"Detroit Died Because It Sucks" (rating, economy)

[Packard fan]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Actually, Greektown has been dwindling for a while and the casino hasn't really helped much. You'd think it would, but in fact the way it's designed really keeps people from venturing out into the street. It might have been too much riffraff, but either way, the 'revitalization of downtown' hasn't really done much for Greektown. Maybe Dan Gilbert will improve it in the coming years? We'll have to see.

As an ethnic community, Greektown is becoming more of a name rather than an actual place full of Greeks. I wish Detroit had an influx of immigrants to create some new ethnic neighborhoods, but it doesn't seem too likely as of present.

Uh; "ethnic" 'hoods have the rep of going away in a couple of generations as most of the people become "anglo white" in culture. It's even happening with Black people in 2013 except for the hood rats.

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by Packard fan

Uh; "ethnic" 'hoods have the rep of going away in a couple of generations as most of the people become "anglo white" in culture. It's even happening with Black people in 2013 except for the hood rats.

I see what you're saying, but it's kinda hard to see that effect in Detroit due to the population decline. That also might have to do with a little bit of gentrification (which also hasn't really happened that much in Detroit...yet).

More often, ethnic areas just seem to change who the predominant ethnic group is. Like Hamtramck, for example, used to be mostly Polish, but most of the younger generations started moving out and now there's mostly Middle Eastern and South Asian ethnic groups moving in. Not really sure what the magnet was for them moving there other than cheap rent maybe.

[usroute10]

The Mexican neighborhood along the Vernor Highway corridor is still going strong, so not all of the immigrants are moving to the burbs. I do decry the decline of the Little Lebanon/Chaldean Town neighborhood of Woodward/John R/7 Mile. Most of the Chaldean people have left that neighborhood, but you can still see what it used to be by the closed storefronts with the old and faded signs in the Chaldean/Arabic Language

Also, it is false to say that Detroit is all single family detached houses. There are 2-family, 3-family, and 4-family flats galore all over the city. Plus apartment buildings sprinkled about (see bottom 3 links)

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=2285+...9jsRAGnc5VLw2w

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=ameri...T5sOEhnMz9GNUw

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=chica...y6m56GaS2zE8Jg

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=388+w...s3FnKVaVMH2qfg

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3755+...2llcrUp57UX0uA

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=fulle...d0WCAlhU-F2pfQ

[ram2]

Originally Posted by Cliffie

Every single-industry town goes through a sucky period when the monopoly finally goes belly-up.

This is not true. First of all, thousands of SE Michigan residents are still employed by the auto industry (hint - visit the suburbs). Second, the auto industry was not centered in the city of Detroit. Ford has been in Dearborn, Chrysler was in Highland Park (now in Auburn Hills), and GM's Tech Center has been in Warren since 1955. None of these 3 entities were in the city of Detroit.

[usroute10]

Originally Posted by ram2

This is not true. First of all, thousands of SE Michigan residents are still employed by the auto industry (hint - visit the suburbs). Second, the auto industry was not centered in the city of Detroit. Ford has been in Dearborn, Chrysler was in Highland Park (now in Auburn Hills), and GM's Tech Center has been in Warren since 1955. None of these 3 entities were in the city of Detroit.

Even though Chrysler was headquartered in HP, it had plants in Detroit and Hamtramck that employed thousands. Same with GM. I am not so sure about Ford. The American Motors Company had its headquarters in Detroit until 1976, when it moved to Southfield. After about 1950 or so, any new plants were built in the suburbs, and the old ones in the city were closed and most production shifted to the suburbs or down south.

Cadillac Fleetwood Assembly
Detroit Assembly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Detroit Fisher Body Plant 21
Detroiturbex.com - Detroit Fisher Body Plant 21

[313Weather]

Originally Posted by usroute10

Even though Chrysler was headquartered in HP, it had plants in Detroit and Hamtramck that employed thousands. Same with GM. I am not so sure about Ford. The American Motors Company had its headquarters in Detroit until 1976, when it moved to Southfield. After about 1950 or so, any new plants were built in the suburbs, and the old ones in the city were closed and most production shifted to the suburbs or down south.

Cadillac Fleetwood Assembly
Detroit Assembly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Detroit Fisher Body Plant 21
Detroiturbex.com - Detroit Fisher Body Plant 21

There were also a ton of suppliers based in Detroit proper.

[ram2]

Originally Posted by usroute10

Even though Chrysler was headquartered in HP, it had plants in Detroit and Hamtramck that employed thousands. Same with GM. I am not so sure about Ford. The American Motors Company had its headquarters in Detroit until 1976, when it moved to Southfield. After about 1950 or so, any new plants were built in the suburbs, and the old ones in the city were closed and most production shifted to the suburbs or down south.

Cadillac Fleetwood Assembly
Detroit Assembly - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Detroit Fisher Body Plant 21
Detroiturbex.com - Detroit Fisher Body Plant 21

Chrysler's Jefferson North Assembly plant is still in the city.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by reppin_the_847

This is true to an extent. Clearly Detroit doesn't get as many immigrants as say Chicago. But when it comes to immigrants in Detroit, they head straight to the suburbs from what I've seen. Compared to other parts of the Midwest (besides Chicago), I'd say that Metro Detroit (the Metro, not the City) actually does attract a fair share of immigrants.

Exactly.

I would say in fact that the SUBURBS of both cites are pretty much equal in diversity/% foreign born. People forget that metro Detroit has the largest Arab/Assyrian population in the country.

And even with Chicago, most of the diversity is NORTH of the Stevenson (I-55). The south side has perhaps a slightyl higher % of foreign born than Detroit, and even then its almost all Mexican, and some Polish near Midway.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by animatedmartian

Actually, Greektown has been dwindling for a while and the casino hasn't really helped much. You'd think it would, but in fact the way it's designed really keeps people from venturing out into the street. It might have been too much riffraff, but either way, the 'revitalization of downtown' hasn't really done much for Greektown. Maybe Dan Gilbert will improve it in the coming years? We'll have to see.

As an ethnic community, Greektown is becoming more of a name rather than an actual place full of Greeks. I wish Detroit had an influx of immigrants to create some new ethnic neighborhoods, but it doesn't seem too likely as of present.

Well, that has more to do with what has gone on back in the mother/fatherland. Most ethnic communities in the US (or in Canada, etc.) are formed from some sort of diaspora because of some sort of turmoil.

With a few exceptions, people really haven't been mass emigrating from Europe in decades as there is little reason to. Even where there is a bad economy in one country, the EU basically allows free movement. Consequently European enclaves start to be assimilated and die out.

[Tex?Il?]

Originally Posted by usroute10

The Mexican neighborhood along the Vernor Highway corridor is still going strong, so not all of the immigrants are moving to the burbs. I do decry the decline of the Little Lebanon/Chaldean Town neighborhood of Woodward/John R/7 Mile. Most of the Chaldean people have left that neighborhood, but you can still see what it used to be by the closed storefronts with the old and faded signs in the Chaldean/Arabic Language

Also, it is false to say that Detroit is all single family detached houses. There are 2-family, 3-family, and 4-family flats galore all over the city. Plus apartment buildings sprinkled about (see bottom 3 links)

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=2285+...9jsRAGnc5VLw2w

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=ameri...T5sOEhnMz9GNUw

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=chica...y6m56GaS2zE8Jg

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=388+w...s3FnKVaVMH2qfg

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=3755+...2llcrUp57UX0uA

https://maps.google.com/maps?q=fulle...d0WCAlhU-F2pfQ

Great post. All one has to do is look at NETR Online • Historic Aerials and see very clearly that Detroit was most definitely NOT all single family homes.

And those Chicago greystones and brownstones, as iconic and desirable as they are did NOT make up a significant % of the housing stock beyond the inner most neighborhoods. Chicago, unlike NYC did not have a significant residential high rises housing stock until the 60s when Daley the 1st revitalized, and specifically made the north lakefront into a place where the urban professionals could live the urban professional lifestyle that was just starting to become established.

I will say however, that the inner most neighborhoods of Chicago that did exist before 1900, yes those areas may not have strong counterparts in Detroit (the better example would be St. Louis in the Midwest as Chi and STL were the biggest cities at the time).