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 southeast 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 sense of growing momentum.
A sign for the Hazel Park community sits at the corner of E. 9 mile street and John R. Road by City Hall and the Hazel Park district library, where people often catch the bus, December 1, 2025.
Significant improvements are being made along the John R Road corridor between 8 Mile and 10 Mile, with new landscaping, improved walkways and lighting. Main Street Hazel Park, part of the national program of Main Street America and aligned with Main Street Oakland County, is helping to strengthen the economic vitality and eclectic character of the corridor. Flagpole banners along the north stretch of John R emphasize the evolving identity of the corridor.
Public and private grants are also helping the growth. Oakland County awarded $300,000 for renovations to the recreation center and $400,000 for improvements to 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 a community center where festivals and parties are held after the community center in Hazel Park, Mich., Dec. 1, 2025.
Residential redevelopment, particularly infill housing, is transforming the neighborhood 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 drive south of 10 Mile, according to City Manager Edward Klobucher.
“We are in preliminary discussions for a proposed redevelopment of a vacant parcel at the southeast corner of John R and Woodward Heights,” he added.
Hazel Park’s economic base has also diversified. The Tri-County Commerce Center, built on the 120-acre former 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 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 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 surrounded 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, displacing part of the John R Road business district.
The city also has a unique place in Michigan retail history. The first Harmony House music store opened in the city in 1947, eventually expanding to 38 locations before closing most of its stores in 2002.
For more information, visit www.hazelpark.org.
Districts: Hazel Park’s housing stock is comprised of single-story, 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 sales 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 that offer playgrounds, ballfields, pavilions, a dirt bike track, a community garden, a dog park, a disc golf course, sledding hills and hiking trails.
The Hazel Park Ice Arena, purchased by Black Bear Sports Group in 2023, includes two ice sheets, a gymnasium 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 taxable value of a home in the Hazel Park School district. A $92,800 (median price) home with a taxable value of $46,400 would pay about $2,360.
Shopping and dining: The main shopping districts are along John R and 9 Mile streets, where new investment has created a more diverse commercial mix.” The south end of John R has been particularly hot lately, with new businesses, new bars and restaurants,” said Klobucher. 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 range of Romanian dishes feature on the menu at Bar Gabi, a new Hazel Park restaurant.
More: Framebar in Hazel Park takes on new life as a couple of chefs 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 aged 55 and over or with disabilities.
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 Information: 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 brought me to the area and it was still affordable.” Ward said he’s seen more young residents move in, including two friends who bought homes in the city in 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 (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: The renewal of Hazel Park: New growth revives this Oakland County town