detroit metro area vs columbus?

[313 TUxedo]

Originally Posted by snoopygirlmi

Most of my friends moved out of Michigan to get jobs after college. One of them landed in Columbus.

I love visiting Columbus. I also love the suburb where I live in Metro Detroit.

The thing is that Detroit has a lot of amenities, but day-to-day living for the most part, it's a mess.


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Most homicides in the city go unsolved because the city can't pay for cops. Bus service barely functions. Street lights are turned off.

As for the unsolved homicides, Detroit has excellent homicide detectives, but it's hard for them to close a case when none of the witnesses will talk to them (this is a huge problem in all underclass areas, homicides also go uncleared in Memphis, Miami, Camden, many Chicago suburbs, etc.)

And the street lights - they did not get turned off, they went dark with the legions of unemployed and unemployable electricians and construction workers stole the copper wiring and the transformers for scrap yard money.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by snoopygirlmi

Most of my friends moved out of Michigan to get jobs after college. One of them landed in Columbus.

I love visiting Columbus. I also love the suburb where I live in Metro Detroit.

The thing is that Detroit has a lot of amenities, but day-to-day living for the most part, it's a mess.

The government just declared bankruptcy because it hasn't been functioning well for years. I have friends who have worked at DPS. The stories they tell will break your heart. Most suburbanites don't bother going down to Detroit anymore. Their lives and activities are in the suburbs. Not everyone is into sports or casinos. Who knows if the DIA will actually have any art left in the museum, given that the city owns the pieces and might be used as assets to pay off creditors in the bankruptcy? Most homicides in the city go unsolved because the city can't pay for cops. Bus service barely functions. Street lights are turned off.

I just can't delude myself and say Detroit is a better place than Columbus. Maybe that was true in 1960, but it's not true in 2013.

Lake St. Clair, I can't get too excited about because half the time the beach is closed because of PCB's. I lived in St. Clair Shores, so it was very frustrating to live near a huge body of water, but not be able to swim in it. We never had to worry about that when we went to Lake Michigan (on the other side of the state).

Ultimately, I don't always feel like I have to watch my back when I go down to downtown Columbus. I'm not cynically looking at trash on the side of highways (which gets conveniently cleaned up with big name events come into town) and buildings like the Central Train Depot.

Yes, Columbus might be smaller, but I prefer Columbus to Detroit any day. It's got a great vibe.

Also, I didn't grow up in Metro Detroit, so it's just surprising to me how divided this area really is. For some people, it's a big deal if you are an Eastsider or Westsider (working class vs upper class) or if you are north or south of 8 Mile (black or white/city or suburb). A lot of people are stuck in 1967 and refuse to acknowledge that we are in the 21st century. Now, adding to the mix, people are hysterical because Dearborn and Hamtramack have a lot of Middle Eastern immigrants who are Muslim and changing "Christian" cities to reflect their norms - even though they are the majority populations in those areas. It's going to take a lot to move the city and region forward.

I hate being a downer about Detroit. I really don't want to be "that" person. However, the reality is that Detroit has a lot of big challenges that Columbus doesn't face. (Or to the same extent).

^^ I completely agree with this.

It's super interesting to read all the posts about Detroit being better.

I think that Detroit was built at a time when cities were built grander and more beautifully. Just like Chicago, Detroit has the old parks, and incredible architecture, even municipal architecture like schools. And Detroit is in a fantastic location on the water. Detroit has good bones.

But go today, in 2013, to Detroit downtown and to Columbus downtown, and Columbus wins hands down. I feel safe/comfortable and know I will have a great experience every time I stay in the Arena District, downtown, the Short North, or the campus area.

In Detroit, if I was to go there for a trip or move there, I'd have to focus on the inner ring suburbs and because there are so many suburbs and the area is so sprawling, I'd have to pick one of those subregions to call home. I would probably choose the Royal Oak/Ferndale area. It is centrally located, has the zoo, good schools, nice downtowns.

I love Detroit people and I've met so many people from the metro that are down to earth and positive minded, good friends, good company.

But if I wanted to live in a city, and not in a suburb, its Columbus all the way.

[summer22]

Originally Posted by 1watertiger

posters like jbcmh81 will try every possible way to convince us that columbus is growing so much that it will be the next chicago, la or ny... please stop your nonsense. columbus is an avg., boring city that feels like a giant suburb. and all the growth talk wont change that. im in columbus all the time, its not developing anything new that older more developed cities have had for decades. and it lacks history and character imo. boring in comparison to detroit, cleveland,boston,st. louis,philly,etc,etc... znguy is correct. buckeye lake is 30miles west with 22 miles of nothing after reynoldsburg. where is columbus waterfront and international ports? where are your boating/jetski/sailing and beaches?fishing? working steel mills? underground salt mines? pro football? pro baseball? pro basketball? etc, etc. go bucks! columbus SUCKS ! its boring compared to most metros. ps- the rest of the country hasnt stopped building/developing or growing just because columbus population is growing.

How often do you go to the international port to enjoy its ambience? That has absolutely nothing to do with quality of life in a city. Same with steel mills. I appreciate that they provide jobs, but I don't really want one in my back yard. They're ugly, toxic behemoths that spoil the water and air.

Hockey, soccer, and OSU are enough for me. If I was a bigger baseball, basketball, or football fan I guess that would matter, but its not like I can really afford to go to many pro games anyway.

I do miss beaches when I'm away from them. I will give you points for that.

And I didn't know about Buckeye Lake, I'll have to check it out next time I'm in Ohio