Milan, MI

157 Apartments for Rent

Though Milan shares its name with the Italian city known for art and fashion, it's not pronounced the same way. To avoid looking like a newbie when you visit, make sure to say "MY-lan," not "Mi-LAN."

Milan is a city of 5,836 residents that's located partly in Washtenaw County and partly in Monroe County. Despite the community's dual governments, its residents have a strong sense of shared history. Milan was founded in 1831 and still contains a number of historic buildings, which served the commercial and residential needs of its early inhabitants. Today, residents of Milan frequently cross the county line to shop, dine, visit with friends and take advantage of all the amenities their community has to offer.

Moving to Milan

No worries if you don't have an intricate game plan for moving to Milan, as the city is a casual, friendly type of place. (Would you expect anything less from a community that started life with the name of "Farmer," after the primary occupation of its first residents?) Plenty of housing options are available, both along the business drag and in the city's residential areas. If you're thinking about renting an apartment in Milan, check out complexes like Parkside Lane and Culver Estates, which offer one and two-bedroom apartments for rent. If a home for rent is more your style, you're also in luck, as a variety of options are available throughout the city, including single units in large homes, and entire house rentals themselves. Just make sure you have all the right paperwork with you -- this means picture ID, proof of income and letters of reference or a rental history.

Neighborhoods in Milan

Because Milan is a small city, it doesn't have clearly defined neighborhoods. However, its downtown area is a center of activity, notable for the number of historic buildings that it contain -- so many, in fact, that the area is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Many of Milan's homes are two-story structures that date from the early 1900s, and maintain a variety of architectural styles. One of the city's most historic buildings is its Community House, a stately two-story white-sided structure that Henry Ford once owned and used to process soybeans that were later made into automobile paint. The house is now a venue for community and private events. The Hack House is another historic building with a unique past; the Victorian structure, built in 1888, was home to a widow who fled New York City to escape investors that she had helped defraud as part of a fake sugar-refining scheme.

Living in Milan

Milan might be a low-key type of place, but it still offers plenty of entertainment options. The Milan Dragway is a hotspot, attracting residents and visitors who love fast cars and roaring engines. The annual Milan Bluegrass Festival is also a popular attraction. Touted as "Michigan's Finest Bluegrass Festival," it draws fans of old-time music from throughout the area. In terms of dining options, Milan offers chain standards like McDonald's and Big Boy, as well as locally owned options like the Milan Bakery. The city also has a Kroger grocery store, as well as chain hardware stores and pharmacies. For more heavy-duty errands, Milan residents make the 25-minute drive to Ann Arbor, a city with no shortage of shopping, dining and entertainment venues.