Downtown Detroit Okay to Live? (Dearborn, Coleman: housing, rent, job)

[Jake1256]

I do alot of my shopping downtown, eating, working, living, enjoying...etc. great downtown, beautiful skyline, some of the best resturaunts in the nation. like mexicantown, greektown, the delis in the central business district, and even out towards the University of Detroit Mercy like Lou's Deli ,very good.

[HeleenieWeenie]

Originally Posted by Virginia1

I have posted on this forum many times. I currently live in Va. Beach and my Fiance lives in Flint. I am considering moving up and have mainly thought of moving to Grand Rapids. Since I have been looking at real estate to buy I have looked all over Michigan. I came upon some loft style condos in Detroit mostly in the Midtown and Downtown areas and really liked them. I have been to Detroit on occasion, Royal Oak, Ferndale, etc. I have read varying opinions about Downtown, good and bad. I am in the medical field and I could most likely find a job at DMC. I have read that there are some racial tensions and mean spirited people in the Detroit City area with high crime. I also have read of people living in the downtown area and have not had any problems. So here is my question or questions Are there signs of Detroit revitilazation (spell) going on? Is the immediate downtown area safer then lets say the outer boundaries of the center city, which I have seen. Kids are in college so I will be on my own mostly. Please only respond if you really have experience living in the center city area or midtown. It would be most helpful. Thanks.

Living in the lower eat side near Belle Isle park for 35 ys. only thing that was not safe? OUR NEIGHBORHOODS ...due to the cops all being posted downtown, greektown (later) Casino areas to protect/serve the white folks (tourists) Company coming? better mow the grass in the city park. Other than that? We could not get a cop to respond to us. They were all downtown protecting outsiders. The Condos are fine for someone who wants to shell out $quarter-million have have the view of Cass corridor: pissy drunks, panhandlers accosting you soon as you come out of your gated-community condo; begging, drinking. The view from your expensive window? will be crackwhores along Woodward dipping in & out of doorways like spiders on a thread. Sirens, gunshots, esp. in/around the Det. Med. Center area....John R. is notorious for dope-crack-pimps (50yrs.ago) and not much changed, except they tore down the beautiful 1890s mansions that would be a flophouse, or shooting gallery. Now there is nothing around the DMC except vacant lots, parking lots for the Veteran's Hosp. etc. NO LIFE HAS BEEN BREATHED into Detroit. Kwame is building new HUD homes right in the vacant lots of razed historic homes; view? cardboard-plywood windows, boarded up/graffetti house across the street. Who wants to buy a new home, or nice place with that scenery? duh

[HeleenieWeenie]

There is noplace to grocery shop. No strip malls, nothing, since the Farmer Jack's by the DMC closed down this year. Yeah, the Chaldean-owned expensive markets with exp.dates on packages that has been scratched off.... limp/soggy produce. unless you venture out to the Farmer's Market on Russell St. on Saturdays, you have to get in your car and drive to the major stores to shop 10 miles away to the discount-mega places, i.e. Sam's, Costco, Mejier, Kmart.

[ZuesTR]

There are many reasons for one to move dowtown, however, there are also things that may keep people away. I for one am in favor of anyone moving downtown. (I am considering the move myself) Some of the reasons are location, the newer places have great views of the skyline and river, if saftey is an issue there is 24 hr security at almost all new lofts, condos, apts. They really are trying hard to shake the negative image of Detroit. It is a slow and difficult process, but there are signs of life. I mean why do you think that there has been over 2 billion dollars of investments into downtown since 200, if the city is just going to the ****s? Also, GM building three new luxury highrises along the river, restorations of book-cadillac and Fort Shelby, and the possible new headquarters of Quicken/Rock fincial moving downtown. It is an utter boom town for speculation right now and new growth. I am in the city everyday, I work and go to school down here and I love it. If I had the extra money to shell out for one of the new condos, I would be here in a heartbeat. With all of that said there still are some worries for some moving to Detroit or even coming dowtown. That is because of the perception they have of the city. The city of Detroit and the way it is viewed is left to the viewer, some think that it is a pile, while others (like me) view it as a gem waiting to be uncovered. I forget who posted it, but I personally do think that Detroit will rival Chicago, in my lifetime. Hell, I will even say in a decade. It is people who have no idea what is going on that have close minded opinions about the city. There is hope for it. I personally think it would be a great place to live, and it will be for many years in the future.

Hope this makes sense. Probably not but I just had to ramble

[and the]

I mean why do you think that there has been over 2 billion dollars of investments into downtown since 200, if the city is just going to the ****s?

Tax abatements. I bet Compuware is out of there within 10 years.

[Jake1256]

Originally Posted by and the

Tax abatements. I bet Compuware is out of there within 10 years.

where do you live let me guess the suburbs, and probably hardly visit the city or know whats going on down there. what a stupid comment, the downtown area is goign through major developments, like the riverwalk, the move of quicken, the new hotels, and other investments. why would all this be coming in and compuware is gonna move out.

[and the]

where do you live let me guess the suburbs, and probably hardly visit the city or know whats going on down there. what a stupid comment, the downtown area is goign through major developments, like the riverwalk, the move of quicken, the new hotels, and other investments. why would all this be coming in and compuware is gonna move out.

Yep, I live in the suburbs. Lived in Detroit most of my adult life, moved out after multiple burglaries and having my dog poisoned so he wouldn't stop the B&E man. And I lived in a "good" area. I still get downtown however, much to my chagrin.

I made my prediction, we'll see if I'm right.

The Riverwalk???? It's a SIDEWALK that took them about a hundred times longer to get installed than it should have. After they installed their sidewalk, the governor stood there and said Detroit was destined to equal or pass CHICAGO! Makes me wanna hollar....

[jumpygh]

Originally Posted by Duke66

where do you live let me guess the suburbs, and probably hardly visit the city or know whats going on down there. what a stupid comment, the downtown area is goign through major developments, like the riverwalk, the move of quicken, the new hotels, and other investments. why would all this be coming in and compuware is gonna move out.

Why is it that people who are realistic about Detroit are constantly ridiculed as not knowing anything about the city? The population decline that is ongoing is proof that people who know the most about the city want to get out.

[jeffncandace]

Why is it that it seems impossible to find a balanced opinion on Detroit? Some say the whole dang city is a complete hole and destined for failure, and if anyone tries to point out any positives, then they aren't being realistic.

Isn't it REALISTIC that all parts of the world--yes, even Detroit!--have positives and negatives?

[and the]

I think I'm pretty balanced. I've given credit where credit is due in Detroit, but if you go by geographic area, Detroit doesn't deserve a whole lot of credit. I grew up in the suburbs, moved to Detroit and moved out after about 15 yearsn in the city.

I've been all over the west side, and many places on the east side. I know the games the city plays when trying to spin things in their favor, and I think I can read between the lines fairly well.

You know, you CAN say good things about what Detroit is doing right without being a cheerleader. And you can dog the city without being racist or fearmonger.

I've owned several houses in the city and I've gone downtown to the Coleman A. Young municipal building (formerly the City County building) to deal with buying and selling. That's an experience in itself.

I previously worked for the city and have many friends that still do. I've worked days, afternoons and midnights and am pretty familiar with the west side and downtown during various times of the day.

I think I have a pretty good perspective on city vs. suburban life in and around Detroit.