Addison Township offers rural lifestyles close to Metro Detroit's industry
Located just north of the Metro Detroit area, rural Addison Township combines proximity to big-city automaking jobs with the tranquility and recreation offered by its rural setting. “Most of the properties out in Addison Township have acreage, so you’re getting more of a country atmosphere," says Realtor Thomas Zibkowski with Real Estate One, who has sold several properties in the Leonard and Addison Township areas. "People move out that way for more privacy and more land.” This town of nearly 6,300 people is predominantly farmland, although small cul-de-sacs branch off from major roads and lead into small residential areas. In between these scattered communities, parks, lakes, golf courses and nature preserves keep Addison Township a green exurb of Detroit even as homes continue to be built. “If you’re looking for an atmosphere with rolling hills, lots of trees, and beautiful scenery, that’s what’ll attract you to that area,” Zibkowski says.
Suburban subcommunities share a township with homes on rural roads
In Addison Township, major roads form a grid pattern and connect scores of small cul-de-sacs. “People often move out there for golfing and horse country; there are a lot of equestrian enthusiasts who would like to have their horses in their backyard," Zibkowski says. Some of Addison Township’s oldest properties date to the 1920s, and ranch-style and bungalow homes built from then to the 1980s have sold for between $160,000 and $740,000. Homes built since the 1990s, often featuring New Traditional aesthetics, have sold between $570,000 and $1,200,000. While plenty of older properties are located in densely wooded areas with gravel roads, many newer builds occupy subdivisions and feature vast yards and wrap-around driveways. Several homes along Lakeville Lake have backyard boat ramps that make for easy fishing trips and pleasure cruises.
Addison Township features countless outdoor activities
Much of Addison Township’s outdoor recreation revolves around Lakeville Lake, whose designation as an "all-sports area" means that it's open to recreational watercraft from kayaks to powerboats and jet skis. While several lakeside properties have their own boat launches, there’s also a public ramp on the north side of Lakeville Road. Just south of this lake, the Lakeville Swamp Nature Sanctuary has boardwalks through wetlands where visitors can stroll and observe eagle and lizard habitats. A few blocks west of the lake, Copper Hills Golf Club and its 27 holes are open to the public, one of several courses available to Addison Township's residents. “Because there’s so much property out there, there are plenty of golf courses; people can be closer to the recreation that they like to do," Zibkowski says. Addison Township is also home to the Addison Oaks County Park, whose more than 1,100 acres of public parkland includes miles of hiking trails, disc golf and volleyball areas, campsites, a fishing pier and a boat rental service for exploring Buhl Lake. Immediately across Predmore Road from the county park is Cranberry Lake Park, known for its preserved 19th-century farmhouses.
Oxford High is all about college and career prep
Students can start their education at Hamilton-Parsons Elementary School, which receives a B-plus from Niche, or the B-rated Leonard Elementary School. Oxford Middle School receives an A-minus and Oxford High School a B-plus. Oxford High offers more than 20 Advanced Placement programs, along with International Baccalaureate, Early College, technical education and other programs aimed at career and college preparation.
Leonard serves as Addison Township's retail hub
Addison Township might not have a downtown area, but it does have a handful of small businesses. In the town of Leonard, Leonard’s Market specializes in New York-style fare, from pizza to Reuben sandwiches to calzones. Along the southern bank of Lakeville Lake, the Lakeville Yacht Club's restaurant has comfort foods like fish and chips and pizza along with more upscale dishes like wagyu beef and lamb chops. Labrie Farm sells fresh eggs, beef and other farm products from Thursday to Sunday, while nearby Oxford puts two Meijer supermarkets and a Kroger within a 10-mile drive from home.
Commuting to Metro Detroit
Rochester Road connects Addison Township with Metro Detroit’s northern suburbs and outer-belt cities, where employment opportunities and healthcare conveniences can be found. “You’re out in the country a little bit, so you’re a bit farther out from Metro Detroit; you're about an hour and 15 minutes from downtown Detroit. Residents will go to Auburn Hills for the majority of their shopping." Zibkowski says. The automaking hubs of Auburn Hills and Troy are each 20-mile commutes away, while the Ascension Providence Rochester Hospital in Rochester Hills is accessible within a 15-mile drive.
![Jacob Adelhoch]()
Written By
Jacob Adelhoch
