Warren, MI

Warren, with a population of about 135,000, is the largest Detroit suburb and the third-largest city in Michigan. Between 1950 and 1970 large numbers of whites fled Detroit for Warren, and today more than 90 percent of Warren's residents are white.

ECONOMY AND INDUSTRIES

Not surprisingly, given its proximity to Detroit, the car is king in Warren - and not just because it's the easiest way to get around the city. Several automotive businesses call Warren home:

• General Motors Technical Center
• General Motors Corporation Hydramatic Plant
• Daimler-Chrysler Dodge Truck Assembly Plant
• Daimler-Chrysler stamping plant
• Daimler-Chrysler paint plant

All told, General Motors and Daimler-Chrysler represent 18 percent of the city's taxable value. The largest facility-the General Motors Technical Center campus-houses 16,000 engineers, designers, and technicians. The 330-acre facility has 25 main buildings and countless other structures and was completed in 1955. It is on the National Register for Historic Places.

With the domestic car companies in questionable financial shape, Warren is in a vulnerable position. While autos are a significant part of the local economy, however, the city also has some other industries. Several other major businesses are in Warren:

• The United States Army Detroit Arsenal, home of the Tank-Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) and the Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC)
• The National Automotive Center (NAC)
• Big Boy Restaurants headquarters

Warren sits slightly below the Michigan average in household income. It has a mixed workforce of white- and blue-collar workers. About 13 percent of residents have a bachelor's degree.

NEIGHBORHOODS AND DISTRICTS

Warren has an abundance of affordable housing. About three-quarters of the homes are single-family houses. The owner-occupancy rate of almost 78 percent tends to show stability in the housing market.

The city's more expensive sections are on the north side:

• The far northwestern section, specifically the area bounded by Ryan Road and Common Road, is an affluent area composed of mostly owner-occupied single-family homes. The homes tend to have at least three bedrooms. The area is popular with executives and other professionals.
• The far northeastern corner is also a prominent residential area, drawing mostly manufacturing workers and laborers.

The more moderately priced areas are scattered throughout the city:

• An area near the center of town, the section bounded by Hoover Road and 11 Mile Road, contains a mix of renters and owners of all ages. It is made up of primarily single-family homes.
• Almost directly east of there, the area bounded by 11 Mile Road and Groesbeck Highway features mostly smaller single-family homes (one or two bedrooms).

The less expensive housing sections tend to cluster on the city's south side:

• The city's cheapest area is in the south-central part of the city. Bounded by Fisher Avenue and Hoover Road, the area tends to attract manufacturing or labor workers and are of all ages, although certain sections are popular with families.
• Warren's far southeast corner also has lower home prices and offers mostly single-family homes built between 1940 and 1969.

FOR VISITORS

Bunert One-Room Schoolhouse Museum: This 1875 schoolhouse now houses a museum for the city's history.

City Square Ice Rink: This outdoor rink features a beautiful sculpture at the center of the rink and indoor, heated reception for escaping the chill.

Warren Community Center: This center houses a fitness center, several gyms, indoor shuffleboard courts, indoor batting cages, a performing arts center, and three pools.

EVENTS

Summer Blast: This huge festival features a petting zoo, a Warren Idol talent contest, live music, miniature motorways, and an outdoor movie at dusk.

Harvest Hay Day: Families gather for free pumpkins, hayrides, mechanical bull rides, and cider and donuts.

Trunk and Treat: Held at the City Square Parking Structure, this festival allows costumed children to trick or treat from car to car and eat free food. The night ends with an indoor Monster Bash.

ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT

Warren is home to several arts organizations that enrich the city's culture:

• Poloniase Strings and Musica honors the city's large Polish population.
• Warren Community Chorus hosts several performances a year.
• Warren Symphony Orchestra has won "Outstanding Community Orchestra" several times at the Detroit Music Awards.
• Warren Concert Band offers symphonic band music.
• Warren Civic Theatre hosts locally produced Broadway-style productions.