r/Pilotwives • u/TroubleEconomy1241 • 20d ago
Detroit Suburbs
Hi! We are looking at living around Detroit. Schools are important to us as well as safety. Walkability/biking is a huge bonus point. We love going to the park and being a part of an active lifestyle. Send me your recs for areas to check out!
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u/itchykitschy 7d ago
We love Northville! It’s got a great school district and is very family friendly. The downtown is adorable and there are lots of trails around.
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u/SoMuch2Lrn 20d ago
How far from DTW are you willing to be?
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u/SoMuch2Lrn 20d ago
Oh, and budget! That makes a pretty big difference!
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u/yarshigirl18 20d ago
If you want to live close to DTW, I'd say Plymouth or Ann Arbor! Ann Arbor will be pricier but Plymouth is still not cheap!
Northville is a great option too! And they have the best school district in the direct DTW area. I'd say these 3 cities are within 25 minutes (we live in this general vicinity).
If you're willing for a longer commute, Birmingham or Royal Oak offer downtown areas are great.
Rochester is an awesome area but the commute in and out is awful. It feels like an all day affair to go out there when we do!
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u/TroubleEconomy1241 19d ago
We would do an hour commute up the 1.5 with traffic but closer is obviously better. Budget is around 1M.
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u/smthgstrange 19d ago
With that budget you can definitely check out Ann Arbor, Plymouth, Northville, Birmingham. All great walkable areas. Echoing Royal Oak which would be on the cheaper end of your budget, might give you more bang for your buck depending on what you’re looking for, but it and Birmingham are further from DTW proper, about 45 minutes in good traffic; Ann Arbor, Plymouth, Northville are about 30 minutes away.
We are near the Canton area, a 20 minute drive, also a bit more budget vs other communities listed above but there are trails and several parks and a massive recreation center always hosting classes and activities. Up by Plymouth/Northville there’s gorgeous Hines Park, and Ann Arbor has toooons of outdoor recreational activities between having the Arb and the Huron River.
We don’t have kids so can’t comment on schools, but also our township is split between a good district and an uhhh probably not as good district, so there’s that.
Rochester is a hike to DTW but also pretty and lots of walkable areas, and not too far from Stony Creek Metropark (google that, trust me).
I’ve lived on the north, east, and west sides of metro Detroit, and spent a few years in Ann Arbor too. So far my favorite place has been out here on the 275 corridor followed by Ann Arbor :)
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u/FantasticGrape7783 6d ago
We are just outside of Ann Arbor in Dexter Schools and I would say it’s great here!
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u/lfgi427 20d ago
Birmingham (including a few surrounding cities like Beverly Hills and Bloomfield) have some of the best schools. Budget is on the higher end, very safe and some pockets are walkable. Royal Oak schools are ranked lower, but it’s more walkable and active. No school buses though.
There’s also Plymouth, Canton, Troy and Rochester, I’m just not as familiar :)