SperlingViews - Southfield, Michigan

Weak mayor, crooked politicians, upper tier tax base is leaving. Police department inept and not reflective of the community. So many things wrong with Southfield. Strange thing, it's a predominantly black city with an almost totally white police & fire department. Thanks Brenda Lawrence! You're as useless as they come. The few things Southfield has to brag about, were products of the pre-mayorial years of mayor Lawrence. Go figure. I'd look elsewhere if I were you. Southfield is well on it's way to becoming a little Detroit.[read more...]

The winter is too long and cold.[read more...]

the cost of living is average[read more...]

I have lived in Southfield for 11 years. I moved here from Detroit and what a pleasant change! We have quiet neighborhoods and good city services. I have to agree with a previous poster who commented on the racial polarization in Michigan. Real estate agents still "steer' in Michigan. And the racial climate is terrible. It is so bad that Michigan is going backwards!! People are leaving, especially our young talented blacks. Southfield, however, is quite diverse and we all live in peace around here for the most part.[read more...]

This process is really wasting my time. I don't have any other comments. I really would like to look up some information. Please change this software so that we don't have to put in comments. You won't get an accurate survey this way. [read more...]

It's difficult for me to be objective about Michigan because it's the only state I've ever lived in. Though I know I love our four seasons’s because each season in Michigan is so dramatic, and I love this type of climate change. Though anymore our winters are just made up of many grey days, some just dreary and cold, but even the cold is changing. I miss it. Back when I was very young, in the 60's, our license plates read Winter Wonderland. I grew up sledding down large hills and ices skating over snow cover frozen dirt roads. To this day parents and grandparents prepare their children for the excitement to arrive, but instead, at best, if we're lucky, we get a day or two to build a soggy snowman, build a bonfire, or fly down hills on saucers of every kind.[read more...]

The mecca for African Americans running from Detroit. Southfield has its good & bad. DONT cut down a tree or you'll be treated as a felon. Southfield loves and protects its trees and labels itself the "city of trees". Petty good police & fire service, especially when compared to neighboring Detroit. Lately, since the election of our black mayor, white flight has had an impact on property values, creating a glut of houses for sale, especially in the low end areas. While crime rates are about average, you'll generally feel safe anywhere you go here. City services are adequate, but trash pickup is so strange. One truck comes for trash, another for bulk, another for leaves and another for recyclables. Cant possibly be economical. The anus of the city (IMHO) is the Lexington apartment complex on Franklin near Telegraph, a low end apartment bohemoth that resenbles an urban government housing project. Probably indirectly contributes to at least 50% of Southfields crime rate. LOTS of businesses here, but that presenttly is not impacting the job market. Very few hiring. Over the last 2 years Southfield has enjoyed a residential construction boom and a lot of nice new houses being built. What keeps this city prosperous is primarily the fact that African Americans in this region have few choices of places to live no matter how affluent they become. Michigan is a VERY VERY racially polarized state. As a consequence, if you're a prosperous African American, you're limited to a small handful of places you'd reasonably consider yourself welcome to move to. Southfield probably tops the list. Property taxes here are off the charts and a millage was recently renewed to ensure that wont change. But services are good enough to keep the masses quiet about it. BTW its a fairly nice place to be single. Lots of working singles in this area. Too bad for my married behind that I cant take advantage of this resource.[read more...]