield are viewed when stacked up next to one another. (example: middle class? people? etc)


Thank you very much

[Coldjensens]

All three places have people. All three places have middle class, but somewhat more upper middle class. All three places are very safe (IMO). Novi has the best schools of the three. F.H. is probably the prettiest, but it depends on where you are. Novi has the most traffic.

Novi is shopping mall heaven. It is pretty much dominated by malls, strip malls and "master planned" subdivisions (meaning they only have one design with minor variotions to allow them to claim five or six different models). However it is all very nice. Loads of McMansions, loads of perfectly manicured lawns. Great schools. Pretty low crime once you factor out all of the shop lifting and car break ins at the malls (which should not be counted IMO). Novi is mostly upper middle class (assuming imiddle class is in the $40K to $80 K per year range and upper middle class is $81k to 300K per year). Novi is a good place for people who want to conform or fit in, and want to feel like they have "made it". If your dream is a nice McMansion on 1/4 to 1/3 acre with a load of other similar McMansions a few feet away and plenty of stores of every kind imaginable within a short drive, then Novi is one of the ldeal places for you. There is even a tiny bit of nightlife there. I am not knocking Novi. It is an execellent place to live for a certain type of lifestyle. I just personally do not like that lifestyle.

Farmington Hills is a little less upscale, a bit older, and a bit prettier. Not so large. Just basic suburbia. Farmington is not a bad city to be connected to. It has a little bit of a downtown. I would call FH solidly decent. Upper middle class and some middle class. Being older it is a bit more settled and spread out. The hills are nice. (Yes it is actually a bit hilly, it is not just a name - it cracks me up when they name a place for a geographical feature that was removed to buiild the place. Bury a creek in a culvert, build houses on top of it and call it "sunny Creek Estates". However F.H. is acually hilly, not real hills, but some undulation in the normally flat landscape).

West Bloomfiled is big, or at least seems big. it is a mix of many different things. They have a dramatic mix of income levels. A mix of businesses - retail, commercial and some light industrial. Their schools were well regarded, but are sliding for the past 5 plus years. Lots of very different lifestyles in West Bloomfield. My brother lives there and does not like W.B. However he loved the neighborhood that he used ot live in (withthe exception of a nosey and nasty next door neighbor). He finds W.B. snobby and oppressive, but then he finds most of North Oakland County snobby and oppressive (he likes Redford Township a lot). In W.B. what you think of it will depend heavily on where you are and what your preferences are. There is a little bit of everything. Each apartment complex or subdivision is kind of a world unto itself. Some are freindly, some are less so. Some are ruralesque, some are urbanesque. There are rich areas and middle class areas. I am not aware of any poor areas, maybe there is a trailer park somewhere.

If you are looking in that general area, I would consider Northville, Milford, South Lyon, Walled Lake (in that order) over Farmington Hills, Novi or West Bloomfield.

Of the cities you are considering, I personally like F.H. the best, then W.B., then Novi.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by Around The World

Hello everyone,

I have read some of the topics on Farmington Hills and many of you say that the northern area is a lot better than others. I have found a very nice condo in Farmington Hills around 9 mile and drake. How is this area? Is it safe? Is it a lot better than the 8 mile/eastern area of Farmington Hills?

Also, I'd like to know how Farmington Hills, Novi, and West Bloomfield are viewed when stacked up next to one another. (example: middle class? people? etc)

9 Mile and Drake should be fine. As a general rule, Farmington Hills becomes swankier the further North and West you go, so a condo at 9 & Drake might not maintain its value as well as a condo closer to 14 and Haggerty.

Farmington Hills is pretty solidly middle class with a good sprinkling of upper middle class in it. However, it does border Southfield which is merely middle class-lower middle class now. Farmington Hills has a lower middle class element/lower class element in the four square miles bordered by Inkster, Orchard Lake, 8 Mile, and 10 Mile roads. Overall, Farmington Hills is a bedroom community that's filled with office parks.

Novi is probably a little more upscale in that it doesn't have the lower middle class element but pretty much has the same mix of solid middle class and upper middle class households. However, it has a large heavy-duty retail shopping area to it.

West Bloomfield is mostly upper middle class with some lesser areas on the border of Pontiac. I think it also has more lakes and lakefront property.

You might also consider Walled Lake and Commerce Township. Commerce Township is similar to West Bloomfield but is more rural and has more lakes.

[DaniellaG]

In general the lower the mile road in Farmington Hills the less upscale it is. It does not mean it is unsafe because overall not but just not as expensive of an area.
Overall West Bloomfield would be the most expensive and parts of Novi. I think Farmington Hills like the other response stated around 14 and Haggerty is also a nice area.
I grew up near WB and some can be snobby but over the years I think it has gotten better because there is more of a mix of people. Overall it is a safe area,nice shopping plazas,restaurants,schools,pretty lakes. There is a mix of new construction homes and older but on the whole the older ones still are larger then in Farmington Hills or Novi.
Novi has more of a nightlife then WB,the larger mall,closer to freeways,downtown areas such as Northville,also nice new homes but also mixed in with older smaller types.
Farmington Hills really depends on the area you are in. Farmington which is also near is another area that is more middle class with older small homes and small downtown. Less upscale shopping plazas and restaurants.

[Detroiteanca]

Although generally the lower the mile road in Farmington/FH, the less expensive, you also need to consider the east/west relationship too. Consider 8 mile and Inkster the least affluent corner of the city. The further away from 8 and Inkster you are, generally the more upscale the area and you will find that prices rise as you travel west even on lower mile roads. Areas of Farmington serviced by Clarenceville schools also tend to have lower values than those areas serviced by Farmington schools. 9 and Drake is actually a nice area with some estate sized lots. When you start dealing with West Bloomfield, make sure it is serviced by West Bloomfield or Bloomfield Hills schools for optimal marketability. There is a portion of WB serviced by Pontiac schools and that affects property values.