Farmington Hills, MI

The Detroit suburb of Farmington Hills is known for its quiet neighborhoods, good public services, and acres of parks. The city's residents enjoy a public school system that ranks among the best in the nation, a thriving business community and excellent public safety. The city has been named as one of the 20 safest cities in America.

With about 80,000 residents, the city is one of the largest and most diverse in the Detroit metropolitan area. Farmington Hills' diversity is represented in its school system, which serves students who speak more than 85 languages.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Farmington Hills is home to more than 6,000 businesses, including the local offices of 170 foreign-owned firms and 75 Fortune 500 companies. Many have set up shop in the city's 17 business parks.

The city's workforce of 79,000 people has a reputation for being highly skilled. As a result, white-collar jobs in the service sector dominate the economy and account for nearly half the jobs in Farmington Hills. The manufacturing and retail sectors each account for about 15 percent of the city's jobs. The largest employers in the city include:

• Botsford Hospital
• Farmington Public Schools
• Robert Bosch Corporation
• Quicken Loans
• Gale (part of Cengage Learning)
• Chrysler Financial Services
• Aditya Birla Minacs
• TRW Automotive Electronics
• ACO Hardware
• Nissan Technical Center North America

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Farmington Hills spreads over an area of 33.3 square miles and accommodates a little less than 35,000 houses with an occupancy ratio of 96 percent. Out of these, owners occupy about 22,400 houses and renters occupy a little more than 11,100 houses.

A resident or a visitor of Farmington Hills would need a car or some other mode of transportation to roam around the city.

The Historic District of Farmington Hills includes 19 Greek Revival buildings that were constructed prior to 1850, such as the Botsford Inn and the Universalist Unitarian Church. Nearly 40 other buildings are also part of the district, along with three historic cemeteries.

LOCAL MEDIA

Two community newspapers serve Farmington Hills. They are the Farmington Observer, which is published twice a week, and the Farmington Gazette, published once a week. Additionally, the city has its own cable television station, Channel 8, and is part of the Detroit television market, the 11th-largest television market in the country. Major network affiliates in Detroit are:

• WJBK (FOX), Channel 2
• WDIV (NBC), Channel 4
• WXYZ (ABC), Channel 7
• WTVS (PBS), Channel 56
• WWJ (CBS), Channel 62

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

City government works to ensure that a wide range of cultural activities are available to residents. These include community art exhibits, concerts, and festivals.

• Art on the Grand: This annual summer fine arts fair welcomes artists from around the country to Farmington Hills. It includes displays of paintings, sculpture, ceramics, glass, and photography.
• City Gallery: This continuously changing art exhibit is located in the lobby of the Costick Center. It features the works of local and national artists.
• Cultural Concert Series: These concerts bring professional performers to Farmington Hills throughout the year. Concerts take place in various locations, including the Farmington Players Barn Theater and Shannon Hall at the Costick Center.
• Festival of the Arts: This nationally recognized weeklong community celebration of the arts includes art displays and sales, a wine and jazz event, and a family festival with live performances and demonstrations by artists.
• Multicultural/Multiracial Heritage Festival: This annual fall festival celebrates diversity in Farmington Hills. It includes ethnic foods, art and entertainment, and a new citizen swearing-in ceremony.

FAMILY FUN

With more than 600 acres of public parks, it is easy to find a fun recreational activity in Farmington Hills. City parks contain hiking and cross-country skiing trails, picnic areas, playgrounds, volleyball and basketball courts, and sports fields. The Farmington Hills Ice Arena is a 70,000-square-foot facility with two ice rinks and a total seating capacity of 1,200. The arena hosts recreational and competitive skating.

Additionally, Oakland County maintains 13 parks with nearly 60 miles of trails. County parks include 5 golf courses, 2 water parks, and the unique Fridge Toboggan Run, a 1,000-foot toboggan track that sends sledders down a 55-foot drop at speeds of more than 30 miles per hour.

The Farmington Hills Recreation Division offers activities for people of all ages. Soccer, softball, basketball, tennis, gymnastics, cheerleading, and dance are just a few of the programs sponsored by the Recreation Division.

SPORTS TEAMS

Residents of this suburb of Detroit tend to root for Detroit's professional sports teams, including:

• Detroit Lions: The Lions continue to have a passionate fan base, even though in 2008 they became the first National Football League team to go the entire season without winning one game.
• Detroit Pistons: The Pistons have won three National Basketball Association titles since moving to Detroit from Fort Wayne, Indiana, in 1957.
• Detroit Red Wings: The Red Wings have played hockey in Detroit since 1926 and have brought the city ten Stanley Cups.
• Detroit Tigers: Major League Baseball's Tigers play their home games downtown at the $300 million Comerica Park.