Putnam offers access to nature and a laidback lifestyle
Putnam Township offers more than meets the eye. "It's the kind of place where you won't get it until you experience it," says Realtor Joe Darwish, associate broker with Re/Max Platinum, who has lived in Putnam for nearly 30 years. "When I go home from the city, my stress level goes down 30 percent." Abundant outdoor recreation options gives this township of 3,300 residents a relaxing vibe. Nature preserves, wildlife areas and a chain of lakes are nearby, so boating, fishing, hiking and hunting are within reach. Despite Putnam's remoteness, city amenities are within reach. "If you want your share of the city, you can be in Brighton, Howell or Ann Arbor within a half hour," Darwish says. According to Darwish, the most important thing is the freedom to live on land in Putnam. "You can do whatever you want to do," he says.
Home prices vary based on acreage and home updates
Putnam Township has collections of late 19th-century and early-to-mid 20th-century homes around Pinckney and the Hamlet of Hell. These are typically farmhouse-style, Craftsman-style and Victorian-style houses. As the community branches out into the countryside, there are more ranch-style, split-level and New Traditional homes. The township also offers contemporary construction and even waterfront residences on the small, blue lakes that dot the area. Darwish also notes the benefit of having land in Putnam Township, with plots up to 10 acres. "I live on five acres," Darwish says. "We have everything; I had turkey and deer in my yard this morning... Sometimes I take it for granted, but people are amazed by the wildlife out here." Prices across range between $250,000 and $800,000, depending on the level of updates or the plot size.
Putnam has B-rated schools with split grade levels
Students may attend Pinckney Community Schools, which serves over 2,000 students and earns a B-minus from Niche. Schools are split into smaller grade levels here: B-rated Farley Hill Elementary serves prekindergarten through second, B-minus rated Navigator Upper Elementary serves third through fifth and B-rated Pathfinder School serves sixth through eighth. B-minus-rated Pinckney Community High offers extracurriculars like jazz band, gardening club and Act2 Theatre Company.
Lakes, trails and golf courses and year-round recreation
The Village of Pinckney has small community parks. Town Square Park offers picnic areas and a playground. The park also hosts local events like Food Truck Fridays, a St. Patrick's Day Parade and an annual Art in the Park festival. The township offers plenty of other ways to get outdoors. "There are several premier golf courses that are very high-end," says Darwish. "And there are lakes everywhere." The area features a well-known chain of lakes that run through the nearby Pinckney Recreation Area. The park has over 11,000 acres of land, spanning grassy marshes, freshwater lakes and thick oak forest. Pinckney also has beaches at Silver Lake and Halfmoon Lake. Visitors may camp, picnic or take out a boat to fish for bass and trout. There are miles of trails here, too, suitable for biking, horseback riding and hiking. As Darwin says, several local golf courses have public tee times; his preferred course is Timber Trace. Darwish also mentions the Lakeland Trail as a popular pastime for locals. The former railroad was converted to a multi-use trail across Livingston County. "You can ride your bike all the way to Jackson, Michigan--and that's about 40 miles away," he says.
Pinckney Village has grocery stores, diners and local favorites
The heart of the community is the Village of Pinckney. "We have grocery stores like Busch's and a Kroger nearby, so we have everything we need," Darwish says. The village also has small shops and restaurants, such as comfort food spot Pinckney Diner. Darwish says that one of his favorite restaurants, HorseFeathers, offers anything from casual pizza to banquet meals. Putnam Township is also known for being home to the Hamlet of Hell. This unique community is small, Darwish says, but a popular place for residents to visit. "We ride our motorcycles up there on the weekends," he says. "My uncle just bought Hell Saloon and renovated it; it's still going strong. There's also an ice cream shop called Screams from Hell." When residents want more options, larger communities like Brighton are nearby. The city has retail plazas, restaurants and grocery stores like Kroger and Meijer.
Highway 36 connects residents with nearby cities
State Highway 36 is the area's major thoroughfare, connecting the car-dependent county to U.S. Highway 23, 10 miles west, and Interstate 96, 10 miles north. Residents may reach the nearest city, Brighton, about 15 miles away from either of these highways. Brighton is home to a branch of Trinity Health Medical Center. Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport is about 45 miles from Putnam Township. Other major cities like Ann Arbor and Lansing are within 50 miles of Putnam Township.
