Windsor to Detroit Daily Commute - Where should I live?

Hey all,

Will be moving this summer [[July) to Windsor [[from NYC). I will be working at Henry Ford hospital, so commuting daily from Windsor to Detroit [[I am Canadian).

So some follow-up questions:

1) Whats better for daily commute with regards to cost, efficiency, ease. Ambassador Bridge or Tunnel?
2) Any neighborhoods to recommend in Windsor that is close to the Tunnel or Bridge?
3) How long does it take to get a Nexus Card? 3 months? 6 months?
4) Whats the commute like across the boarder? My hours will be around 6:45pam to 5pmish

Any other tips/recs would be appreciated!

Use the tunnel..... commercial truck traffic uses the bridge causing massive backups at times.

Why are you living in Canada ??

One thing for sure, with the 40% exchange rate you’ll be earning in the US, property in Windsor will be much more affordable. Because you’ve just got a bump of 40%, will go a lot further

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Originally Posted by shawring

Why are you living in Canada ??

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Because he or she is Canadian. Crazy, huh?

With all the tolls, fees, fuel costs, extra drive/wait times, double sets of taxes, etc., is there really any good reason to do this?

Aren't there Hospitals in Windsor?

Are you people serious? Though not a whole lot, there are plenty of people who work across the border for various reasons. I thought it was pretty well known that one field where this was a known thing was nursing. It should be obvious that there are considerably more job opportunities on the American side just given the size difference between the two cities. Have you folks really never heard of a cross-border commute?

Act like you've been here before, folks. Act like you know you live in an international border town and not some backwater provincial village in the middle of the country.

You will definitely use the tunnel, as almost all commuters do. Traffic is very light at 6:30 am and you should fly through and be at Henry Ford in 15 min. unless there is an unusual delay. Traffic is busier between 7:30-8:00 but still moves steady with a Nexus card.
Most commercial business has moved out of downtown Windsor out by the mall but I would still look at living on the east riverfront in one of the many high rise condos and apts. You can jog/bike on the riverfront and have access to downtown for restaurants and the tunnel. If you are looking for a house or townhouse there are lots of inexpensive options. Try stopping into the lunchroom at either the Detroit or Windsor hospital and ask where people are renting in Windsor. You may find a popular building where you can share the commute some days. It's not NY but you're getting all the amenities of big city Detroit combined with the benefits of small city Ontario. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Meddle

With all the tolls, fees, fuel costs, extra drive/wait times, double sets of taxes, etc., is there really any good reason to do this?

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No. Keen observations. I think you've convinced them, with your post, to scrap their career decision and relocation.

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Originally Posted by Meddle

Aren't there Hospitals in Windsor?

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Oh, good point. No.


Come on people. Let's at least try to be helpful. I always thought "midwestern nice" somehow passed over southeast Michigan.

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Originally Posted by Dexlin

Act like you've been here before, folks. Act like you know you live in an international border town and not some backwater provincial village in the middle of the country.

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I have. I used to cross over on a whim to shop or just get a tank of gas when prices were right over there.

With the dramatic increase in tolls and difficulties in crossing, there is no way in the world I would do it every day.

I think the amount of Canucks I used to see on my commute to AA would astound some of you people.

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Originally Posted by Meddle

I have. I used to cross over on a whim to shop or just get a tank of gas when prices were right over there.

With the dramatic increase in tolls and difficulties in crossing, there is no way in the world I would do it every day.

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While it's definitely a pain to cross on a whim like the good old days, it's not really an issue for commuters. Over 6500 people commute to Detroit daily from Windsor. You prepay your tolls on your Nexus card at a discounted rate which will pay for itself daily in the 1st half hour based on the higher wages and difference in the dollar. I have stayed in the Courtyard hotel many times and watched the constant line of commuters flying out of the tunnel at 7:00 am.

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Originally Posted by Meddle

With all the tolls, fees, fuel costs, extra drive/wait times, double sets of taxes, etc., is there really any good reason to do this?

Aren't there Hospitals in Windsor?

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Medical professionals in the U.S. earn far more than in Canada. All the major Detroit-area hospitals have a fair amount of Canadians.

And obviously a Canadian citizen can't just randomly move to U.S. to be closer to work. Immigration takes years and thousands, with no guarantee of success.

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Originally Posted by Bham1982

And obviously a Canadian citizen can't just randomly move to U.S. to be closer to work. Immigration takes years and thousands, with no guarantee of success.

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The op said they live in NYC.

If you can live in Detroit then I'm curious why you would choose to live in Windsor. It doesn't sound like you have any ties to the area.

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Originally Posted by iheartthed

The op said they live in NYC.

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Right, but it doesn't mean they can move to Michigan. They need to be a citizen or have a full green card allowing unrestricted work.

H-1B visa holders and the like cannot randomly move within U.S. and just change jobs. Their immigration status is contingent on their employment.

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Originally Posted by blitz2014

Hey all,


3) How long does it take to get a Nexus Card? 3 months? 6 months?

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As an American citizen it was pretty easy process although at the time needed to be flexible to find an interview time that wasn't far in advance. From applying online to receiving it was less than 2 months.

I know of someone else where it was almost 5 months and multiple interviews, but far more complicated background.

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Originally Posted by Bham1982

Right, but it doesn't mean they can move to Michigan. They need to be a citizen or have a full green card allowing unrestricted work.

H-1B visa holders and the like cannot randomly move within U.S. and just change jobs. Their immigration status is contingent on their employment.

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H-1b workers actually can change jobs within the U.S. H-1bs are transferrable to different employers.

If the o/p is solely a Canadian citizen then they might be in NYC on a TN1 visa, which cannot be transferred between employers. Many Canadians opt for that over H-1b because it's easier to obtain. They could also be on an L1, which is also easier to obtain but again restricts them to a single employer.

If the o/p is not a citizen then they would still need a work visa to work in Detroit.

Exchange rate might make it "nice" for a while.
It's all fun until red car day or blue car day, or whatever color you drive.

I lived in/around NYC and the geographic cost of tolls made some
dates "undesireable" due to continual weekly fees.
Parking can be a real bear in Detroit and add up quick.
http://www.parkdetroit.us/
https://spothero.com/detroit-parking

The fact that OP wants to live in Windsor is irrelevant.

From a job prospective, there are no hospitals in Windsor that are a large tertiary care centers like Henry Ford Hospital. When I was at Royal Oak Beaumont I knew several Canadians that commuted from Windsor to Royal Oak [[Obviously further than HF). If we are going to consider Windsor part of the region, it only would make sense that commuters would come from there as well.

I share a parking lot with HF staff and a ton of them are Canadian

If it were me, I would get a 10th floor or higher apartment with a dramatic view of the River and Detroit skyline between the tunnel and the bridge. I would have the tunnel bus as an option giving making possible biking to Henry Ford in the summer and have downtown Windsor and the Windsor Art Museum at my doorstep.

There has to be a ton of car pooling options with the thousands who commute daily and going from Windsor to Grand Blvd. is far, far easier and quicker than rush-hour grinding in from, say, Rochester or Novi. Actually I'm surprised more Americans who do such drives that don't choose to live in Windsor. There's a lot to do and enjoy in Windsor. It's a great place. You'll enjoy it. Welcome to the D-W.

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[QUOTE]Actually I'm surprised more Americans who do such drives that don't choose to live in Windsor.[QUOTE]

It’s not really surprising at all. There are far more reasons against it than in favor of it.

Kids schools, spouse’s job location, proximity of family/friends, ethnic/cultural connections, complications of owning property in a foreign country, not wanting to rent, tax issues, and not wanting to live in a foreign country are just some of the major factors.

OP - maybe some more info would help. Are you single/couple/have kids? Is your stay short, long or unknown? Do you prefer to buy or rent? House, condo or apartment?

If it works for you, I'm with Lowell - get an apartment downtown with a good view of the river.

Wow thanks for all the responses!

Yes, I'm looking at Windsor because I feel it would be much cheaper to live.

It looks like Tunnel >> Bridge. So I'm going to focus on Walkerville, Downtown Windsor.

I'll be living alone, and really am looking at saving $ on rent, so the cheaper the better!

Ideally I want a 1 bdr apt, 5 min from Tunnel.