Moving to SE Michigan

[Anonymous]

My job is taking us to SE Michigan. Office is in Southfield. We’re a couple with an elementary age child, coming from large Midwestern city and previously lived in DC. Looking for Catholic schools, sidewalks, and strong & safe community. Would love an attached garage given the winters! (We’re not into home maintenance projects, so don’t want a large suburban estate with a huge lot/acreage or small lake access). Where should we focus our home search?

[Anonymous]

What’s your budget?

I still love Bloomfield Hills. Excellent location and good resale. If you have more money in your budget, consider walkable, charming and very high-end Birmingham. It is the place to be, specifically Poppleton Park.

Sacred Heart is a very strong, small all—girls school PK-12 with a wonderful, welcoming community.

Many others like the larger Notre Dame up in Pontiac for a coed K-12 Catholic school experience.

[Anonymous]

Trying to keep budget around $700k. Re: Bloomfield hills…I was looking at St Hugo of the Hills school/area. Is it good? And where do those kids go to high school?

Birmingham was first choice but too pricey.

Lastly, thoughts on Grosse Pointe vs Bloomfield? And/or Troy?

[Anonymous]

You will find tons of Catholic schools in the Detroit metro area. And at the price point you're looking (if you're looking Birmingham, Grosse Pointe, etc), every house is going to have a garage!

Have you looked at Royal Oak? I had a lot of friends who went to Shrine. (Keegan Michael Key is an alum!)

[Anonymous]

I don’t know anything about St Hugo, sorry. Could you connect with some current parents?

I don’t like Grosse Pointe. Troy is okay, very good public schools but it seems to be getting more and more built up and busy, more of a cookie-cutter feeling than BH or Franklin. I hope you and your family find a great house & community!

[Anonymous]

Ann Arbor would be the only place I would want to be in Michigan. Probably the Catholic HS my family went to is still going but IDk

[Anonymous]

Have you considered Novi? Seems to have pretty good houses at your budget and there are catholic schools nearby. Can't speak to the sense of community as my friends and family live in Ann Arbor/Canton.

[Anonymous]

Ann Arbor

[Anonymous]

AA-Southfield is an 80 mile RT, won’t work.

[Anonymous]

Royal Oak area feeds Shrine which is a really nice option

Years ago I was a parishioner at Holy Name in Birmingham. I did not have children at the time but was active with coaching CYO. The families were very nice who I worked with but I can not say too much about the current situation.

If you are commuting to Southfield, I think AA is too far.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Royal Oak area feeds Shrine which is a really nice option

Years ago I was a parishioner at Holy Name in Birmingham. I did not have children at the time but was active with coaching CYO. The families were very nice who I worked with but I can not say too much about the current situation.

If you are commuting to Southfield, I think AA is too far.

I am the poster who recommended Novi, and concur, AA is too far. I know someone who tried that commute and it was brutal. I LOVE AA but it doesn't make sense to move there if your job is in Southfield.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Royal Oak area feeds Shrine which is a really nice option

Years ago I was a parishioner at Holy Name in Birmingham. I did not have children at the time but was active with coaching CYO. The families were very nice who I worked with but I can not say too much about the current situation.

If you are commuting to Southfield, I think AA is too far.

I am the poster who recommended Novi, and concur, AA is too far. I know someone who tried that commute and it was brutal. I LOVE AA but it doesn't make sense to move there if your job is in Southfield.

+1 I would love to live in A^2 but driving in the winter can be tough.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trying to keep budget around $700k. Re: Bloomfield hills…I was looking at St Hugo of the Hills school/area. Is it good? And where do those kids go to high school?

Birmingham was first choice but too pricey.

Lastly, thoughts on Grosse Pointe vs Bloomfield? And/or Troy?

If you like birmingham but it was too expensive, consider Northville. It may be out of your price range. but if you want a really nice house in a super walkable, safe community with a charming downtown that also has the #1 public schools in the state...City of Northville is where it's at. The north Arlington of metro detroit. Do not move to Ann Arbor, the commute is terrible and AA is really not that great compared to metro Detroit.

If you want more affordable than northville, a fantastic commute, and a great fun downtown: Royal Oak. Watch out though, a lot of the houses have flooding issues when it rains, and some might say that RO has gotten a little overpriced. The Del Ray of metro detroit.

If you like bohemian life and walkability: Ferndale. The Takoma Park of metro detroit. Also check out Pleasant Ridge/Huntington Woods (the Chevy Chase DC/ Chevy Chase MD of metro detroit), so many nice homes and yes they have sidewalks.

Bloomfield Hills has always struck me as a bit soulless unless you want a vast suburban estate on a lake. then it is perfect. The area around Hugo of the hills is not bad but once you go north of square lake road it gets very industrial-manufacturing + giant parking lots full of recalled vehicles/vehicles waiting on chips. Also it's in no way walkable. Sort of the McLean of metro detroit.

Troy is Pure Suburbia. Maybe the Herndon/Centreville of Metro Detroit? Cookie cutter houses, many starbucks to choose from, good public schools with smart kids. Super safe. But you cannot walk anywhere. Also, public transit is almost non-existent in metro detroit, aside from busses running up and down woodward ave that all stop at the detroit city limits.

Runners up: Clawson has a nice-ish downtown with pretty decent bike lanes to royal oak, Beverly Hills and Berkeley are also cute.

Good luck! I loved living there, that area has a lot to offer.

[Anonymous]

My wife grew up in Troy and really enjoyed living there! It's nice when I go back--very car dependent but most of Oakland and Macomb counties are. I do like Royal Oak and Birmingham, and we visit her relatives in Farmington Hills and that seems nice too. Sorry but I don't know anything about Catholic schools so can't help there.

[Anonymous]

You might have more luck posting this in the Real Estate forum.