We don't live in the sub but have friends that live in Fairview Farms and it has great community taking place. we did trick or treating with them and it was a great time of the entire neighborhood all being out together.

As a 20 year Realtor in downtown Rochester, serving the greater Rochester Area....there are several factors that come into play...budget is number one. Then ask the questions...do you want sidewalks? Is a school in the neighborhood important? Is the age of the home a factor? Is lot size an issue? Contact a professional with your wish list and we can help match you up with subdivisions that fit! Debbie "Z"....Real Living Kee Realty. Debbie@debbiez.com

Good luck and welcome to our 'hood!!

I live in heatherwood village NE corner of Avon and Rochester, and from a location perspective it is perfect for us. Walking distance to downtown even for our kids. 2 parks, a pond and a nature path are in the sub. Easy access to the rail trail system for bike rides well it is a real big hill to get into the sub from the trail but it's close. Bloomer Park is right there as well. Houses are about 25 years old so some look dated inside some do not. No sidewalks but there are a few courts that are great for the kids to play in. Tons of kids. The elementary school is a bit over a mile away in downtown McGreggor, but it is a great school and most of the kids that go there are in our sub. The one issue is current districting will split that elementary between 2 middle schools. My son's best freind will not be in school with him in a couple years.

We've lived in University Hills for 14 years and love it! Lots of kids, friendly neighbors, old trees, well-built homes, school in the subdivision, commons area and plenty more! Come check us out! There might even be a house or two for sale right now.

We are thinking of moving to the area as well. Can anyone offer any perspective on living downtown?

Brookwood is the best place to live. I wish I had grown up here. The people of the Brookwood community are the most friendly of anyplace I've ever lived. Plus -- we have the swimming pool, the tennis courts, and the golf course. Lots of social activities, very family friendly. Brookwood is the best!!!

Great Oaks across from Crittenton Hospital/St. John's Church. Only one way in and out of the sub of 121 homes. Short walk to downtown, parks, Paint Creek Trail. Plus the City of Rochester has unparalleled city services. Our kids (7 & 9) have a ton of friends in the sub and the association is very active with events all year long.

brookedale woods - adams just north of walton blvd - lots of big houses close together packed with kids. reason i lasted there 9 months. but.....christian hills - adams and avon - beautiful homes and lots and PRIVACY. i miss my home there. retired up north.

I would recommend North Fairview Farms. I lived there for approx. 12 years in two different homes. We originally purchased a 4-yr old home and then built a brand new one in the last phase. Very family friendly. Lots of kids. I was involved with the Women's Assn. and we planned many fun activities for the Sub., i.e., picnic, Easter Egg hunt, Halloween Parade with donuts/cider, garage sales, etc. We also made up welcome baskets to new homeowners. The Sub has a neighborhood park, is close to Paint Creek trail, and is a geat location. We loved the area so much that we ended up building a new home in Vintage Estates, the neighboring sub. I would also recommend this sub, but has less young children but has lots of nature, trees, a wonderful 30-acre nature preserve and is also closer to the Paint Creek Trail.

We moved from the Crooks/South Blvd. area over to Avon Hollow (off Livernois near Avon) just over a year ago. I'll tell you, we looked at over 140 houses in our search. I thought I wanted to be North of Tienken, but I'm so happy with where we ended up. The sub is kind of hidden close enough to downtown that you could make the walk, but far enough out that you don't get all the traffic, great schools, large mature trees and the neighbors have been wonderful. We have woods behind us and plenty of deer with a natural spring going through the backyard.

We're another University Hills sub family and love our neighborhood! Lots of kids and families, 2 beautiful parks/playgrounds and a great elementary school in the sub. Fun neighborhood events at halloween, easter and summer. We were made very welcome from the minute we moved in and we searched for ages all over Rochester, Rochester Hills, Birmingham and Troy for a family friendly attractive looking sub.

As Judy mentioned, there are a lot of kids in Brookedale Woods. Right now is a great time to move there as we have a new wave of young families moving in. Our sub was built about 35 years ago and many of the young families who moved in then are now couples retiring and selling their homes to families with young kids.

We have a new pathway to provide safety and strolling opportunities to our two subdivision parks. It has been great to see active kids walking and on bikes on our new pathway, enjoying our many green spaces, and having a secure way to walk to their friends' houses.

We are also really close to three grocery stores, the Village of Rochester Hills outdoor mall, Adams High School, and Van Hoosen Middle School.

Ditto on demographic and nearby pluses that Joshua mentions above We live in Thornridge sub - accross the street from Brookdale Woods. Pretty much everything we need is quite close (including kids' activities), so easy it's on the gas gauge. Love our sub, neighbors and RH in general.
Another big plus for us when we were first looking - Tienken to Squirrel is a quick zip to I-75.

The best sub in all of Rochester is The Bluffs. We are at the end of John R next to Bloomer Park. Our subdivision is 18 years old and has sidewalks! The only people who drive on the streets are the people who live in the sub because it's one circle of 98 homes with the same entrance/exit. Many young families moving in now as us "original owners" have kids in college and older. Very close to downtown, in fact, if you take Bloomer Rd. west it winds around.........turns in to South St. and ends up at the south end of town. Walk in to Bloomer Park at the end of our sub. NO TRAFFIC on the streets during the day. Our schools are North Hill Elementary, Hart Middle School and Stoney Creek High School. We have parades for Halloween and subdivision picnics. The subdivision in small in comparison to many subs in the area. Moved here when my boys were 1 and 3 and now they are in college. The City Services of Rochester are the best!

We live in the northern downtown neighborhood (near Dairy Queen). We moved here for one main reason: walkability. We have a dog and two young children and we walk or ride EVERYWHERE. Parks, trails, shops, and restaurants are all within a 10-minute walk. We can also bike to Stony Creek Metropark, walk or bike to Bloomer Park, or take the Paint Creek Trail to Lake Orion or Bald Mountain. We have recently looked into upsizing slightly, but that would mist likely require moving away from downtown, and it isn't worth it to us. We would rather live in a smaller house and have all of the other quality of life amenities that downtown provides. We might change our minds when our kids are older, but I would tell any young couple or family with small children that downtown is the place to be. Obviously there are fewer houses on the market so you might have to be more patient in your search. I think we looked for about 2 years off and on before we finally found a nearly perfect house, but it was worth the wait.

I do not recommend Shadow Woods. There are no parks or playgrounds. Our end of it has no almost no children. My daughter who is 12 has spent the last two summers here virtually alone. It was a huge mistake to move to this sub and we are very sorry we did it.

Downtown Rochester is great, but keep in mind you will have higher taxes living in the City vs. Rochester Hills. Try to look north of Avon. U Hills, Great Oaks, Hawthorne, Stoney, Thornridge...subs that come to mind that are "family friendly."

We just moved into University Hills last August, and we LOVE it. It is everything the others above already said.

Thanks so much for posting this question! We bought a house on the Rochester/Shelby border (26 & Dequindre) last year. We are already going to start looking in Rochester Hills. We have 4 kids and are looking for a sub as many of you are describing above. Thanks for all the comments!!

What middle and high school does University Hills attend?

Heritage Oaks is a wonderful sub, with children, lots of friendly people, and very multi-cultural. You can always find someone walking, walking their dog, biking. One entrance/exit, so minimal traffic. Close to the freeways for easy access, and not too far to drive in the city traffic, or the city construction. Homes were built around 1990, and all are kept up very nicely. We have a variety of home styles, from ranch to raised ranch to colonial, to walk-out colonial. We have neighbors that moved from Troy, and LOVE living near the walking trails and River Bend Park. Good luck with your search, and hoping you find just the perfect home for you and your family!

I'd say learn a little about the schools, and target those areas that you'd want your children to attend. There are nice subdivisions/Streets all around Rochester/Rochester Hills. You may like a certain elementary school, but you also have to think about the middle school and High school they'll be attending. Rochester schools does have open enrollment for residents...where you can request any school, but it's hard to get into a more desirable school. Here's a link to the attendance map. http://www.rochester.k12.mi.us/pages/5055/attendance-maps. My kids attend Delta Kelly (by choice), and will attend Van Hoosen and Adams High School in the future. I drove around, made appointments and visited elementary schools for a few weeks before making a decision on where to target our searching. Also, work with a good agent that is fimiliar with the Rochester area!

My wife and I live in the Brookwood Golf Club community. We have lived here for almost 10 years and it is the best place we have ever lived. Brookwood is a community built around a 9 hole golf course that is family friendly yet challenging at the same time. We also have a community pool and tennis courts. We have many social events and parties specific for children including an Easter Egg Hunt, last day of school pool party, Halloween party including a golf cart parade, and a Christmas party. Why would anyone want to live any where else?

The Brookwood subdivision (south of Tienken between Brewster and Livernois) is an awesome place for families. We've got a single entrance, private roads, 9 hole golf course, tennis courts, and swimming pool(s). Lovely Clubhouse for social events. Long Meadow Elementary School, West Middle School, and Adams High School. It's wonderful to live and play here - year round!

I too love University Hills. We've been here for 5 years and have been active in the subdivision events. Very active sub, great well built homes, and neighbors that love living there. We tell people we're never moving again!

Which is the best apartment in downtown?

Don't pick Georgetown. Hardly any kids. Mostly retirees. Go by the schools you want your kids to go to first.

I live in Shadow Woods and my kids are now all grown up. When they were little, there was never a shortage of playmates. I could easily find them and my neighbors could easily find their children in my home or property. We are that protective of each other's kids. Even though my kids and their playmates are now all adults, I am seeing new and more young families coming in ! Still love the sound of young laughter in the air !

can someone help me find a reasonable apt. in Rochester/Rochester Hills for a disabled person who is on a fixed income?

love the patch! Keeps me informed on everything going on in Rochester/Rochester Hills

I need an apt with a fixed income. Essex of Hampton has two bed one bath $735 free washer and dryer...probably available in one month

Rochester is such a diverse area. Old - new - young - seniors!!! A great place to begin, raise your family and age gracefully. It offers the ability to walk, walk, walk with it's many trails and parks. The offereings of public services is beyond the best. I love being here and have my children and grands nearby. It really is the best...

I'll throw in a plug for Stony Creek Ridge subdivision in Rochester. Just northeast of downtown Rochester, it is biking distance to downtown, provides quick access to the network of trails in the area, and is close to Stoney Creek metropark. The subdivision has many young families and the community pool is a nice benefit.

We love Shadow Woods - tons of kids. We have 20+ kids at our elementary school bus stop and it is one of several on the south side of the neighborhood. We are also walking distance to the Village. Long Meadow / West MS / Adams HS.

Let us not forget Bridgewood Farms sub-division off of Tienken just west of Adams road. Nice area, but sometimes the mayor forgets we are still RH's and not part of Auburn Hills.