Life in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan

Michigan is the 10th most populous state. It is bounded by 4 of the Great Lakes and has 12,000 inland lakes. There’s so much to do outdoors, including hiking, camping, hunting, boating, and even some modest skiing.

Detroit, MI, is a growing Midwestern city with a storied history and a vibrant future. It’s the most populous city in Michigan, with over 640,000 people in the city limits and about 4.3 million people in the greater Metro Detroit area. You get all of the major cultural attractions of a big city with a reasonable cost of living. For example, you can catch games for the NFL, NBA, MLB, and NHL on the same days as a performance at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, one of the 5 oldest symphony orchestras in the United States. You can visit the magnificent Art Deco lobby of the Guardian Building and then go for a run on the Detroit Riverfront. There are a lot of different cultures and backgrounds represented across the Metro Detroit area, including the largest Middle Eastern population in the US. There are 4 full seasons and year-round fun to be had on the Great Lakes.

Ann Arbor is about 45 mins away by car and as the home of the University of Michigan, it has all the charm and amenities of a cool college town.

Lansing is the state capital and is about 90 mins away driving. E. Lansing is the home of Michigan State University.

Traverse City is about 4 hours away by driving and is a popular vacation destination for many in Southeast Michigan because of Lake Michigan, outdoor activities, wine- & breweries, and food. In fact, many of the cities on the coast of Lake Michigan are popular in the summer with both people in Detroit and Chicago.

Windsor, Canada, is just over the river, and boasts a bustling city with great restaurants offering a lot of foods from different ethnic backgrounds. Toronto is only 4 ½ hours away driving. Columbus and Cleveland are each about 3 hours away, while Chicago is about 4 ½ hours away also. Pittsburgh and Indianapolis are each about 5 hours away.

Where You Might Want to Live

If you’re looking for newer developments with a bigger city feel, consider looking for a place to stay in the Midtown, Corktown, and Downtown neighborhoods. For more of a neighborhood feel in the city, consider looking at Southwest Detroit, Woodbridge, the University District, New Center, and Hamtramck. There is good access to grocery stores, restaurants, etc. in all these neighborhoods, and the overall incidence of crime in these neighborhoods is low. Many faculty and residents live in the city.

Many residents choose to live in the nearby suburbs, including Royal Oak, Ferndale, and Berkley, Madison Heights, Troy, etc. In general, the schools in each of these cities are solid to great, and generally boast a good set of grocery stores, restaurants, etc. Commutes range from 15-30 mins, and costs in general can be a bit higher than in the city.

Many faculty live in more western suburbs, including Farmington Hills, West Bloomfield, Birmingham, and Northville. These neighborhoods boast some of the biggest homes and best schools in the state. Places are often more expensive here, but the commute to Henry Ford Hospital can be a bit further: 20-40 mins.

The eastern suburbs of Grosse Pointe are also generally upscale with excellent schools. Commutes would be like the western suburbs, maybe a bit longer if you go to the more middle-class areas of Sterling Heights, Warren, and Clinton Township to the north. A few of our faculty live in GP.

Henry Ford Hospital also has a limited number of apartments next to the hospital available. These are quite affordable (month to month leases are available) and couldn’t be closer.

Check out Henry Ford Hospital Otolaryngology's Instagram account.