Is Detroit that bad ? (Warren, Southfield: renter, crime, house)

[Schkyemp]

From what I heard, Detoit seems like a ghetto. Is that the truth ?

Is Detroit very dangerous, with a lot of bad areas ?

I hopt the people living in Detroit can give me their opinions about their city.

[us66]

Depends on with whom you speak and their experiences. Folks on here will tell you it's an exciting, vibrant place on the verge of rebirth, but this only applies to portions of town, but not much. Others will tell you it's 139 square miles of open cesspool. The truth falls in between, but closer to the cesspool than the rebirth. Some areas are getting somewhat vibrant, downtown and "Midtown" north of downtown are doing fairly well, but the overwhelming majority of the city's neighborhoods are not getting better.

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by Schkyemp

From what I heard, Detoit seems like a ghetto. Is that the truth ?

Relative to the average american city, yes.

[hartford_renter]

Originally Posted by Schkyemp

From what I heard, Detoit seems like a ghetto. Is that the truth ?

Is Detroit very dangerous, with a lot of bad areas ?

I hopt the people living in Detroit can give me their opinions about their city.

Yes

[ckhthankgod]

If you go with Detroit, look into Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, Boston-Edison, Corktown, the University District, the Rosedale Parks, Warrendale, Indian Village, East English Village and Downtown. There might be a few other areas to consider within city limits too.

[ForStarters]

Thoughtful words from the renter from Hartford, CT.

Anyways... Schkyemp, I don't know what you mean by "Is Detroit ghetto?" Do you mean, are there a lot of black people? Or, do you mean are there black people coupled with poverty? Or, do you mean something else altogether? Please clarify for me.

Is Detroit very dangerous? Detroit has its share of crime and certainly a well-publicized notoriety for being dangerous. Some neighborhoods are worse than others. Statistically, crime in Detroit down, but we still rank too high on the list against other large cities. I'd argue, though, that the perception of crime in Detroit is worse than the amount of crime itself, which is likely why you believe it to be so. In reality, the level of crime and dangerousness all depends on where you live in the city, and how you conduct yourself. If you like loitering around shady liquor stores, or taking strolls though areas of known criminal activity, you are much more likely to be a victim of crime, just like anywhere else.

Are there bad areas? There are areas with higher crime and areas with substantial abandonment. Sometimes the two overlap; sometimes not. Detroit does have a lot of "urban decay," meaning that over time, factories and businesses closed, or people left, causing the buildings to be neglected and fall into disrepair. I don't know if there's anything inherently "bad" about this, other than the fact that abandoned buildings no longer contribute to the tax base, and they tend to look unseemly, which drives down the value of nearby property.

What is my opinion of the city? Detroit is a place with a storied history, but one that is marked by many deep scars. Detroit's history has shaped every person who is from this region. There is a unique culture that has been bred into us. On one hand, Detroiters have (until recently) been extraordinarily well-off compared to much of the U.S. Detroit labor formed the middle class, so people enjoyed a high standard of living, and many still do. We are very accustomed to industry and manual labor. People here worked in automotive or manufacturing for generations. Detroiters took pride in our ability for inventiveness and ingenuity. We have a rich cultural history, from the arts to music, which is recognized globally. We have traditions of vacationing up north, hunting, fishing, and boating. Many people maintain a brutal loyalty to Detroit even after they have left. These things are all positive aspects impressed upon people who are from Detroit. However, on the other hand, severe industrial decline, race riots, crime, disinvestment and corruption have taken a toll on our collective psyches. Detroit is a proud place, yet the city's steep decline paralyzed many people from taking action. Being from here, there was definitely a sense that for many years, we kind of wallowed in a state of hopelessness and despair, which eventually lead to destructive self-loathing and self-denigration.

I'd like to say, and more importantly, I'd like to *believe* that those negative influences are behind us- that we're finally putting the past where it belongs- in the past. I have never been more optimistic about Detroit's future. There are great people here. We are no strangers to hard work. Poverty and loss have only made us hungrier for success. I see a place teeming with ambition and opportunity. It is undeniable that as a city, things have really started to turn the corner in the city's core. The heart is pumping again. Vibrancy is sprouting from ashes. It's going to take time and a lot of effort, but just wait until we rebuild this place. I think you may be surprised.

[Jackson Belle Grande]

Anyways... Schkyemp, I don't know what you mean by "Is Detroit ghetto?" Do you mean, are there a lot of black people? Or, do you mean are there black people coupled with poverty? Or, do you mean something else altogether? Please clarify for me.

Why do people feel the need to imply that someone is a racist just because they use the word "ghetto" when referring to a ghetto? Are black people in Southfield racist because they don't want people from the ghetto, who act ghetto, moving into their neighborhood and turning it into a ghetto? Are they even "classist", or do they just want to live in a nice neighborhood that maintains its stability and doesn't degenerate into a ghetto?

Is "ghetto" destined to be one of those words that evokes the response: "That's OUR word! You can't use that word!" Are we on the way to "The G Word?"

To answer the OP, Detroit is proportionately more ghetto than any large city I've ever been to and I lived in Detroit for about 15 years through the 80's and 90s.

Ask these black folks of Detroit is a ghetto and then call them racists if they say "yes".
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41810267...d-i-paid-buck/

How about we use the "G" word to describe a neighborhood where 51% or more of dwellings or lots reflect little or no pride of ownership or respect for the neighbors who DO try to maintain their property whether it's rented or owned by them? By that definition, I'm going to say that Detroit is mostly ghetto, geographically and philosophically. Can I get a "amen"?

Is Detroit very dangerous? Detroit has its share of crime and certainly a well-publicized notoriety for being dangerous. Some neighborhoods are worse than others. Statistically, crime in Detroit down, but we still rank too high on the list against other large cities. I'd argue, though, that the perception of crime in Detroit is worse than the amount of crime itself, which is likely why you believe it to be so. In reality, the level of crime and dangerousness all depends on where you live in the city, and how you conduct yourself. If you like loitering around shady liquor stores, or taking strolls though areas of known criminal activity, you are much more likely to be a victim of crime, just like anywhere else.

The Detroit PD has a 30% or lower clearance rate for homicides. After almost 40 years of affirmative action, they are currently operating under a consent decree. The federal monitor who was overseeing compliance was allegedly boinking the hip-hop mayor. The Detroit PD USED to be a model for the rest of the country. It's been broken for a long time. When you have a police department that's broken, you're going to have problems with crime. Crime in Detroit is vastly under-reported. All categories of crime. And crime that IS reported often does not make it to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, the barometer used to track crime across the country. Detroit was notorious for not reporting crimes to the feds. Smoke and mirrors. There is no area of Detroit other than MAYBE Downtown, and that's a strong maybe since there are many areas of downtown that are not Greektown or Hart Plaza, where I would be comfortable with my wife and kids being out after dark.

We are no strangers to hard work.

I think far too many Detroiters ARE strangers to hard work based on the amount of garbage on the ground in just about every neighborhood I've been through lately. Maybe the Detroiters who live in a few select neighborhoods are no strangers to hard work, but a whole bunch of Detroiters I know seem to be downright allergic to it. In fact, if you took a poll, many of them would probably say that Manual Labor was the president of Mexico. I was down at the city county building a few weeks ago to get some inspection paperwork for a house I'm selling. I stood at the counter for 15 minutes before one of those Detroiters or Wayne Countians who were no strangers to hard work said: "Uh, you're going to have to wait, we're on our break." There were 6 of them on their break at the same time.

Let's not pretty it up. Let's call it what it is and start from the bottom up. Significant positive change will not be possible unless we acknowledge what needs to change first.

[crazynip]

It's worse than you can imagine. Probably not as bad now as it was in the late 70's or early 80's because there were more people still there and hence, more thugs/riff-raff and a lot more stuff to burn, rob, loot, steal, destroy. In the last 10 years, the city has actually destroyed/bulldozed entire large sections of the town, with a LOT more to go.

It's kind of a shame too, because in the early 80's there was still a lot of architectural marvels in the city that were able to be saved. But the city just let them rot to the point where they had to be destroyed. The fault can equally be shared between the city, businesses and it's own citizens who looted and robbed and destroyed a lot of the buildings themselves. What's left is really not worth saving.

The city really is an absolute embarrassment. There is absolutely zero reason to live there. If the U.S. wanted a metro area to use as nuclear bomb target practice, I nominate Detroit.

[ForStarters]

Originally Posted by Jackson Belle Grande

Why do people feel the need to imply that someone is a racist just because they use the word "ghetto" when referring to a ghetto? Are black people in Southfield racist because they don't want people from the ghetto, who act ghetto, moving into their neighborhood and turning it into a ghetto? Are they even "classist", or do they just want to live in a nice neighborhood that maintains its stability and doesn't degenerate into a ghetto?

Is "ghetto" destined to be one of those words that evokes the response: "That's OUR word! You can't use that word!" Are we on the way to "The G Word?"

I didn't imply anything, my friend, but you just did. If the OP doesn't give a definition for what he means by "ghetto," then I'm not going to make assumptions. If he chooses to adopt black + poor as his definition, then fine. By that definition, Detroit has a lot of "ghetto." If he means ethnic neighborhoods, then I'd say Detroit has a few ghettos. Why don't you let the man speak before ramrodding your philosophy down everyone's throats?

I was down at the city county building a few weeks ago to get some inspection paperwork for a house I'm selling. I stood at the counter for 15 minutes before one of those Detroiters or Wayne Countians who were no strangers to hard work said: "Uh, you're going to have to wait, we're on our break." There were 6 of them on their break at the same time.

Thanks for the anecdote. I'm sure that sort of thing happens ONLY in Detroit. People here are capable of working hard, history has shown that. Perhaps the whole no jobs issue should be part of the discussion.

Let's not pretty it up. Let's call it what it is and start from the bottom up. Significant positive change will not be possible unless we acknowledge what needs to change first.

You're not going to "acknowledge" people into change. You're going to have teach a new generation through setting a positive example. You might start by mentoring some kids. I'll reserve my expectations.

[ForStarters]

Originally Posted by crazynip

The city really is an absolute embarrassment. There is absolutely zero reason to live there. If the U.S. wanted a metro area to use as nuclear bomb target practice, I nominate Detroit.

Please, tell us how you really feel, crazynip..