The Villages is fantastic place to live! WHY?
Because it is comprised of the wonderful people who love their neighborhoods AND their neighbors. Here are just a few stories from happy residents and why they chose the VILLAGES to live!
The Transplanted suburbanite professional becomes a “born again” city dweller
I was born in Detroit, but my family soon moved away to California, Australia and then returned to Birmingham. From my teens until my 40’s, I jumped from suburb to suburb, ending up with a home in Novi. All that changed when I met my now husband, Steve, who shared his passion for the City of Detroit with me and inspired my complete transformation to an urban pioneer. I sold my house in Novi in 1999 and brought my beloved dog, Mackie, to a beautiful apartment on the river. A year later, we moved into our home in Indian Village.
I have found community and connection in Detroit that I never found anywhere else and I thrive on meeting people from all walks of life and all kinds of backgrounds who love the city and who are working positively to turn it around. People are friendly. People say hello. People are proud and have a resilient and resourceful spirit to persevere and reinvent Detroit while enjoying and preserving its history and traditions. I wouldn’t live anywhere else.
Janet Wasko, Indian Village
“The Commuter No More”
Back in 2002, I had lived in Ann Arbor for several years and was looking to shorten my commute by moving in closer to Detroit. I looked around metro Detroit including some suburbs, and a friend told me to check out some of the historic neighborhoods in the city of Detroit, including”Indian Village” which I had never heard of. Of course the beautiful homes at good prices were hard to resist, so I made the move, and have not regretted it! I currently work as a software engineer in Dearborn, and appreciate my short commute against rush hour traffic, and also the proximity to downtown, Belle Isle, and the new Riverwalk. My neighbors were very welcoming from the start, and it seems like there is always something going on in the neighborhood, whether it’s the Home & Garden Tour in Indian Village or West Village, the Detroit Marathon passing through, or one of the monthly neighborhood parties. The people who live here not only appreciate the beautiful homes, but they all pitch in in different ways to make the Villages a great place to live, like few other places I’ve seen.
Doug Way, Indian Village
The Unique Business Owner
I moved to West Village in 2007. I had been coming and going from West Village to visit friends for many years and have been a Detroit resident (SW Detroit) since 1989. I am happier in the Villages than anywhere else I’ve ever lived. I grew up in Midland and came to Detroit to work on my tugs that were here and run my business. I have been involved in many community organizations in the City of Detroit and I have found there to be a very involved group of people who care greatly about where they live and work hard to make a difference. I I love the diversity of people and architecture in West Village. Apartments, row houses, big houses, small houses, and as many different people from all races and walks of life. I love the Detroit Marathon and Tour DeTroit going by, riding my bike and being stopped by neighbor upon neighbor to say hello and chat. Walking through the neighborhood. Belle Isle, downtown, the Riverwalk, Eastern Market, Heidelberg Project and Dequindre Cut are all close by. I highly recommend the Villages community for anyone looking to move to neighborhood and make a home and a difference.
Wade P. Streeter, West Village
The Single Professional Designer & Art Lover
1987 I was offered a wonderful job at The Taubman Company. Although I had lived in Michigan during graduate school at Cranbrook Academy of Art many years prior, I really did not know the City of Detroit very well. Having followed a career path in Visual Merchandising and Design for so many years, my travels took me to various places such as Princeton, NJ, Quito, Ecuador, Miami, FL, Denver, CO, and Minneapolis, MN. As an artist and designer I sought a place to live where:
- the people were diverse, interesting, warm and friendly
- had interesting historical architecture,
- and seemed as though it was part of a city…..definitely not in the suburbs.
After reading several ads for houses to rent I settled on West Village as it fit my requirements perfectly. Turns out that I wasn’t wrong. I’ve enjoyed so many wonderful friendships in West Village over the years and also many activities that probably don’t happen in suburbs. Even with a 55 mile daily commute I’ve found so many qualities of life not available in the suburbs. Close to the best cultural icons of the city, DIA, MOT, DSO and the River, Belle Isle, and the list goes on and on. I’ve stayed here for 22 years for all of the same reasons mentioned previously without the commute which makes life even better. But the primary reason for staying so long is definitely the people, they make all the difference in the world. And additionally it seems to get better and better as time goes on.
Charles Senseman, West Village
Simply a City Lover
I moved into the area 22 years ago because it was close to my job. I love my Boulevard Co-op and its distance to Belle Isle and the incredible sunrise and sunset while walking and biking. I love being close to downtown and having a huge yard and garden. But most of all, I love the people.
Sheree Walton, Islandview Village
The Socially Conscious Young Professional
I moved to West Village because it is a great neighborhood. After careful consideration of my housing options, I chose to buy in West Village for a number of reasons. First off, I love Detroit and have a lot of fun in this city. I specifically chose West Village because of the neighborhood beauty and the strong sense of community here. I have never lived a place where neighbors are so tight and where the houses are so beautiful. West Village is a national historic district. In addition, West Village is close to some amazing places – Downtown Detroit, Belle Isle, Eastern Market, and the Riverwalk. Finally, I can’t neglect to mention our wonderful community garden – Shipherd Greens, as well as the easy access to mass transit.
Leor Barak , West Village