Relocating to Ann Arbor Area (Ypsilanti, Saline: crime, home, schools)

[daaronm80]

We will be relocating to the Ann Arbor region later this summer. We are from a small town in Ohio, so we would prefer to live in a smaller town. We are looking at Saline and Dexter. We have a young family (three kids younger than 10), so we would like to be in a family-friendly place. Any recommendations? Any information you could give on amenities, schools, housing, taxes, crime, etc. would be greatly appreciated.

I will be working in Ypsilanti 30% of the time and at home 70% of the time, so commute is not a major concern.

[lisasays]

I live in Saline and its very charming. Has a nice downtown with cafes, restaurants, shops and there are lots of family activities and parks.
The schools are the top rated in the county.

Dexter is smaller (and Saline is not that large). Saline is a 10 min drive to Ann Arbor.

Downside for me, but may be an upside for you, Saline has a Walmart now, at the edge of the town.
Im a Target person, and there are 2 in Ann Arbor that are both about 12 minute drives from Saline.

There is a yearly Celtic Festival, Picnic in the Park and lots of other activities. Its a very family oriented town and a bit on the conservative side.
hths!

[Ann_Arbor]

I hear Dexter and Saline are both nice towns, but I would also plug Ann Arbor itself. It actually has a small town feel (or small city depending on semantics), and may indeed be more convenient to your lifestyle in terms of commute and shopping. Like the others, AA has miniscule crime and the schools are really good; being around the university culture probably has some intangible, educational benefits as well.

Good luck, I miss Ann Arbor's hominess!

[Cliffie]

Yes, the real limitation is usually housing costs. In Ann Arbor they are brutal although if you can pay the money, it's worth it. Ypsi is cheaper and so is most any other city farther out from AA.