ozonequeen03

I currently live off of Canal St., in a small apartment complex. I have chosen to live here for several reasons: 1. It is a nice/safe community/area for a single woman to live 2. I am a teacher who has access to excellent schools nearby and 3. It is within my budget. It is a secondary roadway and traffic on the street is average but not excessive. Sidewalks are available. On my first visit, I witnessed several yard sales occurring. There are many trees, creating a 'natural feel'. Within 5 minutes, one can find 'city parks'. A 15-20 minute drive will take one to the peace and relaxation of one of the larger metroparks. Canal is right around the corner from a large, two story mall called Lakeside. Around Lakeside there are many many stores and restaurants. For dancers, the bar scene is only so-so. I would recommend heading into Mt. Clemens, Pontiac, or Royal Oak for clubbing. Police and fire are very responsive in the area. Canal street is a good place for people of all ages to live. Singles and Couples looking for exciting city life may not be interested in Canal St. and Sterling Heights as a whole.

Michigan Ave in Dearborn is where most of Dearborn's downtown is located. It cuts right through the center of Dearborn. On its east side it enters Detroit and on its west side it heads into Dearborn heights and then Inkster. It is a very busy street with some traffic issues specifically in the downtown area. However, the traffic is worth the headache because there are many places to park downtown and walk around to various bars, restaurants, and stores in the area. The Dearborn public library is also along Michigan Ave. There are not many homes off of Michigan Ave., but there are some condos and townhomes behind it in the downtown area. Their location is perfect for young couples looking for fun and singles. I would not recommend living near or on Michigan Avenue for retirees and families because of how busy it can get in the daytime. The area is pretty safe within the city of Dearborn but straying too far to the East and one finds themselves surrounded by strip clubs (Detroit) and too far to the west, one will find a likewise 'seedy' neighborhood (Inkster).

Salina is located in Southeast Dearborn. Most of East Dearborn consists of an Arabic population. This is one of the poorer areas of East Dearborn. While the neighbors are very respectful and try to keep their neighborhood clean, its proximity to local plants makes it a poor locale. There are restaurants within 5 minutes from here but none within walking distance. The street is near Salina ISD school and people living on Salina can walk to the school. One of the first things I noticed in this neighborhood, was the smell. The plants release fumes that create an unpleasant odor. For this reason, I do not recommend this neighborhood for anyone unless you are looking for a very inexpensive place to 'start out'. Salina is a moderately busy street and not a major hazard to children. There are no large grocery stores in this section of Dearborn but some small grocers. Dearborn ham, for instance in near here. If you can skip Salina street and find a place with cleaner air (north of Michigan Ave. is much nicer)

I have visited two different individuals who lived in different places on Dartmouth. They lived west of Telegraph on Dartmouth. East of Telegraph there are fewer homes and more traffic. In both of the homes I visited they had kids and both families enjoyed where they were living. Dartmouth is a moderately busy street. It is a little out of the way but people often use it to cut across sections of West Dearborn. On the whole the neighborhood is clean and quiet. From what I know, the neighbors are respectful. Dearborn public schools are very good schools. The cost of living here is fairly priced and renting a home is reasonable also. The police and fire departments are very responsive. Dartmouth affords easy access to many local restaurants and pubs available in Dearborn. Dearborn has a lively downtown as well as a thriving Arabic community that offers restaurants with some of the best food in Metro Detroit. I would recommend this area to anyone looking to start a family or young couples. Retirees may not feel as comfortable in this area, the same would hold true for singles.

North Line is a major street in Southgate that runs parallel to Eureka. I lived in an apartment complex off of North Line. There are stores and apartments that branch off from this street. Good restaurants are within 5 minutes as well as Southland Mall. It is a busy road with a lot of traffic, sidewalks are available. I did not have much of a connection with my neighbors here. Decent sized parks are not easy to find in this area, so it can be a little suffocating for outdoor enthusiasts (which I am). The community is blue collar and many of the night life spots reflect this. Also, there are several adult establishments in the area. It is easy, however, to get to downtown Detroit within 15-20 minutes. Overall, it is a reasonably safe community. The schools are decent. However, I would not recommend North Line road for people with children. This might be a good locale for retirees, singles, and couples looking to save a little money by moving downriver.

Monticello is right off of Fort St. in Trenton, Michigan. Trenton is a nice little community that is only 20-30 minutes from downtown Detroit. Monticello's proximity to Fort St. makes it an especially convenient location for commuters. Along Monticello are condos. The condos are very nice and quiet. Many retirees live here but the community is welcome to all people. There is a heated swimming pool. It is a very quiet, laid back complex. Monticello is not busy (in spite of its proximity to Fort). There are sidewalks that can take one to the subdivision behind it.
There are two major drawbacks to the street. The first is there are no party stores or grocery stores within a walking distance. Also, there (as far as I know) is no access to mass transit on Fort street from here. Second, with Fort Street so close, I would not recommend this locale for anyone with young children.

Roxbury is a street with lots of houses. These are old 1950's style mass-manufactured homes, so many look similar and have a similar floor plan. The homes are not bad but the neighborhood is not as safe as it used to be. When I first began visiting, the neighborhood was clean and reasonably quiet. As time went on, it became less well kept and people cruising the road blasting their music became a regular occurence.
During my friend's time of living here, cockroaches (big black) would be seen in spite of many attempts to rid the house of them.
I would not recommend this neighborhood for families. It can be dangerous at times and drivers often ignore speed limits and yield signs. Also, Detroit public schools is in a lot of trouble with finances and is going through some big changes. There are private schools in the area with better reputations.
I would recommend this street for singles looking to rent or for a start. This neighborhood needs good people to turn it around.

Orchard street is on the east side of Dearborn. Dearborn is a suburb of Detroit with a variety of cultural groups in its boundaries. It is off of Warren Ave, near greenfield. It is part of the Arabic community found in Dearborn. The neighborhood while not real friendly is usually quiet and clean. The neighbors are polite and helpful. About two blocks from my Aunt and Uncles house is Orchard elementary school.
Dearborn public schools is a good district with an excellent reputation. The community is diverse socio-economically. Some sections of Dearborn are low socio-economic status in one section to middle class in another section. There are many old homes in this neighborhood and around Dearborn. The homes are neat and well maintained.
The street is paved making bike riding and walking easy. On Warren Ave. there are some grocery stores within walking distance.
The close proximity of Warren Ave. could be dangerous to young children. It is a very busy street. This area is prone to power outages and many times after a storm, my aunt and uncle are without power for a few hours.
The houses are smaller but overall this is a nice neighborhood and a place to visit. The community also offers a lot to do in terms of History and museums. There is not only the Henry Ford but all the Henry Ford estate.

Montrose is part of a group of homes in the area. It is on the west side of Detroit near Dearborn. The neighbors in the area do work together. While this neighborhood does not have 'block parties', my aunt and uncle who lived here did bond with their neighbors. In years past, it was a fairly clean street. As the demographic has changed, so has the upkeep of the area. While as far as I know, crime rates are low, unusual behavior can occur on the street. It was not unusual to witness shouting matches in households, public drunkeness, or other uncommon and unwelcome behavior. There is a sidewalk available for walking down the street. It is busy for a side street and there are often people who go 'tearing down the road'. It is not a safe neighborhood for children, for primarily this reason.
This location is within walking distance from several grocery and Arabic stores. At the corner of Greenfield and Montrose, there was and still may be a 'scary bar'. I define scary as a place that I as a single woman would not feel safe visitng.
One positive is that this street doesn't have many of the other negatives present in an urban community like drugs, prostitution, and the like. If you must find a home in Detroit and you are looking for an 'okay' community, then this could be a match. However, I do not recommend remaining here for more than a couple of years.

Eastpointe is a moderately sized suburb on the edge of Detroit. Most areas are pretty safe, but its proximity to the city makes portions of the community risky. Many of the homes were built in the 50's and 60's and are very similar. Mott Ave is in a safe area of Eastpointe. It is right off of Kelly between 8 mile and 9 mile. This is an excellent location for 'getting around'. There is easy access to buses on Kelly. At the corner of Kelly and Mott, there is a small well stocked party store. Mott avenue is within walking distance to several fast food and dining establishments. There is a bar/pool hall within walking distance. A mile southwest of Mott is Eastland mall.
The community is primarily blue collar. The schools are not bad but they are not great. There are several parochial schools in the area that may be of interest to parents.
This is a good community for newlyweds, singles, and retirees. Because of the Mott's proximity to Kelly Rd (a very busy road), I do not know that it is the best place to let kids 'wander'. Also, the backyards in most of the homes are very small.

Chartier is a side street in Harrison Township. Harrison Township is part of Metro Detroit. It is a half hour outside of Detroit. It is a boating community, located on the shores of Lake St. Clair. Chartier itself is only 3 miles from Detroit Metropolitan Beach. There are only homes located on the street, so it is very quiet! The majority of the homes here were not real old but many properties included large trees. The backyards are huge and a great place for kids to run around. The community is very safe and the neighbors are open, generous, and sharing.
I grew up on Chartier. It was one of the best possible places for a kid to grow up. From our street we could access the bike pathway that leads to Metro Beach.
There are a few drawbacks. The first is that most of the properties in the area do not have access to sewers, so they use a septic field. The second is many of the roads are dirt roads and in early spring it can be a real headache, because the mud is difficult to navigate (but not impossible). The third is its proximity to Selfridge Air Force Base. Selfridge ANG was still an active base when I moved away, and very often I heard jet planes flying overhead.
The benefits of living in this lovely, quiet community, far outweight any drawbacks. It is a perfect setting for children, newlyweds and retirees. The community is an active one and most stores are within a 5-10 minute drive. The school district, Lanse Creuse, is also a very good one!