Royal Oak

Royal Oak is a suburb of Detroit in Oakland County, Michigan known for its trendy downtown shopping area and bars. 1 mile South of Royal Oak is Ferndale, a place very similar to Royal Oak, known for its large lesbian-gay-bisexual-transgender population. North of Royal Oak is Birmingham, an opulent area known for its upscale boutiques.

Get in
I-75/the Chrysler Freeway is located directly east of Royal Oak, and runs north-south. I-696/the Reuther Freeway is located directly south or Royal Oak, and runs east-west. Bordering the left-hand side of Royal Oak is Woodward Avenue, which runs northwest-southeast, and will take you southbound directly into Detroit.

By train

 * Route serving Royal Oak:
 * Wolverine Service operates several times daily between Pontiac and Chicago including stops along the way in Troy, Royal Oak, Detroit, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, and New Buffalo. There are many train connections in Chicago.
 * Wolverine Service operates several times daily between Pontiac and Chicago including stops along the way in Troy, Royal Oak, Detroit, Dearborn, Ann Arbor, Jackson, Battle Creek, Kalamazoo, Niles, and New Buffalo. There are many train connections in Chicago.

Get around
Royal Oak is a very walkable city, the downtown area is a mile long, Main Street and Washington Street are the definite downtown areas to walk around.

Events

 * Arts, Beats & Eats Downtown Royal Oak. Oakland county's annual festival celebrating art, music, food and community. Labor Day weekend. $3 before 3pm, $5 before 5pm, and $7 after 5pm

Disc Golf
Royal Oak has 2 Disc Golf courses, it is an inexpensive game to get into; there are liquor stores located directly across from the parks that sell individual discs ranging from $9-$18. Also, the store "In Flight" in the Oak Park/Ferndale area also sells discs and other disc golf accessories. The Throw Shop in Ypsilanti, an hour West on I-94, is the largest disc golf store in the region, well worth the trip as it also features a 28-hole disc golf course.

Eat
While a lot of fast food restaurants and chains such as Noodles & Company and Jimmy John's can be found in Royal Oak, as a visitor you shouldn't bother wasting your time eating in those establishments.



Non-Alcoholic
There is a Starbucks and Bean & Leaf Cafe located in Royal Oak, both of which are on Main Street.

Bars
Royal Oak has a ton of bars such as Mr. B's Pub, Woody's, Duggans, O'Tooles, Rock on 3rd, Goodnite Gracie, Sky Club, Ye Olde Saloon, Norm's Field of Dreams and Luna Lounge.



Brewpubs
Luckily for beer enthusiasts there are a fair number of brewpubs in this area. Brew pubs are restaurants that brew their own beer. For around 10 dollars you can also buy a "growler" from these establishments which holds a half gallon of beer and is a means to buy take-out beer. Besides being a great deal, growlers make a great souvenir. Also, just a short bus ride away is the Woodward Avenue Brewery in Ferndale, take the Smart 450/460 Direction: Inbound (Runs down South Washington) in Royal Oak to get there.



Stay safe
Royal Oak is generally considered a safe city with a low crime rate. Crime is highly uncommon during the daytime but spikes considerably during the night time.

While most crime in Royal Oak affects residents, there have been many cases where travelers were victimized, especially in the case of burglaries of vehicles with out-of-state plates.

Walking
While Royal Oak's downtown area is a very safe place, avoid walking into alleyways during the night time. Many strongarm robberies and rape attempts take place in the city's downtown alleyways. The sidewalks and streets of Downtown Royal Oak are otherwise safe to walk during the daytime and night.

Avoid walking in any neighborhoods near or around an industrial park, railroad or apartment complex at night. Drug dealers are often present in these types of neighborhood after dark. If you choose to walk through such neighborhoods after dark remember to wear neutral-colored clothing and avoid large groups of people.

In addition, try not to walk on the Eleven Mile corridor during the night-time outside of the Downtown area as it is where many robberies in the city take place.

Car theft
Always park in a well-lit area during the night time. Lock your doors and roll up your windows. Even during the day time, car burglaries are common, especially when an open window is involved.

Take further precaution regarding your vehicle if you are the owner of a Chrysler vehicle. Chrysler and Dodge automobiles are often targeted for navigation systems and owners of such vehicles may fall victim much easier.

Panhandling
Royal Oak has a significant homeless population in the city, mostly centered around the downtown area and industrial neighborhoods. If you are approached by a panhandler simply state in a firm tone of voice that you do not wish to pay them and walk away.