I live in a north-of-Detroit suburb (Sterling Heights). I’ve lived here for almost 30 years. It’s been a great city to live in, very low crime per capita.
Facts:
- Yes, there’s still areas to avoid outside of the immediate downtown area.
- It’s non-downtown areas of Detroit that are still full of blight
- As soon as you get outside the Detroit border there’s some fantastic suburbs
- You won’t believe the amazing homes in Gross Point, immediately outside Detroit to the east (on the lake)
- It’s a culturally diverse environment, while Dearborn is very Islamic, Sterling Heights is full of Iraqi Christians (Chaldean)
- Avoid Flint
- Downtown Detroit is a sport hot spot; Lions/Tigers/Red Wings....and now the Pistons are returning there
- Downtown Detroit has been recognized as a food mecca, any type of food is there
- Downtown Detroit not what you think, downtown San Fran is far worse
- Summers are nice and warm, not too hot
- Winters need a 4 wheel drive vehicle
- The lakes are great to take advantage of; boating in summer, hockey in winter
- Michigan is a huge hunting and fishing state
- West Michigan is great in the summer, you’d think you’re in Cali (minus palm trees!), sandy beaches, etc
- Home prices are rising, the area has easily come off the bottom, still very affordable
- 90% of the crime comes from a couple of zip codes
I suggest you get on Google Earth, if an area looks like crap, it probably is. There are some areas of Detroit that look very green from satellite, which is because the homes have been removed (nature returning), entire blocks now may just have a single home....but many blocks still have abandoned homes yet to be removed.
Last of all, the City now has a budget surplus, people are moving back. I find myself in Detroit far more often than in the past and I’ve even considered moving downtown myself (just other family reasons not to).
Hope that helps!
If you get outside of the cities, you would think sometimes you are in Alabama, rather than Michigan.