West Bloomfield

Understand

West Bloomfield, like other places in the area, is of note for having a significant Jewish population. It also has a large Chaldo-Assyrian population. The community is incredibly culturally and religiously diverse, with religious and private institutions which reflect this.

It mostly consists of neighborhoods and the necessary infrastructure to support those neighborhoods, so it can seem rather unassuming at first glance.

Get in

By car

Because of the storied history of the automobile industry in the larger Detroit metro area, and because the township is a smaller community, a car is by and large the simplest way to get around. Many streets run into the township, and the nearby area has roads constructed in a grid manner. The southern 1/3rd of the township follows the standard metro Detroit grid pattern, however the many lakes north of Walnut Lake Road cause this pattern to be abandoned.

If you're in the area without a car, however, there are Lyft and Uber drivers who work in the area. They tend to be fairly costly, though.

By bus

Buses take much longer and may require a good deal of walking. The SMART bus route 851 goes directly from downtown Detroit to West Bloomfield.

However, the timetables are often extremely unreliable, and there are no bus routes coming from any direction other than southeast.

Get around

By bus

There are several SMART bus lines that run through the area, including the 400, the 405, the 780, and the 851. These three buses can take you along two of the larger roads in the area, West Maple Road and Orchard Lake Road. The trip will take much longer by public transportation, and likely supplemented by a good deal of walking.

By car

West Bloomfield's location lends itself to car travel: there are many interesting locations that you cannot get to by bus. While you can walk in the area, sidewalks are common but they don't go everywhere. You may have to walk on the side of the road for several blocks.