NY Times Article on Grosse Pointe (Detroit, Southfield: 2009, insurance, crime)

[jjbradleynyc]

I opened up my NY Times Style section on Sunday, and this was an interesting piece on the changes happening and possible demise of the Grosse Pointe area:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/10/fa...0michigan.html

[bc008]

Its too bad, being that its been there since the thirties..

The Pointes are too close to Detroit for my liking..

[Coldjensens]

THis really is not an article about Grosse Pointe, but about the entire crises. Grosse Pointe is just used as the example. The same story is true of Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Orchard Lake, etc. It is everywhere. These are scary times. Laredy the Chrysler bankruptcy is having a huge impact. I shudder to think what the GM bankruptcy will be like.

[Dexterguy]

I know that many of the residents of the Grosse Pointes and Bloomfield Hills are all older people whose children have already moved out of Michigan (at least a large bulk). Many of them are all salary retirees from the Detroit Three. The schools in these upscale suburbs are having a hard to keeping their prestige image that they once had, as they are forced to close schools due to a declining tax base and enrollment.

One day these upscale suburbs will come back though, we just need to diversify the local economy...I'M STAYING POSITIVE!

[bc008]

Originally Posted by Dexterguy

I know that many of the residents of the Grosse Pointes and Bloomfield Hills are all older people whose children have already moved out of Michigan (at least a large bulk). Many of them are all salary retirees from the Detroit Three. The schools in these upscale suburbs are having a hard to keeping their prestige image that they once had, as they are forced to close schools due to a declining tax base and enrollment.

One day these upscale suburbs will come back though, we just need to diversify the local economy...I'M STAYING POSITIVE!

diversification is the key.. does anyone know if all these tax incentives we are offering to movie studios are doing anything?

[ckhthankgod]

Detroit needs to focus on bringing in or building up more industries like health care, education and high tech jobs, along with other service jobs like insurance and banking. A move to making the DPS a completely magnet school district might be a good idea. Using the land bank system to help shrink the city by using abandoned areas for things like parks or possibly farming, if possible.

Also, a light rail system would be nice and what about possibly trying to start a new university within the city limits?

[scolls]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Detroit needs to focus on bringing in or building up more industries like health care, education and high tech jobs, along with other service jobs like insurance and banking. A move to making the DPS a completely magnet school district might be a good idea. Using the land bank system to help shrink the city by using abandoned areas for things like parks or possibly farming, if possible.

Also, a light rail system would be nice and what about possibly trying to start a new university within the city limits?

One of the best schools in the country (University of Michigan) is basically in Detroit's backyard and yet we still can't keep that talent in Detroit or Michigan. The talent is there, the jobs are not. I really think Detroit itself is beyond repair. First and foremost they need to clean up the corruption in the political offices. Next they have to cut down the crime and make people feel somewhat safe in Detroit. They need to eliminate the city income tax and make Detroit an attractive place for businesses to locate to.

[Dexterguy]

Originally Posted by ckhthankgod

Detroit needs to focus on bringing in or building up more industries like health care, education and high tech jobs, along with other service jobs like insurance and banking. A move to making the DPS a completely magnet school district might be a good idea. Using the land bank system to help shrink the city by using abandoned areas for things like parks or possibly farming, if possible.

Also, a light rail system would be nice and what about possibly trying to start a new university within the city limits?

Banking, yeah I wish, I was a loyal client with Comerica for many years, as soon as they relocated the headquarters to Dallas, they lost me as a client.

Detroit, sadly, is the last place that banks are looking to expand in. Flagstar, Citizens, and Fifth Third is the closest thing you are going to find to a Michigan based bank.

I know that 5/3 is headquarted in Ohio, but they employ a lot of people in Southfield at the regional headquarters.

[Dexterguy]

The movie studios... I have not heard anything about that since probably March or earlier. Plus, if they do create some studios here in metro Detroit, it may only employ a couple thousand at the most, while that's better than nothing I know, metro Detroit and Michigan has lost tens of thousands of jobs alone just in the auto industry.

But, it would be great to see a movie studio open in downtown, Allen Park, Pontiac, and where ever else they mentioned.

[Bluefly]

I think one of metro Detroit's problem is the regional brain drain. I was raised in one of those suburbs mentioned in the article. I can attest that tons of really smart, talented people come from the area and move elsewhere.

Part of it is just plain jobs, but another part is culture. Even if there were good, stable jobs in the area, how many people would stay? There is not a culture in Detroit that supports intellectuals or artists or cultural vangards. It's so industrial and pragmatic that, in this new economy, the smart, creative people are shipping off to the coasts or Chicago where they can find like-minded people whose mood does not rise or fall on sports teams.