my girlfriend and i will be moving to the detroit area in august. i've been accepted to caa and will start in the fall. we've been scouring the internet and asking friends for advice on areas to live.
we are not sure if we want to live in north detroit, a small town (preferably not some suburb strip mall) or out some county road but we'd like to be within a resonable driving distance to bloomfield hills (maybe 45 min. tops) we have one dog and are looking to adopt another so a place with a yard is a must. we're headed there next week for a few days to start this process but i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of areas to start. thanks!
The Royal Oak and Ferndale area are the hip areas to live. In Royal Oak they are building numerous loft condo developments...granted they are new buildings not rehab. However, the real estate is way over priced due to it's popularity.
The Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham area is high cotton...I don't think you could buy a house for less than $300,000 and most are probably closer to $400,000.
If you want to live in the country, I would consider Clarkston or Orion Township Area. There a lot of lakes in the area and it's easily accessible to I-75. However, I-75 during rush hour can be horrible.
These suggestions were based on the idea that you were going to buy a house. I know there a lot of rental houses in the Royal Oak area if you were simply planning to rent a house with a yard.
actually, we aren't sure if we are going to rent or buy. we've talked about both. i'll take a look at royal oaks, ferndale, clarkston and orion. thanks!
clarkston and orion arnt really as rural as they used to be. all the open land and fields have been taken over by subdivision building mogels. To truley get out into the country you almost have to go to medamora, oxford, holly, fenton, oakland township. Royal oak has the most going for it right now. The homes there are priced from the mid 100's on up and the new lofts/condo's they are building range from 260,000 being the cheapest to a million for a penthouse. You can move into the outscirts of the city of detroit and get a house for almost nothing, 80,000 for around 3000 sqft, but living in the city has it's problems. Plan on owning a big 4 wheel drive car in the winter, the roads dont get plowed that often.
Wherever you move, this area has alot to do and is always a good time.
you should also check out the city of Berkley. nice houses on nice streets with a small strip of a suburban "downtown". i have many newly married friends who have bought houses there in the past three years. its a good starting point.
Well, Detroit is kind of the urban sprawl capital of the world so it will be very difficult to find a rural area within 45 minuites of the Hills. I would say your best bet would be Ferndale or Farmington Hills. Ferndale is more Hip and up and coming. It has a bad side and a good side. You can find alot of fixer upers for cheap too, if you're in to that kind of thing. I'd say you could pick up a nice, house for around the 140's. Neighborhoods are cute and there is a pretty good variation of houses styles. Farmington Hills is more laid back. A more middle aged to upper age demographic with houses from the the 180's. These houses tend to be more suburban cookie cutter. Best of Luck.
yeah, check berkley....12 mile and greenfield, and ferndale 9 mile and woodward...both small and nice. i'm in berkley and enjoy it. i think it's one of the best places to get a house right now, because the area can only get better.
I also will be moving to detroit in the fall, though i am wanting an apartment or small house, and probably a roommate or 2, that is close to CAA campus but not too expensive. easy access to grocery stores and other shops would be nice too. any ideas on which areas to consider?
thanks!
Yippee!!! for ether!!! congratualtions on going to Cranbrook! It will be wonderful, I'm certain.
Berkley is a cute area, some sort of mini-ranch housing developments where all the houses look the same, the urban space of those neighborhoods is funny, and has a very retro optimistic 50's-suburban vibe.
For those of you more recently in the CAA area, what about Pontiac? Isn't that the town to the north that has a new art-oriented development plan in place for their dowontown? I recall a cool Mexican restaurant and some nightclubs...
For those of you going to CAA minus a dog, I strongly recommend living on campus. In my mind that is the ONLY way to take advantage of the monastery-like environment that was the intended experience of the place. Even married students can expereince that as there are a few married-student apartments in the on-campus houses - not the dorms, but the houses where some of the professors have lived. But if you have a dog, you need a place with a yard. If not, you really need to live on campus.
Again, ether, congratulations and best, best wishes to you to find what you are searching for while there.
thanks liberty! i knew there were a couple of caa alums in 'nectorland.. i was hoping this might catch your eye. you gave me some great responses to the cranbrook topic i posted back in the fall.
so the time has come! and housing is going to be quite a bear.. i foresee some long conversations with my better half over what will be the best situation for us (or her for that matter because she works from home)
don't forget to check out ann arbor! it's a bit further away, 45-60 min driving, so the distance may be a factor. but it's nice to be in a college town, and aa definitely has a vibrant, walkable downtown. there are plenty of places to live and socialize sans-undergrads. like the rest of metro detroit, it’s expensive according to mid-western standards, but real estate here is a very lucrative investment if you’re thinking of buying. it’s really worth checking out if you’re back in the area. i would also back the royal oak suggestions. I’ve heard (although only second hand) that it is pretty hip and young. good luck! and congrats - caa is just beautiful!
oh, also aa is awesome for those who like to be outdoors (including your dogs!). there are tons of well-maintained walking/running/biking trails along the river, and the arboretum is a wonderful place to enjoy nice weather. people just like to get outside around here and there is plenty to get you outside of the city. there is a masters swim team as well (very cool, fun people) if you ever feel like getting back in the water;)
oh, also aa is awesome for those who like to be outdoors (including your dogs!). there are tons of well-maintained walking/running/biking trails along the river, and the arboretum is a wonderful place to enjoy nice weather. people just like to get outside around here and there is plenty to get you outside of the city. there is a masters swim team as well (very cool, fun people) if you ever feel like getting back in the water;)
There's this really gorgeous burnt out old church in Detroit just off I-96 near Warren Rd. that you could squat in and fix up, I'm sure. A buddy of mine has just moved his art gallery/studio to an abandoned tent and awning factory just down the street.
you've ridden hard
you've ridden fast
the global posse
is hot on your ... bumber
the big US marshall is handing you over
the world mob wants a piece of your hide.
Royal Oak is your only hope.
Royal Oak is your only hope.
anything with a hills next to it sucks.
farmington hills
bloomfield hills
west bloomfield is much much worse than the above cities.
Birmingham is in troy.
and ann arbor is just too far away.
trust me that drive would do u in.
I'd vote for Ferndale or Royal Oak also, but a friend of mine lived in an amazing 2 bedroom Mies van der Rohe designed corner apartment with floor to ceiling glass overlooking downtown and the river at Lafayette Park in Detroit for a mind-bogglingly low $700 a month! (which will barely get you one room in a crack house in the ghetto in the SF Bay Area)...or you could always go as far north as Pontiac, find a very cheap place, have access to all the dive bars there, and have an easy commute down to Cranbrook...or live in crazy scary edge city Troy with the old KMart headquarters and the biggest fanciest mall around, just east of Cranbrook...lots of choices
A full circuit around that sucker is a full mile. That was one of its selling points, I believe. For all those 'mall walkers.' And it had (and maybe still does--I quiver in anticipation) a Dick Clark's American Bandstand Restaurant!
I remember when that place used to be this spectacular wooded glacial-fluvial valley with open, grassy wetlands in the hollows. Now, it's been completely repopulated with one of the largest malls in North America, large-format retail and service industry outlets, office park developments, and parking. Hundreds and hundreds of acres of parking.
You should get a house in Flint. You could buy an entire city block there, for what you'd pay for a apartment in Detroit or Ann Arbor or Pontiac. Not shit.
i lived downtown while i was at caa. mies' lafayette towers. 16th floor, great view of downtown and the river. there were several other caa students who lived there as well. it was pretty magical. plus the rent was cheep. once in a lifetime opportunity. you'll be the coolest kid in class.... good luck.
thanks for the posts peeps. i'll see you soon clamshell!
the gf and i are headed over there in 3 weeks to seriously look for a place.. we are looking for a small house with a fenced in yard. it seems the royal oak/berkley area is a good place to start. there is an apartment service that charges a nominal fee in helping you find a place. they gave us a sample of what was available last month.. the first 10 pages of a hundred that are available... sooo i'm hoping this is going to be pretty painless.. the main thing is a fenced in yard for the dog(s) - we're adopting another husky this week! - and close to the caa. i'm sure i'll have more questions once we get up there and start looking. i'll keep you posted..
we're looking for places this friday and saturday - this trip will be mostly around royal oak, berkley, pleasant ridge and ferndale. we've contacted a few realtors who specialize in rentals/leases, looked on craigs list and a handful of rental agency web sites. are there any other resources that might be helpful? - any local or neighborhood papers - other than the biggies - free press/news etc. - thanks!
Does anyone have recommendations for movers in the Royal Oak area? I'm reserving a U-Haul which we will pack up in Chicago and drive to Detroit. We will need help unloading upon arrival. Thanks.
detroit bound
my girlfriend and i will be moving to the detroit area in august. i've been accepted to caa and will start in the fall. we've been scouring the internet and asking friends for advice on areas to live.
we are not sure if we want to live in north detroit, a small town (preferably not some suburb strip mall) or out some county road but we'd like to be within a resonable driving distance to bloomfield hills (maybe 45 min. tops) we have one dog and are looking to adopt another so a place with a yard is a must. we're headed there next week for a few days to start this process but i was wondering if anyone had any suggestions of areas to start. thanks!
The Royal Oak and Ferndale area are the hip areas to live. In Royal Oak they are building numerous loft condo developments...granted they are new buildings not rehab. However, the real estate is way over priced due to it's popularity.
The Bloomfield Hills and Birmingham area is high cotton...I don't think you could buy a house for less than $300,000 and most are probably closer to $400,000.
If you want to live in the country, I would consider Clarkston or Orion Township Area. There a lot of lakes in the area and it's easily accessible to I-75. However, I-75 during rush hour can be horrible.
These suggestions were based on the idea that you were going to buy a house. I know there a lot of rental houses in the Royal Oak area if you were simply planning to rent a house with a yard.
actually, we aren't sure if we are going to rent or buy. we've talked about both. i'll take a look at royal oaks, ferndale, clarkston and orion. thanks!
clarkston and orion arnt really as rural as they used to be. all the open land and fields have been taken over by subdivision building mogels. To truley get out into the country you almost have to go to medamora, oxford, holly, fenton, oakland township. Royal oak has the most going for it right now. The homes there are priced from the mid 100's on up and the new lofts/condo's they are building range from 260,000 being the cheapest to a million for a penthouse. You can move into the outscirts of the city of detroit and get a house for almost nothing, 80,000 for around 3000 sqft, but living in the city has it's problems. Plan on owning a big 4 wheel drive car in the winter, the roads dont get plowed that often.
Wherever you move, this area has alot to do and is always a good time.
you should also check out the city of Berkley. nice houses on nice streets with a small strip of a suburban "downtown". i have many newly married friends who have bought houses there in the past three years. its a good starting point.
Well, Detroit is kind of the urban sprawl capital of the world so it will be very difficult to find a rural area within 45 minuites of the Hills. I would say your best bet would be Ferndale or Farmington Hills. Ferndale is more Hip and up and coming. It has a bad side and a good side. You can find alot of fixer upers for cheap too, if you're in to that kind of thing. I'd say you could pick up a nice, house for around the 140's. Neighborhoods are cute and there is a pretty good variation of houses styles. Farmington Hills is more laid back. A more middle aged to upper age demographic with houses from the the 180's. These houses tend to be more suburban cookie cutter. Best of Luck.
yeah, check berkley....12 mile and greenfield, and ferndale 9 mile and woodward...both small and nice. i'm in berkley and enjoy it. i think it's one of the best places to get a house right now, because the area can only get better.
I also will be moving to detroit in the fall, though i am wanting an apartment or small house, and probably a roommate or 2, that is close to CAA campus but not too expensive. easy access to grocery stores and other shops would be nice too. any ideas on which areas to consider?
thanks!
Yippee!!! for ether!!! congratualtions on going to Cranbrook! It will be wonderful, I'm certain.
Berkley is a cute area, some sort of mini-ranch housing developments where all the houses look the same, the urban space of those neighborhoods is funny, and has a very retro optimistic 50's-suburban vibe.
For those of you more recently in the CAA area, what about Pontiac? Isn't that the town to the north that has a new art-oriented development plan in place for their dowontown? I recall a cool Mexican restaurant and some nightclubs...
For those of you going to CAA minus a dog, I strongly recommend living on campus. In my mind that is the ONLY way to take advantage of the monastery-like environment that was the intended experience of the place. Even married students can expereince that as there are a few married-student apartments in the on-campus houses - not the dorms, but the houses where some of the professors have lived. But if you have a dog, you need a place with a yard. If not, you really need to live on campus.
Again, ether, congratulations and best, best wishes to you to find what you are searching for while there.
thanks liberty! i knew there were a couple of caa alums in 'nectorland.. i was hoping this might catch your eye. you gave me some great responses to the cranbrook topic i posted back in the fall.
so the time has come! and housing is going to be quite a bear.. i foresee some long conversations with my better half over what will be the best situation for us (or her for that matter because she works from home)
don't forget to check out ann arbor! it's a bit further away, 45-60 min driving, so the distance may be a factor. but it's nice to be in a college town, and aa definitely has a vibrant, walkable downtown. there are plenty of places to live and socialize sans-undergrads. like the rest of metro detroit, it’s expensive according to mid-western standards, but real estate here is a very lucrative investment if you’re thinking of buying. it’s really worth checking out if you’re back in the area. i would also back the royal oak suggestions. I’ve heard (although only second hand) that it is pretty hip and young. good luck! and congrats - caa is just beautiful!
oh, also aa is awesome for those who like to be outdoors (including your dogs!). there are tons of well-maintained walking/running/biking trails along the river, and the arboretum is a wonderful place to enjoy nice weather. people just like to get outside around here and there is plenty to get you outside of the city. there is a masters swim team as well (very cool, fun people) if you ever feel like getting back in the water;)
oh, also aa is awesome for those who like to be outdoors (including your dogs!). there are tons of well-maintained walking/running/biking trails along the river, and the arboretum is a wonderful place to enjoy nice weather. people just like to get outside around here and there is plenty to get you outside of the city. there is a masters swim team as well (very cool, fun people) if you ever feel like getting back in the water;)
There's this really gorgeous burnt out old church in Detroit just off I-96 near Warren Rd. that you could squat in and fix up, I'm sure. A buddy of mine has just moved his art gallery/studio to an abandoned tent and awning factory just down the street.
Forgot about the dog... There are plenty of vacant, overgrown lots around for it to run in.
detroit breakdown
itsa motor city shakedown
ode to the suburbanite
you've ridden hard
you've ridden fast
the global posse
is hot on your ... bumber
the big US marshall is handing you over
the world mob wants a piece of your hide.
trigirl
is that you noelle?
oh yeah, congradulations ether...good luck in the D
Royal Oak is your only hope.
Royal Oak is your only hope.
anything with a hills next to it sucks.
farmington hills
bloomfield hills
west bloomfield is much much worse than the above cities.
Birmingham is in troy.
and ann arbor is just too far away.
trust me that drive would do u in.
other than that good luck.....sucka
I'd vote for Ferndale or Royal Oak also, but a friend of mine lived in an amazing 2 bedroom Mies van der Rohe designed corner apartment with floor to ceiling glass overlooking downtown and the river at Lafayette Park in Detroit for a mind-bogglingly low $700 a month! (which will barely get you one room in a crack house in the ghetto in the SF Bay Area)...or you could always go as far north as Pontiac, find a very cheap place, have access to all the dive bars there, and have an easy commute down to Cranbrook...or live in crazy scary edge city Troy with the old KMart headquarters and the biggest fanciest mall around, just east of Cranbrook...lots of choices
What about Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills?
A full circuit around that sucker is a full mile. That was one of its selling points, I believe. For all those 'mall walkers.' And it had (and maybe still does--I quiver in anticipation) a Dick Clark's American Bandstand Restaurant!
I remember when that place used to be this spectacular wooded glacial-fluvial valley with open, grassy wetlands in the hollows. Now, it's been completely repopulated with one of the largest malls in North America, large-format retail and service industry outlets, office park developments, and parking. Hundreds and hundreds of acres of parking.
You should get a house in Flint. You could buy an entire city block there, for what you'd pay for a apartment in Detroit or Ann Arbor or Pontiac. Not shit.
I'll see you this fall ether, I'm at caa/arch. We're excited about the head transition.
I'll see you this fall ether, I'm at caa/arch. We're excited about the head transition.
matt gets sad so he cries
his eyes get wet as he cries so he cries
your name is noelle
and your name is shannon
you both are feee-emale humans
i lived downtown while i was at caa. mies' lafayette towers. 16th floor, great view of downtown and the river. there were several other caa students who lived there as well. it was pretty magical. plus the rent was cheep. once in a lifetime opportunity. you'll be the coolest kid in class.... good luck.
If you could take up residency in the Warren Tech Center, you'd be a virtual God...
And it's got plenty of room for the dog to roam too...
Good luck getting security clearance!
thanks for the posts peeps. i'll see you soon clamshell!
the gf and i are headed over there in 3 weeks to seriously look for a place.. we are looking for a small house with a fenced in yard. it seems the royal oak/berkley area is a good place to start. there is an apartment service that charges a nominal fee in helping you find a place. they gave us a sample of what was available last month.. the first 10 pages of a hundred that are available... sooo i'm hoping this is going to be pretty painless.. the main thing is a fenced in yard for the dog(s) - we're adopting another husky this week! - and close to the caa. i'm sure i'll have more questions once we get up there and start looking. i'll keep you posted..
thanks!
we're looking for places this friday and saturday - this trip will be mostly around royal oak, berkley, pleasant ridge and ferndale. we've contacted a few realtors who specialize in rentals/leases, looked on craigs list and a handful of rental agency web sites. are there any other resources that might be helpful? - any local or neighborhood papers - other than the biggies - free press/news etc. - thanks!
.
clamshell - you're excited about the transition. don't speak for everyone.
I don't think he was....hmmm
Well, he did say "we're."
Though with an opposing opinion now being offered, it'd be good to have a little better understanding of both sides.
found a place. royal oak - main and 11 1/2 mile.
thanks everyone for your help. we are much relieved.
moving in august. any local archinecters want to bake us a welcoming pie are encouraged to do so.
Congrats!
Does anyone have recommendations for movers in the Royal Oak area? I'm reserving a U-Haul which we will pack up in Chicago and drive to Detroit. We will need help unloading upon arrival. Thanks.
bump.
artpack
nm. found someone.
we move in 9 days!
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