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Downtown Detroit is okay. Detroit needs to address their crime problem, which will happen slowly, over time, as they rebuild the tax infrastructure needed to actually pay their police department. Detroit has some serious infrastructural issues that need to be addressed. I could buy a $1 house, and someone else could live it in for free, or if I try to rent it out the renters are left to their own devices dealing with the squatters and that isn't good at all.
Large corporations will take over Detroit. They are the only entities that actually have the money to maintain abandoned areas of Detroit, where nature has taken over. Large swaths of the city should be sold to the highest bidder. Urban farming holds some promise, but I question how much money is in it. Plus, if people start to move back into the city those farms may eventually be removed. It is a short term solution, but doesn't truly address what ails the city.
I have seen a lot of positive press about the city, but it is difficult to talk about what is good, without addressing what is bad. One has to know where to look. I did see a piece on Dan Gilbert and I think that is the future of the city; individuals with deep pockets that are able to do things on their own on a large scale.
If you are in one of those abandoned neighborhoods, do you get your city services whenever they can actually afford to deliver them to you or do you pay a premium to have the city go out there? Picking up trash, electricity, street sweeping, etc. These are some of the issues people like to ignore when talking about Detroit. You assume that your street lights will be replaced, or that traffic signals are working, etc. in a major city. To me those are the issues with discussing because at this point anyone moving into the city is probably telecommuting, or an artist, writer, etc. and not looking to work in a factory. People looking for an urban atmosphere at fire sale prices.
Just wondering if you have ever been to detroit or lived in detroit? im mean nothing else by my question and only ask so i know where ur perspective is coming from.
Just wondering if you have ever been to detroit or lived in detroit? im mean nothing else by my question and only ask so i know where ur perspective is coming from.
I was there back in 95 for a few weeks. It was desolate then. I wanted to see downtown, but I didn't know the city and had to rely on my sister's grandmother, who was afraid of downtown. It wasn't scary because there weren't that many people around. Weird thing about it was I didn't see any White people around. We went to the mall and never left our side of town.
But again the desolation impressed me. I've never seen anything like it, parts of Cleveland perhaps but nothing on the scale of Detroit neighborhoods. I tried to imagine it full of people, full of activity. I love Detroit radio. Nice mixture of stations. Rock music I never heard on the radio in my market I could hear there. Very dark music. Plus the Motown station intrigued me. But to answer your question I didn't grow up there. Just family I would visit time ti time.
December is the peak month for those kinds of articles. Right now, we want to learn more about the Great Pumpkin. Do you have anything to share about the Great Pumpkin?
Maybe things aren't moving at a fast enough pace for you but allow me to point out in the past year alone...
1) Kwame was sentenced to 28 years
2) Ferguson was sentenced to 21 years
3) Daddy Kilpatrick was sentences to 2 years
In three months, we will have a brand new mayor (most likely Duggan), those most against outside people helping the city on Council (Watson/Jones) will be replaced with new district representatives. Just think that an 80% black city is likely going to voluntarily elect a white mayor shows how fed up residents are. And aren't buying into the rhetroric of past elections. Which is the furthest thing from "apathy".
On top of that, M1 will commence construction this year on light rail for the first time in 50 years from Jefferson to Grand Boulevard. Meridian is building a new skyscraper. There will be a whole new Red Wings arena district. The Free Press/Whitney and Scott buildings will likely be done within 2 years. And that leaves what - maybe 3-5 abandoned buildings in all of downtown (starting w/ Book as largest). In 2007 downtown's office vacancy rate was 33%. It's now at 26%. That's a 21% improvement!
I'm curious what you would have done differently? Or what drastic changes you think could have been implemented in 30 days that would make Detroit the next Denver/Minneapolis? I don't think there are any more. Even Belle Isle will be managed by the state. We have a $30 million in funding for apartments up and down Woodward finalized this week.
I think, if anything, the struggles you're facing pertain to your current employment and lack of friends (which I find odd seeing you lived here 23 years - did you just abandon all friends upon moving to Colorado?) - and really have nothing to do with Detroit's comeback.
speaking of Kwame...they are doing a special on him on TVone...a must see
I was there back in 95 for a few weeks. It was desolate then. I wanted to see downtown, but I didn't know the city and had to rely on my sister's grandmother, who was afraid of downtown. It wasn't scary because there weren't that many people around. Weird thing about it was I didn't see any White people around. We went to the mall and never left our side of town.
But again the desolation impressed me. I've never seen anything like it, parts of Cleveland perhaps but nothing on the scale of Detroit neighborhoods. I tried to imagine it full of people, full of activity. I love Detroit radio. Nice mixture of stations. Rock music I never heard on the radio in my market I could hear there. Very dark music. Plus the Motown station intrigued me. But to answer your question I didn't grow up there. Just family I would visit time ti time.
Im sorry that your impresion of Detroit and what it is like currently like is incorrect. And that you are basing your impression and opinion on a 2 week stay in the surrounding suburbs nearly 20 yrs ago and basing it on bias media reports. I can assure you that Detroit is not how you described it. Yes there are plenty of abandoned homes and blight but ever large urban city has that. Is ther crime yes of course. A large percentage (not all but a lot) of the crime in detroit especially the shootings and murders are not random crimes. Its is happening between people that know each other. peer on peer crimes. I also assure you there are lots of white people that work and live in detroit(not that skin color matters to me but you mentioned it) I am one of the ones that live in detroit and am white. I do not live downtown or in midtown. Granted i am not that far outside of down tiwn approx only 4 or 5 miles but im not downtown. I have lived in detroit for 3.5-4 yrs. Before that i lived in the metro area my entire life. mainly novi/northville/farmington area. The only crime that has happened to me was my car was broken into 1 time while was in a cvs at approx 11pm. I blame myself in a sense for it happening tho. I left a bunch of stuff/bags sitting on the floor of the front seat and on the seat. The area the cvs is well know for cars getting broken into and i knew better then to have belongings in plain sight in my car. oddly enough they didnt steal anything, i assume they were scared away. so i had only a broken window and nothing was missing. I wallk my dog daily sometimes 2 times daily and have never had an issue. I also volunteer with an organization that i end up in all sorts of areas all of the city of detroit. Some of the lowest income areas that have the most amounts of abandoned homes. when i go itswith one other girl and we will knock on someones door and speak to them about there dog(s) and what we want to do for them. They dont know we are coming, we dont know who they are. their were either reported to us by a neighbor or paserby. ive never felt in danger or unsafe while doing this. Sure you need to be smart about things and be awear of your surrondings and not be foolish about what you say or do but i have honestly meet some really Ggreat nice people. And to remind you i am a 33 yr old white female that grew up in novi/northville area. Detroit is a viberant, colorful unquie city that has some f the nicest people i have ever meet. I have always had an apprecation for the city of detroit. I spent alot of my time during my late teens and early 20's in the city as well.
Well this simple post by yours truly has led to a very lively discussion of your city. Since I have not visited I cannot comment either way. Perhaps now that I live just a few hours away, I can spend a weekend there at some point to see for myself what the good and bad points are. Like to do that with Chicago too since I've only spent a night there from time to time and never took the time to see it.
Im sorry that your impresion of Detroit and what it is like currently like is incorrect. And that you are basing your impression and opinion on a 2 week stay in the surrounding suburbs nearly 20 yrs ago and basing it on bias media reports. I can assure you that Detroit is not how you described it. Yes there are plenty of abandoned homes and blight but ever large urban city has that. Is ther crime yes of course. A large percentage (not all but a lot) of the crime in detroit especially the shootings and murders are not random crimes. Its is happening between people that know each other. peer on peer crimes. I also assure you there are lots of white people that work and live in detroit(not that skin color matters to me but you mentioned it) I am one of the ones that live in detroit and am white. I do not live downtown or in midtown. Granted i am not that far outside of down tiwn approx only 4 or 5 miles but im not downtown. I have lived in detroit for 3.5-4 yrs. Before that i lived in the metro area my entire life. mainly novi/northville/farmington area. The only crime that has happened to me was my car was broken into 1 time while was in a cvs at approx 11pm. I blame myself in a sense for it happening tho. I left a bunch of stuff/bags sitting on the floor of the front seat and on the seat. The area the cvs is well know for cars getting broken into and i knew better then to have belongings in plain sight in my car. oddly enough they didnt steal anything, i assume they were scared away. so i had only a broken window and nothing was missing. I wallk my dog daily sometimes 2 times daily and have never had an issue. I also volunteer with an organization that i end up in all sorts of areas all of the city of detroit. Some of the lowest income areas that have the most amounts of abandoned homes. when i go itswith one other girl and we will knock on someones door and speak to them about there dog(s) and what we want to do for them. They dont know we are coming, we dont know who they are. their were either reported to us by a neighbor or paserby. ive never felt in danger or unsafe while doing this. Sure you need to be smart about things and be awear of your surrondings and not be foolish about what you say or do but i have honestly meet some really Ggreat nice people. And to remind you i am a 33 yr old white female that grew up in novi/northville area. Detroit is a viberant, colorful unquie city that has some f the nicest people i have ever meet. I have always had an apprecation for the city of detroit. I spent alot of my time during my late teens and early 20's in the city as well.
Interesting. But what gives you the impression that it was in the surrounding suburbs? Just curious. Also, there aren't many cities that has the blight on the level that Detroit has. A lot of cities have in the past, but in those cities there has been gentrification, and those neighborhoods have been filled in. It isn't even really blight anymore, as the city has torn down a lot of the houses on those vacant lots. When I was there that wasn't the case and you could still see the blight. So conditions have improved in that respect, which is actually a good thing.
Is it not true that some of the neighborhoods have returned back to nature and urban farms are being cultivated in some of those neighborhoods? How is this a biased report if it is true? Urban farms are in a lot of cities, including Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. This is a good use for the land. Some of what is in your response corroborates what I said.
Im sorry that your impresion of Detroit and what it is like currently like is incorrect. And that you are basing your impression and opinion on a 2 week stay in the surrounding suburbs nearly 20 yrs ago and basing it on bias media reports. I can assure you that Detroit is not how you described it. Yes there are plenty of abandoned homes and blight but ever large urban city has that.
Not to the extent and scope Detroit has. 50% abandonment? What other city of similar population comes close?
Is ther crime yes of course. A large percentage (not all but a lot) of the crime in detroit especially the shootings and murders are not random crimes.
Whew...do I feel better knowing that such a huge numer of murders and crime had an intended target. WHy does the FBIU stats even track these numbers? No wonder Detroit has such a BAD reputation.
'
Its is happening between people that know each other. peer on peer crimes.
And ZERO collateral damage. Even the new Chief feared he was going to be car jacked a few weeks ago..
I also assure you there are lots of white people that work and live in detroit(not that skin color matters to me but you mentioned it)
Lots do work, most do not live in the city proper.
I am one of the ones that live in detroit and am white. I do not live downtown or in midtown.
Bordering the Pointes is about as far from the city as one can get and still have a Detroit zip.
Granted i am not that far outside of down tiwn approx only 4 or 5 miles but im not downtown. I have lived in detroit for 3.5-4 yrs. Before that i lived in the metro area my entire life. mainly novi/northville/farmington area. The only crime that has happened to me was my car was broken into 1 time while was in a cvs at approx 11pm.
I blame myself
Sure, the person who attempted the stealing coudn't help themselve--SHAM on you for placing TEMPTATION before the eyes of God's annointed.
in a sense for it happening tho. I left a bunch of stuff/bags sitting on the floor of the front seat and on the seat. The area the cvs is well know for cars getting broken into and i knew better then to have belongings in plain sight in my car. oddly enough they didnt steal anything,
i assume they were scared away. so i had only a broken window and nothing was missing.
A broken window at CVS=$150 Liivng in Detroit = PRICELESS...
Interesting. But what gives you the impression that it was in the surrounding suburbs? Just curious. Also, there aren't many cities that has the blight on the level that Detroit has. A lot of cities have in the past, but in those cities there has been gentrification, and those neighborhoods have been filled in. It isn't even really blight anymore, as the city has torn down a lot of the houses on those vacant lots. When I was there that wasn't the case and you could still see the blight. So conditions have improved in that respect, which is actually a good thing.
Is it not true that some of the neighborhoods have returned back to nature and urban farms are being cultivated in some of those neighborhoods? How is this a biased report if it is true? Urban farms are in a lot of cities, including Philadelphia, Cleveland, and Los Angeles. This is a good use for the land. Some of what is in your response corroborates what I said.
"We went to the mall and never left our side of town. "
"We went to the mall and never left our side of town. "
I see. So either the suburbs are as desolate as the inner city or there are no malls within the city limits. That is what I can infer from your assumption. Neither is a real reflection of anything because if the suburbs were desolate, that just means that Detroit had a 20 year start on other cities across America, which now have poor suburbs as gentrification is moving those people from within the inner city out to suburbia. Pricing those families out of the inner city. Just puts Detroit in the same league as LA back when it had its problems in suburban areas that a casual observer might confuse for being part of the city, like Compton, back in the eighties.
If there are no malls within the city limits that is actually the norm for a lot of cities in America. Some of the larger cities still have malls within the city limits, but a lot of cities that did lost their department stores and shopping districts to suburbia back in the seventies. My own city, Akron, OH, does not have any malls within the city while the city I live at now, Norfolk, VA, has a shopping mall downtown, as does Cleveland, OH. Are there shopping malls within the city of Detroit? Are there shopping malls downtown? If anything I would think that Detroit has a department store downtown, regardless of how bad conditions in the city have become, or how they have improved over the years since I visited.
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