An outsider's perspective of Detroit (read) (Grand Rapids, Ann Arbor: lofts, crime, school)

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by 4DM1N

Troll post or not, some of OP's points were valid IMO. People should be made aware of the bad, as well as the good, of a particular region. Especially if they are thinking about moving there. It's in their best interest. I made the mistake once of listening to all the positive banter about how great an area was to live and how it was coming back. And then when I got there, I saw the reality of the situation. OP, however biased, gives a pretty candid review of the region. People should take note as to what they may be getting themselves into.

That is true. However, also calling it the worst (or best) metropolitan area to live in is a stretch. Many of the arguments against Detroit seem to offer no comparison in what makes other mention cities better or worst. I'm pretty sure people aren't flocking to the Sun Belt for the downtowns of those cities. They've only just recently begun investing in them just as Detroit and other cities have.

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

However, also calling it the worst (or best) metropolitan area to live in is a stretch.

Correct if I'm wrong, but I don't think anyone said Detroit was the worst (or best) metropolitan area to live in...

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by 313Weather

Correct if I'm wrong, but I don't think anyone said Detroit was the worst (or best) metropolitan area to live in...

It might have been another thread where it was directly said, but I can hardly tell when so many threads rehash the same arguments and statements almost on a weekly basis.

[4DM1N]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

It might have been another thread where it was directly said, but I can hardly tell when so many threads rehash the same arguments and statements almost on a weekly basis.

The first step is admitting there is a problem. Some people seem to be in denial over it. That doesn't help the cause for fixing the city.

Personally, I can't wait to hear about Detroit having real big city problems (traffic; high COL; influx of hipsters, hippies and yuppies). Then we'll know there's been progress.

[newdixiegirl]

Originally Posted by 4DM1N

The first step is admitting there is a problem. Some people seem to be in denial over it. That doesn't help the cause for fixing the city.

Personally, I can't wait to hear about Detroit having real big city problems (traffic; high COL; influx of hipsters, hippies and yuppies). Then we'll know there's been progress.

I agree. Some people are in denial. And I often sensed an overall tendency to live in the past of Detroit's heyday of the 40s, 50s, and early 60s. The past is the past, and it ain't comin' back. But, theoretically at least, Detroit can reinvent itself to be something much better than it was even at its peak.

I, too, look forward to Detroit having some of those problems one day. Who knows, there might even come a time when certain areas of the city will become so gentrified and in-demand, that property values will skyrocket. Everyone will talk about how "ridiculously unaffordable" Detroit has become.

Wouldn't that be great?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by 4DM1N

The first step is admitting there is a problem. Some people seem to be in denial over it. That doesn't help the cause for fixing the city.

Personally, I can't wait to hear about Detroit having real big city problems (traffic; high COL; influx of hipsters, hippies and yuppies). Then we'll know there's been progress.

People have to admit that there's progress first and I don't think to many people are actually keeping track of it.

[mgkeith]

There is progress. There are still problems. Everyone knows there are both, whether they'll admit it or not. There!

[MS313]

Originally Posted by 313Weather

But the thing is you have to be comfortable being around AA people.

As a collective race, we tend to be very direct and "in your face" with the way we communicate amongst other people. AA people are also very down-to-earth in the way they do things.

Being that you're AA yourself, you're familiar with and understand AA culture. So, for you, that makes meeting other AA people a whole lot easier.

For someone who's not AA or unfamiliar with AA culture, understandably it would be difficult for them to develop a connection with other AA people. That's another way in which Detroit struggles to deal with, essentially the lack of diversity.

I completely agree here. This is the reason I really don't talk about Detroit neighborhoods outside of downtown/midtown ect on this site. Most posters on CD don't know much about the residential neighborhoods in Detroit at all. Hell half of them are afraid of Redford and Southfield lol smh. I could move to a decent AA neighborhood in the city, meet some people (especially a couple of females ), and be fine (I'm actually considering NW Detroit until I find a nice spot downtown). Would I suggest that to someone on CD? hell naw, at least not for the most part. I'm from the eastside (Harper between Chalmers and Conner) so I'm more comfortable in the city than others. But the diversity would be key to fixing this problem, having more areas like Midtown where alot of different people from out of town live. In Chicago for example, most people know to move to the northside because it's the melting pot for people who are from different areas. Hopefully this is what some of the outer neighborhoods close to downtown turns into so the city can finally become more diverse.

[jonnynonos]

I can't find it but earlier someone said people pitside the Midwest don't think Chicago is a desireable city. That's not really true; there are a lot of transplants from all over in Chicago.

Anyway, the realty prices tell you how desireable it is.

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

I can't find it but earlier someone said people pitside the Midwest don't think Chicago is a desireable city.

I made the commen you're referring to.

I didn't say it wasn't desirable, but that it's not all that impressive. Sure, it's the best looking house on a block of broken homes. But they also still see it as a sprawling town bound by the same cultural problems (wealth and racial segregation) all of the other Midwestern cities face, relative to West Coast (not in Southern California/Desert SW) and East Coast cities.

Interestingly enough, I hear the vast majority of transplants in Chicago are from Michigan (there was even a funny joke I heard about there being more Detroiters in Chicago now than in Detroit).

Personally, Chicago my favorite US city because of how reminiscent it is of 1940s-1970s Detroit. Maybe that would explain why Michiganders/Metro Detroiters are so infatuated with Chicago as well, sub-consciously...