West Ferndale

About West Ferndale

West Ferndale runs from Woodward Avenue west to the city limit at Republic Street (south of 9 Mile) and Hyland Street (north of 9 Mile), with 8 Mile forming the southern boundary and Oakridge Street the northern edge. The grid is interrupted by Livernois and Pinecrest, which serve as the neighborhood’s primary north–south spines, and 9 Mile cuts the area roughly in half. Lots tend to run slightly larger here than in the east-of-Woodward blocks, and the tree canopy is noticeably more mature on the interior streets.

The housing mix spans the same 1920s–1950s development window as the rest of pre-war Ferndale — bungalows, Tudors, English cottages, and small Colonials — with a steady current of newer infill and significant renovations on the blocks closest to Pleasant Ridge. Detached garages off rear alleys are common, lot widths sit mostly in the 40–50 foot range, and a number of streets retain their original brick pavement. No HOA governs the area; the City of Ferndale’s zoning ordinance is the only overlay.

Schools are predominantly Ferndale Public Schools, with most students feeding into Ferndale Upper Elementary, Ferndale Middle, and Ferndale High School on Pinecrest. A small northwestern pocket near the Pleasant Ridge border can fall into different boundaries depending on year — assignments should always be confirmed against the district’s address lookup rather than assumed from prior owners.

West Ferndale’s appeal is the combination of walkability to the 9 Mile and Woodward downtown without sitting on top of it — most addresses are a 5- to 15-minute walk from the core but back onto quiet residential blocks. The Ferndale Public Library, Geary Park, and Martin Road Park anchor day-to-day life, and neighbors stay loosely connected through the broader Ferndale community Facebook groups and Nextdoor. The Pleasant Ridge border on the north side adds a small premium to those streets.