Just made the move to Detroit, working too much to find a place to live

Have been lurking on this forum for quite a while but first post here. Upon visiting Detroit to run the marathon in 2008, I fell in love with the city. At the beginning of the week, I made the move to Detroit from St Louis where I just completed grad school. I had no problem in the job search, but it all happened so fast that I didn't find suitable housing in time. For now, I am splitting my time between a friend's house in NW Detroit and a hotel in Livonia, but this is getting really old.

I have been doing some neighborhood searching, found several that look pretty sweet, but I am afraid to pull the trigger on any one specific neighborhood. I've been focusing my search on Downtown/Corktown/Greektown.Woodward Ave/Jefferson Ave areas. The nature of my work is a lot of travel with the Downtown region of the city being by far the most geographically advantageous. As I have a pile of student loans to look at, potentially beginning PhD program in a couple years, and looking at the possibility of marriage proposal, I am trying to go on the cheap, maybe too cheap. I can do 600+/mo but ideally would like to find something in the 500-550/mo range. I grew up in Chicago, lived in downtown Baltimore for two years and have been in downtown STL for the last five years, so I know cities that are 'rough around the edges.' I realize that at my price range, I am not going to get the highest quality, and I am definitely OK with that, just as long as the neighborhood is relatively safe in comparison to the other safer residential areas/downtown.

I've searched the forums and apologize in advance if this question has been beat to death. I have got a few good leads from the forums, but I also know that management can change quickly for the better/worse. I've just been working so many hours that I am afraid I'm going to end up in a cookie-cutter apartment complex in the 'burbs, and I am dreading the thought. Now I have to grab a nap before beginning a 16 hr shift. Thanks in advance for helping a newbie to the city.

Welcome to the D Mattym. For your budget you might consider looking for a shared or coop setting. I haven't checked it in quite a while but Wayne State's South End newspaper classifieds used to be a good place to check for those. The online edition doesn't list them.

On a side note, your forum name choice may draw a few smiles on this forum as it is sometimes used to refer to the infamous/famous Manny Moroun's son Matthew.

At $500-600/mo, definitely look at something in Midtown. If you can stretch to $700 and can wait until next September, the Auburn should be open by then [[I think).

Also, a great source for listings in that range is the Detroit Monitor. It is available at many Detroit businesses. There are fewer listings in the Metro Times, but that's also a good source. Hope you find what you're looking for!

Hamtramck. 500-600 / mo. is normal. Sometimes cheaper. 7 minute drive to campus. 15 minute bike ride. Park your car on Friday after work, don't need to start it up again till Monday morning.

Police repsonse time is about 2 minutes. Bar on every corner. Markets galore. Fantastic food. Lobby of the Polish Market has decent rental "pull tab" type of homemade rental ads. Some in Polish only. Call the number anyways.

I second the vote for Hamtramck. You will be my neighbor. :-) Down town is so close you don't need the expressway. If you look at the map you will see that Harmtramck is at the juncture of I-75 and I-94, which means that you can travel in all directions very fast from Hamtramck.

Great neighbors, great police, inexpensive housing. But as with anywhere in the city, be sure to check out the particular street you move on, there are a few that might be a little rougher than you want. Feel free to private message me any questions, or ask them here.

Just stay away from 479 W. Willis. Knickerbocker use to be 450/month, i think 500 now.

Thanks for all the tips! FYI, I don't own a bridge or an abandoned train station, guess my nickname wasn't, let's say, 'controversial' before moving here. Going to look at the inside of a couple of apartments tomorrow after work [[first time I've done more than drive by) and will also check out Hamtramck as well. Drove around it once but everything is all kind of a blur.

On another note, some of my friends from college in STL just came up to visit, fell in love with the city as well, and are also thinking about making the move!

Also, if anyone knows if there are any respected apartment/house rental management companies that have much in the way of city/inner suburb [[I think Hamtramak and Dearborn would be as suburban as I want) listings, I'd love any advice I can get. Once again, thanks. I really love this message board!

Don't confuse Hamtramck with Dearborn. If you lived in Chicago, Hamtramck is like any one of those functioning gritty, hip urban centers / neighborhoods there that Detroit wishes it had more of. It is tight, compact, and functioning. I refer to it as an "inburb". Make funny connotations here.


Dearborn, on the other hand, is neither a bike ride to downtown or Eastern Market, as Hamtramck easily is. Seriously, if you live on the northern most side of Hamtramck, you can be on Wayne's campus in fifteen minutes or less. Hell, it'll take you that long to find a parking space.

Lafayette Park would be a good place for it is near downtown and is closer to three to four bus lines if you have to catch the bus. East Englis Village area south of Wareen Avenue is a good place for it is near Grosse Pointe. Midtown area for it is having an increase in population and businesses. Make your that you find a place near a good bus line where you could catch both Smart and DDOt. Make sure that you live near a good grocery store, laundromat, and hospital. Scope out the neighborhood at night. Do an apartment search and review if you plan on living in an apartment instead of a house

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Originally Posted by Hamtragedy

Don't confuse Hamtramck with Dearborn. If you lived in Chicago, Hamtramck is like any one of those functioning gritty, hip urban centers / neighborhoods there that Detroit wishes it had more of. It is tight, compact, and functioning. I refer to it as an "inburb". Make funny connotations here.


Dearborn, on the other hand, is neither a bike ride to downtown or Eastern Market, as Hamtramck easily is. Seriously, if you live on the northern most side of Hamtramck, you can be on Wayne's campus in fifteen minutes or less. Hell, it'll take you that long to find a parking space.

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Also, not only is Dearborn a much longer bike-ride, that ride would feature a tour through one of the city's more, ummh, errh, socially-challenged areas, one wherein my standard check-question, "...and what if I have a flat?" brings up a red[[dish) flag.

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Originally Posted by Ravine

Also, not only is Dearborn a much longer bike-ride, that ride would feature a tour through one of the city's more, ummh, errh, socially-challenged areas, one wherein my standard check-question, "...and what if I have a flat?" brings up a red[[dish) flag.

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Yes. The Michigan Avenue drive from Dearborn into Downtown doesn't quite pass the "Would I want my mom driving this route alone daily?" test.

Welcome to the Motor City! I saw this listing a few weeks ago in Woodbridge. I'm not sure if it's still available…

$600 / 2br - 700ft

http://detroit.craigslist.org/wyn/apa/2644518145.html

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Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Yes. The Michigan Avenue drive from Dearborn into Downtown doesn't quite pass the "Would I want my mom driving this route alone daily?" test.

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Right. I drive that route all of the time, and I've had a flat there.
Now, I'm probably a lot less anxious, in those situations, than I should be, but still, even I thought to myself: Man, you've done this a hundred times, now get out there and do your best Indy Pit Crew imitation, and when you're bent over at the wheel, mind your flank-side, pal.
Plus, it was raining & windy, and I hate raining & windy, goddamit.

But truly, Matty, if you want to be close to the action in downtown and midtown [[please ignore our on-going petty arguments about what to call the area directly north of downtown,) you would be much, much happier following the suggestions to look into Hamtramck.

On the other hand, if you happen to be Chaldean, you may want to look into Dearborn; it has a very strong Chaldean populace, so there could be a comfort in that, as well as-- possibly-- a bit of a "homeboy discount."
I'm not being a wise-ass here, or implying anything mean-spirited. I'm just allowing for the possibility that you are Chaldean and giving you a heads-up that could be significant.
Hopefully, it wouldn't be significant in the wrong direction, *ahem*

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Originally Posted by corktownyuppie

Yes. The Michigan Avenue drive from Dearborn into Downtown doesn't quite pass the "Would I want my mom driving this route alone daily?" test.

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I drove that route [[alone) daily to work for 9 months last year. It's not a big deal.

More sad and lonely than scary.

I found the Renaud on Hancock and Second to be pretty suitable. It is a little worn, but it is pretty good overall.

If you want something a little nicer, the renovation of the Helen Newberry on John R. is in its last couple of weeks. I got a tour of the construction site recently, and it's going to be incredible.

I would recommend the Phillips Manor in Midtown [[51 E. Willis). It's affordable, and the apartments are spacious and historic. One downside is that there's no secure parking [[don't waste your money on a spot in their unsecured lot). The landlord is also fanatical about noise, but that's more good than bad. Just don't plan to have any wild parties there.

http://www.midtowndetroitapts.com/mphillips.htm

Yes, Mattym, $600/mo in the downtown/midtown/corktown area will force you to accept some pretty significant "compromises" regarding your neighbors and landlord. The Boydell Development folks might work with you on one of their lofts for that price, but you will no doubt face maintenance issues. Hamtramck is your best bet. You also might find something acceptable in the Grosse Pointe Park Cabbage Patch neighborhood if that eastside location suits your work schedule. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by jolla

I drove that route [[alone) daily to work for 9 months last year. It's not a big deal.

More sad and lonely than scary.

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Have it your way, but nobody said it was "scary."
Everybody knows that the area around Michigan/Livernois is a bit rough, and that it's not a place wherein a newcomer to our city would feel just peachy about being stranded.

More importantly, I have been advised that the Chaldean population in Dearborn is not all that large, relative to the Muslim Arab-American population.
I'm thinking that Matty doesn't give a damn, about that, one way or the other, but I regret having made a statement which, given the word of a person whom I trust, is inaccurate.

I also vote for Hamtramck. Its safe, clean, and affordable, near downtown, and its located at the intersection of I-94 and I-75. Plus, its a lot of fun.

Hey Mattym welcome.

I too am a former St. Louisian. If you had any favorite places in St. Louis I could try to help you find a Detroit equivalent. [[Though as you may be figuring out, Detroit is a world of it's own.)

If you liked St. Louis' Central West End, I'd suggest Detroit's midtown area. Look around Cass Ave & Willis. Though it's not quite the CWE I have a feeling it will be soon.

To me and you, sad and lonely. To someone from anywhere outside of the Detroit area, it screams "drive-by shooting waiting to happen". Yes, that's irrational, but you know....if we're going to try attract outsiders to move here, I think we should consider that their perceptions might different than ours.

Ditto to English's comments. You cannot spend too much time and effort to find the right spot. Location is most crucial for living in Detroit. Maybe you can try a duplex property. The D has tons of them, either side-by-side or upper and lower like how I live.

Shared living is popular here and duplex living can afford you the security of someone always being home, yet it's 'house like' with a good amount of space [[some duplexes/ flats have two bedrooms+, garages, driveways etc.) without too many folks like apartment living.

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Originally Posted by English

At $500-600/mo, definitely look at something in Midtown. If you can stretch to $700 and can wait until next September, the Auburn should be open by then [[I think).

Also, a great source for listings in that range is the Detroit Monitor. It is available at many Detroit businesses. There are fewer listings in the Metro Times, but that's also a good source. Hope you find what you're looking for!

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I work in Dearborn, actually it is more Arabic than Caldean, east Dearborn specifically. And the properties overall are very well maintained. Tons of shopping options, especially for high quality, extremely low produce pricing. You're not far from major freeways and highways. You can get anywhere from there. Telegraph Rd is the Dearborn, Dearborn Heights border. And of course Detroit borders two side of Dearborn itself. Good option...

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Originally Posted by Ravine

...On the other hand, if you happen to be Chaldean, you may want to look into Dearborn; it has a very strong Chaldean populace, so there could be a comfort in that, as well as-- possibly-- a bit of a "homeboy discount." I'm not being a wise-ass here, or implying anything mean-spirited. I'm just allowing for the possibility that you are Chaldean and giving you a heads-up that could be significant. Hopefully, it wouldn't be significant in the wrong direction, *ahem*

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i heard robinwood is legit

Thanks for all the tips. I think I am going with Hamtramck. It reminds me a lot of what I loved about many STL neighborhoods. Hoping to be able to check out some places in the next couple of days. Location seems pretty nice for my work.

After I decide on a location, will be interested in hearing about any community meetings/activities/etc. If anybody knows of any leads, it would be appreciated!

Matt