The rest of Thorough report
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4/29/2006
A popular place near the city is Royal Oak. It has continued to transform and attract a younger, artsy, liberal crowd. The Detroit Zoo (in Royal Oak) is pretty nice as well.
The schools in Detroit are in a constant state of decay and corruption. Many of the surrounding communities, however, have some of the best schools you'll find anywhere! From what I've seen, Detroit doesn't experience any more crime than any other city of its size and age. Of course there's crime, but it doesn't really affect the outlying areas. I have plenty of friends who attended Wayne State Univ which is downtown. They have a story or two, but they felt safe most of the time. Even so, going downtown, you'll want to stay on the main roads.
Traffic is pretty bad during morning and afternoon/evening commutes, but no worse than other large cities. The metroparks that are located in suburban areas are good places for physical activity. Housing isn't cheap, but you'll be able to find something in your price range in one of the outlying areas.
Finally, the weather is what is driving me out...far out. From May - September it is ok. It actually can get quite hot & humid in August. But, there are too many cloudy/rainy days throughout the year. From January through March you can expect to see the sun maybe 1 day per week. I have kept track of periods where a gray mass hovered overhead for two weeks straight in which I couldn't even identify a slightly brighter spot to know where the sun was. It went from black to dark gray to medium gray to dark gray to black again. I love my neighborhood, my job, my church, but I can't take another Michigan winter! In contrast, I've spoken with people who genuinely like the winter here. They wear white jackets with lots of extra straps hanging off. If you're moving here, hopefully you'll be one of those nuts.
Me | Macomb, MI