Living in or near Detroit?

May 8, 2006 11:02 AM

Does anyone have advice on neighborhoods or general suggestions about safe rental housing options nearby for a student starting grad school at Wayne State University in Detroit?
posted by hdfische to home & garden (10 comments total)

Have you considered the sunny beaches of Canada City?

It's certainly a decent city, might be cheaper, is most probably safer, but commuting might be a pain depending on how many day/week you need to go in to school.
posted by patr1ck at 11:17 AM on May 8, 2006

Well, I'm no expert but I imagine some WSU grads live in Hamtramck. It's the new boho/artist neighborhood for Detroit. It's not really gentrified so I imagine it could be relatively inexpensive. My guess is the closest ordinary suburb would be Dearborn. The commute might not be killer from there... Wayne State's campus itself might not be that dangerous if there's any grad housing there. Detroit can REALLY vary from street to street in my experience so until you go up to Ferndale or out to Dearborn (West) or St. Clair Shores (East), it's hard to define a whole neighborhood... Maybe some others have more specific experience.
posted by Slothrop at 11:39 AM on May 8, 2006

Detroit is very block by block. I don't know where you are living now, but if you are nearby, I'd be glad to give you a driving tour of the area (e-mail in profile).

Part of the issue is what would be safe for you - are you street savvy, how do you walk, do you have a visible disability, what is your age/race/gender, are you used to cities, etc.

Near Wayne, there are blocks that are great, with old houses that are renovated or being renovated, and there are blocks that are filled with crack houses and aren't very nice.

But, I fear with the information given, it is impossible to even start to answer the question accurately.
posted by QIbHom at 11:39 AM on May 8, 2006

Also, how close to school do you want to live. Do you have a car or will you need to rely on public transit or be within walking distance? Do you need a house or will an apartment work? How much are you willing to pay in rent?

There are a lot of really nice areas within a 30 minute drive.
posted by blackkar at 12:03 PM on May 8, 2006

What Blackkar said - how far can you go? Do you definitely want to be in the city?
posted by dpx.mfx at 12:19 PM on May 8, 2006

Honestly, talk to Jeanette at Inside Detroit. I am a native Detroiter who has moved out but i still miss the home town a lot. If you're really interested, e-mail me and I'll hook you up with my name so you can drop it on her. They'll take care of you, and they're the most knowlegeable people I know about the city, and *I* grew up there!
posted by indiebass at 2:01 PM on May 8, 2006

QIbHom is right - it is SO neighborhood specific.

Maybe the dorms for the 1st term til you get your bearings?
posted by k8t at 2:18 PM on May 8, 2006

I grew up in a wonderful neighborhood directly west of campus. It's called Woodbridge (if you've been to campus, you've seen the sign), and its a historic district with friendly people and beautiful old victorian homes. It is a very diverse community: ethnically, socio-economically, etc. Many students already rent in the neighborhood, so its not like you'd be moving into a family-only zone. There are many people in the neighborhood who own duplexes or other multi-unit buildings for rent. What's nice about this situation is that your landlord is very nearby and not part of a huge conglomerate. Many rentals are listed in local papers such as the Metro Times and the Monitor, or if you want, email me and I'll give you names directly. I hope you decide to live within the city limits. Detroit needs as many taxpayers as it can get.
posted by schmordelia at 3:30 PM on May 8, 2006

East side of Detroit, within a mile or two of St. John Hospital, nestled up against the Grosse Pointes. A nicely integrated neighborhood. It is locally referred to as the "Copper Canyon" because it (is? was?) the preferred location for police officers and firemen who (are? were?) required to live within city limits.
posted by megatherium at 5:11 AM on May 9, 2006

Wait a second, Megatherium, I thought Copper Canyon was over by Dearborn? South of Warrendale? (And, Warrendale is a great neighbourhood, most blocks, if you have a car.)
posted by QIbHom at 2:32 PM on May 9, 2006