I Spent My First ~5 years ('91-96) in the Warren/Evergreen Neighborhood of Detroit. What Kind of Neighborhood Was That? (Dearborn: mortgage, house prices)

[alamosakid]

It probably sounds like a silly question, but I'm curious. I fondly remember the story of how my parents got their house: my dad was an autobody man and he traded in his '86 Corvette for the house on Piedmont. It was sinking, had a HUGE hole in the roof, and was infested with 'coons and possums. Nonetheless, they fixed it up and made it perfectly livable and sold it for, if I remember correctly, either $29k or $49k in '96 when they split and my dad took off to CO to build his own houses.

I remember living there, in Warrendale, and coming home from school to see all of the neighborhood kids playing on the jungle gym on my front lawn, it rocking back and forth from so many kids climbing on it. I remember walking to the dollar store, to the Dawg House (*sp) and trying to win toys in the crane game, going to the Taco Bell, going to the thrift store and getting lost in the myriad of junk available, and going to the Baskin Robbins on the corner and getting a scoop of butter pecan with my dad.

Anyway, I left that part of Detroit in '96 and haven't been back since, except for a quick drive down Warren when I was 10 or so. After that, I wound up living in just about EVERY suburb, going to 12 different schools, living in 6 different states, and so on. When I went back to Detroit after leaving my old neighborhood, it was usually either dowtown or southwest Detroit, both of which have their totally different vibe.

So, Warren and Evergreen--just what kind of neighborhood was it back then, and what's it like now? I don't remember it being particularly rough, but then again, I was a little kid guarded by my drug dealing, car stealing parents and their friends. So what was/it really like, if any of you happen to be familiar with this seemingly obscure neighboorhood in northwest Warrendale? I found the neighborhood on Google Streetview and it doesn't look particularly shabby. Thoughts?


For whatever it's worth, here are some pictures.

My house when I lived there:


My house today:

[313 TUxedo]

Your parents chose the right time to sell in '96. House prices, bolstered by the recent "Proposal A" tax shift, were skyrocketing everywhere, including Warrendale. In 1996, this was a working class neighborhood which was mostly African-American up by Joy and virtually all white (disproportionally Polish) between Ford Road and Paul. It was a viable neighborhood, though Warren Ave was not quiet and could get rough at times.

The ACB thrift store closed about 6 years ago, Warren Ave has more vacancies than it used to, but far fewer than most Detroit thoroughfares with small business fronts along them.

Today, the neighborhood has held up a little better than most Detroit neighborhoods with small wooden sided homes, but has been affected by blight, transition and the subprime mortgage bust. Many of the older residents who lived there 15 years ago have passed away or moved out.

[alamosakid]

Thanks, 313! It's nice to hear from someone who's clearly familiar with the exact area I'm talking about.

[Detroiteanca]

The area is still pretty decent. It is a diverse neighborhood and most of the homes are occupied. I have noticed more homes in the area boarded up recently (oddly enough Plainview seems to be harder hit than its neighboring streets), but the copper stripping/willful home destruction is not as much an issue in Warrendale as in other areas. That being said, even neighboring Dearborn Heights is on a downward trend. The River Oaks area that borders Warrendale has had a large drop in home values as well. I must say...I work at Ford Rd and Artesian...I like Warrendale and try to spend my money there to help support the local businesses. BTW: The Old-Fashioned Hamburger Company on Warren east of Evergreen has great sliders

[313Weather]

Someone from another forum who grew up in the same neighborhood posted a video showing how it looks currently on YouTube. What I saw was quite depressing to say the least.


YouTube - ‪Talkin' Warrendale Blues‬‏

[and the]

Warrendale has morphed into the new Brightmoor without the benefit of Scotty Simpson's. Can't be much more succinct than that.

[Slappy san]

That video was super duper boring. I gave up half way through. Yeah, it looks so awful *eye roll*

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by Slappy san

That video was super duper boring. I gave up half way through. Yeah, it looks so awful *eye roll*

Would you had preferred a rah-rah video of Campus Martius with Motown music playing in the background?

[detroitlove]

Originally Posted by Slappy san

That video was super duper boring. I gave up half way through. Yeah, it looks so awful *eye roll*

lol right Slappy San, just like Brightmoor to me *rolls eyes*

but the video was very boring .

from what I know of the area, it is still decent. Like some other neighborhoods around the city that suffered in the last couple of years, it wouldn't look as "bad" smh as it does if people wouldn't complain about empty homes all the while looking to move into Southfield or some other suburb

[us66]

Originally Posted by detroitlove

from what I know of the area, it is still decent. Like some other neighborhoods around the city that suffered in the last couple of years, it wouldn't look as "bad" smh as it does if people wouldn't complain about empty homes all the while looking to move into Southfield or some other suburb

Is there still a bungalow on Evergreen with six foot high (at least) wrought iron fencing aroound it? That's confidence inspiring for those looking to move into a safe area. Parts of Warrendale are nice by Detroit standards, and feel downright suburban, but most of it isn't holding up well, and as the original and second owners are dying off and the houses are nearly worthless, this is a perfect storm for the making of a neighborhood in decline. (In fairness, suburban areas have these issues as well.)

People wanting to move to Southfield? The market has spoken.