Looking for Family Friendly Neighborhoods

I have friends and family that live in the bloomfield hills area and don't like it because the kids in the neighborhood go to many different schools ie: religious, nonreligious private, and public, the kids don't interact that much because of all the school activities, also there are no sidewalks that also promote interaction. I have heard this from many people over the years from patients. My sister lives in an area that her son was 3 when they moved in he just graduated from hs and he never made a neighborhood friend. I have one friend who moved there last year and is moving back to Royal Oak. Most of the schools in the metro area are pretty good. Good luck

I live in Brookdale Woods in Rochester Hills (right off of Adams Rd.) and just moved here last October. We LOVE it; it is very family friendly (there are kids running around all the time)! Good luck!

Try Rochester hills/Auburn Hills with Avondale schools - the SW portion of Rochester Hills. Avondale school district is much smaller than Rochester so you get to know the teachers and principles better and it has a real community feel. They have day care at school and preschool programs for your little ones.Auburn Hills library is fantastic and the community rec program is great and MUCH cheaper than Rochester or Rochester Hills (Try $50 for summer camp, or just $12 for a week if you are a resident of Auburn Hills!!)Lots of parks too. There are plenty of houses for sale here due to Chrysler redundancies and we are close to M59 and I75 and they are building a new Meijers too less than mile away....

We really like Franklin - just moved here from across town last September - walkable neighborhoods, concerts and movies in the park in the summer, cider mill, cute little downtown, small town atmosphere, wildlife, and top-rated Birmingham schools. It reminds me of up north, which I love. Good luck with your search!

Gina,

I moved from out of state a couple of years ago. We looked at several and I mean several homes in the area. :) We also researched the school districts by test score results and found that Rochester Hills ranked first with Utica schools a close second. We did purchase a home in Shelby Township, with Utica Community Schools and are thrilled! We have several very friendly neighbors with children of all ages to play with everyday if we want. I belong to the local MOPS group and in our neighborhood we have regular playdates, BBQ's, etc. We're also close to shopping, dining and the fruit markets. In addition to that we're close to the fruit farms & apple orchards. The kids love learning how to pick fruit and don't know they're learning at the same time.

Another benefit is Shelby Township's taxes are less than Rochester Hills, though Christian Hills subdivision in Rochester is gorgeous. :)

If you want to know more specifically where I live just send me a private email.

Thanks and good luck house hunting!

C.

My husband and I live in Grosse Pointe Woods and love it. The schools are great, people are friendly, and they have great public (for residents) park with a swimming pool, marina, rec center. They have lots of community activities for kids (and parents as well). Any of the Grosse Pointes have a lot to offer (all have parks of a similar nature). My husband and I are actually looking to move to Grosse Pointe Park before my kids get into elementary school because I've heard great things about Trombley Elementary, but we haven't been successful in selling our house.
There are people out there that think that the Grosse Pointes are just full of snobby people, but really, that's not the case. Don't let it scare you away! :)

Good luck, wherever you settle!

We just moved to Grosse Pointe Park and love it. Great schools, kids all over the place, private parks. We started looking in the Western suburbs but just didn't care for the houses. Any of the Grosse Pointes would be a great place to raise a family

We live in the sub Christian Hills in Rochester Hills. It's an older subdivision, most homes built in the mid to late 1960's. I see a variety of ages of children. (ours are grown) We have a park right down the street, the lots are large with mature trees. It's very pleasant. We even have our own "bambi scenes" going...deer, racoons, bunnies, birds. Christian Hills is a pretty large subdivision. Crooks Road goes right through the middle of it, and it sits between Avon Rd and Christian Hills Dr. Good luck!

We live in Rochester Hills and love the house, but not the neighbors!

Rochester Schools are supposed to be great. We're in Rochester Hills and the school district is Avondale and I have heard good things about it as well although our son is not school age yet.
Best wishes!

This is not my neighborhood, but my friends...it's in Livonia-north of 96-south of 5 mile between Farmington Road & Levan Rd. Everytime I go there, I think it's the nicest family friendly neighborhood around. It always looks like a block party. If I could sell my house, I'd move there in a heartbeat!

Good Morning!
I can't speak for all of it, but the part of Rochester Hillst that we're in is great. Our elementary school, Brooklands is amazing. My husband is from Rochester, and I'm from Fair Haven. Troy has amazing schools.
Good Luck!
E.

Hi Gina!

I'm so amazed to see your request this morning. I was walking in our fabulous neighborhood last night and wondering if my neighbors would be up for joining me in a "campaign" of sorts to promote our neighborhood. It's truly that special.

We live in Bloomfield Township, Square Lake and Adams area. There are about 130 homes in our subdivision and I know fully half of the families. It's the kind of neighborhood families move to and stay. Then they invite their sisters and brothers and their families to move here. When their children grow and get married, they move here. We have families living in the home they grew up in because they want to raise their children here. Anyhow, you get the point. It's a very cool place and a beautiful setting for raising children. The homes were all built in the 50's and 60's. Each is unique and nearly all are impeccably maintained. The lots are large, most an acre or more. The people are super friendly and everyone socializes regularly. The schools are top notch and the elementary school is right in our neighborhood. We also have the school farm right across Square Lake Road and my kids have spent many, many days "loving" the animals and picking pumpkins and sweet corn. To be able to just walk there anytime we want is such a treat.

With the turn in the economy, there have been a few families in our neighborhood who have lost their homes to foreclosure. So sad, but it's happening everywhere. At the moment, I can think of 3 vacant homes and a couple that are occupied and for sale that would be perfect for a growing family. My husband and I purchased one of the foreclosed homes and spent a year renovating it. I've been thinking that it is the perfect house for a family with young children. It's on a lush acre lot that backs to the elementary school playground. The interior has been extensively updated, but the exterior still needs a little work. We continue to work on it regularly, but we're ready to find a new family for it to personalize it and call it home. Obviously, it's vacant and ready to go. If you're interested and/or would like to know more about our wonderful neighborhood, just reply. I am certain that you would love it here.

Regards, L.

P.S. - I have a daughter who babysits for many families in the neighborhood, so you'd have a sitter at your service if you need one. Just another little perk!

We live in downtown Rochester and we love it! The park is fantastic, there are always families out walking and enjoying the town. Rochester also does a lot of "family friendly" events, especially in the summer months (e.g. Music in the Park, Movies in the Moonlight, Dancing in the Streets, etc). The schools are also fantastic from what I've heard. I walk with my daughter (11 months) all the time, there are some adorable houses for sale. Congrats on selling your house, now is the perfect time to buy.

Hello Gine,

I have a house for sale in bloomfield , Novi and troy MI.What is you can afford for monthly payment.This house is in perfect condition. Let me know email me at ____@____.com or ###-###-####.

Sincerely,
M.

We moved to Troy almost a year ago and we love it! Sadly, we have to move and our landlord is selling his house. The schools here are excellent, the staff knows you by name and everyone wants to help your kids progress. I have 1 that had speech problems and they worked with him more than our last school and he was finished with the speech classes within a few months. We took our time looking for places, scratching our head trying to find out what neighborhoods are best. As for crime rates, you can go to:
http://www.bestplaces.net/crime/
and it gives you a lot of different info. As for schools, you can go to:
http://www.greatschools.net/
which gives you info about the schools ratings from the testing they have to take. For example: Troy Union (where my kids attend) has a 9 out of 10. I've only seen a handful of schools that are a 10 and I've looked from the Detroit area to past Farmington Hills. I hope this info will help you in your decision. Good luck and happy house hunting!

Hello Gina,

I was born and raised in metro detroit - grew up in South Lyon (near Novi), lived in Auburn Hills, Rochester Hills and Pontiac (in one of the nice neighborhoods). I have family in Pickney, Ann Arbor, White Lake, Brighton, Farmington, West Bloomfield and close friends (with kids) in Troy, Clarkston, Waterford, St Clair Shores, Lake Orion, Royal Oak, Hartland and Clawson (that I can think of off hand). My point is that I know the area well, so if you have any questions, just shoot me a message. I'd love to help you out in any way. Welcome!

you really should research schools.. because if you move to an area and are not happy with the schools you will be paying tuition for private school..

so I would pick on the school district.

and neighborhood is really about the people on your block...

Hi Gina,

I know I am late to respond, but still wanted to tell you about our neighborhood in Troy. We live in the Emerald Lakes Village Subdivision. It is East of Rochester Road and North of Square Lake Road. There are 6 lakes in our sub, tons of kids and EXCELLENT schools. The subdivision has 3 beach lots for residents if you are not on the water. They have several activities throughtout the year for children as well as adults, (family fun day, halloween parade, easter egg hunt, mini-triathalon, christmas party. fishing contests etc.) You always see people walking, running biking and children playing outside. It feels like a small town in the middle of a big city. I know several people that lived here as children and moved back as adults with their families. It is close to downtown Rochester, M59 to the Lakeside area and Somerset Mall. It is worth checking out.

Good Luck,
S.

2 of my daughters live in Royal Oak and absolutely love it there.

I also live in Rochester Hills with kids at Brooklands, Reuther Middle and Rochester High. We have lived in Rochester Hills since 1990 and had plenty of chances to move but chose not to because the kids love the schools and we love the area. So much to do and and wonderful places to do them. We love the library programs and Spencer park's beach! Try checking out the cities ( and schools) online too see what they each have to offer your family. Good Luck.

We live in Bloomfield Township and love it. In fact instead of moving we will be doing MAJOR remodeling starting in the fall. There are many homes, in all types of price ranges, available. Most of the homes were built in the 50s and 60s. Most have large yards with lots of trees--ours is an acre with over 30 trees. We live in the southern part of the town, Telegraph at 14 mile. Right now on our street there are 7 out of roughly 15 homes with children ranging from new borns to high school. There are 6 home for sale so there may be more kids soon. Also there is an association called the Berkshire Glens that has events throughout the year for kids and adults--we have gone to the Halloween party, Easter Egg hunt and ice cream social. You can check it out at www.berkshireglens.com.

The school districts are some of the best in the country. If you check on line they are ranked 10 out of 10. My school teacher, sister, recommended us not moving secondary to the schools.

Good luck on you "hunt".

S.
WOHM of twin 5 1/2 year old boy/girl twins. Married for 12 years.