Business in Detroit?

[ChristianCronin]

I’ll be moving at some point next year from NYC to Detroit! My day job will be in real estate and personal training. Any insight on neighborhoods to live in, bars, etc? I’ll probsbly be visiting this summer.

[marylander1940]

I’ll be moving at some point next year from NYC to Detroit! My day job will be in real estate and personal training. Any insight on neighborhoods to live in, bars, etc? I’ll probsbly be visiting this summer.

 

Royal Oak is the gay area, Southfield is more affordable and nearby.

 

If you want to be close to the city I would suggest Dearborn, you'll also be close to Grosse Point. You must have a car as I'm sure you already know! For God's sake Buy in the city if you can, don't miss this chance but don't host clients there because they'll afraid to go to see you at night. As we all know guys there hate looking for parking so wherever you live/host make sure there's parking right there or they'll freak out thinking they're going to park 2 blocks from you.

 

You have a $2 bus connecting DTW with Downtown Detroit (261 bus) and going right through Dearborn, that will save you shuttle/uber and airport parking if you live in Dearborn.

 

Btw get ready to fly only Delta.

 

Good luck!

[+ bashful]

Grew up there, but only occasionally return. Grew up in the city, and last lived in Southfield. Metro Detroit is very spread out, so a car is a must. Car insurance costs a fortune in Michigan.

 

If you like a more natural area, Oakland county, to me is the most scenic, and if I ever moved back, I'd settle there. Wooded, lakes, hilly in some areas, and lots of neighborhoods with homes on large lots. Southfield is diverse in landscape, wooded on the west edge, and corporate offices further east, and probably the geographic center of the metro area. A bit north, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills area very nice high income area. The Grosse Pointes are on the east side, so a long drive if you have to regularly drive to other parts of the area, be prepared to put some miles on the car.

 

If you're into large older homes, built in the 20s, and 30's, when Detroit was really booming, the city has neighborhoods with a lots beautiful brick homes (tudors, greek revival, colonials, etc.), although some have fallen on hard times throughout the years. The architectural style of homes in some of those areas is wonderful. Indian Village, Boston-Edison, Palmer Woods, North Rosedale Park come to mind.

 

http://www.historicindianvillage.org/

 

https://www.historicbostonedison.org/

 

https://palmerwoods.org/

 

https://www.nrpca.org/

 

Edit: Forgot to mention Sherwood Forest, University District, and Greenacres.

 

https://www.sherwoodforestdetroit.org/

 

https://www.udca.info/

 

http://greenacreswoodward.org/

Edited April 1, 2019 by bashful

[OneFinger]

I personally bought a home in Farmington and loved it. Also had an apt in Novi. I would NOT consider anything South of 8 Mile Road.

 

However, there is a major revitalization downtown with a fantastic new light rail system. You might find some great deals downtown. It has changed so much (positive) since I was there in the '90s.

[+ OliverSaks]

I’m happy to answer questions, shoot me a text at the number on my ad (rent.men/OliverSaks)

 

I lived there for 5 years starting in 2012 and will be moving back this year probably

[Walker1]

Do you still get $1 homes or was that urban legend?

[Mocha]

Do you still get $1 homes or was that urban legend?

 

[+ Pensant]

Grew up there, but only occasionally return. Grew up in the city, and last lived in Southfield. Metro Detroit is very spread out, so a car is a must. Car insurance costs a fortune in Michigan.

 

If you like a more natural area, Oakland county, to me is the most scenic, and if I ever moved back, I'd settle there. Wooded, lakes, hilly in some areas, and lots of neighborhoods with homes on large lots. Southfield is diverse in landscape, wooded on the west edge, and corporate offices further east, and probably the geographic center of the metro area. A bit north, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills area very nice high income area. The Grosse Pointes are on the east side, so a long drive if you have to regularly drive to other parts of the area, be prepared to put some miles on the car.

 

If you're into large older homes, built in the 20s, and 30's, when Detroit was really booming, the city has neighborhoods with a lots beautiful brick homes (tudors, greek revival, colonials, etc.), although some have fallen on hard times throughout the years. The architectural style of homes in some of those areas is wonderful. Indian Village, Boston-Edison, Palmer Woods, North Rosedale Park come to mind.

 

http://www.historicindianvillage.org/

 

https://www.historicbostonedison.org/

 

https://palmerwoods.org/

 

https://www.nrpca.org/

 

Edit: Forgot to mention Sherwood Forest, University District, and Greenacres.

 

https://www.sherwoodforestdetroit.org/

 

https://www.udca.info/

 

http://greenacreswoodward.org/

I think it’s great that so many cities are creating historic districts! I find most cities now have thriving neighborhoods like the ones you posted. I’ve lived in an inner-city historic neighborhood for almost 5 years after living by the beach in SoCal for many years.

 

I’ve heard that Birmingham AL has become quite the foodie town, so I plan to spend a few days there soon. It also seems to have a fair number of gay venues for a city its size.

[marylander1940]

Do you still get $1 homes or was that urban legend?

 

yes, but you'll need to put 100K or more to be able to live there and you can't demolish them to sell the land.

[Mocha]

I’ve heard that Birmingham AL has become quite the foodie town, so I plan to spend a few days there soon. It also seems to have a fair number of gay venues for a city its size.

 

Every city has become a foodie town it seems.

 

I’d be curious about the gay venues though. Whether it’s more or less than Nashville. Nashville has a gay strip area, but of all the cities I lived in, Nashville had the most watered down gay bar scene. At one point I was going out every weekend, but it always had a high school dance factor to it, and there was a noticeable clique/in mentality to it. Trying to meet anyone outside of that, you could only do if you had someone else with you.

 

I never understood it: people would never talk to me when I was out on my own, but soon as I roll up with someone, they wanted to compete for my attention. And most times, it would end up throwing off the vibe with the person I was out with.

 

However, as an exception there are certain cities I look forward to doing gay venues in.

[Musclejake]

Troy is very Nice

[buckguy]

It's very spread out and carbound. Your clients probably will be downtown, the northwest suburbs (where businesses cluster) and the near northern suburbs like Royal Oak & Huntington Woods with sizable gay populations. There used to be some elements of a gayborhood along 7 Mile radiating from Woodward but that seems to have dissapated over time.

 

The downtown area out to the area around Wayne State has gone through a remarkable amount of change, but the city remains filled with vacant homes and neighborhoods filed withe mpty space. There are some nice, relatively affordable neighborhoods near 8 Mile Road such as the University District (near U Detroit) but it wouldn't work for incalls because guys won't want to come to you.

 

A lot of native white Detroiters (and the children they raised) have never really gotten over the 60s riots and the acceleration of white flight that followed. African Americans who can afford it also have departed to the suburbs. The idea that parts of the city are pleasant & well maintained or truly coming back is still a hard sell.

[Mocha]

Not sure what happened with this thread, but figured I’d follow up with my latest experience in Detroit since I was just there the other day. Stayed from a Wednesday to Saturday.

 

This was my 2nd trip to the surrounding area(s). I mainly went to see 2 of my favorite regular clients...but I did have a couple of days to assess the market. Now, at this point with my travel experience, I’m well aware of 3 facts:

 

A) 2 or 3 days isn’t long enough to really meet all your potential in a market.

 

B) A City may not be good 1 week/month, but could be good on another week/month

 

C) some cities have changed over the Years.

 

However: my verdict on Detroit is I won’t be eager to plan another visit in the near future. I had several people reach out for a appointment on Rentmen and non of them except my 2 regulars showed up. Not to mention, A4A was not happening there either. Like I said, I wasn’t relying on meeting new clients because I was set. But, I wouldn’t go to Detroit unless I had something lined up anyway. I also tried remotely from some of the surrounding cities, Ann Arbor, Lansing, The Saguatack (can’t get that spelling right), Grand Rapids. All I got was a bunch of “feelers” from people who send, “are you in (insert name of city)”. Then I’d take the time out to respond, and they end up not coming thru. Again, it could be different another time...but I’m not eager to find out. Plus when I was in Detroit couple years ago, I noticed people were doing the same thing. Reaching out for bookings and not following back up.

 

Detroit pretty much reinforced my vibe of many rust belt cities, and Chicago is 1 of them too. The potential is definitely there, but being it’s not really on the way to any places I visit...I can’t see any reason for me to go back to Michigan unless either 1 of my regular clients invite me back. So @ChristianCronin, its good that you already have another job lined up...If it were me I’d certainly want to have my hands on other things as well.

Edited September 1, 2019 by Mocha