Downtown Milan, Michigan Real Estate and Information

Milan, Michigan enjoys an enviable location and a strong sense of community just a dozen miles south of Ann Arbor. Its 5,800 residents enjoy a charming historic downtown, beautiful parks, desirable neighborhoods, and a low crime rate, so it’s no surprise that the Ann Arbor News called the City of Milan the unsung jewel of Washtenaw County.

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For many who enjoy living in a friendly, smaller community – while still having easy access to Ann Arbor – Milan is a great choice. In fact, Milan’s attributes have led to growth of over 21 percent since 2000. Many of the town’s homes are turn-of-the-20th century, two-story vintage. About one-quarter of Milan’s houses were built prior to World War II, while another 20 percent were constructed between 1940 and 1959. Milan’s recent growth has increased its real estate selection, including the opportunity to own downtown Milan real estate. The condos for sale in Milan have also increased.

For many homebuyers, Milan real estate is relatively affordable, with a median home price around $150,000. One of the attractions to Milan is its cost of living which is about 10% lower than the U.S. overall – not to mention that Milan’s unemployment rate is also lower than the national average. Besides its location, these economic factors have drawn homebuyers to the array of housing choices in this picturesque community, whether they are looking for historic homes, downtown Milan real estate, homes with acreage or condos for sale in Milan. Milan is a small town with a real variety of real estate opportunities.

Shopping and Dining

As mentioned above, buyers considering downtown Milan real estate or condos for sale in Milan naturally benefit from close proximity to the dynamic city of Ann Arbor, home of the University of Michigan. Milan is also not far from Detroit’s western suburbs. Downtown Milan offers a pleasing collection of local shops and eateries, while cosmopolitan Ann Arbor provides a remarkable selection of shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities along with exciting Big 10 sports action featuring the Michigan Wolverines.

According to the Milan area Chamber of Commerce, the city has more than 300 storefront and non-storefront businesses. These range from large retail shopping malls, with national chain stores and restaurants, to numerous unique local boutiques, stores and restaurants.

Collins Center has been a favorite spot in town for nearly three decades, selling clothing, musical instruments, craft items, electronic repair services and more. For life’s basics, locals frequent Kroger for groceries and Latham’s Downtown Hardware for hardware, lawn care supplies and more, while the Diamond Setters provides beautiful jewelry.

Some local favorite restaurants include Roy’s BBQ & Burgers and the Milan Bakery, Campfire Bar-B-Q Grille, Lighthouse Coffee Company, Fenders Bar & Grill, Main Street IX, Hungry Howie’s Pizza, Old Shack, Original Gravity Brewing Company.

For architecture aficionados, downtown Milan is fascinating place to be. Fine examples of International, Art Modern, Italianate and other building types have been carefully preserved or restored, earning the area a spot on the prestigious National Register of Historic Places.

Downtown Milan real estate and condos for sale includes one of the most popular attractions in the Monroe and Washtenaw county area – The Milan Dragway, a quarter-mile drag racing venue that plays host to several NHRA-sponsored drag racing and related events.

Parks and Recreation

Milan offers easy access to 200 acres of parkland, including:

• Nature Park with 11 acres including a baseball diamond, a dinosaur-themed playground and a picnic pavilion;
• Sanford Road Park where almost 140 acres of reclaimed farmland now contains an equestrian center, youth soccer club and a 2.5-mile path for walker, joggers and cyclists;
• Wilson Park lies on the scenic banks of the Saline River near Milan’s quaint, historic downtown. This 35-acre park has a large playground, basketball and sand volleyball courts, baseball and softball diamonds, a soccer field, and several BBQ pits. Wilson Park hosts several popular city events, such as the annual "Concerts in the Park" series, Milan Fair and "Relay for Life."
• Milan Greenway - The City of Milan is currently exploring the development of a greenway trail network that would connect Nature Park to Wilson Park through a series of trails, elevated boardwalks, bridges, enhanced sidewalks and a lakeside promenade.

Golfers in the Milan area enjoy Rolling Hills Golf Course, an eye-catching and challenging public, nine-hole course with carefully manicured greens. The course landscape includes beautiful trees, hills and ponds, and it’s a great place to spend an afternoon.

Not far from Milan, in Saline, Mill Pond Park offers its 54 acres, and hosts a multitude of events each year including the popular Celtic festival. The park is located on the north side of Michigan Avenue, directly across from Curtiss Park. Park amenities include open and wooded areas, nature trails, soccer fields, picnic and play areas, a boat launch for motorless boating and a pavilion, which may be rented for events.

Schools, Health, and Transportation

Milan Area Schools administers Milan’s two elementary schools, Symons and Paddock, plus a middle school and a high school in addition to its early childhood center and adult education programs.

Milan residents are fortunate to have a strong selection of good medical care centers and hospitals nearby, including St. Joseph Mercy Saline Hospital (approximately 8 miles away in Saline), St. Joseph Mercy Hospital (about 14 miles away in Ann Arbor) and the renowned University of Michigan Health System in Ann Arbor. The U-M system includes highly ranked S.S. Mott Children’s Hospital.

Transportation in the Milan centers on roadways including Highway 23 and the nearby Interstates 94 and 275. Amtrak service is available in Ann Arbor and the Detroit International Airport 51 miles away.

Milan Downtown Development Authority

Home buyers considering downtown Milan real estate or Milan condos for sale may want to take not of the Downtown Development Authority. The DDA was established by the Milan City Council in 1988 and hosts a number of popular, community-wide events. The DDA Development Plan, adopted in 2009, highlights projects that the DDA and the City of Milan believe are keystones for economic development and enhancing the beauty of historic downtown Milan. Far from sitting on its historic laurels, downtown Milan is intent to remain a vibrant, active engine of civic life in the community. Events organized by the DDA include:

• The Annual Easter Egg Hunt
• Christmas in Action serving friends in need
• Discover Milan Day - This is a fun filled day for the entire family
• Mom 2 Mom and Teen 2 Teen
• Memorial Day Parade
• Milan Fair and Fireworks – This is a family friendly event for all ages that has been in existence since 1949.
• 15th Annual Backstreet CruiZers Car Fest - The Backstreet CruiZers Car Fest takes place at Wilson Park and supports the American Diabetes Association.
• Relay for Life - August 26-28 Located at Wilson Park The American Cancer Society Relay For Life
• 11th Annual Milan Area Chamber of Commerce Golf "Fun'Draiser" August 17
• Veterans Cost of Freedom CruiZe October 8th, 2011.
• Downtown Trick or Treat - Friday before Halloween.
• City-Wide Trick or Treat - October 31 - 6:00 - 8:00 PM
• Annual Milan Area Chamber Christmas Parade

Milan is a small town that has it all, from its charming downtown to its picturesque neighborhoods and parks, and all of this is only a short drive from Ann Arbor.