Royal Oak, Michigan
From Free net encyclopedia
Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a suburb of Detroit and is part of the Metro Detroit area. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 60,062. Royal Oak Charter Township is nearby, but is legally separate from the city.
Royal Oak was incorporated as a village in 1895, and as a city in 1921. The city's name originates from a tree located near the present day intersection of Crooks, Rochester, and Main that in 1819 reminded Territorial Governor Lewis Cass of the Royal Oak tree within which King Charles II of England hid to escape the Roundheads following the Battle of Worcester.
The past decade has seen much in the way of development as the city's downtown has been transformed into a trendy and urban-chic restaurant, shopping, and entertainment district. Construction is underway on six high-rise building developments, with completion expected by 2006. Points of Interest include: the Detroit Zoo, the renowned William Beaumont Hospital, the Royal Oak Music Theatre, the Main Art Theatre, and the many unique shops, cafes, and restaurants which line the streets of the downtown area. Its nightlife has attracted its share of celebrities, like Kid Rock, as well as 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. While many view this city as a trendy hang-out, people who have lived there a while will remember when the busiest business on Main Street was Billings Feed Co. Notably, on November 14, 1991, Thomas McIlvane killed five people, including himself, with a Ruger .22 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."
In the past decade the city has had a growing population of affluent gays and lesbians.
Contents |
Famous Citizens
- Tom Hayden - one of the founders of Students for a Democratic Society
- Father Charles Coughlin - one of the first Roman Catholic priests to preach to a widespread listening audience over the medium of radio during the Great Depression. His program became arguably more antisimitic as World War II approached. He helped bring national acclaim to the National Shrine of the Little Flower parish and Royal Oak Shrine Catholic High School.
- Kristen Bell - actress and Shrine Catholic High School graduate
- Glenn Frey - member of the band Eagles, who attended Dondero High School
- 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
- Jack Kevorkian - physician incarcerated for assisting patients' suicide
- Bruce Campbell - B-movie actor and director
- Andre Comeau - one of the original residents from the first season of MTV's The Real World.
Geography
Image:MIMap-doton-RoyalOak.PNG According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 30.6 km² (11.8 mi²). 30.6 km² (11.8 mi²) of it is land and none of it is covered by water.
Demographics
As of the census2 of 2000, there were 60,062 people, 28,880 households, and 14,440 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,961.9/km² (5,083.0/mi²). There were 29,942 housing units at an average density of 978.1/km² (2,534.0/mi²). 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. 1.30% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
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. 4.3% of the population and 2.0% of families were below the poverty line. 3.4% of those under the age of 18 and 5.5% of those 65 and older were living below the poverty line.
Transportation
Amtrak provides frequent passenger rail service on the Pontiac, Michigan-Detroit-Chicago Wolverine line with a stop in Royal Oak.
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 are is an interchange between interstate highways I-75 and I-696 in the southeast corner of the city. I-696 and Woodward Avenue (state highway M-1) about a mile west at the southwest 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 (state highway M-150) 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 (the northern end of M-150), although the road itself continues on far beyond the city of Rochester. This road used to also be the route of an early 1900's electric trolley line which connected downtown Royal Oak with downtown Rochester.