Livonia, Michigan

ghostrunneron1
2y ago
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After thinking about this I would probably split Livonia in thirds. I live in South Livonia near Hines Park and would consider anything south of I-96 as “South Livonia.” Most of the houses are post war ranches on suburban 60’x120’ lots. I would consider this the “working class” area of Livonia. While not everyone wakes up and heads to “Fords” as in years past, there are many teachers, nurses, and professional blue collar employees in the area. Old Rosedale Gardens between Hubbard and Merriman is one of the exceptions in South Livonia. These are older houses of varying types with more professionals than some of the other neighborhoods.

North of 96 and West of Merriman is probably considered the “core” of Livonia. There are a mix of housing styles with the newer neighborhoods north of 6 mile. The residential lots are typically larger than South Livonia and you will find traditional Colonial houses, larger ranches, and whatever style you call homes built in the 90’s and 00’s. Most of Livonia’s swim clubs are in this area and the members like to let you know why their club is superior to other clubs.

North of 96 and East of Merriman features older housing stock with varying lot sizes. There is a similarity between South Livonia and this area as far as incomes, but I would say the houses are probably larger in average square footage. This area also includes the Clarenceville school district which is a separate district from Livonia Public Schools.

My casual observations of Livonia are that it’s truly a sundown town. The parks and affordability keep our family here. Do I wish there were a walkable social area, absolutely! I would also like to see way more diversity.

I suggest taking a peek at the Livonia Master Vision 21. It’s the newest iteration of Livonia’s Master Plan adopted a few years ago. It outlines the need for more density but I have yet to see any. It also lays out the groundwork for some areas of walkability. I still haven’t seen any development. The Nimby activism is strong in Livonia.

First-Manager5693
9mo ago
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I grew up in Livonia. It is an average to above average suburb with good schools, plenty of affordable housing stock, and lots of parks. It is kind of in between the affluent suburbs to the north and west and the working class suburbs to the south and east. Historically it was a sundown town and is still very, very white, but diversity and progressive values are becoming more common.

The thing that sucks about Livonia is that it is very boring. It does not have a downtown, every corner on its perfectly laid out grid is a strip mall, and It's dominated by chain stores and restaurants. If you want to do something fun, you have to drive to Northville, Plymouth, Ann Arbor, or Detroit (which might actually be a plus because it is centrally located between these cultural hubs).

TheBimpo
9mo ago
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Up North
I know it very, very well. Multiple generations of family lived/lives there and I spend lots of time there still. It’s a cookie cutter sprawling midcentury slightly declining lily white suburb.

$73k with a family of 3 will be tight, but…

Nursing jobs are in high demand everywhere. There are multiple healthcare systems to look into from Trinity to Henry Ford to University of Michigan.

Get yourselves an apartment for the first 6 to 12 months until she can get settled and by then you’ll have time to figure out what area you actually want to live in. Livonia is centrally located to a huge population base, so you’ll have choices.

Living in Livonia, Michigan – Why Out-of-Town Buyers LOVE This Detroit Suburb!