Maybe visiting Detroit soon from Europe (Westland, Garden City: apartments, condos, crime)

[fxzone]

Hi all.

I am a 29 yearl old black girl from Amsterdam the netherlands.

I travel 2 times a year to the united states and always go to Miami.
2 years ago i met an awsome white man from Detroit in Miami and we stayed in touch. He always asks me i should visit Detroit. I've been in Detroit 1 time but only the airport..i had to transfer to my miami flight in Detroit from Amsterdam.
I've been on the Miami forum for awhile because i love it. So i thought i would visit the Detroit forum as well and i have to say i'm shocked by what i read here.

According to my friend Detroit is a safe city with ofcourse a few problems but that it's not bigger than other US cities. I have to say i'm used to crime here in Amsterdam but i am really scared to visit my friend from what i read here.
Ofcourse he wants me to come so i don't know if i should trust what he's saying. Can someone tell me if it's safe to stay there? I don't know which neighberhood he's staying at i will ask him.

sorry for my english in advance

PS Itell you the color of my skin and my friends because i read alot of racism is going on in Detroit. is it safe for a black girl and white man to wonder the streets without getting harrased?

[Dexterguy]

It depends on what part of Detroit you are talking about, I love to go to downtown and walk the riverfront, get a bite to eat in Greektown or elsewhere. You can buy tickets to catch a baseball game at Comerica Park. Corktown (next to downtown) is also a nice area, and is one of the safer areas of Detroit. The New Center area is like Detroit's second downtown, it is also a nice area but there is not to much to do there at all. It is mostly only offices or condos/apartments. The other nice areas of Detroit are mostly only neighborhoods like Indian Village, Boston-Edison, and East English Village. I have only gone into the neighborhoods to admire the beautiful homes. Belle Isle, which is a small island just east of downtown is also very nice, it is all parkland.

Then the vast areas of Detroit's other areas and neighborhoods are in decay and I would rather be dropped into a pool of sharks than walk through those areas. There is not to much racism in Detroit city limits any more as Detroit has become a city that is over 80% Black.

**If you stay out of the bad areas, you will be fine and you will find Detroit to be a very fun city.

[fxzone]

He lives in Garden city, is that ok?

[tablemtn]

Garden City is a suburb; it is safe, but boring. It is not part of Detroit city. Only the Detroit region.

Downtown Detroit is safe. Some parts of Detroit are unsafe, but, you won't be in those areas.

This site has neighborhood guides for different parts of Detroit:

Model D - Detroit Neighborhoods Guide

For example, here is the visitor's guide for downtown Detroit:

Downtown Detroit Visiting Guide

And the guide for Midtown Detroit:

Midtown Visiting Guide

So, it depends on your interests. What do you want to see? What types of things?

Also, Detroit is very close to Canada. You can visit the city of Windsor, Ontario, Canada from Detroit; just remember to bring your passport.

[fxzone]

Because it's close to canada that is a plus, because my aunt is lives montreal.

i'm not really interested in sight seeing, i just want to visit my friend and don't feel scared. And most important no racism because i'm black and he is white.

I guess i will be alright. ty both so much for the reply. iI really appreciate it.

[Blue Grass Fever]

Originally Posted by fxzone

Because it's close to canada that is a plus, because my aunt is lives montreal.

i'm not really interested in sight seeing, i just want to visit my friend and don't feel scared. And most important no racism because i'm black and he is white.

I guess i will be alright. ty both so much for the reply. iI really appreciate it.

Interracial couples, on the whole are more accepted in Windsor, Canada then in the Metro-Detroit area.

You'll be alright, though.

[cardwellave]

I live in Garden City!

It's a very nice area, not a whole not going on though. For now we are just a suburb. Welcome to the area though! It is very safe here and I love it!

Garden City and Westland, unlike a good number of Detroit suburbs and neighborhoods, are very racially friendly. Not a lot of tension at all. Someone else on this forum mentioned that once before also.

[Bluefly]

Your friend made the mistake of saying he lives in "Detroit" when he actually doesn't.

5 million people live in the Detroit area. Your friend is one of them. There are extremely wealthy areas, funky hip areas, dangerous areas, and endless miles of boring strip malls (Detroit sold its soul to the car).

www.visitdetroit.com.

Relax. You'll enjoy it. I don't think the race issue will be a big deal either.

[fxzone]

Originally Posted by cardwellave

I live in Garden City!

It's a very nice area, not a whole not going on though. For now we are just a suburb. Welcome to the area though! It is very safe here and I love it!

Garden City and Westland, unlike a good number of Detroit suburbs and neighborhoods, are very racially friendly. Not a lot of tension at all. Someone else on this forum mentioned that once before also.

That is such a relieve for me hahaha. I almost got a heart attack when reading some threads here, because i would have jumped on a plane not knowing what is going on.

Thank you all for the information, i feel alot better know

[Paddington]

I'm a minority myself, and I felt a lot more uncomfortable walking around Amsterdam than I do in the predominantly white (or black) parts of the Detroit area.

I lived for 7 years in Europe. Even though folks in America whine a lot more about race relations and race tensions, it's still ten times better to be any kind of minority here than it is there.