[Coldjensens]

Grosse Point is very desirable. I am a lawyer and about half of the 30 attorneys that I work with live there. The schools are outstanding. The community is very nice. If you work in Detroit, it is hard to beat. The only downside that i am told is that shopping is limited. If you cannot find what you want in Grosse Pointe, you have to go quite a ways to get to other shopping that is comfortably safe. You also may have some issues with people not wanting to visit you becuase it is not close to much and surrounded by Detroit. A lot of suburbanites are afraid to even drive into Detroit.

Prices in Michigan are very low. It seems that high end areas got hit expeicially hard. Our house in Grosse Ile just appriased for about 45% of what it appraised for two years ago.

[frankmartin]

I would suggest you to stay at Birmingham, one of the most important business centers in the south eastern United States. Education is served by Birmingham city of schools. The market for downtown lofts and condominiums has mushroomed in Birmingham making it one of the heavily populated areas.

[Tyryztoll]

Personally, I'd rule out GP due to the fact that you have to drive though Detroit to get anywhere else.

Birmingham, Plymouth, Northville, Bloomington Hills are where I'd be headed on your kinda budget, OP.