10 Neighborhoods to Consider BEFORE the Suburbs PART 1
First off, please DO NOT consider our HIGHLY overrated suburbs. They are NOT urban. They are NOT hip. They are NOT walkable. I can not emphasize this enough. In Metro Detroit region, there is a tendency that has almost become pathalogical, where we consider suburbs to be somehow "urban" even though they are not. Suburban Downtowns have replaced the role Downtown Detroit played for many people. But this is not an absolute. Detroit is still #1 place in Michigan for an urban experience, for culture, for entertainment, for music, for good restaurants, for just about anything besides retail shopping which is dominated by the malls. Sure, some suburbs have "urban characteristics" such as cute downtowns, a street grid, and old houses, but they are simply NOT urban. There is no transit, besides busses, which from Royal Oak take almost an hour to get into Downtown. So they are totally car oriented and dependent.
OKAY NOW HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS:
# 1 -- Downtown
Please consider this first. Downtown IS NOT a high-crime area, and has much less crime then most major city's downtowns. It it totally walkable, there is the people mover line that will bring you within a block or two of everything you need, besides the occasional trip to the supermarket or mall that will probably require a car. There are 150 restaurants to choose from so you'll never get sick of eating out. There are specialy retail stores here [[yes, still!), but if you want a to shop big time, there are many malls within 15 minutes of Downtown near the border of the city [[Fairlane, Dearborn; Eastland, Harper Woods; Northland, Southfield). Not to mention all the entertianment: RenCen movie theatre, stage theatres, music venues, clubs, etc. Or all the festivals and activites such as Winter Blast, Detroit Electronic Music Festival, the Jazz Festival, the Hoedown, and more.
#2 -- Midtown
Please consider this highly as well. Midtown is defiantly THE PLACE to be in Michigan. The most up-and-coming neighborhood in the entire state. There has been hundreds of loft and condo conversions, new restaurants and bars, the brand new Burton Theatre [[art/indie films), the Detroit Film Theatre, all the museums, WSU, CCS, the Medical Center. Two great high schools, Cass Tech and Detroit School of the Arts. Two major grocery stores, with two more coming online this spring, a health foods store, a world-class bakery [[Avalon), an indian grocery store. There are many music and stage venues, including the Orchestra Hall, the Majestic Theatre, the Magic Stick, Hillbery Theatre, Bonistelle Theatre, and more. A dinner theatre is soon to open. There are many awesome restaurants to pick from, many who do carry out and delivery. There are activities and festivals such as Midsummer Nights in Midtown, Daly in the Alley and Noel Night. You'll really never have to look long to find something to do in Midtown. Is it safe? Absolutely. The WSU police force covers this area in addition to the Detroit Police. Muggings are a very rare thing, so its reasonably safe to walk the streets at night, at least streets that are well populated.
# 3 -- Corktown
You should check out Corktown if you like historic homes. This is one of Detroit's oldest neighborhoods, and it has the largest stock of pre-1900 homes. The neighborhood is also reasonably walkable, only a 10 -15min walk from Campus Martius. There are great restaurants such as Slow's BBQ and Mudgies, a few Irish places to pay homage to the Irish roots of the neighborhood. There are many renovated homes, apartments and lofts. And mexicantown is just blocks away. For groceries, check out Honey Bee Market on Bagley at 14th Street which is arguably the best in the city. There are venues such as 5E Gallery and PJ's Lager House. There is a new coffee shop opening soon as well. There is a good mix of families, singles, couples and some students [[but defiantly not overrun with students).
# 4 -- Eastern Market
This is a very unique neighborhood. It surrounds the largest public farmers market in the country. It is very very urban, with no single family housing at all. The housing stock consists of apartment buildings and commercial and industrial buildings that have been converted to lofts. In the last 10 years the population has expanded greatly due to so many new lofts. There are great places to eat such as Russell Street Deli, Supino's Pizzeria, the Taste of Ethiopia, Farmers Restaruant and Butcher's Inn. There are venues such as Burt's Warehouse Theatre. There is a vibrant art and music scene here, very obscure and underground, but if you look hard it won't be hard to see. This is also THE PLACE to buy food. Every Saturday the market is open to the public, but there are also various stores open every day such as Gabriel's Imports, Gratiot Central Market and more. So you'll never have to walk more than a few blocks to get most of your foods. Also, the Dequinder Cut Greenway runs along the east side of the neighborhood, which will take you to Rivertown and the Riverfront! Plus, you can walk Downtown as it is less than a mile away.
#5 -- Woodbridge
This is less "urban" then the previous neighborhoods I listed, but still far more dense than any suburb. The neighborhood consists mostly of turn of the century single family homes, duplexes, townhouses and apartments, so it is mostly residential [[hense, less "urban"). But it [[arguably) is walking distance to all that Midtown has to offer, including only a few blocks from University Foods grocery store. The houses you will find here are amazing. Most have three floors, solid, brick, with lots of details. The neighbors are nice, and there is a real sense of community. Neighbors look out for each other here. Not to mention it is very diverse. Families that have lived here their whole life mingle with a transient student population toward the north of the neighborhood. There are also many young professionals living here. Doctors, lawyers, and university professors. There is the Woodbridge Pub that recently opened, which is simply great.. real neighborhood bar where you bump into friends, and where all the staff lives only blocks away. That is how it is in Woodbridge though, because it is a real neighborhood, something you just won't find in the suburbs.
# 6 -- New Center
North of Midtown is the New Center neighborhood. Here you will find Detroit's second largest Central Business District, with some amazing commercial architecture such as the Fisher Building and Cadillac Place. The housing stock is very similar to Woodbridge -- single family homes, duplexes, townhouses and apartment buildings. Although it isn't as vibrant as Midtown, there is still a lot to offer. There are restaruants such as Cusine or New Center Eatery that are highly rated. A few clothing stores and stores selling everyday stuff. There is a great hardware store on Woodward. Transit is great, with the 53 Woodward, 16 Dexter and 23 Hamilton busses all going Downtown, and will take you within 15min of leaving your home. The first phase of light-rail will terminate here, so transit will only improve. CCS also just opened a very large buildings here, that includes a middle and high school and dorms. This is defiantly yet another up-and-coming neighborhood with enormous potential. Great for investors, and people only planning on staying short-term as well.
# 7 -- Lafayette Park/Elmwood Park & Rivertown
I'm calling all these areas one place, which is basically the near east side, directly east of Downtown. Here you will find many modern apartments and high rises in the suburban style, yet in an urban environment. The dequinder cut runs through here, and the International Riverfront is a very valuable attraction/resource. This is a very safe area, with many middle-class residents. The main problem with Lafayette and Elmwood Parks it is that it is suburban in style and layout. Rivertown is very old and very urban, but pretty desolate, minues the riverfront and a few pockets of activity such as along Jos Campau, where you'll find Atwater Brewery and the Rattlesnake Club and Nomi Hotel. This area isn't my top pick, but definatly worth checking out.
# 8 -- The Villages
Directly east of Elmwood Park is the Villages. This is yet another up-and-coming neighborhood. Along Jefferson Ave you will find many chain stores and resturants, along with independent places. Along the river there are many high rise apartment buildings, some of the grandest in the city. North of Jefferson you will find nice neighborhoods with great old houses, similar to what you'd find in Woodbridge or New Center. This area includes Indian Village which is where you'll find the mansions. There are two grocery stores, Indian Village Market and Harbortown Market close by. There is a very active neighborhood association with many activities. There is a highly-acclaimed charter school, the Detroit Wardolph School. I have long said that once I'm done with the University, I will move to the Villages. It is simply great! Way better than Grosse Pointe because its actually in Detroit, and minutes from Downtown, including on Bike.
10 Neighborhoods to Consider BEFORE the Suburbs PART 2
# 9 -- Mexicantown / Southwest Side
You need to also consider Southwest. It is a very diverse area, with a high population density. This area has been developing very well for the last 10-20 years, as immigrants have repaired buildings and opened many new businesses. There are dozens of Mexican restaurants, bakeries, coffee shops and grocery stores. This is probably the best area to do grocery shopping in the city. It is also very close to Downtown and to Dearborn and the west side and Downriver suburbs. If you want a great cultural experience, move here. The housing stock is diverse, ranging from small wood-framed bungalows, to grand brick three-story homes and large apartment buildings. The neighborhood is fairly walkable, especially near Vernor Ave, the main street. The touristy part is along Bagley, and I usually avoid it, but it is still awesome and if you haven't seen it you gotta asap!!
# 10 -- Suburban areas of Detroit [[city).
Finally, there are suburban areas of the city, that resemble places like Ferndale, Royal Oak, or Dearborn. The best example is the Grandmont-Rosedale community. It's a good distance from Downtown, comparable to Ferndale [[but far superior housing). The housing stock is mostly single-family homes built around the 1920s and 30s, so if you like that style the best, this is for you. You'll find the same in the other suburban areas such as the University District/Palmer Woods [[which also is the location of University of Detroit-Mercy), and is only a mile south of Ferndale. Or East English Village, which borders Grosse Pointe. If you are leaning toward either Royal Oak or Grosse Pointe, I would urge you PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE consider these neighborhoods first, They are in close proximity to the suburbs, but still close enough to Downtown to not be dreadful.