Any Detroit area DISers out there?

[micheleq]

Hi everyone,

Well, the decision has been made at long last. DH got the promotion at work and we are moving to the Detroit area. Looking for suggestions for surrounding suburbs that are family friendly.

My girls will be 5 (entering K) and 3 (entering preschool) when we move this summer. We'll most likely rent for a year, then buy. Schools are a top priority, and I know there are several great districts around Detroit (Grosse Pointe has been mentioned to us). Private school is also an option, but I've taught in public schools and would like to support them.

Any advice & suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[phillmolly]

We live in the downriver area, very nice and laidback. There are some good school distircts around here, Trenton, Woodhaven and Grosse Ile come to my mind first. DH and I are also thinking about moving and we are thinking about either staying in Wyandotte, were we are now, or maybe Allen Park. Homes are very cheap, 60k will get you 1500 sq feet, taxes are low and most everything is close by. Of course most people are going to tell you to move elsewhere, most people who don't live downriver are snobs about downriver, but it has been my home for 25 years! We are only 20 - 30 minutes south of detroit. Really it depends on where your DH job is.

 

[erinmomof2]

I haven't heard anything good or bad about Grosse Pointe schools. I personally would never live there. It's VERY expensive and VERY close to Detroit and some IMO bad areas. Utica schools are generally good. Lanse Creuse schools are I think rated one of the top in the metro Detroit area. Lanse Creuse schools cover parts of Harrisson Township, Clinton Township, and Chesterfield Township... these are all about 45 minutes from downtown Detroit. I've lived in MI my entire life and I would avoid being too close to the actual city, it's not nice. If you're looking for something more upscale (the previous areas I mentioned are solid middle class, with houses between $150,000 - $300,000) than you may want to check places like Farmington Hills, Bloomfield Hills, Novi, ect. I'm not sure how schools are there, but that is the more pricey area.

I'm not such a fan of the downriver area (sorry), but it may just be that I haven't spent much time there.

If you have any questions feel free to ask me. My daughter goes to Lanse Creuse schools (and everyone I know I who lives out of district send their kids there through school of choice). My DD is in Kindergarten and so far I like the school and I think her teacher is great.

 

[micheleq]

Thanks for the replys so far! I've recently started my research, so keep the suggestions coming!

DH will be on the road, so no office per se. Metro Detroit/northern suburbs will be where a large chunk of his business is.

I've lived outside NYC growing up, lived in Baltimore for college, in DC for several years after, so being close to the city doesn't bother me. I'd like the access to the major airport, sporting events, museums, etc. but don't want to live in Detroit proper with small children.

Thanks again! I'll have to look up the towns and schools that you each mentioned.

 

[Riviera510]

I've lived in Metro Detroit area all of my life.

If he is going to be north of Detroit I would look at northern Oakland County or northern Macomb County.

I went to school in the Rochester school district and my husband(and now kids) go to Utica School District.

Shelby Township, Macomb Township are nice areas with good schools.

Oakland Township, Rochester Hills are nice areas with good schools but houses cost more because it is Oakland County compared to Macomb County.

 

[ascwilson]

We live in West Bloomfield (an Oakland County suburb). We have one in 6th and another in preschool and I can't say enough about the quality of the school district here. It is the main reason we moved to our neighborhood. Of course, the numerous lakes are a bonus!

 

[anabelle]

Thanks for the replys so far! I've recently started my research, so keep the suggestions coming!

DH will be on the road, so no office per se. Metro Detroit/northern suburbs will be where a large chunk of his business is.


Thanks again! I'll have to look up the towns and schools that you each mentioned.

We lived in Romeo for 5 years, which is at the very north of Macomb county. There are some wonderful buys up there right now. Many homes have 2 acres in subdivisions. It is lovely up there. The schools are great. I worked in Shelby Township, which is a little south of there. The area is more built up but not too built up. The schools are Utica schools there and they tend to score well. I think northern Macomb county is a bargain compared to the west side. In general, I would steer clear of Detroit proper and the surrounding cities as many have said before. The Pointes are nice but overpriced IMO. The west side (anything on the west side of 275) is newer. A lot of the new businesses settled there, so the prices didn't go down as much.

Metro Detroit is a great place to live. I lived there 20 years and miss it so much. There is so much to do outdoors. You will love it.

 

[geishagirl81]

I taught at a Detroit School, avoid the whole 50 mile radius. And I grew up in South East MI. Be wary of eastern suburbs to the city. I'd suggest Oakland COunty to you north. Troy, Royal Oak, Rochester Hills, Lake Orion, are good. Bloomfield Hills is nice too.

 

[meg_twittles]

I grew up in the Downriver area and lived there for 25 years. I would not recommend moving to that area. I have since moved out of state, but frequently visit family back home. It is not what it use to be, it has really gone down hill in the past few years. There is now an "adult" store right down the road from the first house my husband and I bought! I know you said that you don't mind the downtown areas, but Detroit is not your average city. It is very dangerous! My husband was a police officer for Detroit for 6 years and I was a nurse in the ER at the trauma center, trust me when I say that we saw a lot of bad things. If I were you I would move really north of Detroit. Hope this helps

 

[tenaseewalker]

Stay away from the Detroit area or any of the surrounding areas of Detroit for that matter. Oakland County is Great. Just stay away from any of the surrounding areas of Detroit. Northville, Canton, South Lyon, Milford there are a lot of nice places in Michigan, Just stay far away from Detroit.. Try and get more east of Detroit then north. Good luck on your move!!! Maybe you can meet up with a few good people from these boards..

 

[erinmomof2]

There are a lot of not so nice areas around Detroit. I'd be pretty careful about living close to the city especially with kids. There area lot of nice areas in Macomb and Oakland counties like has been mentioned. Plus as far as I know the school districts in and around Detroit leave a lot to be desired. I've visited many cities and Detroit is different, at least to me. It is nice to be near the airport, but really with the freeway it's only an hour drive. And the areas around the airport aren't very nice or safe.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I grew up in Plymouth (township.) The schools are great, but big, though I didn't have any problems with them. Plymouth Township was voted the best town in the state to live in and 28th out of the whole country http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bplive/2009/snapshots/PL2665085.html. We love to visit the goings on (if you will) whenever we are in town. My kids look forward to visiting grandma and grandpa (in fact we will be there next week) because of all their town has to offer. It was wonderful growing up there and if we could have afforded it I would have loved for my kids to have grown up in that town. Oh, and there is a wonderful park we go to often in the summer when we are in town, McClumpha, that has a great splash park. My kids love it there so much. I can't say enough about Plymouth as a community. If we could have afforded it we would have for sure! And in the summer the music in the park is so nice, and at Christmas when Santa comes is so nice and the Ice Sculpture Festival and the Fall Festival...man I miss Plymouth!

Anyway, it is a great location and a truly wonderful town. You may want to check it out!

 

[micheleq]

Wow! Thank you Michigan

Now I have an idea of where to dig into my research on towns and school districts. DH & I will be able to go and scout out places over the next month or two before moving our family, so we'll have the chance to explore different communities.

This is so helpful, I can't begin to tell you.

It does make me sad that Detroit is in such decline. I've seen the transformation of NYC over the last 20 years (Times Square used to be all peep shows and hookers, now it's a TRU and M&M's store), maybe Detroit should be the next place Rudy Guiliani goes?

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Wow! Thank you Michigan

Now I have an idea of where to dig into my research on towns and school districts. DH & I will be able to go and scout out places over the next month or two before moving our family, so we'll have the chance to explore different communities.

This is so helpful, I can't begin to tell you.

It does make me sad that Detroit is in such decline. I've seen the transformation of NYC over the last 20 years (Times Square used to be all peep shows and hookers, now it's a TRU and M&M's store), maybe Detroit should be the next place Rudy Guiliani goes?

Not a bad idea!

 

[nexttripdisney]

Best bet for safe neighborhoods, good value and great schools are in Oakland County. I'd look at Rochester Hills or Lake Orion.