Grosse Pointe vs. Bloomfield Hills: best days behind them?

[Bham1982]

I could be wrong, but I've generally thought that the appeal of the Pointes had to do with exclusivity and disconnectedness from Detroit in general.

I don't understand why the relative appeal would be based on isolation from things. Obviously the Pointes are desirable, but I think most people would agree there's a big difference in property values between the Pointes and the Oakland County wealth centers.

If it isn't the relative isolation from amenities, and then relative proximity to undesirables, then why do the property values lag? Is it just people have the WASP image and perceive it as stuffy?

As a relatively young person who has lived in major cities, I want a place with good restaurants, groceries and services. I don't perceive the Pointes as a place where I'm going to be able to find, say, a selection of imported items in grocers, or contemporary furniture stores, or places to go out in free time.

If you live anywhere along the Woodward corridor from Ferndale up to the Bloomfields, you have the widest array of "stuff" at your fingertips relative to anywhere else in MI, which is why property values are higher.

[jt1]

I don't understand why the relative appeal would be based on isolation from things. Obviously the Pointes are desirable, but I think most people would agree there's a big difference in property values between the Pointes and the Oakland County wealth centers.

If it isn't the relative isolation from amenities, and then relative proximity to undesirables, then why do the property values lag? Is it just people have the WASP image and perceive it as stuffy?

As a relatively young person who has lived in major cities, I want a place with good restaurants, groceries and services. I don't perceive the Pointes as a place where I'm going to be able to find, say, a selection of imported items in grocers, or contemporary furniture stores, or places to go out in free time.

If you live anywhere along the Woodward corridor from Ferndale up to the Bloomfields, you have the widest array of "stuff" at your fingertips relative to anywhere else in MI, which is why property values are higher.

I'm really starting to think that Bham is a paid shill for Oakland County. Heaven forbid you say anything negative about the fancy part of OC.

We get it, you think that Birmingham and the Bloomfields are the greatest thing in the world. That doesn't mean that no other places offer what others are looking for. I have a feeling, given the wealth and relatively frugal ways of the few GPers I know that they aren't interested in having a store that offers 100 varieties of specialty olive oil.

[Bham1982]

We get it, you think that Birmingham and the Bloomfields are the greatest thing in the world.

No, that would be you, projecting.

I don't particularly like Birmingham. I don't own in Birmingham, and probably won't buy there, as I consider it overvalued. It works for me, right now. Really the only positives for me are convenient location, walkable, and close to friends/associates. Downtown is annoying and the neighborhoods are being destroyed by crap developments. Taxes are too high, and services aren't better than neighboring communities. The library sucks.

Bloomfield Hills is beautiful around Cranbrook and the lakes, but I like it even less than Birmingham. It's too isolated from stuff once you get to far west, and generally too old and conservative for my tastes. Fantastic library though, and I would consider it if I had real money and wanted to isolate myself.

[GP For Life]

No, that would be you, projecting.

I don't particularly like Birmingham. I don't own in Birmingham, and probably won't buy there, as I consider it overvalued. It works for me, right now. Really the only positives for me are convenient location, walkable, and close to friends/associates. Downtown is annoying and the neighborhoods are being destroyed by crap developments. Taxes are too high, and services aren't better than neighboring communities. The library sucks.

Bloomfield Hills is beautiful around Cranbrook and the lakes, but I like it even less than Birmingham. It's too isolated from stuff once you get to far west, and generally too old and conservative for my tastes. Fantastic library though, and I would consider it if I had real money and wanted to isolate myself.

Sounds like someone is going to move to GP.

[JBMcB]

The library sucks.

Seriously?!? Seemed pretty damned nice to me.

[Bham1982]

Seriously?!? Seemed pretty damned nice to me.

Have you been to the Bloomfield, Novi, or Southfield libraries? Compared to those, the Birmingham library is tiny and decrepit. Bloomfield and Birmingham have a joint agreement, though, so it's essentially one system from the borrower perspective.

[Don K]

Fantastic library though, and I would consider it if I had real money and wanted to isolate myself.

Actually, Bloomfield Hills uses the Birmingham Baldwin library.
http://www.bloomfieldhillsmi.net/residents/library.php
The fantastic library you're thinking of might be the Bloomfield Township library at the corner of Lone Pine and Telegraph. People confuse us with the Hills all the time, I suppose because we share a post office and most of the kids go to Bloomfield Hills schools [[some go to Birmingham schools).

[Bham1982]

Actually, Bloomfield Hills uses the Birmingham Baldwin library.
http://www.bloomfieldhillsmi.net/residents/library.php
The fantastic library you're thinking of might be the Bloomfield Township library at the corner of Lone Pine and Telegraph. People confuse us with the Hills all the time, I suppose because we share a post office and most of the kids go to Bloomfield Hills schools [[some go to Birmingham schools).

Yeah, I get it; I grew up there [[Long Lake/Lahser area). When people say "Bloomfield" locally, they usually mean "Bloomfield Hills and Township", and since the township is 10 times the population, they're really default referring to the Township.

[bailey]

As a relatively young person who has lived in major cities, I want a place with good restaurants, groceries and services. I don't perceive the Pointes as a place where I'm going to be able to find, say, a selection of imported items in grocers, or contemporary furniture stores, or places to go out in free time.

From what you're posting here, its clear it's been decades since you've done anything but drive by the exits for GP on 94.

stop posting on this topic. you are posting straight up, unadulterated, bullshit.

[jt1]

From what you're posting here, its clear it's been decades since you've done anything but drive by the exits for GP on 94.

stop posting on this topic. you are posting straight up, unadulterated, bullshit.

How dare you. BHam knows all and there is no single chance that anyone under the age of 50 would choose GP [[or anywhere else for that matter) over Birmingham or the Bloomfields [[except the nasty parts close to Pontiac)

[cjd]

How dare you. BHam knows all and there is no single chance that anyone under the age of 50 would choose GP [[or anywhere else for that matter) over Birmingham or the Bloomfields [[except the nasty parts close to Pontiac)

My sarcasm detector isn't working.... are you serious?

[Pam]

My sarcasm detector isn't working.... are you serious?

He's not serious.

[Bham1982]

From what you're posting here, its clear it's been decades since you've done anything but drive by the exits for GP on 94.

stop posting on this topic. you are posting straight up, unadulterated, bullshit.

Translation- I don't have anything specific to rebut, and realize most of this under discussion is true [[or at least perceived to be true) so please stop posting and potentially harming my property values.

If the Pointes have similar shops, restaurants and services, as in Oakland County, and we're all lying, then set us straight. If the Pointes have similar price appreciation as other areas in recent years, and are unaffected by location, then put us in our place and post the data.

BTW, I like the Pointes, and may one day live there. The architectural quality, on average, is the best in Michigan, and if I ever worked downtown I would consider it. If dowtown ever truly revitalizes the Pointes will probably be huge beneficiaries, and will strengthen relative to other areas.