"Theres a resilience that rises from somewhere deep within your streets/You cant define it, but you can feel it/You can feel it overflowing from the people who you call home/From people who are always proud to say Im from Detroit" (Eminem, "Ode to Detroit")
Okay, so if youre from Novi, youre not really from Detroit but close enough. Detroit has enough street cred in the rest of the country that it conjures up images of thugs and bombed-out buildings, so a lot of people who live in the ultra-safe burbs still like to say theyre from Detroit just to seem a little bit cooler. In truth, Novi is nothing like the gangster portrayals of Detroit that you see in the media. Novi (the last letter rhymes with "eye") is located 25 miles northwest of Detroit and 29 miles northeast of Ann Arbor in Oakland County. Life in Oakland County is pretty easy and is worlds apart from Detroit despite the fact that its only a few miles away. In fact, Oakland County is one of the 10 highest income counties in the U.S. with populations over a million people. Even within that county, Novi is one of the most affluent suburbs.
Moving to Novi
If you want to move to Novi, dont forget your checkbook. (Or more accurately, bring a debit card, since nobody uses checks anymore!) But the point here is that Novi is not cheap. Apartments for rent in Novi can be as much as in New York City, though of course you get more bedrooms and square footage for your money here. One-bedroom apartments in Novi are not much more expensive than in other nearby suburbs, but the price really jumps when you need more bedrooms.
Of course, renting a three-bedroom or four-bedroom apartment in Novi is desirable not only if you have roommates, but especially if you have school-aged kids. The schools in Novi are excellent, and the district spends $1,100 more per student than the national average. If you want to get an apartment here, especially one large enough to accommodate a couple of kids, you dont want to put off your apartment search until the last minute. Vacancies in Novi are much lower than the national average because everyone wants to be here so apartment rentals often get snagged up quickly.
Anywhere you want to rent property, the landlord or property manager is likely to want you to have all your ducks in a row, but thats especially true in Novi. If you got kicked out of your last apartment for not paying rent or having too many wild parties, you may find it tougher than average to find a Novi apartment complex to let you in. You see, Novi is kind of conservative that way (as well as at the polls, according to voting records.)
Having excellent rental references is extra important in Novi. Having an income thats at least three times greater than your monthly rent is also really crucial. Fortunately, Novi is affluent enough that most people who live here have no trouble meeting that standard.
If youre having trouble finding just the right apartment for rent in Novi, you might want to get the help of an apartment locator. In terms of trying to make a match between you and just the right apartment, an apartment locator is like the ultimate matchmaker, only the blind date they set you up on is much less likely to be a disaster!
If you need to bring along your furry friends, many apartments and houses for rent in Novi will allow you to do so but of course, youll probably need to bring proof that theyre up to date on their shots, and you may have to pay extra security deposits and monthly rent. Again, an apartment locator can help you find the complexes that will allow you to bring Spot and Fluffy.
Neighborhoods
Novi has a lot of neighborhoods, but most of them are for subdivisions of houses. To make sure that Novi remains a nice place to live, many subdivisions have homeowners associations (HOAs) that have guidelines about how to maintain your property so the whole neighborhood will retain its value. Most apartments in Novi are located near main shopping districts, such as along Haggerty Road and near the Fountain Walk area.
CityCenter:While homes here are priced 89.1% higher than all of Michigan and 64.4% higher than all of US, it is one of the more affordable neighborhoods in Novi. With a 8.1% vacancy rate, you can easily snatch yourself a home in the center of the city.$$$
W 10 Mile Rock/Beck Rd:With a low crime rate, great schools, and a tight-knit community, it is no wonder that the vacancy rate stands at 0%. To stack the deck against renters more, this neighborhood is a mainly owner occupied. Unless you're looking to buy, move on to the next neighborhood.$$$$
Carousel St/Montmorency Dr:Consisting of mainly smaller units, this area is great for singles and smaller families. But with the amazing low price tag and hip, urban neighborhood, the vacancy rate stands at a tight 4.3%. If you want a spot here, be the early bird in order to get the worm. $
Living in Novi
One of the best things about Novi is that its accepting of people from all nationalities. The city has a very diverse population, including the highest percentage of Japanese residents of any town in Michigan, and enough people from India that one theater shows exclusively Indian films. No matter who you are, if you have the money to live here, youll be welcome!
So how do you get by and thrive in Novi? Its actually pretty easy because the quality of life here is so good. Getting in and out of Novi, whether to commute to work in downtown Detroit or just to see a Tigers game, is simple thanks to the easy access to highways like I-275 and I-696.
Shopping here is amazing, because you have the Twelve Oaks Mall, one of the most upscale malls in Michigan. They have Nordstrom, a Coach store, Apple store and Godiva, to name just a few. Novi is also the first city in Michigan to get a Cheesecake Factory, which many people are excited enough about that they come from areas far outside Novi to get a taste. Go figure. Novi also has no shortage of great restaurants, including the Toasted Oak Grill and Market charcuterie and a variety of top-notch sushi joints, including Ajishin and One World Market Sushi Bar. For steak, you wont want to miss Novi Chop House. If youre in the mood for Japanese, check out the Shiro Restaurant or the Cherry Blossom Japanese Restaurant.
Novi is really an ideal location because youre a nearly equal distance between downtown Detroit and Ann Arbor. You have the shopping and restaurants you need right in Novi, but when you want to go to sporting events, museums, or to see a Michigan Wolverines football game, it wont take you long to get there. If you want to experience exciting night life, Royal Oak is just a few miles away and has a thriving shopping and club district.
Over 55,000 people call Novi home because the quality of life here is very high. No, its not cheap, but peace of mind rarely is. You can be assured that your kids will attend great schools, you can feel safe walking in your neighborhood at night, and youll have plenty of upscale places to spend your money and your leisure time.
