Windmill point drive in Grosse Pointe Park

[boater4life]

Obviously this area has some magnificent homes and mansions along lake st. clair. Just curious as to how the area has maintained itself during this recent recession, what types of people live in this area, and would it be a good area to live?

[Gpwrangler]

Very fine area. Property is on the high side. Nice people.

[cjd]

Obviously this area has some magnificent homes and mansions along lake st. clair. Just curious as to how the area has maintained itself during this recent recession, what types of people live in this area, and would it be a good area to live?

IIRC, you are a younger professional with a passion for sailing? GPP is a great fit and I hope you have now zeroed in on the area. Windmill Pointe is very nice and has withstood the downturn rather well, as have the areas slightly more inland all the way up to Jefferson. Any of those areas are sound but Windmill Pointe is quite quiet for someone in the younger crowd. Mostly families and empty-nesters.

[Honky Tonk]

IIRC, you are a younger professional with a passion for sailing?

A passion for "boating". Big difference.

[TKshreve]

A passion for "boating". Big difference.

Boaters and sailors. I'm picturing..... a stiletto knife fight behind the A+W circa 1954.

Boater4life..... how long will your search continue? You've vetted from the most humble neighborhoods to [[now) the best possible lake front property in the city. Unless of course you're thinking of picking up the Ford Estate? Buy something, we want to use your boat[[s).

[Honky Tonk]

Boaters and sailors. I'm picturing..... a stiletto knife fight behind the A+W circa 1954.

Boater4life..... how long will your search continue? You've vetted from the most humble neighborhoods to [[now) the best possible lake front property in the city. Unless of course you're thinking of picking up the Ford Estate? Buy something, we want to use your boat[[s).

When you're a sailor, you're a sailor all the way, from your first cigarette, to your last dying day...

[boater4life]

Boaters and sailors. I'm picturing..... a stiletto knife fight behind the A+W circa 1954.

Boater4life..... how long will your search continue? You've vetted from the most humble neighborhoods to [[now) the best possible lake front property in the city. Unless of course you're thinking of picking up the Ford Estate? Buy something, we want to use your boat[[s).

Yes, I would say passion for boating. Sailing.....Not so much. Anyways as many on here know I have been searching for a while now. Maybe over-searching actually, but I just want to make sure I really love what I buy. Not so sure if this area will be too boring for me. What else is there to keep me [[20 something year-old) occupied during the cold winter months and not just boating in the summer. I love grosse pointe but will I have any other 20-30 something neighbors and friends to hang out with or would I be like a fish out of water in a possibly older surrounding crowd?

[sumas]

Actually, boater4life, you are making me seriously crabby. Serious sounds like you are some apartment finder or similar agent making money off sincere responses from east area folks and boat lovers on this river. Do your own research instead of being a river rat, feeding off legit folks! Buy in or butt out. Your story is a bit thread bare.

[boater4life]

Actually, boater4life, you are making me seriously crabby. Serious sounds like you are some apartment finder or similar agent making money off sincere responses from east area folks and boat lovers on this river. Do your own research instead of being a river rat, feeding off legit folks! Buy in or butt out. Your story is a bit thread bare.

Anybody who knows the home prices in this area would likely want to research as much as possible before shelling out that kind of cash. Sorry for the inconvenience, maybe next time just skip over any of my threads you see, and keep your ignorant comments to yourself. Thanks

[ABetterDetroit]

Actually, boater4life, you are making me seriously crabby. Serious sounds like you are some apartment finder or similar agent making money off sincere responses from east area folks and boat lovers on this river. Do your own research instead of being a river rat, feeding off legit folks! Buy in or butt out. Your story is a bit thread bare.

Dear sumas, it's because your troll warning detector is starting to beep. I don't always agree with you but I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being 100% real. For sharing your lifetime of experiences on this forum, you rock.

[Honky Tonk]

Anybody who knows the home prices in this area would likely want to research as much as possible before shelling out that kind of cash. Sorry for the inconvenience, maybe next time just skip over any of my threads you see, and keep your ignorant comments to yourself. Thanks

B4L, @ the risk of seemingly being redundant, I'm going to repost the advice I gave you a couple of months ago. Keep it light and mobile, and lease something for a year or so, in different areas of metro Detroit, before committing to a huge monetary investment. I think you, [[@ our age) should try living in Midtown, maybe SCS, definitely GP, and see what floats your boat. Again, only YOU know what's right for you. I do agree with you, though, making a huge investment in the wrong area, then appeasing the neighbors for the rest of your life, is not a good way to live.

[Smirnoff]

Obviously this area has some magnificent homes and mansions along lake st. clair. Just curious as to how the area has maintained itself during this recent recession, what types of people live in this area, and would it be a good area to live?

Plenty of 20-yo's that are owners of those mansions & party in Ferndale......

[sumas]

Dear sumas, it's because your troll warning detector is starting to beep. I don't always agree with you but I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for being 100% real. For sharing your lifetime of experiences on this forum, you rock.

Thank you for kind words! It is serious fine if you don't always agree with me. So many forumers I respect, do not always accept my views, nor I theirs. It is a growing opportunity to exchange sometimes those opinions that do not always seem simpatico but then... I learn and grow...so many things all the time.

I am a pompom girl [[albeit aged) for east area riverfront and environs.

So now I go back to crabby mode. Being ignorant and all, I guess I will be crass. Shit or get off the pot BTL. Plenty of big lakes in this whole state for your hot rod [[hummm) boat.

[Llama]

Being new, I read back through the related threads for some clue as to the overall question. Wanted are a home for boater4life, who's a late-20s guy with a girlfriend. He works Downtown.

Also wanted is a home for his 42-foot power boat. The boat obviously needs to live on Lake St Clair. He would prefer the boat live with him, but that probably cannot happen unless he goes well up the lake to Harrison Township-- a substantial commute from Downtown.

He's been looking at houses/neighborhoods and seems to have narrowed down the ones he's interested in to Birmingham and Grosse Pointe. He can afford "not a starter house" in either location.

Harbor Island in Detroit was mentioned in a prior thread, but I don't think it's at all easy to get a 42-foot power boat in and out of there. Same would be true for nearly all St Clair Shores canal houses.

In addition to access to the boat and to work, he wants to be around people like himself [[other than age range, so far undefined) and to restaurants, shopping and malls-- for something to do during the winter.

Given that our boating season is relatively short, it seems to me that keeping commute time to/from work and boat is key. If boater4life lived in, say, the first 6 or 8 blocks of Grosse Pointe Park and kept the boat at Windmill Pointe Park in GPP [[where there may well be a wait list and there is an annual dockage fee), that would be the optimal solution for maximizing boating time.

The docks at Windmill Point are [[or were last I looked) fairly straightforward-- get on your boat and go. I have known the docks at GPYC to be more social, and I assume the same would be true of the Little Club. They of course cost more and require a small bit more travel time, but may be worth it for him if that's the sort of setting he prefers.

Looking around my GPP neighborhood I'm seeing more and more early-30s couples, often with very young children, moving in. Some of them grew up here, went to other cities or stayed local and bought in Royal Oak, and are now moving back. Given the traditional GPP advantages [[commute to Downtown, schools, parks, water access, like-minded neighbors for the most part) and the increasing attractiveness of the Downtown-Midtown playground I expect that will continue. That means the "others his age" issue will work itself out in short order-- so long as he doesn't mind that they have kids.

As others have mentioned here and in prior threads, there are enough okay-to-great restaurants around. Shopping for things other than food, not so much. Shopping for pleasure [[Somerset type) hardly exists at all.

His current friends live in Oakland County. He could perhaps make some new friends here, or in Downtown/Midtown which are becoming more vibrant daily and are GPP's playground really. Or he could get in his car and go meet his friends in Royal Oak or wherever. Presumably he drives to meet them now.

I think the real deal-breaker could be whether the importance he seems to place on shopping for recreation could mean he and his GF like to dress very fashionably/edgy and/or are very designer brand-name conscious, and that seeing others dressed the same way is important to them. If so, and if they anticipate they'll continue with those preferences going forward, GPP is [[thankfully!) definitely not for them.

[cjd]

His current friends live in Oakland County. He could perhaps make some new friends here...

Don't friends come with a 42 foot boat?

[p69rrh51]

Obviously this area has some magnificent homes and mansions along lake st. clair. Just curious as to how the area has maintained itself during this recent recession, what types of people live in this area, and would it be a good area to live?

You have to be kidding. This has to be one of the most moronic questions posted on this site. How hard is it to drive around the and see the area for yourself? At least you could have contacted a realtor in GP, they would be more than happy to answer your questions. Stay out of GP we do not need people like you.

[boater4life]

You have to be kidding. This has to be one of the most moronic questions posted on this site. How hard is it to drive around the and see the area for yourself? At least you could have contacted a realtor in GP, they would be more than happy to answer your questions. Stay out of GP we do not need people like you.

Sorry man, I don't always have time to just drive around town all day and look at areas that might be appealing to me. Sometimes it's just good to get others opinions about a certain area, pro's, cons, etc. No need to hate on anyone you "accomplished" grosse pointer. You're probably right, maybe I don't want to live in this area if the who live here are people such as yourself, so I appreciate the heads up.

[sumas]

Nice summation Llama.Never exactly thought I would defend the Pointes but we did live there and plenty of good pointes [[bad joke). I am just really a Detroit person.So many marinas and opportunities for boaters along the river and lakes so the angst I keep hearing just doesn't sit well. Decisions should not be all that hard. Live life, take chances. GP's are not hard to swallow. Can't have your cake and eat it too. Life should be lived and not treated as an investment.

[Gpwrangler]

Sorry man, I don't always have time to just drive around town all day and look at areas that might be appealing to me. Sometimes it's just good to get others opinions about a certain area, pro's, cons, etc. No need to hate on anyone you "accomplished" grosse pointer. You're probably right, maybe I don't want to live in this area if the who live here are people such as yourself, so I appreciate the heads up.

Get someone who lives here to show you around. There are many distinct areas and plenty of homes at a reasonable price. The area is also very welcoming despite what you might hear from some on this site, and is a good investment if that matters. Any resident can get a boat slip if you're into that. Good luck.

[Danny]

I went tip toe through Windmill Point. I don't many black-folks wearing Trayvon Martins hanging around there, why?

[FormerDetroiter]

I went tip toe through Windmill Point. I don't many black-folks wearing Trayvon Martins hanging around there, why?

Was that really necessary?

[bailey]

Sorry man, I don't always have time to just drive around town all day and look at areas that might be appealing to me.

traditionally sundays are "open house" days. Are you really saying in all these months you've been posting this same question over and over, you couldn't have found a few Sundays to drive around the handful of places you've narrowed your search to and kick some tires?

Sometimes it's just good to get others opinions about a certain area, pro's, cons, etc.

Which have been given to you repeatedly by strangers on the interwebs right here on this site. Maybe it's time to start going yourself to confirm those insights? Or perhaps discuss it with a realtor? you're throwing it out there that you have eyes on multimillion dollar properties and structuring your search around how you may want to use a 500k boat..might be a good idea to talk to a professional rather than randoms on internet forums.

Anyway, of course you're right, people can just skip your threads. However, you don't get to get all indignant when folks call you out on what is sounding like some weird bit of fantasy trolling.

[Trumpeteer]

Sorry man, I don't always have time to just drive around town all day and look at areas that might be appealing to me. Sometimes it's just good to get others opinions about a certain area, pro's, cons, etc.

That's about the first thing a sensible, sincere about buying person would do when considering a life change and sizeable investment. Rely on someone elses opinion as to whether You would like an area? don't think so.