Is detroit really as bad as people say? (Wayne, Grosse Pointe Woods: crime, how much)

[omgsh]

I hear a lot of bad things about detroit. You guys have a really bad reputation. Is detroit really a giant ghetto like people make it seem like? Because my city (philly) doesn't really have a good rep(not as bad as detroits) but a lot of what people think about it isn't true in terms of safety and stuff, so I'm guessing detroit is the same way?

[us66]

I've been to Philadelphia a couple of times and most of it feels ten times better than most of Detroit. Going to south Philly and walking a few blocks from the parking spot to Pat's? It can be done in and near downtown Detroit for the most part, though you might be panhandled, you can probably do it in SW Detroit right around the concentration of Mexican restaurants near the Ambassador Bridge (that few blocks feels a lot like the Pat's/Geno's intersection, but a notch below qualitywise, but in the average Detroit neighborhood? Naah. There are areas in Detroit (the eastern edge next to Grosse Pointe Farms, Grosse Pointe Woods, and Harper Woods) that remind me a really teeny bit of NE Philly (I think it's the red brick), but less dense, but those neighborhoods aren't quite as good and they've gone down quite a bit in the last few years.
The other difference between the two is that chain stores are hard to find in Detroit. There might be a good neighborhood but other than a Rite Aid and an auto parts store, there's not much available there and most Detroiters end up in suburban areas to shop. There are no malls or modern power centers in the city, either.
The bad stuff in Philadelphia is probably as bad as the stuff in Detroit, but there's probably a higher percentage of Detroit's land mass that is to be avoided.

[UKUKUK]

In short, no.

It has its areas that should be avoided. They're quite large, but the nice parts are definitely there.

[edub]

It's much worse. Detroit is a full out war zone. There are some decent areas down town set up for suburbanites and most suburbanites get their impressions of the city from these tiny pockets. But, the neighborhoods are war zones where it's pretty much like the wild west.

All of us business owners carry guns (I personally have had to brandish mine) and it is rare to find a store without bullet proof glass. If you can find a McDonnell's, even they have BPG. Most of the buildings are vacant and have been stripped to the bone and many houses are just falling in or burned. Plus, a tiny percentage of crime is even reported because everyone knows it does no good and most of the victims have warrants for their arrest to begin with.

No, Detroit is not a functioning "city" in the same way Philly or Chicago is. It is more of an urban wasteland and a humanitarian disaster.

[Jwo85]

Originally Posted by edub

It's much worse. Detroit is a full out war zone. There are some decent areas down town set up for suburbanites and most suburbanites get their impressions of the city from these tiny pockets. But, the neighborhoods are war zones where it's pretty much like the wild west.

All of us business owners carry guns (I personally have had to brandish mine) and it is rare to find a store without bullet proof glass. If you can find a McDonnell's, even they have BPG. Most of the buildings are vacant and have been stripped to the bone and many houses are just falling in or burned. Plus, a tiny percentage of crime is even reported because everyone knows it does no good and most of the victims have warrants for their arrest to begin with.

No, Detroit is not a functioning "city" in the same way Philly or Chicago is. It is more of an urban wasteland and a humanitarian disaster.

Some examples of the users definition of the wild west being all in Detroit is seen below.
detroit - Google Maps

detroit - Google Maps

detroit - Google Maps

detroit - Google Maps

[fmax]

Search Radius: 1.0 Mile

The first cite:

18772 Northlawn St, Detroit, MI 48221-2088

165 crimes
between 6/1/2010 - 7/8/2010


The second cite is safer:

155 crimes
between 6/1/2010 - 7/8/2010


The 3rd cite is much safer:

70 crimes
between 6/1/2010 - 7/8/2010


The 4th cite has by far the least crime:

49 crimes
between 6/1/2010 - 7/8/2010

CrimeMapping.com - National Map

[Browneyes29]

Originally Posted by edub

It's much worse. Detroit is a full out war zone. There are some decent areas down town set up for suburbanites and most suburbanites get their impressions of the city from these tiny pockets. But, the neighborhoods are war zones where it's pretty much like the wild west.

All of us business owners carry guns (I personally have had to brandish mine) and it is rare to find a store without bullet proof glass. If you can find a McDonnell's, even they have BPG. Most of the buildings are vacant and have been stripped to the bone and many houses are just falling in or burned. Plus, a tiny percentage of crime is even reported because everyone knows it does no good and most of the victims have warrants for their arrest to begin with.

No, Detroit is not a functioning "city" in the same way Philly or Chicago is. It is more of an urban wasteland and a humanitarian disaster.

So the entire city is an "urban wasteland and a humanitarian disaster" huh?

[canudigit]

Originally Posted by edub

It's much worse. Detroit is a full out war zone. There are some decent areas down town set up for suburbanites and most suburbanites get their impressions of the city from these tiny pockets. But, the neighborhoods are war zones where it's pretty much like the wild west.

All of us business owners carry guns (I personally have had to brandish mine) and it is rare to find a store without bullet proof glass. If you can find a McDonnell's, even they have BPG. Most of the buildings are vacant and have been stripped to the bone and many houses are just falling in or burned. Plus, a tiny percentage of crime is even reported because everyone knows it does no good and most of the victims have warrants for their arrest to begin with.

No, Detroit is not a functioning "city" in the same way Philly or Chicago is. It is more of an urban wasteland and a humanitarian disaster.

Nice way to describe a place filled with living, breathing, human beings, many of whom just want a safe place to live and raise their kids, kids who are filled with who knows how much talent and potential. And let's not forget the elderly who are on fixed incomes and couldn't leave Detroit if they wanted to. Most of them worked hard and contributed to society when they were younger. A humanitarian disaster? Wow. Just...wow.

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by edub

It's much worse. Detroit is a full out war zone. There are some decent areas down town set up for suburbanites and most suburbanites get their impressions of the city from these tiny pockets. But, the neighborhoods are war zones where it's pretty much like the wild west.

All of us business owners carry guns (I personally have had to brandish mine) and it is rare to find a store without bullet proof glass. If you can find a McDonnell's, even they have BPG. Most of the buildings are vacant and have been stripped to the bone and many houses are just falling in or burned. Plus, a tiny percentage of crime is even reported because everyone knows it does no good and most of the victims have warrants for their arrest to begin with.

No, Detroit is not a functioning "city" in the same way Philly or Chicago is. It is more of an urban wasteland and a humanitarian disaster.

LOL....really??

[us66]

It's not quite a humanitarian disaster, but two-thirds of the place barely functions, if at all.