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View Poll Results: more urban:
Detroit 26 50.00%
Seattle 26 50.00%
Voters: 52. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 06-07-2010, 11:48 PM
 
902 posts, read 2,774,896 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pw72 View Post
I would recommend anyone take a look at google earth shots of Detroit. It is absolutely amazing and devasting how many neighborhoods have been bull-dozed. Many close in former neighborhoods now look like green parks from space, but of course, they are not. They are simply vacant lots that used to be vibrant neighborhoods. Quite sad.
This isn't only the result of bulldozing. There are many blocks in Detroit that are vacant due to arson over the years as well. No matter how it gets done, it must get done, as abandoned properties in Detroit are breeding grounds for criminals and as sad as it may be, they need to go.
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Old 06-08-2010, 12:51 AM
 
Location: Los Angeles
5,861 posts, read 15,173,601 times
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There are still some very nice neighborhoods in Detroit. Palmer Woods is absolutely beautiful.




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Old 06-08-2010, 01:31 AM
 
Location: Jersey Boy living in Florida
3,717 posts, read 8,146,662 times
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^ Just goes to show you, that even one of the most "run-down, gritty, ghetto, hell hole etc. etc. etc." cities has nice suburbs.
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Old 06-08-2010, 01:34 AM
 
Location: Austin, TX/Chicago, IL/Houston, TX/Washington, DC
10,138 posts, read 15,928,719 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by clean_polo View Post
^ Just goes to show you, that even one of the most "run-down, gritty, ghetto, hell hole etc. etc. etc." cities has nice suburbs.
Yeah my grandparents live in a pretty good area, it's pretty nice and lively there. But the suburb is half way to Ann Arbor from Detroit, so I don't know if that plays a huge role or not.
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Old 06-08-2010, 01:34 AM
 
Location: Spain
1,854 posts, read 4,899,463 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by pwright1 View Post
There are still some very nice neighborhoods in Detroit. Palmer Woods is absolutely beautiful.



Are those areas safe? I've heard a lot of places in metro Detroit (even the nicer ones) tend to have high crime rates due to the poverty in Detroit proper. I have an aunt and uncle in Ann Arbor and I know they've been broken into before by burglars from Detroit.
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Old 06-08-2010, 01:36 AM
 
Location: Jersey Boy living in Florida
3,717 posts, read 8,146,662 times
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^ That sounds logical, and I'm sure it happens. It probably happens more in cities like Detroit than a city like Boston or something. Any place where people are desperate for money are going to be targets, and if you happen to live close to Detroit city proper and have money, your liable to be a target.
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Old 06-08-2010, 04:26 AM
 
10 posts, read 33,858 times
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First off Palmer Woods is not a suburb but a neighborhood in the city. One of many neighborhoods where mansions (and there is a noticeable lack of the "Mc" prefix, we're talking 19th century construction when you were required to hire an architect for big homes) are for sale at the price of a ****ty little house in your trendy city. Indian Village, Palmer Woods, Woodbridge, Rosedale-Beaumont, Brush Park, parts of Jefferson Chalmers, Boston Edison. The caveat is that it's often block to block. Detroit's lost half its peak population and some 30% of the houses sit more or less vacant (squatters take note!). For modern urban renewal look no farther than Lafayette Park: Mies van der Rohe at ridiculous prices. Downtown high rises are sometimes a good find. Last year the Millender Center had 2 bedroom 2 bath for $940. Now they're at like $1200. That includes an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, and a people mover stop.

I've heard good things about Trolley Plaza. Eastern Market has some swanky lofts.

It's a flat city with little traffic and many lanes on its empty boulevards. (Bikers take note!)

There's no chain grocery stores within the city limits, the void filled by independent Spartan stores, delicious ethnic stores like East Asia Market, Honeybees and the Supermercados in Southwest, and Eastern Market: an amazing and cheap place to acquire food. Detroit's sometimes called a food desert yet on Saturdays people from the northern suburbs clog the exit on I-75 S to go to Eastern Market (hint get off at Gratiot instead of Mack). Yes the east side has people in poverty who may have problems accessing food. But most of the west side with the notable exception of Del Ray has a grocery store nearby.

Detroit also has a huge amount of farming. I don't know how they count it but this article says 120 tons on 80 acres. That's from the Greening's Garden Resource Program. Detroit Make it Here | The urban prairie: Detroit farms connect people, food

One of the things I love about Detroit is our attitude. Sure there's a lot of dreaming. But there's also a lot of "**** You." And that's what I have to say everyone who's afraid of being shot when they come here. Especially south of 94. My 70 year-old (white) great aunt has lived her entire life at McNichols (Six Mile) & Southfield on the Northwest side. You're making us look like cowards.

Stop complaining about how bad our major city is and start working to solve some of its issues. Especially if you live in the metro area. Join the reading or math corps. Join the Detroit Literacy Coalition. Join the Motor City Blight Busters.

If you use a car to get around you're going to die from a heart attack anyway. Get out the car. Get on a bike. Go swimming at (Olmsted designed) Belle Isle (yes, they do test the water!) Tour the fabulous ruins of American industrialism. (Yes you can just walk in if the plywood's missing. Yes we do have a huge Beaux Arts abandoned train station.) Live your goddamn life.

One more thing. Yes there are homeless people. This is America's 11th biggest city. Duh.
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Old 06-08-2010, 07:18 AM
 
Location: Lower East Side, Milwaukee, WI
2,943 posts, read 5,040,039 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by gogetta View Post
Your visiting Detroit? I really hope you have family there, because if not than visiting would not be a wise idea.
Care to explain why he shouldn't? If anything, Detroit needs more people spending their tourism dollars in that city.
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Old 06-08-2010, 09:20 AM
 
11,289 posts, read 26,048,610 times
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Another big reason for the total lack of buildings in areas is the history of arson in Detroit - much more than other cities.

Back in the 80's and early 90's, Devil's Night (around Halloween) was a huge yearly tradition of torching hundreds of abandoned buildings in the city. During the 80's when things peaked, upwards of 800 buildings would be torched during this annual period. I can't even imagine! I would be horrified and depressed if I looked out from my view in Chicago and saw hundreds and hundreds of fires burning around the city.

Now I believe the city tries to tear down buildings as they're abandoned, before they can be burned and cause temporary chaos. Maybe not? I had heard this at one point. Not sure if funding has a big effect here.

That's one thing that surprised me when I visited. I've been around the south/west sides of Chicago and seen some depopulated neighborhoods. There are certainly areas that are missing a lot of buildings, but overall a very large majority of Chicago's housing stock is up and in place. Go up to the entire north side and a large portion of the south side and it's almost universally in place. Go to Detroit and it's like random buildings in a field. Ghost sidewalks and foundations to nowhere.
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Old 06-08-2010, 09:26 AM
 
4,692 posts, read 9,255,770 times
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I voted Detroit due to its industrial past. Seattle is a beast but Detroit, IMO, is one of the premier urban cities in the country. I feel sorry for its current situation.
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