Gilbert Rose was looking for something simpler when he moved back to Wyandotte nine years ago.
The owner of two downtown clothing stores,
Chelsea Mens Wear & Shoes and
Willow Tree Womens Fashions, and his wife had moved from Wyandotte to Grosse Isle many years before to raise their family. Once that their kids grew up and that chapter of their life closed, they began to look for something new. They decided to downsize to a condo in downtown near
Bishop Park and the Detroit River.
Today Rose lives less than block from his job. He puts less than 5,000 miles on his car each year because he lives so close to so many of downtown's conveniences.
"It's not quite like having the place above the store, but its close," Rose says. "It's pretty handy."
That handiness comes into play not only for work but for recreation and everyday living. It's one of the many perks that come with living next to one of Metro Detroit's most vibrant downtowns.
The city of 28,000 people features a sizable downtown rife with retail and restaurant options surrounded by block after block of sold neighborhoods. It's also close to many Metro Detroit institutions. Downtown Detroit, the Southland Mall and I-75 are all within a 20-minute drive or less.
Although it maintains some of its blue-collar factory-town feel, it boasts a progressive and independent streak focused on preserving its history and character while keeping it viable for the future.
"It's charming," Rose says. "I like the people. They're down-to-earth, good people. It's a good place to be. It's a good place to work. It's a very enjoyable experience. It's just a solid place. I'm really happy to call it my home."
Community spiritWyandotte is one of the more unique and independent-minded cities in Metro Detroit. The inner-ring suburb is the second-oldest city in Wayne County, behind Detroit, and named for the Wyandot Native Americans. Its population boomed during the 20th Century, attracting swaths of Polish, German, Irish and Italian immigrants. Their influence is still readily visible today.
The city's population has dropped considerably since its mid 20th century peak, but that is mostly attributed to the shrinking size of families since most of the homes and businesses in the city are occupied. Family owned businesses still dominate downtown and create a small-town feeling that can be summed up as simply, Wyandotte.
"It hasn't lost its identity and the people who live here don't want that to change," says James DeSana, mayor of Wyandotte. "We're not trying to be anybody else. The people in this town think for themselves. We're very independent. But we also pull together when we have to."
Many local officials and residents proudly point out that their community has a high volunteerism rate. That type of community spirit is key to keeping downtown and the neighborhoods clean and well-kept.
"The people care about the condition and appearance of the town," Rose says. "They do a lot to keep it up. It's a constant refinement."
And it spreads over the wide diversity of people who inhabit the town. Even though the city's median age is 34 and the median household income is $49,400, there is a large variety of young and old people who wear both white and blue collars. It's the type of eclectic mix of people that has made the Downriver city so attractive.
"The people are the salt of the earth. They're grounded," says Leo Stevenson, a Wyandotte native and vice president at Merrill Lynch, which is moving its offices to downtown. "They're the people you want to deal with. They're the people you want to do business with."
Community assetsAnd they're also the type of people who know how to get stuff done. Wyandotte is one of the few municipalities that are almost entirely self-sufficient. Its downtown is commonly referred to as Downriver's downtown and features a healthy mix of restaurants, bars, retail shops and offices. The city owns its own independent water, electric and cable systems, something that residents readily point to as great asset because prices stay low and steady.
"We're not subject to the whims of the big utilities or the Detroit Water Department," says David Lapp, a Wyandotte resident and builder. "Plus we get great service."
He added that if something breaks, whether it is a water main or a power line, repair crews only have to travel a short distance to it because they come from within the city. And there's a good chance Lapp will know the people working to solve the problem.
Businesses have also been drawn to Wyandotte over the years. The city's two largest employers, Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital and BASF, both have significant presence Downriver and have made, or committed to, multi-million-dollar expansions.
Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital has the largest medical staff in the Downriver area with more than 600 primary care physicians and 344 beds. It offers everything from general medicine to surgery to a 24-hour emergency room. It also recently added a $40-million wing. BASF, one of the leading chemical and plastic producers in the world, employs 2,000 in Michigan. Most of those are in its Wyandotte Plant on the Detroit River. It recently committed to a $150 million research-and-development expansion that will create 175 new jobs.
Wyandotte also boasts some of the best schools in the Downriver area. Wyandotte Public Schools are headed up by Roosevelt High School, which boasts great athletic and academic traditions. There are also a handful of Catholic Schools in the city, including the Our Lady of Mount Carmel schools. That complex is one of the few Catholic schools in Metro Detroit to offer elementary, middle and high school levels of education. Lapp's two teenage children have attended both the parochial and public schools both of which his family speaks highly.
"We've got a very good school district and they are very progressive," Lapp says. "What I mean by that is they raised the graduation requirements before the state did."
There are also a number of recreational activities offered in the city, ranging from the park frontage of the Detroit River, the state's second largest art fair, the only golf course on the river, boat and kayak ramps, a public library, ice rink and other recreational facilities. All of these institutions are well maintained and patronized by both the city's residents and people from surrounding communities.
"Wyandotte is a very progressive city with a small-town feel and a great sense of community," Lapp says.
Affordable and exclusive splendorWyandotte offers just about everything for people looking for a home. The city is filled with a large variety of well kept homes from just about every architectural variety. Prices for homes range from about $100,000 to almost $700,000, depending on the condition and location. Houses or high-rise condos near the river often are at the higher end of the market while single-family houses further inland are on more competitively priced.
The city is filled with older, more historical houses. But it's also experiencing a little bit of a boom when it comes to new housing construction. The city has been quite proactive to acquire old residential or industrial areas that have been in danger of falling into blight and reselling them to developers and residents interested in improving them or building new. There are several projects now where new single-family houses, row houses, townhouses or condos are being built and sold for a variety of prices throughout the city.
Joe Maher, a Wyandotte resident and real-estate agent, points out that the city has a high retention rate of people. He points out that when homeowners usually upgrade to a new house, they move to a new community. But he doesn't see a lot of that in Wyandotte.
"People like this city so much that they want to stay in it," Maher says. "It fosters a lot of pride."