One Of Detroit's Most Desirable Suburbs Is A Laid-Back City Overflowing With Shops And Endless Family Fun

From "the Paris of the Midwest" to picture-perfect small towns, Michigan is full of fascinating places to visit. About 30 miles outside of Detroit, you'll find the affluent suburb of Novi, Michigan, known for its shopping and family fun. With a population of about 66,000 people, Novi is one of the fastest-growing cities in the state as well one of the wealthiest.

Novi is best known for Twelve Oaks Mall, one of the biggest malls in the state. Home to nearly 200 stores, Twelve Oaks has been a Michigan landmark since 1977.You'll find even more shops and restaurants in Novi Town Center and Twelve Mile Crossing. Along with visiting the popular chain stores, take some time to stop by local shops like Read It Again Books, a cozy used bookstore. Additionally, Novi is a hotspot for family fun thanks to popular spots like the 10-acre entertainment center Paradise Park and Michigan State University's Tollgate Farm. (MSU is located in nearby East Lansing, also home to a museum where the architecture rivals the art.)

Families with young children will find it easy to keep kids entertained in Novi. Young kids love entertainment centers like Paradise Park, Launch Family Entertainment, and Putting Edge, with activities like trampolines and arcade games to keep them entertained. For preteens and teens, Five Senses Escape Room is a popular activity, and luxury movie theater Emagine Novi plays family films both recent and classic.

Alternatively, you can keep things simple (and free) by going to a playground. Northwest Park has one of the only nature playgrounds in the state, letting kids climb on wood and stone structures; Bosco Fields Park contains a water play area known as Jessica's Splashpad, which opened in 2024 in memory of local meteorologist Jessica Starr; and Ella Mae Power Park (above) has an inclusive playground incorporating accessibility and sensory features for kids of all abilities. Lakeshore Park also has two playgrounds as well as a swimming beach that's popular in the summer. Finally, there's Michigan State University's Tollgate Farm and Education Center. Tollgate Farm is free to visit (with a suggested donation of $5) and offers 22 ornamental gardens, walking trails, and farm animals. Visit in the spring to meet and play with baby goats!

In addition to shopping and family fun, Novi has a few hidden gems. One is Villa Barr Art Park (above), a four-acre park that opened in 2018. Built on the home and grounds of a Novi couple, sculptor David Barr and dancer Beth Dwaihy Barr, Villa Barr Art Park contains gardens and a sculpture park as well as a studio hosting rotating resident artists. One Tripadvisor reviewer calls it a "lovely legacy of art set in nature."

Feeling hungry? Stop by one of Novi's restaurants, like the award-winning steakhouse Black Rock Bar & Grill or Mediterranean hotspot Olga's. Diamond Jim Brady's Bistro Bar is a longtime staple — it opened in Detroit in 1954 and relocated to Novi in 1991. Try the famous DJB Big Burger, dubbed "the Detroit Original."

Novi is also home to the Michigan State Fair, which takes place at a local convention center every Labor Day weekend. You'll find rides and games, live music, an "American Idol"-style singing competition, and even a butter cow carved out of hundreds of pounds of butter.