Rosedale

If you take isolated areas within this neighborhood then you can tell that there is some great potential here. There are some well kept and nice looking houses, but unfortunately they are in the minority. The problem is that they are surrounded by areas that are rundown and full of crime.

The other problem is also a potential benefit. You could say that the fact that this neighborhood is located close to some major expressways and roads work in its favor. Yes it's easy to get here and to get around in this neighborhood. The problem though is that since it is surrounded by so many major roads this contributes to a lot of noise and a lot of traffic in the area.

There isn't much in the way of amenities. Though there may have been a good share of stores and restaurants, they aren't around anymore. It's an area as a whole that is in need of some major updates. It has some good potential but again those areas are isolated.

The crime in this area is some of the highest around and that right there makes it a less than desirable area. There is a park nearby but it tends to be an area where crime exists and centers around. So this is definitely not where you would want to move with kids. Though the cost of living is good here, the bad really outweighs the good. Therefore this may not be the best area overall and is not much of a draw no matter what your specific situation is.

Rosedale has come to mirror a lot of what the city of Detroit has become. This neighborhood in the city displays the goods and bads of what has happened to the large metropolitan since the 1960s. It is an area that has some of the city’s most elegant houses – but in one small area. The rest of the neighborhood brings out much of the dark and dirty of the city.

Rosedale is between the busy Southfield Freeway and Greenfield Road, and stretches almost all the way to the I-96 Jeffries Freeway in the south. There are recreational opportunities in the nearby Eliza Howell Park, it is intersected by Grand River Avenue, allowing quick access to many other nearby neighborhoods on a diagonal line.

The neighborhood is, however, just next door to the much more upscale Rosedale Park neighborhood, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. The nicer areas of Rosedale are very tree-laden and feature brick houses that date back to the 1920s and a collection of residents that are mostly middle-aged and have been living in the city for decades in many cases.

My childhood best friend's dad used to live in this area. I think he lived on St. Mary's, if I remember correctly. I came around here often to pick my friend up to go hang out.

One of my lasting memories of the area is how my friend was robbed of his jacket and jewelry, in broad daylight on a major street, Fenkell. That tells you all you need to know about the area. I drive through here occasionally as a shortcut to my aunt's house, and the area looks about the same. Fast food joints and liquor stores are everywhere. The residents are hard-working, honest individuals, but the young thugs loitering the streets are a constant headache. Buses run on the major streets like Fenkell and McNichols, but that just makes the noise level go way up. Burned out and abandoned homes line some streets, and closed store fronts are an eyesore.

I am not going to judge everyone who lives in the area, as my aunt and my friend's dad are smart, honest individuals. But I would never live here or recommend it to anyone else. But hey, if you need a place to live and you find a decent home in the area, you have to what you have to do, until you can do better.