TOP Reasons To Live In Commerce Twp Michigan - Commerce township is definitely one of the few areas in Oakland county that fall under the radar, so be sure to stick around because I’m going to break down some reasons why it should be on yours! Let’s get to it!
Commerce charter township is located between Milford, White Lake, Walled Lake and West Bloomfield Township. It is roughly 30 square miles in size with a population of around 45,000 people. This township was originally created as a “resort destination”, as a place to get away from the daily hustle and bustle, but it has definitely experienced an increasing permanent population due to it being one of few rural environments in Oakland county and it offers several recreation areas , and has the Huron river running right through the township which ties to several lakes in the area.
This point alone brings me into the first reason to consider commerce and that’s the location. Yes, it is smack dab in the middle of I-96 and the M-59 corridor just like the city of Milford as I mentioned in other videos, but what’s nice about Commerce is the ease to hop on M-5 since that’s actually where the expressway begins. Being in White Lake myself, which is directly north, I go through commerce all the time to hop on M-5 to get to I-96, I-696 and I-275. If you’re needing to go north and utilize M-59 it will take you about 15 or so minutes from the heart of commerce township, which isn’t too unbearably bad but it’s something to consider especially if you have frequent commutes north.
If you chat with any Commerce resident they will tell you it’s a prime location, away from the hustle and bustle that a lot of Oakland county cities give off, and it has the perfect mixture of being half suburban and half rural while having the luxury of being near so many lakes and short commutes to get to towns like Northville, Novi, Milford, etc.
The next thing I want to touch on is things to do. This is often the biggest complaint about commerce, and that’s the lack of things to do, because there’s not an allocated downtown area really, but there’s a lot of different strip malls along the main stretches in commerce that are chalked full of anything you could ever need. Being as M-5 starts in commerce twp., it has earned that reputation of being a pass through town since most northern and bordering cities need to pass through commerce to hop on the expressway for work. For the longest time I had that mentality too, driving through the monotonous roundabouts through commerce until I realized every park and great restaurant I went to were in Commerce township. So instead of making this a con, I am going to raise awareness to some great things you can do in commerce based on my experience! For starters being as we are in the fall months during the recording of this video, there is long’s family orchard and farm, it’s right across the street from Huron valley hospital which is nice to have in any city, then of course there’s the Proud Lake Recreation Area that’s over 3000 acres right on the Huron River, which offers mini cabins and 130 campsites, some of them even have electricity, with over 20 miles of trails that you can take advantage of in the warmer and colder months for skiing. There’s several events that happen here year around that I suggest you take advantage of.
Then there’s 106 acre dodge park, it’s not massive in size by any means, but being as it’s relatively close to my house, my fiancé and I would go there to walk the trails or bring a soccer ball or frisbee to throw around for a little while. There’s also several other trails such as Glenlore, and hickory glen park where I have mountain biked a few times. The township also has the west Oakland railroad museum, which is affiliated with the Chi-town union station, home of the largest O-scale model railroad layout measuring out at about 10,000 square feet, and the world's longest model train which is just under 1,200 feet. Admission is $4. It’s a little something different for you to go out and do something that doesn’t cost an arm and leg in this heavily inflated world we live in.
Not only that, but commerce is known to have some history as well, being home to a very old burial ground that houses soldiers from the civil war, world war 1 and 2, the Korean war and the Vietnam war, so you can be there’s some educational pieces floating around that I am sure you’d find industry. Speaking of history, If you’re ever out in the commerce area you’ll have to drive by the intersection of Union Lake Rd and Richardson road to see the old Commerce Drive in sign. You can guarantee a lot of people think it’s an eyesore to the community, but I think it’s a cool landmark for the residents who have lived to experience it.
Some great restaurants in commerce are Prime 7, the lakes bar and grille, Union lake tap, and a matter of taste. I have gone to every restaurant I listed except for matter of taste, because during the pandemic they were takeout only, and are still actually, and I refuse to have my first experience be take out. So many people I have talked to have said such wonderful things about the restaurant. It’s located right on Union lake in what would look like a small hotel at a glance. It’s upscale and worth it from what I hear so if you get a chance to go, let me know how the experience is. Another hidden gem that residents will agree with is Creamy freeze. It’s this little family style ice cream place off of commerce road with several ice cream flavors, frozen custard, sugar free yogurt and even vegan gelato.
The next reason to live in Commerce township that’s fairly important to keep in mind is the economy and the future outlook. If you look around the area, there’s senior homes, new subdivision developments, new parks and recreational areas, along with endless renovations happening to homes and businesses everywhere in the area. What was once this “resort destination” like I mentioned before, is becoming more and more permanent by the day. The homes surrounding all the local lakes were built as weekend cottages 50-60+ years ago, and over the years many people have built these homes up, which has most definitely helped property values increase. This area is very diversified when it comes to home offerings, because on one side of a lake you could see a 2 bedroom 1 bathroom home for $250-$320,000, but on the other side you could see a modernized 4 bedroom, 3 bathroom home for over $900,000 to even over a million dollars. So when you’re someone purchasing a home in the area, it puts you at ease knowing there’s growing potential, even if you’re someone who initially purchased a home on the smaller side.
All in all, Commerce isn’t the city that hits top ranking charts in the headlines for offering something another city doesn’t. It truly is just your average town. At the end of the day, this township provides that up north feel right down the street from the busier cities in the Oakland county area, and that’s what any current and past resident would agree with. You get the trails, mom and pop shops, along with lake views, and even though it doesn’t have a downtown space, it still feels like a community overall that has been home to several generations of families and will continue to be.
For those of you watching, does this sound like a place you’d want to live in? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
Cheers,
Andrew
Andrew McManamon is a Michigan REALTOR® with Signature Sotheby’s International Realty and provides real estate services to Buyers, Sellers and Investors throughout SE Michigan including Livingston County, Oakland County, Washtenaw County, Genesee County & beyond. Andrew has become one of the rising stars of Michigan real estate agents. Prior to his real estate career Andrew was responsible for managing a senior living facility in Brighton, Michigan as a dining supervisor and an activities assistant. Andrew’s passion to help people is unlike any other, and he continues to strive to be best resource he can be. Andrew graduated from Cleary University in Howell, Michigan with a double major and currently resides in White Lake, Michigan.
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