OT: Best Suburban SE Michigan Neighborhoods
Long time stalker, few time poster seeking help.
My wife and I are are potentially moving back to SE Michigan (I'd be working around Dearborn) sometime in the next year. We're trying to get a feel for the best neighborhoods for young professionals. We've both got degrees from UofM and trying to find somewhere with people with our same age/interests.
Looking for good schools, nice neighborhoods, low crime, relaxed atmosphere. Probably nothing about 200k or so in terms of pricing if that helps with suggestions.
Edit: My wife and I are in our late 20's. We enjoy nice restaurants, walking our puppy, gardening.
I've heard good things about:
Royal Oak
Grosse Point (Woods,Farms, etc)
Farmington Township
Any first hand knowledge would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
They use to be rural areas back in the 60s and 70s. Now they're basically the new northwest suburbs of Detroit. A lot of newer subdivisions. A lot recreational parks and state land. A lot of new shopping, not far from the more establised suburbs. Only a 30 to 40 minute drive from A^2.
If you're working in Dearborn, stay close to work and Ann Arbor, what could be better?
I'll go with Plymouth, overall nice place. If you don't mind a commute, you might consider Dundee.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
This comment makes no sense, sorry. If you mean that a private driveway is to be avoided in Michigan because we have bad winters, then point taken. Then he could always avoid buying a house with one. You can say this about any smaller, more rural-ish town with some larger lots, including Dundee that you mentioned. So you are in danger of ruling out a lot of places. I'm gonna leave it there before I get myself any more pissed off addressing this ridiculous statement...
I live in a subdivision in Saline, and I love it here. With a nice short, paved driveway...There are homes in all price ranges here, but many of the newer ones are upscale. I guess that somewhere around Saline there is a nice $500-$700k home on a 1-acre lot that has, gasp... a private driveway! Some homeowners may even like them. See, I cannot let it go...
I work in Dearborn and so do both of my neighbors. I know there are many others here in town that do as well, I see them around. It's not a short commute (40 min) but you do what it takes. So it was not a bad choice for me.
I'd suggest Canton or Plymouth.
Like mentioned several times, Royal Oak area is good. Pleasant Ridge and Berkley are around RO and are nice, safe cities. If you head north you have Birmingham which is a great city, but pretty high housing prices.
If you head west, Livonia, Novi, and Farmington are good places to live/raise a family.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
it is a 45 minute drive from a2. Dearborn and warren so it is somewhat centrally located as far as potential job options are concerned. Great schools & crime is generally limited to jerks on jet skis. We have a garden. It's pretty sweet.
Also, feels a little like being up north.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Downriver baby!
Any town out of Taylor, Southgate, Woodhaven, Gibraltar, Lincoln Park... any town and you will win.
If you like jorts you are a two time winner!
jdon
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
But there is the "good schools" criterion the OP wants to meet...
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
It certainly doesn't have the hipster density of a royal oak, but it's still very charming, great schools, close to AA and (moderateley) close to commute to Dearborn.
Land is still affordable out here, but yeah, it's very outdoor oriented; although I'd hardly use that as a negative like other posters.
I like Royal Oak and lived there for 25 years(Troy now), but I think it is over priced now. Nice downtown and most houses have very small yards.
Grosse Pointes are all nice. Very small yards again.
West Livonia might be good for your price range and you can get a decent yard for gardening if you look for the yard part. Its a solid community at a decent costs, but you won't get the downtown young people thing.
I've found with houses you won't find exactly what ya want. What you find you will be happy with. Good Luck!!!
Note - I think I-96 is mean out past Livonia for commuting. If you have time drive rush hour in the areas that interest you.
.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
I also grew up in Romulus. Moved out 39 years ago.
I would stay away from Wayne. Belleville might be a better choice. Romulus over by Kelsey Hayes, on New Boston border or right downtown seem to be the best of Rom-Town in my humble opinion.
I'm a Kelsey Hayes area guy - Cogswell.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
I work in Dearborn and live in Grosse Pointe Woods. We do love it here. Great schools, homes with character, great City Park on water with a crazy pool. There are also plenty of places to eat and drink. If you love the water, hang out at the marina bars and take in the Nautical Mile in St. Clair Shores (9 mile and Jefferson). And, you can do running and biking along Lakeshore. And, the schools are great. Yes, You can get the house you want for $180,000 or less. 1500 sq feet, 3 bedrooms, 1.5 baths. Look in the area just east of I-94, west of Mack, South of Vernier, North of Moross. Just be careful to avoid Harper Woods (unless you want the same house for a lot lower price . . . those make great rental properties but not so if you plan to own a home). And, keep in touch as I might put my house for rent as I'm in a process to potentially move to Seattle. Good Luck.
It can't be good. I've been stuck on 94 east in rush hour and it's not pretty, as in bumper/bumper daily. But I will defer to the experts.
It has:
1) the donwntown you're seeking
2) relative close proximity to the Dearborn area
3) a diverse housing market with homes in your price range
4) good schools
5) located close to both Canton and Northville and is the proverbial "hop, skip and a jump" to Ann Arbor
6) 20 minutes (average) to Metro Aiport
7) a nationally renown ice sculpting show/festival every January
Hope this helps and best wishes in finding the community that serves you two best.
Reach out to Hub realty - they know the market in Plymouh better than any other I've worked with.
It's right on the river... has a park named after a congressman.. and you can take W. Outer Drive to work everyday in Dearborn. Only downside is no Macy's department store or self serve dog wash salon..... Good luck champ!!
Ann Arbor
Moved to Trenton about 7 years ago, started a family, and work nearby. Couldn't be happier.
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
Trenton MgoBloggers unite!
Sent from MGoBlog HD for iPhone & iPad
On the road and with family today so I will have to re-visit this in a follow up post, but Troy is a great place to live.
Blah blah blah, go away hipers with your 'sterile suburban enviroment' - Troy is safe (one of the safest cities in the country), has some of the best high schools in Michigan (second only to the International Academy), is diverse (over 50 languages spoken by families in Troy), and financially healthy.
Birmingham is 10 minutes away (I'm at 18 and Crooks), Ferndale is 20 min down Woodward, and Detroit is 25 minutes away (down 75) with no traffic. Troy intra-city traffic is reasonable, the roads could use some work but they are putting $4 million into some repairs this summer.
With some of those other cities mentioned above, they are inundated with traffic during the commute home, and depending how far you are from the downtown area, you get a lot of cross town traffic coming into your city. Clawson//Rochester/Rochester Hills are good alternatives.
Troy is a great place to live! Let me know if you have any questions.