My wife and I are lifelong suburbanites that moved to the Lofts of Merchants Row in May. Our move was supposed to be temporary so that we could enjoy walking to work and enjoying the nightlife, but then eventually move to Birmingham for the schools.

But we love it down here, and we’d like to stay. Thinking long term, what’s the very best place to raise a family within 1 mile of downtown? It looks like the answer is Lafayette Park since Chrysler Elementary appears to be a great school, but I have a lot of questions about LP living. For instance:
1. Do the Mies van der Rohe units have [[private or shared) outdoor space like a patio or a yard? I really miss grilling.
2. Do the co-op corporations enforce a minimum price on the sale of units?
3. Is it possible to sublease? [[To get a feel for the neighborhood before we buy.)
4. How good is plowing in the winter? Does the co-op cover that?
5. How active are the parks, both during the day [[good) and at night [[bad)?
6. How’s Lafayette Foods? We currently go to Honeybee, but it’s a bit of a hike.
7. Do you feel safe walking at night? I have no problem with the downtown Woodward corridor at night, but it’s pretty well lit and populated.
8. How's the walk to the Ren Cen?