Living in the V or Detroit's Villages

His backyard has a great view of Windsor.

And you thought Chicago was the only city with a Gold Coast?

Detroit has one too, filled with high rise apartment and condo towers, providing stunning views of the Detroit River and Windsor, but at a fraction of the prices one would pay for similar upscale living in Canada.

The areas are home to middle and upper class Detroiters, many of them young professionals, who want an urban experience and to be closer to where the action is - such as professional sports and theatre - compared to the more lacklustre suburbs with long commutes.

“There are good deals,” said Indian Village Residents Association president Doug Way, who moved to the area from Ann Arbor and can’t speak highly enough about it.

Large homes that are 3000-4000 sq ft can be had for $150,000-$250,000 or $100,000 or less on some foreclosed homes.

But many cheaper ones can also be found in their stately elegance on wide tree-lined streets with relatively little crime.

“Typically there’s almost no violent crime,” Way said.

The district has small mansions, but, Way said, the largest in the neighbourhood on sale in September was going for less than $500,000.

Islandview and English Village is home to the English Village Brownstones and Lofts with 78 new brick townhouses and 19 lofts that have a heritage design.

Indian Village has some of the biggest homes in the district.

They were designed for Detroit's one-time captains of industry and the home styles range from Georgian to Colonial Revival to Arts and Crafts.

One could easily picture a businessman from that earlier era getting into his 1920s automobile and leisurely driving along Jefferson Ave. to his downtown office.

Now, young professionals do the same, but drive their hybrid cars or their bicycles, to jobs at the RenCen or the Compuware building, or to some of the newer creative class businesses near Wayne State University.

The River House Cooperative at 8900 East Jefferson in the Gold Coast is a well kept 1950s-era high rise tower.

On a tour last month units were available for as low as $7000 (425 sq. ft.) to $95,000 (1700 sq. ft.) with monthly “carrying charges” for maintenance of several hundred dollars.

Services include a gated community, 24 hour manned security, 24 hour electronic surveillance, 24 hour reception desk, 24 hour maintenance, indoor heated garage, outdoor garage & perimeter parking, cable TV.

For more information go to www.villagesofdetroit.com

WindsorOntarioNews.com