Novi got its name from being stagecoach stop No. VI on the line between Detroit and Lansing. The use of this tale in a Great Lakes Myth Society song is arguably the city's only cultural claim to fame. In 1959, the Village of Novi was considering becoming a city and in 1969, after several failed attempts, it did.

Today, Novi is primarily known as a "shopping district" – housing the Twelve Oaks Mall and several strip shopping centers. The area also includes several restaurants and bars. --Jacquie Trost