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.

[DetroiterOnTheWestCoast]

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

[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

[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.

[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.

[GUSHI]

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

by Saint Florian--some nice homes

[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...

[Dan Wesson]

by Saint Florian--some nice homes

Gallagher between Casmere and Commor

[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?

[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.

[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?

[Detroitdave]

Reconsider

[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.

[chicagoforlife]

I'll give you reasons why you wouldn't want to buy a home in Highland Park. Why would you want to live in a crime ridden area? Your home has a chance of being broken into, you'll live near drug addicts that don't care about you. I don't think I would want to set myself up in a situation like that.

This is coming from someone that resides on Chicago's Southside. The neighborhood I live in though doesn't have much crime so I'm not worried about a lot of the things I'd have to worry about if I lived in Highland Park. The neighborhood I live in is called Bridgeport, it's an up and coming neighborhood just west of Comiskey Park.

I know people that have lived in the city of Detroit and I know people that have had rentals in the city of Detroit and all of them have had problems with B&E's. Highland Park has the same problems Detroit has I guarantee it.

[DetroitPlanner]

Better have deep pockets or get your water from Absopure!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/0...#slide=2001058

[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.

[Gistok]

Sorry Lowell... I had your scenario mixed up with another person I know in Highland Park... right scenario... wrong person....

[Lowell]

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??

I agree with that. As mentioned above it is a community. A lot of people think it is just another faceless part of Detroit. It's centrality of location straddling Woodward amidst an expressway grid guarantees its long term value. The remaining housing is between good and exceptional - just needs some love and time.

It's challenge is being shackled by legacy infrastructure and pension fund obligations granted generously when it was a largely home-owning middle to upper middle class city of over 50,000 and home of the Chysler world headquarters. That has paralyzed the city since, accelerated a race-driven flight that made my house so cheap to obtain and created its second and biggest challenge -- a downward spiral that left the city in the care of so many poor who cannot pay taxes but consume them instead. There simply were not enough of my tax-paying middle class neighbors left to cover this. Bankruptcy and EFM'S followed. But life goes on and changes little because they stick together.

Time will pass, things will change and it's inherent assets will bring it not back, but up.

[downtownguy]

Thanks for adding some balance to this thread, Lowell.

I got a lot of "advice" similar to other posts on this thread when I decided to move downtown in 1981. Never looked back and never regretted it. Good luck Izzy!

[Cliffy]

I worked on a project in Highland Park about 6 years back over a summer. I had one guy come to the project and threaten to kill everyone because we were white. You got crack hookers walking down woodward. You got some shady people with paper bags and 40 ounces loitering next to the Little Caesers on woodward and davison. You have drug zombies roaming around looking for their next crack hit. Highland Park is probably the worst city in Michigan. Crime infested, crackhead infested etc... Nobody can say anything positive about it to me. I spent 3 months straight there over a summer. If you want to live there in an old house, go ahead. You're only fooling yourself.

[Dan Wesson]

Flip this Old House!! Profiting in an adverse real estate environment.

Maybe a reality tv series in the making!