Pretend for a moment that the cities of metro Detroit exist in the same sort of social hierarchy traditionally relegated to high school. Within this gedankenexperiment, Oakland County would certainly hold much of the popular clique. There’s Upscale Birmingham, Trendy Royal Oak, and Cool, Hip Ferndale. These three alone would make the O. C. the lunch table to sit at. But, then what would be said of their small neighbor, Berkley? Where would it fit in?

The truth is, once you get to Berkley, the experiment fails. The social politics of high school are transitory. Berkley is not.

Content in letting its stylish neighbors command all the attention. Berkley continues on as a tight-knit community offering small-town amenities in the midst of a thriving metropolitan area.

The city continues to honor the promises the suburbs made to the post-WWII American middle class. Its neighborhoods are quiet and lush with trees. It is full of parks (eight in total). There are regular civic-sponsored events. It champions the serenity of a bungalow backyard over the view from a loft/condo balcony. It’s a family town and, perhaps surprisingly, a place many younger, urban-minded people have started to call home.

Within Berkley’s city limits, 12 Mile Road becomes Main Street, USA. Here you’ll find George’s Shoe Repair and Jerry’s TV (an electronics service center); two businesses holding out against the idea that everything is, or should be, disposable. Close by, America’s Stamp Shop caters to the age-old hobbies of stamp and coin collecting. Though the neighborhood theater is no longer around, the marquee is still there, and is now used to make community announcements.  

Other signs of simpler times exist as well. On the West edge of the downtown, an A & W sits; still offering drive-in service. Most lunches find the parking lot full, as waitresses run trays of burgers, fries, and floats back and forth to the hungry diners in their cars. Not far away is Clark’s Ice Cream. Many loyally swear it’s the best in the metro area. A drive past on any warm night seems to support this, as entire families line up outside the small stand for an after dinner treat. On the other side of town, Alex’s, though now housed in a new building, still serves up the kind of no-pretense family dining where a cup of steaming soup comes to the table unapologetically sloshing over onto its saucer.

Among the city’s boutiques, hand-craftsmanship is a noted attribute. Ida Belle offers a large selection of soaps handmade by the owner. Custom orders can be placed for gifts for special events. Next door, Have You Any Wool stocks a full range of materials for knitting and offers classes, workshops, and events dedicated to the craft.

The air of Pleasantville found in Berkley’s downtown is not lost on Catching Fireflies. The corner gift boutique, named ‘Top Gift Shop’ by Hour Magazine, sells gifts, home goods, and accessories steeped in Americana and kitsch.

Despite any allusions to the contrary however, Berkley is not simply the land that time forgot. The owners of The Berkley Front understand this better than anybody. Thirteen years ago they opened their American bier garten in a downtown with no other nightlife. Currently offering 42 beers on tap, and 80 more in bottles, the Berkley Front has become a locals' hangout and destination spot alike. Thursdays through Saturdays, its upstairs music venue, The Dean Martini Lounge, packs the crowds in with an impressive roster of local bands.

Next door to the Berkley Front, 24 Seconds caters to the more sports-minded drinking crowd (its name being a reference to the shot clock in basketball). Its island bar is flanked above on all sides with plasma TVs. Other TVs and projectors broadcast sports on most conceivable surfaces in the place. The bar’s roof top patio offers the ability to take in a game while still taking advantage of Michigan’s fleeting fair weather season.

In no danger of becoming just another bar strip, Berkley’s downtown features the Michigan School of Myomassology and, across the way, the House of Yoga. Both offer classes and workshops in their respective disciplines.

Next door to the House of Yoga, Nippon Grille has served sushi, tempura, and noodles, for the past three years, in a space formerly occupied by an Italian restaurant. Berkley’s central location was a prime reason listed by the grille’s owner in opening his business here. Though much of the clientele comes from the nearby cities, Nippon Grille draws a steady stream of locals enthused to have such an option in their neighborhood.

On Berkley’s Woodward Ave. border, another destination is Westborn Market, which draws shoppers from all over metro Detroit. Beyond the fresh produce and flowers its known for, Westborn offers a full range of upscale ingredients, a large selection of wines, a full meat counter, and a section dedicated to in-house prepared food to go.

Though decidedly not as fashion-forward or crepuscular as it’s oft-discussed neighboring cities, Berkley offers a central location to all the metro areas attractions while still maintaining a small town charm within its own limits.