Here’s Metro Mode’s look at moving to Royal Oak. Also check out our guides living in and visiting Royal Oak.

It's hard to believe, but when Mary Bush toyed with starting a small business in the northern-Detroit suburb 13 years ago, her biggest concern wasn’t deciding which trendy boutique or ultra-cool loft project to neighbor with – it was the city’s lack of activity:

 “There wasn’t anything going on [in Royal Oak],” says Bush, owner of MBUSH a boutique graphic design firm in the city.

“I started the business here because it was so affordable compared to other places, not because it was the hip place to be. That came later,” she says. “At the time, it was really kind of a dead town.”

What a difference a decade makes. Gone is the lackluster place once nicknamed “Royal Joke”; over the past several years, a colorful community with a busy, walkable downtown has emerged in its place.

It’s been an exciting transformation to watch, says Bush. But she, fellow business owners, and city officials aren’t walking away just yet. They say the recent fluster of activity is just the beginning – and the renovation train continues running full speed ahead. What’s more, they say, new people are jumping on board all the time.

Why Royal Oak?

Of all the cities and towns in Southeastern Michigan to open a business, why choose Royal Oak?

“It’s a very active city,” says Sue Zeiler, a sales director for Mary Kay, and an active member of Royal Oak’s business community. “You’re really part of something because of that small town feel. It’s not like you’re in the suburbs and everything is so far away. You really have a connection here.”

There’s also the city’s current development boom, which means more visitors to Royal Oak. Fresh new restaurants like Fiddleheads; edgy, independent fashion boutiques like Dolce Moda; and national retailer like Pitaya are just three new companies that joined Royal Oak’s business community in recent years. And more, like Plum Market (a gourmet supermarket) and Manhattan’s (a restaurant) are on the way.

A hearty influx of upscale housing is another part of the current development boom. From 2001-2005, Royal Oak clocked 424 housing permits – more than double the 219 of the  previous 5 years, and 89 more than all the housing permits issued during 1980s. These new units, which include examples like The Fifth, an 18-story luxury high rise currently under construction, are helping recoup some of the city’s lost population. In addition, they are also bringing more residents closer to downtown businesses. Other projects slated for development like The Parker, an $18 million mixed-use building at Fourth and Troy will do the same.

Diane Sawinski says another benefit for doing business in Royal Oak is the city’s reputation as a trendy hotspot.  

“Royal Oak is the center for the new urban market,” says Sawinski, Director of Marketing at Urbane Apartments. “People want that hip, cool feeling, and they come to Royal Oak because we have that here.”

She says Royal Oak’s “coolness factor” has been a major asset for Urbane, a company that converts run-down buildings into posh new apartments with luxury amenities like room service and newspaper delivery.

“Young professionals and couples strive to live and move here,” she says, “so [Royal Oak] is the perfect market for our product.”

Dynamic downtown

While there’s no denying the level of cool inherent to Royal Oak’s hip boutiques, eclectic restaurants and posh luxury condominiums, a trendy environment alone isn’t enough to keep a business afloat.

Still, Sergio Basmajian, owner of Metals in Time, says downtown Royal Oak’s dynamic environment is a big help for his business.

“[Metals in Time] is not a destination store, so most of our customers come from us being right in the middle of a whole bunch of other cool stores, in a trendy community where people are always walking around.”

Mary Bush doesn’t own a retail shop. But she says downtown Royal Oak’s walkable environment is a strong asset for her boutique design firm, too. Some clients like discussing projects over lunch or coffee, and owning a business that’s blocks from myriad restaurants and coffeehouses is a definite plus in her book. Bush also likes the little touches – things like flower bins and brand-new magazine racks – around town because they enhance the area and create a “welcoming atmosphere for visitors”.

And then there’s Royal Oak’s prime location in the heart of metro Detroit. And the close access to I-75, I-696 and Woodward Avenue.

“The city’s location is very convenient,” says Realtor Cheryl Kilinski. “It’s about 20 minutes from everything.”

Business community

Kilinski, who is involved in a number of business, civic and community organizations around town, believes Royal Oak’s close-knit business community is another bonus for city business owners. Membership organizations like the Greater Royal Oak Chamber of Commerce (GROCC) – which offers things like free monthly member coffees, inexpensive business to business seminars and “After Hours” events, and festivals like the Clay & Glass Show and Taste of Royal Oak – are “absolutely a positive” for new and veteran business owners, Kilinski says.

“There’s a lot of interaction between people here,” she says, “and that generates social interaction, which helps people get to know each other, and spread the word about their business.”

Sue Zeiler of Mary Kay agrees. Zeiler co-founded the Business Women’s Network (BWN), a membership organization of the GROCC, 13 years ago. The group, created to support women business owners and high-ranking women in business, meets once a month for lunch at various Royal Oak locations. GROCC members usually pay in the $10-15 range, while fees for guests and prospective members run in the $15-20 range.

Being involved in the group has been a “huge part of building my customers”, Zeiler, the organization’s current Vice President, says. “It’s a networking group for women business owners and women working for business owners, but it’s more than that. The philosophy isn’t just that we can do business with you. It’s ‘who do we know that can do business with you?’”

The Royal Oak Downtown Development Authority (DDA), a quasi-governmental agency, helps promote and support downtown business owners, too. Their website includes listings of downtown businesses, a cyber city tour and information on current marketing opportunities.

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Before spreading the word and networking, though, there’s the process of setting up shop. For prospective service-sector business owners that want to rent to rent in Royal Oak, the requirement-list is short. But buying a building and opening a retail shop is a different story, says Shelly Kemp, Director of Events at the GROCC. Marcia Hovland opened Marcia Hovland Studio Gallery on Fourth eight months ago, and can attest to that. She wasn’t aware of all the rules and requirements for owning a building and operating as a retailer in Royal Oak – things like construction permits, building codes and ADA requirements – and learned as she went along. Potential business owners can find this information and more – everything from instructions on obtaining building permits (plus a list of required ones) to code enforcement maps – by visiting the city’s Building Department. Most of the documents are also available online. http://www.ci.royal-oak.mi.us/code_enforcement/index.html.