Are there any white neighborhoods left in Detroit? (Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor: work, home)

[southwest1230]

just wondering.....

[The Icy River Vagabond]

What percent white should they be to be considered a white neighborhood??

There is only like 2% actual white in the whole city.. i know the census claims like 10%, but that is inluding hispanics.

[princessemichigan]

What percentage of "whites" are you looking for? Minorities reside everywhere of course. I'm sure you know you will not be able to find a 100% white neighborhood anywhere. White people still live in Detroit, not as many as before, but a good amount.

[southwest1230]

I guess I'm referring to something approaching over 50%, which I would think the barest to qualify as a white neighborhood. By white I mean the typical european ethnic, whether first or fifteenth generation. I thought I heard that Hamtrammack was the last bastion of white ethnics left, and that that is gone too. This is just out of curiousity.
I've heard that Detroit was gentrifying its DT to a certain extent, and this led me to wonder if there were any old line working-class ethnic white(you know, polish, serb, croatian, italian, etc.) neighborhoods still left. Not completely intact, of course, but with somewhat approaching 50% or so left. I would presume that it would be on the outskirts of the city if any were left. Just talking Detroit city limits. Do any of you see a resurgence of interest in the city in the future by former suburbanites, like Chicago has been doing? Thanks for the info!

[Cliffie]

Well, Hamtramck is still overwhlemingly white. So are the Pointes and Birmingham, but you might not consider them to be the real thing. The city itself is about 80% black so there have to be some whites in there somewhere!

[and the]

I don't think there are any neighborhoods in the city that are THAT white. Southwest Detroit probably has the most European-American residents these days, per capita.

I don't see much interest in the city by suburbanites other than those who come for the entertainment angle. Bars, etc.

[southwest1230]

Sounds like the last remaining white Detroit neighborhoods would be near Dearborn....It would be nice if Detroit could clear out the DT area and get a bunch of people in there. You have the Detroit river and Ontario right OVER the river, so you have nice scenery. I really wish I tried to get to know Detroit and its people more over the 35 years I've lived in Chicago. I'm ashamed to say I've just been there once. I remember it having the same feel as Chicago. I just don't think there is anything special about Chicago that makes it the only city in the midwest to gentrify old areas and DT. I think you would have to bulldoze much of the area surrounding DT, however, and build essentially a whole new neighborhood. If you literally bulldozed 1/5 of the city around downtown, it could happen......

[mewchat]

Please don't think I am a racist or anything but I got out of Detroit in 1993 and I ain't going back. Why do you want to move there anyways? I lost 4 cars in two years and I received many midnight skeletal stolen car drop offs too. I was moving my lawn mower to my front yard and someone helped themselves to my grass whip before I got back. I must have painted my garage 10 times since the locals thought I wanted their wanna be gang stuff decorating my property. Oh and lets not forget how wonderful the city itself is to work with. I lived in one of those so called white neighborhoods probably 80% but that don't mean anything. Do yourself a major favor and buy in a ethnically diverse but better neighborhood. I moved to Ann Arbor boy what a difference and my Girlfriend lives in Royal Oak that is an awsome place too.
Hope you find a great home to live in,
Mewchat

[M TYPE X]

I just don't see how Michigan can survive on Ann Arbors, Royal Oaks, and Grand Rapidses. Detroit city government needs to be cleaned up and new development needs to transform entire neighborhoods.

I'm not placing any money on this. I'm not a betting man.

[and the]

They need to come up with some kind of modified eminent domain legislation that makes it easier to take whole blocks. Sounds mean, and you might get some people out there with rifles and shotguns like they did when they built the Poletown plant, but there's just no way they can make reasonably fast progress taking years to acquire properties just to tear down, let alone rezone and develop.

I anticipate real problems when they start putting the new bridge in. The players have been quietly acquiring land in southwest Detroit for the new bridge and resultant ramps and freeway access roads for years. Let's see what happens around Fort Wayne in the near future.