Bloomfield Hills, Michigan

Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
—  City  —
Cranbrook Art Museum
Seal
Location in the state of Michigan
Coordinates: 42°35′01″N 83°14′44″W
Country	United States
State	Michigan
County	Oakland
Government
• Type	Commission-Manager
• Mayor	Sarah H. McClure
• City Manager	Jay Cravens
Area
• City	5.04 sq mi (13.05 km2)
• Land	4.96 sq mi (12.85 km2)
• Water	0.08 sq mi (0.21 km2)
Elevation	833 ft (254 m)
Population (2010)
• City	3,869
• Estimate (2011)	3,892
• Density	780.0/sq mi (301.2/km2)
• Metro	4,296,250
Time zone	EST (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
ZIP codes	48301-48304
Area code(s)	248
FIPS code	26-09180
GNIS feature ID	0621616
Website	http://www.bloomfieldhillsmi.net

Bloomfield Hills is a city located in the heart of Metro Detroit's affluent northern suburbs in Oakland County in the US state of Michigan, 20.2 miles (32.5 km) northwest of downtown Detroit. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 3,869. Bloomfield Hills consistently ranks as one of the top five wealthiest cities in the United States with population between 2,500 to 9,999 – it currently is listed at the number four position and in 1990 it was ranked number two. Bloomfield Hills has the second highest income for a municipality with over 1,000 households in the country and the first highest income in the state of Michigan. The median income for a family is over $200,000. In 2000, 49% of residential property in Bloomfield Hills had a value of over $1,000,000.

History

On June 28, 1820, Oakland County was divided into two townships: Pontiac Township and Bloomfield Township, the latter covering the southern part of the county that would include West Bloomfield Township, Royal Oak and Southfield. What is now Bloomfield Hills was a farming area until the turn of the 20th century when wealthy Detroit residents bought up the land. The settlement became a village in 1927, and in 1932 residents voted to become a city to avoid being incorporated into growing Birmingham.

The origin of the name "Bloomfield" is uncertain. Bloomfield Hills' former names were "Bagley's Corners", after early settler Amasa Bagley, and "Circle City."

Culture

Cranbrook gardens

Bloomfield Hills is the location of the National Historic Landmark Cranbrook Educational Community and other historic sites listed on the national register of historic places. It is also home to the Detroit Skating Club where a number of world-class figure skaters have trained, including single skaters Tara Lipinski, Todd Eldredge, Alissa Czisny, Adam Rippon, Jeremy Abbott and ice dancers Nathalie Pechalat/Fabian Bourzat, Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje, Naomi Lang/Peter Tchernyshev, Elizabeth Punsalan/Jerod Swallow. Coaches based at the DSC include Yuka Sato, Jason Dungjen (single skating), Anjelika Krylova, Pasquale Camerlengo, Massimo Scali, Elizabeth Punsalan, Natalia Annenko-Deller (ice dancing).

In popular culture, Bloomfield Hills was the setting for the 2005 film The Upside of Anger. Eminem mentions Cranbrook Kingswood in the 2002 movie "8 Mile" He makes fun of "Doc" because he attended Cranbrook, which is not considered cool or impressive in the atmosphere portrayed in the movie. Bloomfield Hills is the hometown of the comic book character, Trance. Out Of Sight with Jenifer Lopez and George Clooney was filmed at a private residence in Bloomfield Hills. Jimmy Hoffa was last seen at the former Machus Red Fox restaurant in Bloomfield Township. Gilda Joyce: The Ladies of the Lake is set in a private school in Bloomfield.

Churches

Kirk in the Hills

The area is the home of landmark churches including Kirk in the Hills Presbyterian on Long Lake Rd (Bloomfield Township) and Christ Church Cranbrook Episcopal, consecrated in 1928 as part of George Booth's plan for the Cranbrook Educational Community. The Congregational Church of Birmingham United Church of Christ. The church, which was founded in the neighboring city of Birmingham, moved to its present location in 1966. It is located at 1000 Cranbrook Road (at Woodward Avenue) in Bloomfield Hills. St. Hugo of the Hills Roman Catholic Church' was funded by Theodore F. MacManus and his wife in memory of their deceased children, Hugo and Hubert. St. Hugo of the Hills was built from 1931–1936, with approval from Bishop Michael J. Gallagher, and was designed by Artur Des Rossiers. Other churches include St. George Greek Orthodox, Bloomfield Hills Baptist, Beautiful Savior Lutheran Church (ELCA) on Adamds Road (Bloomfield Township), Detroit Michigan Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and Birmingham Unitarian Church on Woodward Avenue.

Government

State officials

• Governor Rick Snyder (R)
• State Senator John Pappageorge (R) – 13th State Senate District
• State Representative Chuck Moss (R) – 40th State House District

Federal officials

• Senator Carl Levin (D)
• Senator Debbie Stabenow (D)
• Representative Gary Peters (D) – 9th Congressional District

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 5.04 square miles (13.05 km²), of which, 4.96 square miles (12.85 km²) of it is land and 0.08 square miles (0.21 km²) is water.

Demographics

As of the 2005–2009 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, there were 3,774 people, 1,570 households, and about 1,382 families residing in the city. The population density was 796.4 per square mile (307.3/km²). There were 1,628 housing units at an average density of 329.1 per square mile (127.0/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 89.1% White, 5.4% Asian, 4.3% Black, 0.8% from other races, and 0.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.2% of the population.

2010 census

As of the census of 2010, there were 3,869 people, 1,489 households, and 1,116 families residing in the city. The population density was 780.0 inhabitants per square mile (301.2 /km²). There were 1,659 housing units at an average density of 334.5 per square mile (129.2 /km²). The racial makeup of the city was 87.3% White, 4.1% African American, 0.1% Native American, 6.7% Asian, 0.3% from other races, and 1.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.5% of the population.

There were 1,489 households out of which 25.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 67.7% were married couples living together, 4.9% had a female householder with no husband present, 2.4% had a male householder with no wife present, and 25.1% were non-families. 21.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 13% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 2.84.

The median age in the city was 54.1 years. 19.9% of residents were under the age of 18; 4.8% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 11.8% were from 25 to 44; 33.5% were from 45 to 64; and 29.7% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of the city was 49.0% male and 51.0% female.

2000 census

As of the census of 2000, There were 1,520 households out of which 26.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 71.9% were married couples living together, 3.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 23.2% were non-families. 21.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 10.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.45 and the average family size was 2.84.

In the city the population was spread out with 19.7% under the age of 18, 3.8% from 18 to 24, 13.8% from 25 to 44, 39.0% from 45 to 64, and 23.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 52 years. For every 100 females there were 89.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 85.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $170,790, and the median income for a family was over $200,000. Males had a median income of $100,000 versus $52,273 for females. The per capita income for the city was $104,920. About 1.8% of families and 3.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including 5.3% of those under age 18 and 6.4% of those age 65 and over.

Education

Bloomfield Hills is home to the Cranbrook Academy of Art, one of the nation's leading graduate schools of architecture, art and design. It was founded by the Booths in 1932. By 1984, the New York Times would say that "the effect of Cranbrook and its graduates and faculty on the physical environment of this country has been profound ... Cranbrook, surely more than any other institution, has a right to think of itself as synonymous with contemporary American design."

The city is served by the Bloomfield Hills School District, a public school district comprising the City of Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township and small parts of neighboring communities. All schools within the district are in Bloomfield Township, other than Lone Pine Elementary and West Hills Middle School, which are located in the eastern portion of West Bloomfield Township. The district operates the International Academy, a tuition-free, public consortium high school which offers the IB Diploma Program and is consistently rated by Newsweek magazine among the top ten public high schools in the United States.

There are now four elementary schools in the district: Lone Pine Elementary, Way Elementary, Conant Elementary, and Eastover Elementary. Pine Lake and Hickory Grove were consolidated into the remaining four schools for the 2009–2010 school year. There are three middle schools in the district: Bloomfield Hills Middle School, West Hills Middle School and East Hills Middle School.

The district runs two main high schools, Andover High School whose mascot is the Baron, and Lahser High School whose mascot is the Knight. The district also offers a Model High School which is run out of what used to be Hickory Grove, and the Bowers Academy, an alternative high school which is located at the Charles L. Bowers Farm. In 2010, the Bloomfield Hills School Board began discussing more strenuously a move to merge Andover and Lahser High schools and build a new high school that would reside on Andover's grounds. Much debate has surrounded the school board's thoughts on the project, and many local residents have asserted at school board meetings and in local news affiliates that the proposed consolidation is fiscally irresponsible and under-researched. Others have stated that the community needs a new building for the current dated high schools and that it is the fiscally prudent direction the district needs. The plan includes provisions for Lahser's athletic facilities to be kept for use by the new high school.

The Wing Lake Developmental Center, located in Bloomfield Township, is operated by the school district for special education for southeastern Oakland County.

Bloomfield Hills is also home to many private schools. These include the nonsectarian Cranbrook Schools, the Academy of the Sacred Heart, The Roeper School, and St. Hugo of the Hills Catholic School. The neighboring communities of Bloomfield Township and Beverly Hills have two single-sex Catholic schools: Brother Rice High School for boys and Marian High School for girls, as well as a private college-preparatory school, Detroit Country Day School.

Notable people

• Douglas F. Allison, former founder, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Allison-Fisher; sits on the Board of Trustees of the Heritage Foundation; member of the Detroit Economic Club.
• Paul Banks, lead singer, lyricist and guitarist of the band Interpol, lived his childhood in Bloomfield Hills
• Selma Blair, actress, attended Cranbrook Kingswood School, raised in Bloomfield Hills
• George Gough Booth, founder of Cranbrook Educational Community and wealthy newspaper publisher, instrumental in making "the Hills" a Detroit bedroom community
• Chris Chelios, NHL hockey star, formerly of the Chicago Blackhawks and Detroit Red Wings
• Pavel Datsyuk, Detroit Red Wing All-Star
• William Davidson, billionaire; chairman of Guardian Industries Corp and owner of the Detroit Pistons, the Detroit Shock and the Tampa Bay Lightning sports franchises
• Pete Dawkins, 1955 Heisman Trophy winner, Rhodes Scholar; former Army Brigadier General, attended Cranbrook School
• John DeLorean, of DeLorean Motor Car fame
• Joe Dumars, former Detroit Piston captain and All-Star and current GM
• Sergei Federov, former Detroit Red Wing All-Star
• Aretha Franklin, singer and songwriter, daughter of prominent preacher C. L. Franklin
• Carolyn Franklin, singer and songwriter, and younger sister of Aretha Franklin.
• Richard Hamilton, Detroit Piston All-Star, currently plays for the Chicago Bulls
• Chris Hansen, television infotainment personality. He is known for his work on Dateline NBC, in particular the former segment known as To Catch a Predator
• Gordie Howe, NHL hockey legend.
• Dana Jacobson, ESPN anchorwoman
• Al Kaline, outfielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1953–74. In the Baseball Hall of Fame.
• Cullen Landis former motion picture actor and director whose career began in the early years of the silent film era.
• Judge Greg Mathis, television personality
• Roger Penske, founder of Penske Corporation and the automobile racing team Penske Racing
• Elizabeth Reaser, actress, best known for playing Esme in Twilight, born and raised in Bloomfield Hills and attended the Academy of Sacred Heart
• Tatum Reed, adult film actress and producer
• George W. Romney, father of Mitt Romney, Republican presidential candidate in 1968, and former governor of Michigan
• Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and 2008 Republican presidential candidate and 2012 Republican presidential nominee, attended Cranbrook Kingswood School, raised in Bloomfield Hills
• Dave Rozema, former Detroit Tiger
• Eliel Saarinen, architect who became famous for his art nouveau buildings in the early years of the 20th century.
• Chad Smith, drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, raised in Bloomfield Hills and attended Lahser High School
• Steve Stockman Republican politician who represented Texas's 9th congressional district between 1995 and 1997.
• Robin Williams, actor, raised in Bloomfield Hills, attended Detroit Country Day School
• Alex Winston, indie pop-rock musician
• Bob Woodruff, television journalist.
• Minoru Yamasaki, chief architect of the World Trade Center
• Dey Young, actress and sculptor.
• Steve Yzerman, former Detroit Red Wing captain and All-Star, current Tampa Bay Lightning GM
• Henrik Zetterberg, Detroit Red Wing All-Star
• Lee Iacocca, Businessman, Ford Motor Company and Chrysler

See also

• Oakland Hills Country Club
• Cranbrook Educational Community
• Detroit Country Day School
• Michigan locations by per capita income
• Kirk in the Hills

External links

• City of Bloomfield Hills official website