Pittsfield

A private community about 5 miles from the University of Michigan, Travis Pointe offers secluded, spacious living between Ann Arbor and Saline. Residents of this neighborhood and surrounding subdivisions enjoy proximity to the Travis Pointe Country Club, which operates independently of the community. The club and the surrounding community draw “a very welcoming group of people,” according to Travis Pointe Country Club General Manager Kori Isaac. The area is also zoned for several highly rated Saline public schools and is within driving distance of many retailers, restaurants and Interstate 94. Travis Pointe Country Club is the community’s anchor, where members have enjoyed an 18-hole golf course and other amenities since 1977. “It has a pretty large practice facility with a driving range, a putting and chipping area and a short game area,” Isaac adds. When not on the green, members can enjoy indoor and outdoor swimming pools, tennis tournaments and formal dining events with other members. A 24-hour fitness center and a golf simulator room are among the club’s other indoor amenities. Beyond the area’s spacious backyards, the nearest outdoor gathering space is Tefft Park. Visiting athletes can use the park’s tennis, volleyball, soccer and baseball facilities. It shares a property with the Saline Rec Center, which has an indoor pool, fitness equipment and more. The Travis Pointe community features mainly Colonial Revival and New Traditional houses, some with Tudor-style elements. It also has several clusters of contemporary condos. “The homes are all different — it’s not cookie-cutter by any means. That’s always refreshing compared to newer developments,” Isaac says. The adjacent Three Arch Bay subdivision has large custom homes backing up to the small Bay Lake. Other properties in the surrounding area include many midcentury ranch-style homes. These start at around $400,000 for four-bedroom builds. Homebuyers can find a two-bedroom Travis Pointe condo at the same price point. Detached Travis Pointe homes start in the $500,000s for two bedrooms and can top $1.1 million for five. Meanwhile, a Three Arch Bay waterfront home could top $2 million. Local students attend Saline Area Schools, which Niche gives an A-plus rating and considers the county’s best school district. Most kids attend kindergarten through third grade at Harvest Elementary before progressing to fourth and fifth grade at Heritage School. Saline Middle and Saline High accommodate the neighborhood’s older students. Niche ranks Saline High as the state’s best high school for athletes and calls it a top 25 Michigan high school overall. Harvest Elementary, Heritage School, Saline Middle and Saline High all have A overall Niche scores. Travis Pointe Country Club hosts year-round events, including specialty brunches for Easter and Mother’s Day, a winter gala and a candlelit Christmas dinner. Regular entertainment appears at the clubhouse, from dueling piano performances to stand-up comedy nights. Down the road, the Washtenaw County Fairgrounds draw crowds for more than carnival food and 4-H shows. They’re also used for the Ann Arbor Holiday Art Fair and festivals like the Fiber Expo. This event is dedicated to wool, linen, cotton and beautiful products made by local fiber artists. Across the street, the Creature Conservancy hosts weekend tours, summer camps and other events to promote conservation and introduce locals to the resident animals. Ann Arbor-Saline Road runs alongside the community, taking locals north to Ann Arbor and south to Saline. Along the way, drivers will encounter “any shopping [they] could possibly need alongside convenient access to Interstate 94,” says Realtor Darryn Brundage-Forrest of More Group Michigan, LLC. On the way to Ann Arbor, drivers pass a Meijer supermarket, Target, Whole Foods Market and other big-name retailers. Eateries along the corridor include Buddy’s Pizza, a nearly 80-year-old Michigan chain serving authentic, Detroit-style pies. Ready-made pizzas and other culinary goods are available in the neighborhood at Tippins Market, which features a robust wine selection.

Stonebridge is a community structured around the Stonebridge Golf Club. Architecture, streetscapes, and pricing vary depending on the subdivision, which includes Lone Oak at Stonebridge, Doral Creek and Twin Islands. There are a variety of housing options for each neighborhood, including single-family homes, detached condominiums, golf villas and executive homes. Some houses either back into or overlook the fairway, while others have scenic views of ponds or woods. Wide roads that loop around the community reveal expansive manicured lawns and level sidewalks, ideal for neighborhood strolls. “[Residents have] lower taxes than the city of Ann Arbor because it’s in Pittsfield Township,” Long says. “As with most areas of Ann Arbor, however, there is low inventory.” Kim Mervis, club owner-operator of the club, did not move to the community for the golf club. “We liked the area,” she says. “We liked the development, the schools are good, and it’s close to Ann Arbor.” Spacious homes estates are impeccably maintained, and some front yards display gardens and water features. Architecture includes Colonial Revival, ranch-style and traditional. Prices start at $475,000 for a condo and rise to over $1 million for a custom four to six-bedroom home on a large lot. Homeowners Association fees run anywhere from $100 to $400. Designed by famed architect Arthur Hills in 1991, Stonebridge Golf Club is a public 18-hole course and driving range. The expansive fairway features water, woods and turf. Multiple tee options exist for all skill levels, and the course is ideal for advanced golfers. Additionally, the club has an indoor bar and grill, a banquet room, a patio and an outdoor tiki bar. Stonebridge is served by Saline Area Schools and Ann Arbor Public Schools, both of which have A ratings from Niche. Students can start their education at Harvest Elementary School and move on to Saline Middle School. Niche ranks Saline High School as the state's best public high school for athletes. The districts and all three schools earn A ratings from Niche. Tefft Park is a 2-mile drive and offers play structures, ball fields, tennis courts and the Saline Recreation Center, all connected by paved walkways. Mill Pond Park includes among its many amenities a motor-less boat launch, soccer fields, an enormous play structure, trails, a one-acre dog park and several nature trails. The University of Michigan, Eastern Michigan University and Concordia University are all nearby and major local employers. Interstate 94 is 6 miles from the neighborhood, and Downtown Ann Arbor is 7 miles to the north. TheRide has bus stops in town, including along Civic Center Drive. Detroit Metro Wayne County Airport is an 18-mile drive. University of Michigan Hospital and Trinity Health Ann Arbor Hospital are nearby in case of emergencies.