Hazel Park

I lived in Hazel Park for a year of my childhood and went to school there for three. I don't have many distinguished memories of living in the city but I've kept in touch with people who I went to school with and have visited often. It's always struck me as a strange place. It's a little bit of a lower income place but the people who live there love it with a passion and even with how bad the property values fell after the financial crisis it never seems to have fallen apart.

In general, it's a pretty clean area. Every block has a small eyesore or two but there are very few vacant houses. Loud music is occasional, parking is plentiful, and the attitude on crime seems to be that people are worried more about young people misbehaving rather than any serious threats. The parks appear to be maintained fairly well, though some could use a fresh coat of paint. Traffic is average but it's a very easy city to maneuver around. The houses are a steal but the building inspectors are fairly strict so you should expect to put a few bucks into a house if you buy it in bad condition.

All in all Hazel Park is essentially "average", and that's something that needs to change. Other small cities like Berkeley and Clawson and Rochester (where I live currently) all have a central area where there is a thriving business community. Hazel Park does not have that -- the main intersection is a collection of shopping centers and the businesses that an average visitor would want to go to are scattered enough that you'd need a car to go between them. There are some excellent takeout/delivery options, but not really anything in the upscale dining market. Nightlife is limited to a few bars. If I had any advice for the city council in Hazel Park it would be to work on a "main street" area because it would certainly make the city much more appealing.