As part of the Detroit Free Press series exploring Michigan communities, this week we turn to Hazel Park to examine what makes this small metro Detroit city stand out.
Appeal: Hazel Park, a southeastern Oakland County community bordering Wayne and Macomb counties, is in the midst of 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 drawn to its affordability, location and a growing sense of momentum.
A sign for the Hazel Park community sits at the corner of E. 9 mile road and John R. Road in from of City Hall and the Hazel Park district library, where people frequently catch the bus, Dec. 1, 2025.
Significant improvements are underway along the John R Road corridor between 8 Mile and 10 Mile, with new landscaping, upgraded walkways and lighting. Main Street Hazel Park, part of the national Main Street America program and aligned with Main Street Oakland County, is helping strengthen the corridor’s economic vitality and eclectic character. Pole banners along the northern stretch of John R highlight the corridor’s evolving identity.
Public and private grants are also helping growth. Oakland County awarded $300,000 for renovations at the recreation center and $400,000 for improvements at Green Acres Park. The recreation center is being modernized, and the city will soon host a satellite office of Oakland County Parks and Recreation.
Green Acres Park serves as community hub where festivals and parties are held behind the community center in Hazel Park, Mich., Dec. 1, 2025.
Residential redevelopment, particularly infill housing, is transforming 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 an approximate 101-unit condominium project along the I-75 service drive south of 10 Mile, according to City Manager Edward Klobucher.
“We are in preliminary discussions for a proposal to redevelop a vacant parcel on the southeast corner of John R and Woodward Heights,” he added.
Hazel Park’s economic base has diversified as well. The Tri-County Commerce Center, 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 has been built on Woodward Heights blvd. east of John R. road in Hazel Park, Mich., Dec. 1, 2025.
“We are a Promise Zone community, with a guaranteed two-year college 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, sits just south of I-696 and is bisected by I-75. (U.S. census)
The 1960s reshaped Hazel Park when the expansion of I-75 cut through the community, displacing part of the John R Road business district.
The city also holds a unique place in Michigan’s 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 composed 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, 2024 median home sale prices 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-bath home built in 1951 at 23798 Vance in Hazel Park sold in February 2025 for $228,000.
Parks and recreation: The city maintains 13 parks offering playgrounds, ballfields, pavilions, a dirt bike course, a community garden, a dog park, a disc golf course, sledding hills and walking paths.
The Hazel Park Ice Arena, purchased by Black Bear Sports Group in 2023, includes two ice sheets, a gym and concessions and serves 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 Hazel Park Haunted Art Fair in October.
Taxes: $50.88 per $1,000 of a house’s taxable value in the Hazel Park Schools district. A $92,800 (median priced) house with a taxable value of $46,400 pays about $2,360.
Shopping and dining: The main shopping 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 particularly 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 spread of Romanian dishes are featured menu items at Bar Gabi, a new Hazel Park restaurant.
More: Framebar in Hazel Park gets new life as chef couple to open 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 transportation: SMART, Senior Van Service for residents who are 55 and older or disabled.
Public safety: Hazel Park police reported 16 burglaries, 23 vehicle thefts, four criminal sexual conduct cases, five robberies, and zero homicides in 2024.
Community insight: For many young buyers, Hazel Park’s appeal is rooted in both affordability and 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 a Hazel Park homeowner a year and a half ago.
“I wanted to live in the Woodward Corridor,” he said, noting that Ferndale and Royal Oak were priced beyond his budget. “Hazel Park got me in the area and was still affordable.” Ward said he’s seen more young residents moving in, including two friends who purchased homes in the city within the past two years. The combination of value and accessibility, he added, is hard to beat. With quick access to I-75 and I-696, “I can get anywhere in about 20 minutes.”
Brendel Clark (previously 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 Detroit Free Press: Hazel Park’s renewal: New growth revives this Oakland County city