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Ok, I feel like I should post in regards to this. I haven't been here long and I have been "downtown" a few times. Downtown is a loose term and it requires one to specify the exact locations since Detroit is huge. I live in Dearborn and regularly talk with people that have lived in the Detroit area their whole lives. Like people have said, there are safe areas of downtown and they are addressing the crime issues; however, others on here are blatently lying when they say that there is nothing to worry about.
There ARE areas that are safe, clean, and very beautiful. The architecture near where they had the 2014 auto show was amazing.
There ARE areas that you need to stay away from. I don't know the exact locations, but I would never go out on a weekend driving around detroit without a guide.
There ARE areas that you would never want to wander around or step outside of your car. I have heard of horror stories of people doing exactly that and it is always by getting lost or missing a turn.
Honestly, I would need someone to give me a guided tour from someone locally that actually knows Detroit. I would highly recommend the same.
My experience: I took a trip downtown with my local church to feed the poor. I would never, ever, recommend that you do this without a group of people. We went to an area near the old train station probably not more than a mile or two from Wayne State (beautiful campus by the way). It honestly looks like a warzone. We were feeding people left and right and there were fights, agruing, and drug deals going around us. I didn't feel like we were in danger since we were in a large group, but again, I would never go there by myself if I had to.
My experience: I took a trip downtown with my local church to feed the poor. I would never, ever, recommend that you do this without a group of people. We went to an area near the old train station probably not more than a mile or two from Wayne State (beautiful campus by the way). It honestly looks like a warzone. We were feeding people left and right and there were fights, agruing, and drug deals going around us. I didn't feel like we were in danger since we were in a large group, but again, I would never go there by myself if I had to.
It sounds like you were somewhere by I-96 which most locals wouldn't consider as apart of downtown. It's certainly close, but it would be highly unusual for a tourist or downtown employee to end up in this area unless they tried really hard to get there or had a specific reason for being over that way. The area is bounded by freeways and there's literally nothing of importance that a typical person would find interesting (unless they're looking for ruin porn).
Even then, the crime in that area is still pretty low compared to the rest of the city. You certainly ought not to be walking alone at night in this area, but given the parameters of what 90% of people visiting Detroit are doing, the chances of being affected by crime are pretty slim.
'Feeling' unsafe or safe is a different matter. People who grew up or spent any long amount of time in any urban area might not think this area is bad at all and probably have been in worse areas. They also likely have street smarts. But certainly for more suburban residents, or the weird European who wants to make a documentary on a burnt down house, certainly I wouldn't be surprised at their uneasiness. But again, the area you're describing is very hard to get to for anyone not familiar with the area and they have to intentionally go into that area to reach it.
It does not look bad at all actually compared to Washington DC or LA area. Then why the people have this bad opinion about Detroit downtown area, confused ....
At one point -- in the late 1970s, early 1980s -- Detroit did turn into an insane, gunslinging free-for-all. Constant carjackings, random shootings, and there were even a couple of serial killers ratcheting up the kill ratio apart from a few very high-profile murder cases that led people across the country to believe that you needed a knife, a gun, tear gas and a big dog to make it to your car alive. That was never true, and it's even less true now. The problem ever since is that the city has never lived that reputation down. Now every time someone does get killed in Detroit and it makes the papers, the nation says, "See? I told you! Detroit is TERRIBLE!" Even if they're saying it in New Orleans or D.C., the most recent winners of the Murder Capital of the World designation...
I think it may often boil down to whether one looks like a cactus or a carrot. People raised in the city know how to carry themselves, know how to walk, know how to talk and can peep out a dangerous situation that is to be avoided and its all second nature. We tend to look like a cactus. People who are not really street smart (and not all streets are the same....like in Chicago you have to know how to avoid gang signals, be careful with the term "folks", etc) will stand out like a carrot ready to be eaten in many hoods. It would be like someone from the hood trying to fit in at a high class social event. You can dress up all you want.....you still will stand out in other things you do.
I'm with some of the other posters, though. I just cannot see why anyone would be going into some of these neighborhoods if you do not have specific business in them. I have no sympathy for those who get "caught up" while looking to document or film ruin porn to post on the web....as if Detroit is a zoo open for ruin safaris.
For anybody that's confused
This is downtown Detroit. There are some very blighted neighborhoods right outside of it. I think this is why people get confused by seeing areas like this so close to downtown. But in technical terms, once you cross the freeway, you are no longer in downtown Detroit. I hope this helps some of you.
It sounds like you were somewhere by I-96 which most locals wouldn't consider as apart of downtown. It's certainly close, but it would be highly unusual for a tourist or downtown employee to end up in this area unless they tried really hard to get there or had a specific reason for being over that way. The area is bounded by freeways and there's literally nothing of importance that a typical person would find interesting (unless they're looking for ruin porn).
Even then, the crime in that area is still pretty low compared to the rest of the city. You certainly ought not to be walking alone at night in this area, but given the parameters of what 90% of people visiting Detroit are doing, the chances of being affected by crime are pretty slim.
'Feeling' unsafe or safe is a different matter. People who grew up or spent any long amount of time in any urban area might not think this area is bad at all and probably have been in worse areas. They also likely have street smarts. But certainly for more suburban residents, or the weird European who wants to make a documentary on a burnt down house, certainly I wouldn't be surprised at their uneasiness. But again, the area you're describing is very hard to get to for anyone not familiar with the area and they have to intentionally go into that area to reach it.
Let me share my own experience in DC. When I was new in the DC, I used the Garmini Nuvi to go to DC to see some attractions, from Baltimore.
I choose the 'Faster Time' in GPS option, and that GPS took me through a route which was very dangerous and I had a very terrible experience. Thank god that I am alive today.
Since then, I always carry a map with me, and also familiarized myself with the areas to avoid in DC and depend less on GPS (at least in DC, because it doesn't know the safe/unsafe roads, but only fast, and short roads(routes).
Seems, I have to do the same in Detroit. Thanks!
PS: I wish if some one adds this feature to GPS (like parental controls(safe content only) safe roads only, just kidding ).
Let me share my own experience in DC. When I was new in the DC, I used the Garmini Nuvi to go to DC to see some attractions, from Baltimore.
I choose the 'Faster Time' in GPS option, and that GPS took me through a route which was very dangerous and I had a very terrible experience. Thank god that I am alive today.
Since then, I always carry a map with me, and also familiarized myself with the areas to avoid in DC and depend less on GPS (at least in DC, because it doesn't know the safe/unsafe roads, but only fast, and short roads(routes).
Seems, I have to do the same in Detroit. Thanks!
PS: I wish if some one adds this feature to GPS (like parental controls(safe content only) safe roads only, just kidding ).
Even with GPS, it's pretty hard to hit a bad area in Detroit. There are a lot of freeways, especially downtown, and most of the fastest routes use the freeway system which is never usually more than a few blocks away. That's why I still say you have to try very hard to end up in a bad area. But hey, it's always good to be cautious.
Even with GPS, it's pretty hard to hit a bad area in Detroit. There are a lot of freeways, especially downtown, and most of the fastest routes use the freeway system which is never usually more than a few blocks away. That's why I still say you have to try very hard to end up in a bad area. But hey, it's always good to be cautious.
This is downtown Detroit. There are some very blighted neighborhoods right outside of it. I think this is why people get confused by seeing areas like this so close to downtown. But in technical terms, once you cross the freeway, you are no longer in downtown Detroit. I hope this helps some of you.
This Map clarified my doubts of downtown boundaries.
From this map, I could see that the area I will be working is pretty much safe.
At one point -- in the late 1970s, early 1980s -- Detroit did turn into an insane, gunslinging free-for-all. Constant carjackings, random shootings, and there were even a couple of serial killers ratcheting up the kill ratio apart from a few very high-profile murder cases that led people across the country to believe that you needed a knife, a gun, tear gas and a big dog to make it to your car alive. That was never true, and it's even less true now. The problem ever since is that the city has never lived that reputation down. Now every time someone does get killed in Detroit and it makes the papers, the nation says, "See? I told you! Detroit is TERRIBLE!" Even if they're saying it in New Orleans or D.C., the most recent winners of the Murder Capital of the World designation...
I see. Now I understood the story behind the "Detroit stereotype", every one refers. I spoke to 5 people so far since last week, who have been living in Detroit for 3 to 5 years, and they expressed the same view.
It you avoid the areas, which you are supposed to avoid, then you are pretty much safe in Detroit. Thanks all for sharing your views!!
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