Troy, MI

Northwest of Detroit, the affluent suburb of Troy has the motto "The City of Tomorrow, Today." Troy certainly does seem to be doing something right; in 2008, CNN Money ranked the city 22nd on its list of "Best Places to Live" in the United States. In addition, according to city officials, Troy is not only the safest city in the state but also one of the top 10 safest cities in the United States.

More than 81,000 people call Troy home. It is a predominantly white community but is also home to more Asians than any other city in Michigan. Residents are overwhelmingly in management or professional occupations or sales. Almost 50 percent of residents have a college degree, and nearly 88 percent work in white-collar jobs.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Troy is a business and retail powerhouse in the area, especially in the automotive and financial sectors. Several major companies have headquarters or facilities in Troy:

• Delphi Corporation
• DuPont Automotive
• Kelly Services, Inc.
• Magna Powertrain
• SAE International
• Ziebart International Corporation

Major employers in Troy are Flagstar Bank, William Beaumont Hospital, Delphi Automotive Systems, and the local school district. The city has a diversified economic base, with industrial sites makinig up about nine percent of Troy's land, and commercial property and office/research sites accounting for about 10 percent.

Troy residents tend to have plenty of disposable income to use at the malls and other upscale area shops.The most important commercial space is on the city's south side. The Somerset Collection, Troy's high-end mall, includes such luxe-retail heavyweights as Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, and Neiman Marcus. Its sales for 2004 reached $600 million, making it one of the nation's top privately held malls. The city also boasts the Oakland Mall, an enclosed shopping mall with about 120 stores. Oakland Mall is an older mall, having opened in 1968, and has gone through several transitions over its lifetime.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Troy offers a wide array of housing price points, many of which are affordable to residents:

• More Expensive Areas: Not surprisingly, the area near The Somerset Collection is the city's most expensive. This quiet, family-oriented neighborhood features mainly large single-family homes.
• Moderately Priced Areas: The city's housing stock in a middle price range is often on the city's east-central side. The district bordered by Big Beaver Road and Dequindre Road is a family-oriented section of town with lots of medium and large single-family homes. The area is home to two of the city's parks: Raintree Park and Big Trail Park.
• Less Expensive Areas: The city's south-central areas tend to be among the cheapest. These include the Big Beaver section of town--near Oakland Mall and around the Chrysler Expressway. These quiet neighborhoods of smaller homes tend to attract mixed ages. The population is a mix of renters and owners.

FAMILY FUN

• Lloyd A. Stage Nature Center: This 100-acre nature sanctuary offers programs about nature and ecology and features roughly two miles of trails.
• Troy Family Aquatic Center: This massive water play area includes a zero-depth pool, a tube slide and body slide, a children's area with various features, and a sand-filled area with a playscape, toys, and sand volleyball courts.
• Troy Museum & Historic Village: This unusual museum features ten restored and decorated historic buildings that tell the city's history, beginning with its settlement. Each building allows visitors to tour through and get a glimpse of a time period. The buildings are situated around a village green.
• Troy Sports Center: This huge sports and entertainment complex features four ice rinks, a dance studio, and a fitness center. The Detroit Red Wings and Detroit Vipers hockey teams practice here.
• Troy Daze: The annual festival features rides, a car show, an ethnic festival, and a children's area.

EDUCATION

International Academy of Design and Technology: IADT Detroit is a for-profit private media arts college offering academic programs in several arts-related fields of study.

Walsh College of Accountancy and Business: This nonprofit private business college offers programs in business and related technologies.

The city also has branch campuses for several schools:

• University of Phoenix
• Central Michigan University
• Spring Arbor University
• ITT Technical Institute
• Michigan State University (Management Education Center)
• Northwood University

LOCAL MEDIA

In a time of struggling print media, it is worthy to note that Troy supports several newspapers. The city is serviced by two Detroit-area newspapers as well as its regional papers:

• The Detroit News
• The Detroit Free Press
• The Daily Tribune
• The Observer & Eccentric
• The Troy Beacon
• The Oakland Press
• The Troy Times
• The Troy-Somerset Gazette