If you don't like Detroit..... (Dearborn, Wayne: low crime, new house, buying)

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by and the

Outside the things that suburbanite Mike Illitch built, most of the best things about Detroit were built by people who have been dead for decades. I guess Detroiters can be proud that they haven't torn them all down (yet). Palmer Park? Detroit Golf Club? Book Cadillac? Guardian Building? Detroit Symphony Orchestra? Detroit Institute of Arts? What have today's Detroiters built besides graft, vice, corruption and division? Bars...casinos.....a sidewalk along the river....paved over an old railroad right of way...below street grade.........

Actually maybe you should do your research. Most of the newer homes built between when Kwame was in office until now have been funded by people of Detoit. For example all those homes on Alter rd were funded by a woman from the westside. Who still resides in the city may I add

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by Schoolcraft

I love Detroit, but I have to concur it's pretty bad what's happened to the city... even from when I was a kid (which was not that long ago). Everybody has the right to their opinion, but the people who come on here with garbage like "bulldoze the whole city into the Detroit river" can be pretty annoying and are pretty useless. The people who come on here and say "there's no hope for the city to recover" are people who seem to me to feel alienated from the city now and want to come back and change things but are afraid to... bottom line is, you may be rubbed the wrong way by somebody's opinion, but it's their opinion. ForStarters is ALWAYS positive about Detroit, but I won't get mad at him for that (though I'm sure somebody will)... so the other side can voice their opinion too, even if many of the opinions come from people who have no idea what they're talking about.

Being concerned about the future of Detroit and what is happening now is one thing. Being ignorant and arrogrant and simply signing up for C-D to say negative things is another. When I say negative I don't mean "Oh I moved from Detroit in 60s. Its a shame what happened." I mean things like "They should just burn the city" or "Detroit is a cesspool" or the lying about how you got robbed or carjacked just to deter people from finding out more. So many people on here even go as far as making up stats about how many people who live in the city are worthless. All the while none even come to the city to know the people.

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by forstarters

i know this is directed at detroitlove, but i think i share some of his sentiments when i say that the detroit bashing gets old. People who promote the incredibly good things in detroit aren't asking people to do anything. Just to not crap all over it. I would say that in the last 2-5 years, much of detroit's core has improved immensely, as well as certain neighborhoods. My folks who are life-long metro detroiters came down to visit the other day and couldn't believe how nice midtown and downtown are today versus in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. Granted, my parents are of the type who never come into the city and basically have nothing to do with it.

There are new developments everywhere, along woodward, in new center, along the river, in downtown, etc. Brand new restaurants, lofts, starbucks, retail, and so on are sprouting up everyday. I had to physically show them the stuff going on because they wouldn't believe me if i just told them. I would venture to say that there are many people like my parents all over country, who are getting mixed messages about detroit. The media focuses mostly on what is bad, when there is more positive here than negative to report on in recent history.

I will say that i am at the point where i don't care to keep using my time to convince people to come and enjoy detroit. If people don't come and enjoy what i have, that's okay. But for the sake of detroit based businesses who benefit from tourism and visitors, i feel bad when someone who has never been to detroit has decided not to come here because some other fool who came here once 15 years ago says it is a scary place and everyone is dying. That is a total fallacy.

The ball is already rolling. I am happy as a pig in poop living in this city, and i'm well-traveled. Detroit is a great time with great people, great attractions, and a great sense of community and optimism. If you don't want to have access to everything being built in detroit, then don't come. Just don't make it harder than it already is for people and businesses who are investing in detroit to get their feet off the ground by trashing its image. That's not right. If a business fails because you give the impression that there's nothing good about detroit, that's a handful of more unemployed michiganders and the consequences that come with that.

c/s 100%

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by fmax

Michigan Educational Assessment Program (MEAP) scores will tell the answer.

Look up the historic data. Are the kids/schools trending in the smart/better, about the same as or worse than years gone by direction.

Usually, better educated people have a better quality of life.

And usually when there are no jobs people tend not to care about education. Why waste all that time and money for a higher education if you can't get a job? even I feel like that sometimes. Especially since they have been ripping jobs from Detroit since the 60s

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by us66

His Detroit (WSU/downtown/Cass Corridor) shows promise and is a lot different than, say, Kelly and Hayes. If he were there I'm sure he would be leading the chorus calling for Detroit to sink into the river.

and if he were to think that way he would be an idiot too. In order for the rest of the city to get back on track we HAVE to have a good downtown, midtown, financial district etc. We have to have businesses to attract people to the city in order to have stable housing. If there are no jobs within the city limits people will continue to leave. We have to get that in order along with education (which by the way is improving....slowly but surely) FIRST. Of course the homes are going to fall apart if no one is staying in them. The city has really on made continuous strides to improve the city within the last couple of yrs. We have to be patient and become a part of the solution instead of the problem.

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by Schoolcraft

And that's my point... if you know Detroit, you understand that it's not all good or all bad. Negative folks ignore the areas on the come up and positive folks ignore all the areas on the downfall.

Im positive but I don't ignore the negative. I kNOW Detroit needs a lot. I've said it before. Hence why I have vowed to LIVE here, hopefully work here and keep whatever wealth (if any lol) I have HERE. All while doing anything I can to better myself and MY city. But you have to point out some of the positives sometimes in order for people to find the city attractive at all.

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by us66

"Like I've explained on here plenty of times how even in 2006 before I moved to Florida my neighborhood went from nice, majority owner, working people who sent their children to school and took care of their homes to now many whom rent, don't care about their children's education and homes when I moved back in 2008. I still never come on here with anything negative about Detroit or any city for that matter. Plus seeing as 95% of the posters on here don't live in Detroit and never have or left in the 60s, 70s and 80s. Majority don't visit and never have. But somehow manage to take time out their day to say something negative. I haven't even read everyone's reply yet but I'm willing to bet most are negative"

1. Sounds like you're having a negative experience in the city as we speak. Go ahead and say something negative about it; it's true.
Why would I bash the city that made me who I am?. One negative experience does not change my view or my love my city and my Detroit people
2. I don't consider myself a Detroiter. I have never lived in the city (never lived south of 13 Mile for that matter) and probably never will, as long as they have that stupid city income tax and that ridiculous level of property taxation unless you live in an enterprise zone. I may be a metro Detroiter but on vacation I usually tell everyone I'm from "near Windsor." Heck, my parents never even lived in the city. One grew up in Warren Village and the other in Sterling Township (now Sterling Heights).
I figured
3. I do have a positive thing to say about the city here and there. The city does amaze sometimes. Plus, I come all the way from Harrison Township to get Chinese take-out near downtown. I did look fairly seriously at houses in Detroit 2002-2004. Glad I didn't buy.
never seen a positive post from you. Maybe you have maybe you haven't

Actually most of what the posters on here say are not based on experiences. there obviously based on what the media tells them. Even people from the metro area. In reality majority of the suburbanites never ride through the city unless its for something they shouldn't be doing. The only part of the city where suburbanites hang out really is downtown for sports events or concerts then back to the burbs. Yes there are some who do come in other areas and have friends who live in the city but thats not the case with the majority. Some of the same posters who will say they do everything they can to avoid the city on one thread will get on another thread and say someone car jacked them smh.

Oh and btw when you say "we speak well of Detroit" who do you mean? because honestly you're one poster I've seen on many threads who posts only negative comments.

4. There have been some negative posters complaining about the city based on their own real experiences and those of people they know. I made that post the other day about boycotting Detroit; the examples I gave were based on my experiences in the city such as overpriced goods and of stores treating Detroiters like second-class citizens. If I post negatively it's usually based on fact (like when I bellyache about the taxes) or experience (see above). There are plenty of other posters that say things to the effect of "Detroit should just fall into the river."
I still believe most haven't had an experience in the city. Especially the ones claiming someone carjacked them then on the next thread saying they do all they can to drive around the city or how they never cross 8mile. Much more of those posts than anything IMO
5. Like I said, I go to a restaurant near downtown for something I could get a mile away. I do occasionally visit the shopping center at 8 and Gratiot; the dollar store is very good and Aldi is one of my favorite stores. 8 and Cushing has a great local pizzeria and before the suburban Pizza Huts had Wingstreet I'd go down to Warren and Cadieux or 8 and Hayes for boneless wings. I nearly bought a car a few years ago from a Detroit GM dealer but his interest rate was usurious and I told him that, in front of his other customers . I occasionally get my license plates from Detroit Secretary of State offices; Bel Air Center is slower than molasses but Mexicantown is fairly quick. See? I do things in the city when I don't have to. The city needs me (and more importantly, my money) far more than I need the city. I actually don't go downtown all that often, except for an occasional chili dog at Lafayette or American. I'm partial to places that offer free parking and I almost never go to sporting events down there; the players make too much money and I don't want to support them.
you are one in very few
6. "...we speak well of Detroit..." I meant us as a whole; some of us on here speak wonderful things of the city.


Seriously you're (and many others) going to blame Detroit for MI problem when last I checked MI has plenty of cities with crime and blight. Hello Flint, Benton Harbor, Ypsi (not township, the booneys), Pontiac, Lansing, Mt Clemens, Hazel Park, Warren etc are you serious? MI as whole need to get its stuff together. Stop blaming US for all of MI problems. Plenty people who live in those cities I mentioned have never stepped foot in Detroit.

7. You make a great point there. There are other areas with problems. I never said any of these places were great. You're right, Michigan does need to get its stuff together. Will it happen? With a state as dis-unified as Michigan, it's hard to tell.
That was my point. Yes Detroit has some influence on MI but not only Detroit

snoopygirlmi: I haven't spent my entire life in Detroit. I moved here and it was a huge culture shock. I have never been in a city so preoccupied by race and "where you live" (as if it defines a person). I've only recently had the sense that this was "home".

8. Ain't that the truth. You'd swear this was Johannesburg. As for where you live, my guess is that it's because there's probably like 50+ different place names in the metro, each with a different history and cultural identity, and a different sense of social standing and status. Birmingham certainly isn't like Redford Township which isn't like Marine City which isn't like Clawson. Each have different meanings, so to speak, than others. Our identity is locked up in these place names, pure and simple, and it's similar in other areas, like Chicago, with its strong individual neighborhood identity (not nearly as strong in most of Detroit), or Los Angeles, where "place" is so important the real estate agents will take a property on the edge of a bad area and say it's "adjacent" to a more desirable area without using the name of the lesser area. Sense of home for me here is only because I know the road system very well. I feel more at home in Cleveland or Las Vegas, personally.

my reply in red

[fmax]

detroitlove,

"Why waste all that time and money for a higher education if you can't get a job?"

Are you serious?

Or are you thinking Detroiters willing lead themselves into a desperate, self-reinforcing poverty loop?

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by fmax

detroitlove,

"Why waste all that time and money for a higher education if you can't get a job?"

Are you serious?

Or are you thinking Detroiters willing lead themselves into a desperate, self-reinforcing poverty loop?

Many people all over the country feel like this. I guess you think the housing slump, outsourcing of jobs and lay offs, the banks making things worst, coorperations basically forcing people into proverty only affected Detroit? I didn't say every single last person feels this way I said many (no __ when many people, even ones from Detroit are in college as we speak). People seek higher educations in hopes that they will be able to use the skills they gain. If there aren't any jobs (in this current state of the US) many people don't have the money and/or the initiative to get higher educations

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by detroitlove

What is your purpose of coming on here? I'm just very interested in why so many have joined C-D ONLY to talk bad about Detroit? Half of the people on here have never even been so what is your purpose?. Same goes for suburbanites? why do you come on here if its only to down Detroit? I mean I don't particularly like Daytona Beach BUT you won't catch me on their forum simply to talk bad about it.

Hmmmmm...because I lived there? Ever lived in Daytona Beach? I even go on the Madison WI board and post, as well as the Boulder CO board. I have posted on WV and OH too. I have even posted on the NM board. Has C-D made residency a requirement for posting on a board?


With family in the city and area, I think I just give them a voice. Don't hate the player--hate the reality of the game...Don't be hatin cause someone posts a news article--after all if it bleeds it leads...and Detroit has some great headlines.