Royal Oak, Michigan

Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,062. It should not be confused with Royal Oak Charter Township, a separate community located nearby.

It is the 5th-largest city in Oakland County, and the 18th-largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. The area is known for its shopping, dining, and many cultural activities.

History
Royal Oak was incorporated as a village in 1891, and as a city in 1921. The city's name originates in 1819, from one of Territorial Governor Lewis Cass' expeditions surveying land. A tree located near the present day intersection of Crooks, Rochester, and Main reminded Cass of the Royal Oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester.

In the 1920s, Charles Coughlin became Father of Shrine of the Little Flower, a prominent landmark in the city. In 1926, the Ku Klux Klan burned a cross on the lawn of the original wooden church, and Coughlin used the incident to launch radio broadcasts on station WJR. Through this publicity he raised enough money to build the current limestone complex and tower from which he aired his radio show thereafter. He built a large following; however, in the late 30s Coughlin's broadcasts became increasingly controversial eventually leading to his removal from the air in 1939.

On November 14, 1991, Thomas McIlvane killed five people, including himself, with a Ruger .22 caliber rifle in Royal Oak's post office, which was one of a string of incidents across the United States in which current or recently fired postal workers attacked and killed co-workers en masse, leading to the phrase "going postal".

Throughout the late 1990s and early 2000s, Royal Oak's downtown grew into an entertainment and nightlife destination. A number of large condominiums and lofts were built throughout the downtown and industrial areas. Though the economy took a downturn in 2006, the area remains an attractive area for young professionals and families.

Geography
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 11.8 square miles (30.6 km²), of which, 11.8 square miles (30.6 km²) is land and none of it is covered by water.

Royal Oak once had a river, the Red Run. Around 1967-1968 it was buried in a 6-foot drain pipe.

Culture
Downtown Royal Oak features a wide assortment of nightlife venues, including The Royal Oak Music Theatre and The Landmark Main Art Theatre. Also notable is Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, a club which hosts local and national comedians, and was an early stomping ground of famed performers such as Tim Allen and Dave Coulier. The many restaurants range in fare from take-out sandwiches to high-end establishments specializing in cuisines like Italian, Belgian, Nepali, and others. A variety of pubs are also available and include biker bars, dance clubs, upscale breweries, sports bars, and rooftop bars.

During the summer, downtown Royal Oak becomes host to hordes of motorcycle enthusiasts from around the metro Detroit area. Wednesday nights Main Street is often lined with Harley-Davidsons, whereas Thursday night the streets fill up with sport bikes.

In 1999 Meg White of the White Stripes was a day bartender for two years at the downtown bar Memphis Smoke. Years later, Jack White's ex- girlfriend Renée Zellweger was known to stop in at Memphis Smoke for carry-out. During the 2005 Detroit Lions football season, 2004 Playboy Playmate of the year, Carmella DeCesare lived in a downtown, upscale loft with her boyfriend Jeff Garcia. She was known for calling into local Detroit sports radio stations and complaining about local reporters' treatment of Garcia.

The popular 1990s sitcom Home Improvement is set in Royal Oak. In one episode, Tim is pulled over on a traffic stop by a police officer wearing a Royal Oak Police Department shoulder patch. In 2008, three movies were filmed in Royal Oak. Scenes from Prayers for Bobby, Youth in Revolt and Gran Torino were filmed in the downtown area. In 2009, the remake of Red Dawn had several scenes filmed in Royal Oak neighborhoods. The independent record label Psychopathic Records is located in Royal Oak.

In addition to the Detroit News and Detroit Free Press, regional newspapers serving all of southeast Michigan, the city is served by the Daily Tribune, the Royal Oak Review, and The Mirror.

On October 12, 2010 Royal Oak High School was featured on the MTV program "If You Really Knew Me" and showed the events of the second of two of the school's 2009-2010 Challenge Days.

Economy
Royal Oaks's downtown has experienced growth and development in the 2000s, with a transformation to a trendy upscale, urban-chic restaurant, shopping, and entertainment district. A number of mixed- use high-rise developments have arisen — mostly condo "lofts" with retail and office space on the lower levels. Points of interest include the Detroit Zoo, a major regional tourist attraction, and the renowned William Beaumont Hospital, the Royal Oak Music Theatre, the Main Art Theatre, the Baldwin Theatre, Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, and the many unique shops, cafes, and restaurants which line the streets of the downtown area. In addition, the main offices of Hour Detroit media, which publishes Metro Detroit's lifestyle magazine, are located in the city. Royal Oak still has some edgier retail establishments, a few chain restaurants, dozens of unique restaurants and many condominiums.

The National Arbor Day Foundation has awarded Royal Oak the distinction of "Tree City USA" every year since 1976 due to the city's commitment to tree planting and preservation.

In 1998, the foundation of famous Saturday Night Live comedian and Detroit-area native Gilda Radner created a free cancer support community for people with cancer, their families, and friends. Gilda's Club Metro Detroit operates a three-story non-residential house in Royal Oak and has welcomed more than 3,000 members for social and emotional support and fun activities.

In December 2009 it was announced that the Arts, Beats and Eats festival would be moved from Pontiac, Michigan to Royal Oak.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 60,062 people, 28,880 households, and 14,440 families residing in the city. The population density was 5,083.0 people per square mile (1,961.9/km²). There were 29,942 housing units at an average density of 2,534.0 per square mile (978.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 94.80% White, 1.54% African American, 0.26% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.38% from other races, and 1.40% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.30% of the population.

There were 28,880 households out of which 20.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.9% were married couples living together, 7.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 50.0% were non-families. 40.8% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.6% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.06 and the average family size was 2.86.

In the city the population was spread out with 17.8% under the age of 18, 7.5% from 18 to 24, 38.8% from 25 to 44, 21.0% from 45 to 64, and 14.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 95.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.6 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $52,252, and the median income for a family was $68,109. Males had a median income of $50,562 versus $36,392 for females. The per capita income for the city was $30,990. About 2.0% of families and 4.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 3.4% of those under age 18 and 5.5% of those age 65 or over.

Government
Royal Oak utilizes the Council-Manager form of government, and is governed by a city commission consisting of a mayor and six commission members. The city commission appoints a city manager, who manages the day-to-day operations of the city. The current city manager is Donald E. Johnson.

The current mayor of Royal Oak is Jim Ellison. Current city commissioners are Michael Andrzejak, Terry Drinkwine, Carlo P. Ginotti, Gary Lelito & Charles Semchena, Jr. Patricia Capello, David Poulton and Jim Rasor were elected on November 3, 2009 to replace Ginotti and Lelito who did not run for re-election and to fill a seat that has been vacant for several months. They were seated on December 7, 2009.

Crime
Royal Oak boasts a low violent crime rate and a neutral property crime rate. The city's low crime rate reflects that of communities in its outer radius, such as Troy and Sterling Heights. In 2003, the city's crime rate was 43.5% of the national average. Larceny-Theft was the most popular crime, making up 66.7% of all crimes in the city. Three known murders have been committed since 2000, one in 2004, one in 2005, and one in 2010.

Royal Oak has its own Police Department. There are 64 sworn officers and 21 un-sworn officers in the department. The department's policing leans on the community, and community policing is a rising trend in the city. Community policing and neighborhood watch has contributed to reducing crime in the city within the past decade.

While Royal Oak's nightlife has attracted its share of celebrities, such as Kid Rock and Bob Seger's manager Punch Andrews, it has also attracted a few famous celebrity crimes, such as hockey star Sergei Fedorov in September 2001 for failing a breathalyzer test, and Eminem in June 2000 for gun possession.

Education
The city is served by Royal Oak Neighborhood Schools. It contains a location of Oakland Community College.There is also a private high school, Shrine Catholic, not operated by the city.

In recent years Royal Oak has begun to consolidate its public schools in response to enrollment levels that are lower than those of the baby boom era. In 2006, the city's two public high schools, George A. Dondero High School and Clarence M. Kimball High School, were combined into a new Royal Oak High School. Beginning in 2007, the city's two middle schools were combined into one school, named Royal Oak Middle School. Finally the total number of elementary schools was reduced to six. Some parents protested the planned closure and demolition of Longfellow and Whittier elementary schools and were seeking to have them considered for historic district recognition by way of signed petition. Despite their efforts, both schools, as well as a number of other former elementary schools, were demolished in the fall of 2007.

Transportation


Amtrak, the national passenger rail system, provides service to Royal Oak, operating its three times daily in both directions between Pontiac, Michigan and Chicago, Illinois via Detroit.

Commuter rail service was once provided by Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) and later Southeastern Michigan Transportation Authority (SEMTA) from Pontiac, Michigan to downtown Detroit with a stop in Royal Oak. This service ended on October 17, 1983 after subsidies were discontinued. Efforts continue to this day to restore such commuter service.

Class one freight rail service is provided by Canadian National Railway (CN).

Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART) operates local and regional bus transit.

Highways: There is an interchange connecting Interstate Highways I-75 and I-696 in the southeast corner of the city. Woodward Avenue (state highway M-1) is about a mile west of the interchange in the southeast corner of the city. Woodward proceeds northwest defining the western border of the city, and intersects with the north-south Coolidge Highway just south of 13 Mile Road. Additionally, the southern terminus of Rochester Road is about 1 mile north of the downtown district, where it angles off from Main street, just south of the location of the "Royal Oak" tree mentioned above, and connects Royal Oak with Rochester, Michigan, although the road itself continues on far beyond the city of Rochester. This road used to also be the route of an early 1900s electric trolley line which connected downtown Royal Oak with downtown Rochester.

Notable people

 * Kristen Bell – actress; never a Royal Oak resident but a Shrine Catholic High School graduate
 * Brenden Benson -singer/songwriter and member of The Raconteurs
 * Bruce Campbell – movie actor and director
 * Kevin Carrico – independent writer/director/dp, a Dondero High School graduate, currently (2008) working with Keegan-Michael Key and attended college with Chris Gore, has also worked with Bruce Campbell and Glenn Frey's former bandmate Don Felder
 * Father Charles Coughlin – "Radio priest" at the National Shrine of the Little Flower during the Great Depression
 * Meryl Davis – figure skater, winner of the silver medal in ice dancing at the 2010 Winter Olympic Games in Vancouver.
 * Pete Dawkins – overcame polio to win the Heisman Trophy in 1958, eventually becoming a Rhodes Scholar as well as the youngest U.S. Army brigadier general ever
 * Paul Feig – writer and filmmaker
 * Kirk Ferentz – head football coach at the University of Iowa
 * Dean Fertita – songwriter/musician/singer; has played with Queens of the Stone Age and The Raconteurs
 * Bill Freehan – Detroit Tigers catcher
 * Glenn Frey – member of the band Eagles; attended Dondero High School
 * Christopher George – actor The Rat Patrol
 * Chris Gore – independent film maker
 * David Grewe – former baseball coach at Michigan State University
 * Judith Guest – author of Ordinary People
 * Tom Hayden – one of the founders of Students for a Democratic Society
 * Abraham Hoagland – 19th century Mormon leader
 * Jack Kevorkian – practiced physician-assisted suicide in Royal Oak.
 * Keegan-Michael Key – Mad TV comedian never a Royal Oak resident but a Shrine Catholic High School graduate
 * Michael Phillips – 2010 World Barista Championship winner
 * Scott Lloyd – former NBA basketball player
 * Sam Raimi – director of many films including the Spider-Man trilogy
 * Terrell Ransom, Jr- child actor born in Royal Oak
 * Charlie White – ice dancer, Olympic silver medalist and World silver medalist
 * Damien Lewis – Grammy nominated recording engineer, producer and drummer