Auburn Hills, MI

Auburn Hills originally began as Pontiac Township until 1983 when it became the City of Auburn Hills. However, the first time this city was called "Auburn Hills" was in 1964 when Oakland Community College gave this name to their campus at the cross streets of Featherstone and Squirrel roads.

Auburn Hills plays home turf to four colleges, Oakland University, Baker College, Cooley Law School and Oakland Community College. In fact, the Oakland University Art Gallery services the community as the only gallery for exhibits.

For over twenty years, the annual tree lighting ceremony includes a visit from Santa, Mrs. Claus and the Mayor to light the tree. They also have an annual Easter egg hunt for the kids in the neighborhood.

Although Auburn Hills isn't a large area, the city still offers a surprising amount of restaurants in such a close neighborhood.

Makimoto Sushi Bar & Asian Kitchen sits just a few blocks West of the Oakland University campus. They stay open to 9 p.m. during the week, and 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, making this a perfect stop for students to go after class. Locals call the spicy tuna roll a favorite, one of many on the menu. While most sushi restaurants only squirt the spicy Mayo on top, Makimoto's includes the spicy mayo in the tuna itself as well.

With some locals claiming it as the best pizza in all of Detroit, Buddy's Pizza definitely fulfills your pizza craving. This family friendly pizza parlor instantly gets your tummy rumbling with all the delicious smells in the air. The pizza sauce sets Buddy's apart from other establishments. On the BBQ chicken pizza, when most places just layer on thick sauce, Buddy's uses just the right combination of cheese to sauce as to not overpower the other savory flavors. Buddy's serves every pizza as a 4-piece or 8-piece, cooking each in a square pan instead of by the slice.

For breakfast or lunch, stop by the Toasted Bun. The friendly staff helps you by answering any question you have quickly so you can get to eating. They have different sandwich and soup deals almost every day, providing diners with a variety of options. If you are looking for a traditional breakfast, order the traditional omelette with a side of bacon, sausage and hash browns.

Most residents in Auburn Hills drive cars to get around the neighborhood and surrounding areas. While a few bus options on the Oakland Community College and Oakland University campuses serve students, very few options exist for the local residents. Through Auburn Hills runs Interstate 75 and Highway 59, giving residents access to most of the state.

If owning a car isn't your style, call Uber or Lyft for a ride to your destination. Better yet, bike or walk to your errands. Most of the streets rank as biking friendly with plenty of sidewalks and parks to get around.

When it comes to the parks, Auburn Hills provides residents with an abundance of things to do in the outdoors.

Clinton River Trail extends for 16 miles throughout Auburn Hills and Oakland County. Civic Center Park provides residents with hiking trails, a fishing pond, picnic areas, softball fields, a disc-golf course, playgrounds, tennis courts and even a shelter with a fireplace inside.

The Dennis Dearing Jr. Memorial Park, Manitoba Park, Riverside Park and River Woods Park all provide ample amounts of green space for residents to enjoy. Hawk Woods Nature Center offers a heated restroom and shower facilities year-round for the winter months and also a two-story lodge with six overnight camping cabins.

All along Interstate 75 awaits a thriving business community. The companies Chrysler, Comerica, and EDS all built campuses in Auburn Hills.

The average one-bedroom rental in the Auburn Hills neighborhood runs about $1,000 a month, with the average house listing around $130,000.

The average price for a beer at one of the local bars sits at $2, and the gas price sits at about 1 percent less than the national average.

The Great Lakes Crossing Outlet provides residents with one of the only places to shop in the area. This mall houses over 185 stores for residents to shop, all of which include brand-name outlet stores, such as Lacoste Outlet, Lord and Taylor Outlet, and Neiman Marcus Last Call.

Some of the stores local to the neighborhood include Gameday Detroit, a store specifically for licensed sports apparel for the state professional teams.

Teavana houses a tea bar for visitors, providing samples and anything you need to make the perfect brew.

Auburn Hill has a Meijer and Costco to serve residents for their grocery needs. Residents enjoy a farmer's market throughout the summer in their downtown area.