canadian/american thinking about moving to detroit (Pontiac, Royal Oak: cheap apartments, for rent)

[nwwt]

hello all, due to some family reasons i've had to relocate to windsor(the canadian town across the river). I was living abroad for a while, and I find windsor to be a very boring place(well not boring but there is just so much that you can get out of it after spending most of your life here.) i'm entertaining the idea of moving to detroit since i have dual-citizenship(my mother is american and was born and raised in detroit). i know the economy isnt too good in motown(windsor is pretty much in the dumps too) but any type of work would do. i've worked menial jobs before. i'm relatively young and single so i'm not too worried about neighbourhoods with good schools and such, just looking for any advice about relocating to the midtown or the downtown area. i.e. good websites for renting out rooms or cheap apartments, work that is available in detroit, or any personal advice that you could offer.

I know detroit isnt a paradise so i'm not in need of any "STAY AWAY" comments. thanks in advance.

[Coldjensens]

There are many neat events downtown, especially in the summer. Campus Martius often has bands. The Ren Cen has old big name bands in the summer (i.e. Foreigner, Pat Benetar, etc.).

The Wayne State/Cultural center area or Royal Oak are your best bets.

Hamtrammak might be fun. Downtown near the river is nice and pretty quiet, but not a lot going on.

Some parts of Corktown are neat. Your would have to be happy with three or four cool places to frequent. If you want more variety, try elsewhere. I would like to live near or in Eastern Market if I were young and single.

Keep in mind that you will have to go quite a way out of the city for shopping and for any variety in clubs.

[brokerdave]

stay away! lol

[The Michiganian]

The City isn't nearly as bad as its reputation, and there is much more to that reputation that the news reports:
In 1984, when the Tigers won the World Series, there was a picture of a young man "celebrating" by standing on an overturned vehicle. It was all over the news. What was not emphasized was that the young man was not from the City. He was from the suburb of Lincoln Park. Trash the city, then go home. I think he was eventually arrested, but that was back-page news.
HOWEVER, when riots broke out all over the United States because of the Rodney King verdict, Detroit was one of the places where a riot did NOT occur. I wonder where the news trucks were, then?
Oh, and that farce of a "brawl" with the Detroit Pistons. That occurred in the suburb of Auburn Hills (hence "the Palace of Auburn Hills"), several miles outside of the City. Try explaining THAT to the average person. The Lions (0-16, setting records) played for years in Pontiac, MI, about 20 minutes north of the City. Only the Tigers and the Red Wings remained in the City proper. Haven't heard anything negative about them or their fans, have we?
Anyway, I was born here, and watch the decline, renewal, decline cycle first-hand. My wife of 21 years was born here as well. We both attended public schools, and we both have college degrees. Mine is from the Detroit College of Business (now Davenport University).
Truth to tell, my neighborhood isn't the greatest. However, there are other, far more exclusive neighborhoods that you can check out: Sherwood Forest (yes, I know, but that's what it's called), Rosedale Park, Indian Village (the streets are named after Native American tribes: Seminole, Iroquois, that sort of thing), and plenty of others. Of course, none of these are the images put out there for general consumption. We wouldn't want to make liars out of the news folk, now would we?
Anyway, come on through. Ask around. We have the good, the bad, and the ugly. Good luck, and welcome!

[AncientCoins]

Cool. Downtown and Midtown are great. Beats the burbs anyday.

[sumukru]

Firstly, to be happy in Detroit, you have to love grit. I am not saying this in a bad way: I happen to love the gritty urban nature of an industrialized area. In general, Detroiters have an edge to them with a huge heart underneath it all. If you can deal with a hardened exterior, you will find people made of gold underneath. Seriously.

Now, that being said: I do NOT recommend Hamtramck. I lived there over 10 years ago when all the Wayne Staters thought HamTown was on the up swing and could be a fabulous artsy place with coffee shops and night clubs. And for a while, it was the place to be for night life: Motor, Small's and of course the Pub Crawl events, but that wasn't enough to compensate for the lack of community I felt there. Despite having a pretty diverse population in terms of race, the area felt very very segregated to me. It just wasn't a good fit for me personally. Perhaps things have changed since then...

Now Downtown Detroit is a blast in the warmer months. Free festivals galore! And keep on top of what Wayne State is promoting too - Dally in the Alley was my favourite! The new riverfront is beautiful. I about choked this past summer when I saw people jet skiing on the Detroit River AND being sure to drive up along the pier to flirt with the ladies! It was awesome to see people milling about and just having a good time.

Best of luck with your decision.