Considering Highland Park

[izzyindetroit]

Does anyone on this forum live in HP?

I really would like to buy a beautiful home in one of HP's historic districts. I am aware of the poor schools, government services, police, blight, etc. but the City has to make a comeback at some point right??

Please share your thoughts and opinions on home ownership and community values.

[poobert]

I think home ownership is great. In Highland Park, maybe not so much.

I guess I'm curious as to why you wouldn't choose one of Detroit's more stable historic neighborhoods over Highland Park. I suppose the distant pipe dream of M-1 rail could possibly help HP, other than that I don't really see any compelling reason why it would have to make a comeback.

The other obvious alternative is Hamtramck. My ex lives there and I have a lot of friends there, it really is still a very safe and nice community, and very walkable, even if it has gotten a little worn over the years. Home prices are rising, even.

[Jason]

I think home ownership is great. In Highland Park, maybe not so much.

I guess I'm curious as to why you wouldn't choose one of Detroit's more stable historic neighborhoods over Highland Park. I suppose the distant pipe dream of M-1 rail could possibly help HP, other than that I don't really see any compelling reason why it would have to make a comeback.

The other obvious alternative is Hamtramck. My ex lives there and I have a lot of friends there, it really is still a very safe and nice community, and very walkable, even if it has gotten a little worn over the years. Home prices are rising, even.

Yeah my thoughts too. If I were to pick someplace nearby I'd go with Boston-Edison instead. Even more nice houses to pick from.

Also, I have a feeling that anything transit related that happens on Woodward, and any growth downtown and midtown is going to make Boston Edison more appealing and if there was good transit I wouldn't be surprised to see new developments there once New Center gets full, so I think it would be a good long term investment, and a nice place to live.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

With "all due respect" to Hamtramck, are there any areas in it with beautiful historic homes?

[izzyindetroit]

With "all due respect" to Hamtramck, are there any areas in it with beautiful historic homes?

Exactly.

Seems to me HP is currently in a better state as a city both politically and financially than both Detroit and hamtramck.

I am looking for logical and concrete evidence on why I should not buy a home in highland park.

[poobert]

Exactly.

Seems to me HP is currently in a better state as a city both politically and financially than both Detroit and hamtramck.

Uh, how, exactly?

Do you next want "concrete evidence" as to why you shouldn't open a liquor store in Mogadishu?

[Dan Wesson]

Exactly.

Seems to me HP is currently in a better state as a city both politically and financially than both Detroit and hamtramck.

I am looking for logical and concrete evidence on why I should not buy a home in highland park.

Go rent Clint Eastwood's 'Gran Torino'.I read somewhere it was filmed there and the glamor scenes out in the Pointes.

[aj3647]

I am looking for logical and concrete evidence on why I should not buy a home in highland park.

Why are you so insistent that strangers on an internet forum talk you OUT of a buying a house there?

[rb336]

Exactly.

Seems to me HP is currently in a better state as a city both politically and financially than both Detroit and hamtramck.

I am looking for logical and concrete evidence on why I should not buy a home in highland park.

How much is home owner's insurance?. HP pays Hamtramck to handle its tax collection and some other functions. It has been out of the news for a while, so I really don't know much about the state of affairs there.

[chicagoforlife]

I'm from Chicago but have spent quite a bit of time in the Detroit area. It seems to me that Highland Park is just an extension of Detroit and has the same problems that Detroit does. I didn't care for Highland Park too much and would never live there unless conditions improved majorly. I enjoyed Hamtramck though, I thought that was a nice little city in the middle of the bigger city of Detroit, it didn't seem to be a small city at all though since it's pretty densely populated, it almost seemed like a neighborhood in Chicago but not quite.

I don't know how the economy works in Detroit, Highland Park and Hamtramck but if I had to guess I would say Highland Park is in worse shape than both Detroit and Hamtramck.

[Dexlin]

Exactly.

Seems to me HP is currently in a better state as a city both politically and financially than both Detroit and hamtramck.

Okay, you're just trolling, now, I see. You know as well as anyone that that is not objectively true in any fashion. I'm a big booster of even what many would call crappy neighborhoods, but HP is the Detroit of inner-city Detroit. HP has every proble Detroit has, but without even anything that could be hoped to be built on to pull it out of it's spiral in the future. Highland Park would probably be the only city in the entire region that you actually benefit, on net, from merging with Detroit.

I know you are kidding. There is no way you are that dense.

[warsaw7]

Okay, you're just trolling, now, I see. You know as well as anyone that that is not objectively true in any fashion. I'm a big booster of even what many would call crappy neighborhoods, but HP is the Detroit of inner-city Detroit. HP has every proble Detroit has, but without even anything that could be hoped to be built on to pull it out of it's spiral in the future. Highland Park would probably be the only city in the entire region that you actually benefit, on net, from merging with Detroit.

I know you are kidding. There is no way you are that dense.

Amen. I agree with you 100%. That city is a cesspool. Have you seen the highland park community college or ventured off Woodward? Even on Woodward it is sketchy. There are packs of wild dogs, wild crackheads and wild hookers running loose on the streets. While I appreciate your optimism and your stories Lowell, I cannot agree with you. I have a friend who was a cop there and the stories he told were flat out horrendous, which is why he left. He really couldn't take it anymore. More power to you if you move there, my advice be careful! I would research the area however before deciding based on what you heard in an Internet forum.

[izzyindetroit]

Okay, you're just trolling, now, I see. You know as well as anyone that that is not objectively true in any fashion. I'm a big booster of even what many would call crappy neighborhoods, but HP is the Detroit of inner-city Detroit. HP has every proble Detroit has, but without even anything that could be hoped to be built on to pull it out of it's spiral in the future. Highland Park would probably be the only city in the entire region that you actually benefit, on net, from merging with Detroit.

I know you are kidding. There is no way you are that dense.

Trolling huh?

Both Hamtramck and Detroit have emergency managers. Detroit is going through bankruptcy. Neither of the two city's mayor or city councils have any true power.

Does Highland Park have similar issues? Yes, but as of today, it is better off both politically and financially. You just have a hard time facing the facts.

[Dexlin]

Trolling huh?

Both Hamtramck and Detroit have emergency managers. Detroit is going through bankruptcy. Neither of the two city's mayor or city councils have any true power.

Does Highland Park have similar issues? Yes, but as of today, it is better off both politically and financially. You just have a hard time facing the facts.

Are you kidding me? Did you not just see the story in the paper, today, that basically says HP is going back into emergency management? Are you seriously trying to tell me that whether someone is currently under emergency management or not speaks to the long-term prospects of the city?

Detroit and even Hamtramck actually have taxable people and places left. Whatever their current situation and how they got there, there are assets left worth millions [[and in Detroit's case) billions of dollars. HP is more poverty stricken, more crime-filled, worse schools, more...than Detroit; this isn't my opinion, these are demonstrable facts. It's probably better to think of HP as a neighborhood of Detroit but with the burden - and, yes, at this point is has become a burden and not a source of pride - of having a seperate government to try and sustain. It'd be like having Dexter-Linwood incorporated to the west.

HP is gone. Not even Detroit gone, but gone. The only thing of any fiscal value it had left was it's water system, and even that had to be shut down in 2012 and basically put under the protection of DSWD. HP will come back if only because it's in Woodward, but there is no longer any excuse for it to operate as a seperate municipality, anymore, and I say that as a huge proponent of local government. There has to be something stunningly important about HP geographically, financially, etc...to make an argument for its independence, and all that made it special is gone.

But, then again, what's to be expected of the future of a city founded to help a millionaire dodge another city's taxes, and never trying to expand beyond that fact of its founding?

[Hi and Goodbye]

Exactly.

Seems to me HP is currently in a better state as a city both politically and financially than both Detroit and hamtramck.

I am looking for logical and concrete evidence on why I should not buy a home in highland park.

Logically speaking, you would have to listened to the reasoned arguments of people who have lived there or spent time there. The few people I know who have tried to make a go of it in HP, have not walked away unscathed. A jewish friend got swastikas painted on her garage, and broken into [[multiple times). Another friend bought a house in HP, first house on the block off Woodward. His wife had to leave him, for the sake of their children. They got broken into repeatedly and she could no longer take it, not to mention the state of the public schools.... very bad. His house is now abandoned. There was no way to safely live there for him. The crime became all to much. So buyer beware.

[GUSHI]

With "all due respect" to Hamtramck, are there any areas in it with beautiful historic homes?

by Saint Florian--some nice homes

[Dan Wesson]

by Saint Florian--some nice homes

Gallagher between Casmere and Commor

[Gistok]

With "all due respect" to Hamtramck, are there any areas in it with beautiful historic homes?

Um between Highland Park and Hamtramck... you have to look at it realistically...

Highland Park has beautiful old homes... but neighborhoods that are still crumbling with drugs, crime and all the seedy things that make urban living challenging.

Hamtramck has working class neighborhood homes... but the neighborhoods are filled with safer living and more shopping options.

Site Admin Lowell moved out of a beatiful house in Highland Park because he could not guarantee the safety of his family. What good is a nice house if your neighbors are crackheads or will steal from you the moment you leave the house?

Between Hamtramck and Highland Park... the jury has long ago decided for Hamtramck.

Location... Location... Location...

[Lowell]

Site Admin Lowell moved out of a beatiful house in Highland Park because he could not guarantee the safety of his family. What good is a nice house if your neighbors are crackheads or will steal from you the moment you leave the house?

Not so. Site admin Lowell moved from his beautiful arts and crafts primarily because it was an opportune moment to sell a house he lived in for 27 years with no bars on it, restored to the point where it sold for several times what he paid for it at the height of the white flight and made a debt-free move to his current bucolic setting. He didn't flee and lose. He invested and won.

My neighbors were not crackheads, they were kind and caring and when a household made the mistake to dabble in drugs we banded together and got authorities to drive them out. My son who was home-birthed there grew up lovingly watched over and protected as were all other neighbor children. You will never understand how protective of each other, and particularly children, you become when danger is nearby.

The only time our house was broken into, it was entered by a 13 year old on the street who knew where our secret key was because his sister fed our cat on our vacations. He was dumb enough to do it in winter and I followed his tracks home. His dad marched him back the next day with the stolen cash.

Yes Highland Park has crime and other problems but that served to bond us as neighbors, far more than any other neighbors I have had before or since. This is the face of Highland Park you will NEVER see by just driving around or reading generalizations like many of those written above.

The lesson is this -- Highland Park is an option but take the extra step of introducing yourself to the neighbors beside, behind and across from you. It is important to connect with that almost secret society. They will be delighted to know your good intentions, clue you in and watch over you. Like Detroit, Highland Park is a city of islands. Find one, move there and you will be the cat that swallowed the canary with everyone wondering how you could live there, having their jaws drop at the magnificence of your house that you paid so little for, while you are smiling. Don't ever try to explain because they will never understand or think you are lying.

There are two designated historic home districts, northwest and southeast Highland Park. Focus there. Generally, but not always, the closer Woodward the better the houses. Since the 2008 collapse one can currently buy incredible arts and crafts houses for rock bottom prices. Be aware that many houses are sold FSBO like I bought and sold mine -- outside the realtor network -- so knowing someone there with an ear to the ground is a big advantage. Here is the website I created to sell my house which is typical of what you can expect to find. http://bhere.com/house/45colorado.htm Another buy-low sell-high moment exists - all you have to do is be brave and open-minded. Then retire to the country.

Finally, Highland Park is a village of sorts that runs on a first name basis. With a population of 11-12K your city council people, mayor, civil servants are all accessible. You will run into them shopping groceries and elsewhere. It's not a big faceless bureaucracy like Detroit -- another thing one will never get from drive through and reading negative press.

[illwill]

Not so. Site admin Lowell moved from his beautiful arts and crafts primarily because it was an opportune moment to sell a house he lived in for 27 years with no bars on it, restored to the point where it sold for several times what he paid for it at the height of the white flight and made a debt-free move to his current bucolic setting. He didn't flee and lose. He invested and won.

My neighbors were not crackheads, they were kind and caring and when a household made the mistake to dabble in drugs we banded together and got authorities to drive them out. My son who was home-birthed there grew up lovingly watched over and protected as were all other neighbor children. You will never understand how protective of each other, and particularly children, you become when danger is nearby.

The only time our house was broken into, it was entered by a 13 year old on the street who knew where our secret key was because his sister fed our cat on our vacations. He was dumb enough to do it in winter and I followed his tracks home. His dad marched him back the next day with the stolen cash.

Yes Highland Park has crime and other problems but that served to bond us as neighbors, far more than any other neighbors I have had before or since. This is the face of Highland Park you will NEVER see by just driving around or reading generalizations like many of those written above.

The lesson is this -- Highland Park is an option but take the extra step of introducing yourself to the neighbors beside, behind and across from you. It is important to connect with that almost secret society. They will be delighted to know your good intentions, clue you in and watch over you. Like Detroit, Highland Park is a city of islands. Find one, move there and you will be the cat that swallowed the canary with everyone wondering how you could live there, having their jaws drop at the magnificence of your house that you paid so little for, while you are smiling. Don't ever try to explain because they will never understand or think you are lying.

There are two designated historic home districts, northwest and southeast Highland Park. Focus there. Generally, but not always, the closer Woodward the better the houses. Since the 2008 collapse one can currently buy incredible arts and crafts houses for rock bottom prices. Be aware that many houses are sold FSBO like I bought and sold mine -- outside the realtor network -- so knowing someone there with an ear to the ground is a big advantage. Here is the website I created to sell my house which is typical of what you can expect to find. http://bhere.com/house/45colorado.htm Another buy-low sell-high moment exists - all you have to do is be brave and open-minded. Then retire to the country.

Finally, Highland Park is a village of sorts that runs on a first name basis. With a population of 11-12K your city council people, mayor, civil servants are all accessible. You will run into them shopping groceries and elsewhere. It's not a big faceless bureaucracy like Detroit -- another thing one will never get from drive through and reading negative press.

I'm glad you spoke up Lowell. To hear people trashing Highland Park the way everyone trashes Detroit is something else. Long time Detroiter's have been getting that same negative advice for years and still do to this very day.

I'd say go where ever your dollar can get you in. I'm sure H.P. has a lot of nice people living there and not just crackheads. Maybe pick your block carefully. I'm sure many nice people would love to have a nice addition to the neighborhood and another set of eyes and ears.

You're obviously no complete stranger to Highland Park/Detroit. Crime is all over the city of Detroit too [[not sure what people are thinking). The only thing you "might" want to worry about are city services and how much you pay. Aside from that, it's no different than Detroit.

[Dan Wesson]

No way in Hades would I subject my children to living like I had to, growing up where I had to in the D.

From my experiences I couldn't really tell that much a difference HP from Detroit. I worked in the neighborhoods, in the houses, met all kinds of people. Did it for 12 years. I have had cops tell me that if I knew what was going on in some of the homes I would go into, that I wouldn't go in.

Believe me I would have loved to live in suburban Oakland or Macomb County. I just could not afford it. I saw the inner city become the middle city and now the whole city. The trend is there. The only reason I see for living on the edge of misfortune is for a handsome profit or can't afford to live elsewhere.

[masterblaster]

I'm glad you spoke up Lowell. To hear people trashing Highland Park the way everyone trashes Detroit is something else. Long time Detroiter's have been getting that same negative advice for years and still do to this very day.

I'd say go where ever your dollar can get you in. I'm sure H.P. has a lot of nice people living there and not just crackheads. Maybe pick your block carefully. I'm sure many nice people would love to have a nice addition to the neighborhood and another set of eyes and ears.

You're obviously no complete stranger to Highland Park/Detroit. Crime is all over the city of Detroit too [[not sure what people are thinking). The only thing you "might" want to worry about are city services and how much you pay. Aside from that, it's no different than Detroit.

I also don't understand the disdain for HP. These folks are trashing Highland Park like the people on the Freep forums bash Detroit. These guys talk about crackhead this and crackhead that. Doesn't Midtown have a ton of crackheads still? Isn't Boston-Edison surrounded by crackheads too? The whole city has crackheads and zombies walking at all hours of the night.

[Oddz313]

East of woodward still has some beautiful homes, west of woodward is hit. HP has more cops than they once had but they mostly just write tickets

[compn]

highland park was coming around but now its dead again.
no use living in a historic area if you got bars on your windows and someone stealing your car out front of your house. but that happens anywhere. actually happened in front of my house to my grandmother, course she left the keys in it...

http://www.mlive.com/politics/index....ars_remov.html

Highland Park, four years removed from its last emergency manager, could be in line for another

[Cliffy]

If you like crackheads, then HP is perfect for you.