As part of the Detroit Free Press series exploring Michigan’s communities, this week we’re returning to Hazel Park to examine what makes this small metropolitan city in Detroit stand out.
Appeal: Hazel Park, a southeast Oakland County community bordering Wayne and Macomb counties, is in the midst of a visible reinvestment and revitalization. Long recognized for its modest housing stock and close-knit neighborhoods, the city is now attracting renewed interest from developers and homebuyers attracted by affordability, location and a growing sense of momentum.
A Hazel Park community sign stands at the corner of E. 9 Mile Road and John R. Road across from City Hall and the Hazel Park District Library, where people frequently take the bus, December 1, 2025.
Significant improvements are underway along the John R Road corridor between 8 Mile and 10 Mile, with new landscaping, walkways and upgraded lighting. Main Street Hazel Park, part of the national Main Street America program and aligned with Main Street Oakland County, helps strengthen the economic vitality and eclectic character of the corridor. Pole banners along the northern stretch of John R highlight the corridor’s evolving identity.
Public and private grants also contribute to growth. Oakland County awarded $300,000 for recreation center renovations and $400,000 for improvements to Green Acres Park. The recreation center is being upgraded, and the city will soon host a satellite office of Oakland County Parks and Recreation.
Green Acres Park serves as a community center where festivals and parties take place behind the community center in Hazel Park, Michigan, December 1, 2025.
Residential redevelopment, particularly infill housing, transforms neighborhoods as blighted homes are replaced with new construction, blending contemporary design with established neighborhoods. Bloomfield Hills-based Robertson Homes recently completed a 54-unit condominium project, and the company has partnered with Singer to propose a roughly 101-unit condominium project along the I-75 service road south of 10 Mile, according to City Manager Edward Klobucher.
“We are in preliminary discussions for a proposal to redevelop a vacant lot on the southeast corner of John R and Woodward Heights,” he added.
Hazel Park’s economic base has also diversified. The Tri-County Mall, built on the former 120-acre Hazel Park Raceway, one of the city’s most iconic landmarks, now serves as a major industrial anchor.
Park 54, a Robertson Homes community, is a new condominium that was built on Woodward Heights Boulevard. east of John R. Road in Hazel Park, Michigan on December 1, 2025.
“We are a Promise Zone community with a guaranteed two-year scholarship for resident students who graduate from Hazel Park schools,” Klobucher said, noting that the city remains “a safe, affordable, centrally located, full-service city with a real sense of community where everyone is welcome.”
Facts: Incorporated as a city in 1942, Hazel Park covers 2.8 square miles and is home to 14,945 residents. The city is bordered by Detroit to the south, is just south of I-696, and is bisected by I-75. (US Census)
The 1960s reshaped Hazel Park when the expansion of I-75 cut through the community, replacing part of the John R Road business district.
The city also holds a unique place in Michigan retail history. The first Harmony House music store opened in the city in 1947, eventually growing to 38 locations before closing most of its stores in 2002.
For more information, visit www.hazelpark.org.
Neighborhoods: Hazel Park’s housing stock is comprised of single-story and bungalow-style homes built before the 1960s on small lots. Newer construction tends to be two-story homes, and the city also offers apartments and condominiums. According to Realcomp II, median home sale prices in 2024 ranged from under $50,000 to $360,000, reflecting the city’s affordability and mix of housing options.
A renovated 1,184-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home built in 1951 at 23798 Vance in Hazel Park sold in February 2025 for $228,000.
Parks and Recreation: The city owns 13 parks that offer playgrounds, ball fields, pavilions, a bike court, a community garden, a dog park, a disc golf course, sledding hills and walking trails.
Hazel Park Ice Arena, acquired by Black Bear Sports Group in 2023, includes two ice rinks, a gym and concessions and serves the Little Caesars Hockey Club, International Stars Youth Hockey and several high school teams.
Community Events: A few annual events include the Memorial Weekend Festival and Carnival, the Hazel Park Art Fair in August, and the Haunted Hazel Park Art Fair in October.
Fees: $50.88 per $1,000 of taxable home value in the Hazel Park School District. A $92,800 (median price) home with a taxable value of $46,400 pays about $2,360.
Shopping and Dining: The main commercial districts are along John R and 9 Mile roads, where new investment has created a more diverse commercial mix.” The south end of John R has been especially hot recently with new businesses, new bars and restaurants,” Klobucher said. The city is home to several notable dining spots, including Mabel Gray, Loui’s Pizza, Pi’s Thai, Brayz Hambuger, and the recently opened Bar Gabi.
A wide range of Romanian dishes are featured on the menu at Bar Gabi, a new Hazel Park restaurant.
More: Framebar in Hazel Park gets a new lease of life as a chef couple to open a Romanian bistro
The city’s coffee scene is also growing, with four shops added: Hazel Perk, Kazkara, Java Hut and Coffee and Bark, Klobucher noted.
Industries and Employers: Amazon, Capital Sales, Mayville Engineering, EnovaPremier and Hi-lex Controls
Public transport: SMART, Senior Van Service for residents who are over 55 or disabled.
Public safety: Hazel Park police reported 16 burglaries, 23 vehicle thefts, four cases of criminal sexual conduct, five robberies and zero homicides in 2024.
Community Perspective: For many young buyers, Hazel Park’s appeal is based on affordability as much as location. Collin Ward, 36, rented in Ferndale and Birmingham before buying a home in Hazel Park a year and a half ago.
Collin Ward, 36, became the owner of Hazel Park a year and a half ago.
“I wanted to live in the Woodward Corridor,” he said, noting that Ferndale and Royal Oak were priced out of his budget. “Hazel Park brought me to the area and it was still affordable.” Ward said he’s seen several young residents move in, including two friends who bought homes in the city in the past two years. The combination of value and affordability, he added, is hard to beat. With quick access to I-75 and I-696, “I can be anywhere in about 20 minutes.”
Brendel Clark (formerly published as Brendel Hightower) writes about real estate and other topics for the Detroit Free Press. Contact her at bclark@freepress.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Detroit Free Press.
This article originally appeared on the Detroit Free Press: Hazel Park renewal: New growth reinvigorates this Oakland County town