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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. The city is noted for its significant gay and lesbian population.
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.
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."
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, Mark Ridley's Comedy Castle, and the many unique shops, cafes, and restaurants which line the streets of the downtown area. In addition, the offices of Hour Detroit, a Metro Detroit lifestyle magazine, are located in the city. In recent years, some of downtown Royal Oak's edgier commercial establishments have closed, replaced by chain restaurants and large condominium complexes.
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 over 3,000 members for social and emotional support and fun activities.
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 is bordered by Pleasant Ridge, Ferndale and Hazel Park to the south, Berkley, Huntington Woods, Southfield and Beverly Hills to the West, Birmingham, Troy and Clawson to the North, and Madison Heights to the East.
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 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.
The city is served by Royal Oak Neighborhood Schools. It contains a location of Oakland Community College.
In recent years Royal Oak has begun to consolidate its public schools in response to enrollment levels that are lower than that over the baby boom era. In 2006, the city's two public high schools were combined into a new Royal Oak High School. Beginning in 2007, the city's two middle schools will be combined into one, named Royal Oak Middle School. Finally the total number of elementary schools will be reduced to six.[1] However some parents have protested the planned closure and demolition of Longfellow and Whittier elementary schools and are seeking to have them considered for historic district recognition by way of signed petition.[2]
Royal Oak utilizes the Council-Manager form of government, and thus is governed by a city council consisting of a mayor and six council members. The city council appoints a city manager, who manages the day-to-day operations of the city.
The current mayor of Royal Oak is Jim Ellison, and the city manager is Thomas Hoover.
Current city commissioners are Michael Andrzejak, Patricia Capello, Terry Drinkwine, Carlo P Ginotti, Gary Lelito, & Stephen Miller
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.
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 Royal Oak Mirror.
The popular 1990s sitcom Home Improvement is set in Royal Oak.
Downtown Royal Oak features a wide assortment of nightlife venues, including The Royal Oak Music Theatre and The Landmark Main Art Theatre. The many restaurants range in fair 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.
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.
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.