Your Questions About Gardening

GardenersCardiff answers:

You might want to check out Ferndale in Oakland County. It borders Detroit at the famed intersection of 8 Mile and Woodward Ave. It features mainly an older housing stock built to house laborers in the 1920s and 30s.

It suffered a bit during the 70’s and 80’s but a hard-core group of loyal Ferndalians hung on to see it rebound in the 1990’s. Once the tonier folks moved into Royal Oak – the artist types were looking for new addresses and they found them in what is now called (somewhat tongue in cheek), “Fabulous Ferndale”.

The crime stats are low to moderate, and I’m sure you can more info about that on the internets. The pluses for Ferndale:
1, 15 – 30 minute commute
2, the woodward bus will take you straight to Wayne
3, you can rent a whole house for 800 bucks
4, small but interesting downtown – sushi, thai, italian, greek, dancing, a alternative movie house where you can drink beer and watch Citizen Kane
5, open minded folk ie, gay friendly if your interested
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the downers:
-It’s close to Detroit and that – sorry to say – effects your insurance rates and individual safety. Don’t want to make a debate about it, just to state the facts.
-Under utilized park system
– Spotty city services at times
– Political and emotional conflicts between the old-timers that hung tough through the down time and the new comers who’ve just “discovered” Ferndale.
“…what you mean you don’t like my garden gnomes? Go stick that latte in your ear!”
-New openly gay mayor welcomes new thinking, which freaks some of the family-centric folk. Council meetings are always a hit.

All in all, Ferndale is a neat little town that until 1936 or so was called “Urbanrest” because it was a new suburb built to house those city apartment dwellers who wanted a little house with a backyard to grow some tomatoes and a front porch to watch the world go by.

However, you might want to check what the University has to offer. They have a housing service tailored for grad students and you might find the perfect match of price, location and safety right on campus.

Crime is not that bad on Campus so don’t rule out Detroit. You’ll have your entire life to live in plush green suburbs with pickett fences and crabgrass trouble. Right now, might be to only time in your life when it will make sense for you to live in city.

Don’t miss the experience just because of Detroit’s reputation. You own it to your 80 year-old self to look near campus.

When you’re 80, sipping metamucil pool-side in Boca Roton, you can look back and say, “I was pretty ballsy in my 20s, lived in Detroit …”

GardenersCardiff answers:

There is always tension between the classes, especially between those closest to each other (the poor middle class has tensions from both sides). It is because, although being close to them economically they want to maintain a clear distinction between them. The upper-middle class (to confuse things further) do not want to be labelled as upper-class, and the lower-middle do not want to be classed as lower class. There is a large distinction between middle and upper, to numerous to list here. It ranges from their furniture to whether or not they like garden gnomes. Read ‘Watching the English’, as it is very funny, and it covers these things.

GardenersCardiff answers:

Http://www.theintimategardener.com/