Livonia

Clements Circle is a suburb of Livonia with a population of about 2,500. Bordered by Plymouth Road, Inkster Road, Middlebelt Road and West Chicago Avenue, locals are in a prime location to travel to neighboring communities. The community stays connected through a variety of activities and events. It is also home to a splash park and several dining options. Clements Circle has “very quiet streets and the surrounding houses are beautifully maintained and well-kept,” says Halee Copple, a Realtor at Moving the Mitten Real Estate Group with seven years of experience. Residents here take pride in their homes. Streets are lined with trees, sidewalks and spacious front yards ideal for gardening. The majority of homes in Clements Circle were built in the 1950s and 1960s and average about $230,000. The community includes modest brick ranch-style homes with large picture windows and larger two-story Colonial Revivals. Some homes have swimming pools. Newly built contemporary homes cost up to about $450,000. Over the next 30 years, residences are at moderate risk for heat and at minor risk for wildfire and flooding. When it comes to getting around, there are bus stops along Plymouth Road. Clements Circle is less than 3 miles from Garden City Hospital and Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is about 10 miles south. Clements Circle is close to Interstate 96, which leads into downtown Detroit about 18 miles away. For local grub, Bread Basket Deli is known for monstrous portions of meat on sandwiches, like the hearty corned beef Reuben. Chin's Restaurant serves up authentic Chinese cuisine featuring tiki-themed décor. Clements Circle also has franchises like Burger King and Firehouse Subs. For groceries, residents can go to Target or Walmart, less than a mile from the neighborhood. Polanka Market is a neighborhood market known for its Polish meats, decadent baked goods, pierogies and ready-to-eat meals. Clements Circle Splash Park welcomes all ages and is home to a pool equipped with a waterslide, a rock-climbing wall and spray jets. It also has a spray pad designated for younger children. "The splash park is walking or biking distance from your home where residents like to cool down," says Crystal Van Dam, Realtor at National Realty Centers with 10 years of experience. The rest of the park includes a volleyball court, a walking trail and a playground. The park also has an abundance of green space with trees and picnic tables. Clements Circle students can attend Cleveland Elementary School, rated B-plus on Niche, for prekindergarten through Grade 4. Cooper Upper Elementary School, rated B, teaches Grades 5 and 6. Emerson Middle School, rated B on Niche, offers many after-school extracurricular activities, such as the volleyball club and guitar club. The school also offers sports programs, including wrestling, track and field and cross country. Students can walk to both Cleveland and Emerson. Finally, high school students can attend Franklin High School, rated B on Niche. The Friends of the Barn is a local organization that organizes community events, tours and festivities in and around the historic Wilson Barn. These events include a farmers’ market from July through October and an annual car show featuring antiques, hot rods and muscle cars. In the fall, Wilson Barn Pumpkin Fest supplies the community with warm cider, hayrides and, of course, pumpkins.

Once home to dairy farms and fruit orchards, Coventry Gardens still retains elements of its pastoral history some six decades after developing into a neighborhood in central Livonia. Though close to Livonia’s conveniences, this neighborhood of mature trees, spacious lawns and winding streets feels tucked away. “It’s a little bit of a hidden, secluded neighborhood,” says Monica Iskra, Realty Team Leader for the Monica Iskra Team. Development of Coventry Estates began in the late 1950s, though most homes in the neighborhood were built in the following two decades. They come in a variety of designs, from ranches and split-levels to Colonial Revivals, Tudor Revivals and a few contemporary designs built more recently. This housing variety does have a commonality – larger than average suburban lawns. Many Coventry Estates houses have swimming pools in the backyard. “There’s character in those houses,” Iskra says. “And they have a little more space than the cookie-cutter yard.” Houses in Coventry Estates range from $275,000-500,000. Livonia Public Schools receive an A-minus rating on Niche. Students in Coventry Estates begin at Hoover Elementary. Hoover’s eco-action team earned a green flag from the National Wildlife Federation, which is that organization’s top honor. Holmes Middle School is known for its RoboHawks robotics team. And there are plenty of student activities at Stevenson High School, which has 30 extracurricular groups and nearly 20 varsity sports teams. Recreational opportunities abound for all ages in Coventry Estates. Idyl Wyld Golf Course, an 18-hole, par-70 layout, predates the neighborhood itself – Idyl Wyld celebrates its 100th anniversary in 2025. Burton Hollow Swim Club, Newburgh Swim Club and Fairway Farms Swim and Tennis Club are also within close reach of the neighborhood. Coventry Gardens Park, a private park for Coventry Gardens residents located near the center of the neighborhood, hosts several community events throughout the year. The Jack E. Kirksey Recreation Center, operated by the Livonia Parks and Recreation District, is a short trip from the neighborhood. Kirksey offers recreational programs for youth, adult and senior Livonia residents. The volunteer-led Coventry Gardens Improvement Association helps give the neighborhood a true sense of community with a variety of events. In summer, food trucks visit Coventry Gardens Park on Tuesday evenings. Come September, it's the locals doing the cooking for the annual Coventry Gardens Chili Cook-Off. October closes out with a Halloween bonfire, and the holiday season kicks off with “Santa in the Park” and a neighborhood light parade in December. Coventry Gardens residents are minutes from Laurel Park Place shopping mall and The New Five Village shopping center. With its all-white facade, Bates Burgers is the area’s most recognizable restaurant. Bates has been serving its signature sliders here since 1959, while to some it’s known even more for the biscuits and gravy on its breakfast menu. “It’s iconic,” says Debbie DeAngelo, Realtor at Remerica United. “People move away from Livonia and come back for Bates.” One Under Craft Beer & Eats, which serves as a 19th hole for golfers leaving Idyl Wyld, was voted Detroit’s best wings by the Detroit Free Press in 2023. Busch’s Fresh Food Market, which specializes in Michigan-grown produce, is in the northern part of the neighborhood on Six Mile Road. Stan’s Market on Five Mile Road is convenient for residents in the southern half of the neighborhood. Livonia has no transit system, so a vehicle is a necessity here. And so is driving carefully – the National Motorists Association once ranked Livonia No. 2 nationally in the category of “Worst Speed Trap Cities.” The subdivisions themselves are walker-friendly, featuring sidewalks along their often-winding streets. Trinity Health Livonia Hospital, which has a helipad, is just outside the neighborhood on Five Mile Road. Interstate 96, which is a mile south of Coventry Estates, provides a 20-mile trip to downtown Detroit. There are also several significant local roads in the community, including Five and Six Mile and Farmington Road. The Bell Branch of the Rouge River runs through Coventry Estates, which can cause flooding. However, no homes are built in the Bell Branch floodplain, and rising water tends to collect in open areas like Coventry Gardens Park and Idyl Wyld Golf Course.

Combining the Sunnyside, Meadowview and Biltmore Estates subdivisions, SMB Estates is a mid-century suburban neighborhood directly north of Interstate 96 in Livonia. Featuring highly rated schools, ample parks and recreational facilities and easy access to Detroit, there’s little mystery as to why SMB Estates appeals to families. “You’re central to lots of parks, a swimming pool and the ice-skating rink, and the interstate’s right there,” says Debbie DeAngelo, Realtor at Remerica United. “It’s a family-oriented community.” Ranches and split-levels with attached garages were all the rage in the 1960s, and most houses in SMB Estates fit that description, though there are also a handful of Colonial Revivals built in later years. Lot sizes are typically on the larger side, ranging from around 7,000 to 8,000 square feet, allowing for creativity in landscaping. Houses in the neighborhood range from $230,000-450,000. Livonia Public Schools receive an A-minus rating on Niche. Students in SMB Estates begin at Kennedy Elementary before moving on to Frost Middle School. They will then attend Churchill High School, which ranks in the top 10 in Wayne County. Top students at the school may be invited to a specialized Math/Science/Computer program or Creative and Performing Arts program. The neighborhood is also adjacent to Madonna University, a 3,500-student Catholic college, though there is no student housing in SMB Estates. Outdoor and indoor recreational opportunities abound in SMB Estates. John Stymelski Park features ball fields and a basketball court and is also the site of the Livonia Athletic District and Eddie Edgar Ice Arena. The LAD is a 95,000-square foot indoor complex with artificial turf fields, pickleball courts as well as fitness studios and an arcade. Edgar Ice Arena is open year-round, hosting a variety of local hockey organizations. Neighborhood residents also walk and bike through the 110-acre grounds of Parkview Memorial Cemetery, where more than 70,000 have been laid to rest since 1926. Idyl Wyld Golf Course, an 18-hole public course highlighted by small greens and multiple water hazards, is just north of the neighborhood. With its all-white facade, Bates Burgers is the area’s most recognizable restaurant. Bates has been serving its signature sliders here since 1959, while to some it’s known even more for the biscuits and gravy on its breakfast menu. “It’s iconic,” DeAngelo says. “People move away from Livonia and come back for Bates.” A block down Farmington Road, O’Malley’s Supper Spirts & Song is a lively Irish pub. Neighboring David’s New York Deli, known for its Reubens, is a popular lunch spot. Most neighborhood needs can be met in the adjoining shopping center, from groceries (Stan’s Market) to hardware (True Value) to rockin’ out (Rock City Music Company). Livonia has no transit system, so a vehicle is a necessity here. So is driving carefully – the National Motorists Association once ranked Livonia No. 2 nationally in the category of “Worst Speed Trap Cities.” The subdivisions themselves are walker-friendly, featuring sidewalks along their often-winding streets. Trinity Health Livonia Hospital, which has a helipad, is just outside the neighborhood on Five Mile Road. Downtown Detroit is a 20-mile trip down I-96 from SMB Estates. Each summer, Livonia Community Theatre presents a play for Stymelski Park’s Shakespeare in the Park event. The SMB Estates Civic Association sponsors multiple family-oriented events through the year -- an Easter Egg hunt, neighborhood garage sale and holiday home decoration contest are among the highlights. A creek, Bell Branch, cuts through the northwest corner of the neighborhood. A pair of drainage ditches also run through the neighborhood, so flooding can be a concern in parts of the neighborhood after heavy storms. The CAP Index gives SMB Estates a 3/10 crime score, which is just below the national average of 4.