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Old 04-30-2015, 11:29 PM
 
Location: Detroit
3,671 posts, read 5,846,949 times
Reputation: 2691

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Quote:
Originally Posted by RPM13 View Post
Hello,
My daughter will be going to live for a year in Detroit to help out in the inner city schools via a non profit organization. She has to meet near Wayne State University to go to the school she is assigned to. She goes with another group of volunteers.
She is really excited, but I am concerned about the comments I get when I tell people that she is going from the West Coast to Detroit, and how can I let her go there with so much crime.
Can anyone who actually lives there comment on what neighborhood areas around Detroit are safe? She keeps mentioning Midtown.
We got her a new small car because I wanted to make sure her car doesn't breakdown while she drives around the city.
Is it safe at night to go out around Detroit? I'm just a concerned mom and want to know what areas are safe or any suggestions. Is the Public transportation safe to take around Detroit?
Thanks for your input.
Midtown is a safe and up and coming area of Detroit. It's unlikely that she will be wondering into an unknown area without members of her group and probably a local to help them along. Her going with a group is even better as I'm sure they will take care of the group and eachother. As said before, common since is a must. Don't leave valuables in plain sight, don't leave doors unlocked, ect.

She is better off using her car, it's much more reliable than the local public transportation.

A little about Midtown, it's an up and coming area that has the 3rd largest university in Michigan, it also has a number of museums and other attractions as well. There are alot of people working in the area due to the Wayne State and the hospitals like Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford, ect and right next to downtown Detroit which is also up and coming and safe. The really ugly part of Midtown just looks worse than it is, it was where former housing projects once stood but is now torn down. It's a few blocks but the crime isn't an issue there either, in fact that area is in the process of being transformed into the "Arena District" which will be taking most of that blight away and filling it with a Redwings hockey stadium and other commercial and residential development by 2017.

I think it would be a great opportunity for her to do something good and see something different. As long as she realizes she needs to stay safe she should be fine in that area and with her group. Good for her.

Quote:
I would not reccomended it. First you have to understand that Detroit is about half abandoned. Second, the areas outside midtown and downtown are indeed high crime. Third, depending on your daughters background and circumstances, she might not be prepared to navigate a place like Detroit.

I like Animatedmartian and usually agree with him, but we disagree on this point.
Detroit's vacant parcels actually make up for about 30% of the city according to the study done, bad but not quite half. But she's going with a group and more than likely doing this with locals already in the area. I have friends who have done things like this in much worse places. It would be different if she was just trying to let loose in Detroit with no direction. Unless she is a thrill seeker like the "ruin porn" people then she should be fine. Especially since she isn't by herself.
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Old 05-01-2015, 12:19 AM
 
2,990 posts, read 5,243,501 times
Reputation: 2365
Quote:
Originally Posted by MS313 View Post
Midtown is a safe and up and coming area of Detroit. It's unlikely that she will be wondering into an unknown area without members of her group and probably a local to help them along. Her going with a group is even better as I'm sure they will take care of the group and eachother. As said before, common since is a must. Don't leave valuables in plain sight, don't leave doors unlocked, ect.

She is better off using her car, it's much more reliable than the local public transportation.

A little about Midtown, it's an up and coming area that has the 3rd largest university in Michigan, it also has a number of museums and other attractions as well. There are alot of people working in the area due to the Wayne State and the hospitals like Detroit Medical Center, Henry Ford, ect and right next to downtown Detroit which is also up and coming and safe. The really ugly part of Midtown just looks worse than it is, it was where former housing projects once stood but is now torn down. It's a few blocks but the crime isn't an issue there either, in fact that area is in the process of being transformed into the "Arena District" which will be taking most of that blight away and filling it with a Redwings hockey stadium and other commercial and residential development by 2017.

I think it would be a great opportunity for her to do something good and see something different. As long as she realizes she needs to stay safe she should be fine in that area and with her group. Good for her.

Detroit's vacant parcels actually make up for about 30% of the city according to the study done, bad but not quite half. But she's going with a group and more than likely doing this with locals already in the area. I have friends who have done things like this in much worse places. It would be different if she was just trying to let loose in Detroit with no direction. Unless she is a thrill seeker like the "ruin porn" people then she should be fine. Especially since she isn't by herself.
Saying offhand things like "it's fine" sounds appealing.

In reality, a huge amount of Detroit remains dangerous.

Remember: Statistics don't lie, but liars use statistics.

There are a lot of intangibles at play that don't even get mentioned.

Basically, setting your average 18 year old loose in Detroit is not a good idea.
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Old 05-01-2015, 07:43 AM
 
2,990 posts, read 5,243,501 times
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Let's put it this way, my friend started volunteering for an organization in Detroit and within the first week saw someone trying to shoot someone else near the bus stop.

Yes if you stay in midtown and downtown peak hours you'll be fine. Anything aside from that is potentially dangerous. It doesn't sound like see people have any idea what they are getting into.
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Old 05-01-2015, 10:46 AM
 
Location: Detroit
464 posts, read 447,930 times
Reputation: 700
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonnynonos View Post
Saying offhand things like "it's fine" sounds appealing.

In reality, a huge amount of Detroit remains dangerous.

Remember: Statistics don't lie, but liars use statistics.

There are a lot of intangibles at play that don't even get mentioned.

Basically, setting your average 18 year old loose in Detroit is not a good idea.
I've been mugged in "safe" Downtown, albeit late at night. Street smarts are essential if you want to live here.
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Old 05-01-2015, 11:13 AM
 
2,362 posts, read 1,909,706 times
Reputation: 4719
Lets talk about the suburbs...I wont even mention down town (a cess pool with a few oasis's of safe fun places, still surrounded by the cess pool)

drive down fenkell (5 mile) between telegraph and burt road...drive down the side streets just east of eliza howell, 4-5 blocks east of telegreaph...this looks like a war zone taken out of a movie...its better than it was 10 years ago...can you imagine

drive down mich ave, east of shaefer...same thing, drive down some side streets
warrendale...
drive down 6 or 7 mile east of tele...

these are the burbs...and it looks like something out of the movie "colors"...
its very dangerous...
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Old 05-01-2015, 01:28 PM
 
Location: Detroit
3,671 posts, read 5,846,949 times
Reputation: 2691
Quote:
Originally Posted by jonnynonos View Post
Saying offhand things like "it's fine" sounds appealing.

In reality, a huge amount of Detroit remains dangerous.

Remember: Statistics don't lie, but liars use statistics.

There are a lot of intangibles at play that don't even get mentioned.

Basically, setting your average 18 year old loose in Detroit is not a good idea.
I'm not arguing any of this. But it's not like she is going out on some random adventure by herself with absolutely no clue. I guess we need more information but this sound like she is going with a big group of people who are staying in a (generally) safe area and also if I I'm pretty sure are being accompanied by locals who do know Detroit. I'm saying this because there are schools and programs that some of my friends were in that did something similar and even overseas in Africa. They made sure they were taken care of. Also, many people at Wayne State come to Detroit alone at 17 and 18 with far less fewer friends and do fine. Many people I know in Kalamazoo went there and still never had a problem. Most also don't go out on adventures in unknown neighborhood either though.
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Old 05-01-2015, 07:18 PM
 
1,395 posts, read 2,506,576 times
Reputation: 1328
Quote:
Originally Posted by MS313 View Post
I'm not arguing any of this. But it's not like she is going out on some random adventure by herself with absolutely no clue. I guess we need more information but this sound like she is going with a big group of people who are staying in a (generally) safe area and also if I I'm pretty sure are being accompanied by locals who do know Detroit. I'm saying this because there are schools and programs that some of my friends were in that did something similar and even overseas in Africa. They made sure they were taken care of. Also, many people at Wayne State come to Detroit alone at 17 and 18 with far less fewer friends and do fine. Many people I know in Kalamazoo went there and still never had a problem. Most also don't go out on adventures in unknown neighborhood either though.
My guess is that the young woman in question isn't familiar with navigating a city like Detroit, MS313. I don't think she has an understanding of what might be in store for her.
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Old 05-01-2015, 10:56 PM
 
Location: Detroit
3,671 posts, read 5,846,949 times
Reputation: 2691
Quote:
Originally Posted by maclock View Post
My guess is that the young woman in question isn't familiar with navigating a city like Detroit, MS313. I don't think she has an understanding of what might be in store for her.
You might be right, I think we all need more information on if she is actually on her own trying to go places or not. Because make no mistake I would not recommend that. I just reread her post, my question if she ever comes back to comment are

Is the group she will be going with local or have members that are local or at least familiar with Detroit?
Does she have a GPS?
and will her group members be going with her whenever she goes to these places?

Those make a world of difference. Especially if she really isn't used to navigating a city like Detroit or going out in an unfamiliar city period.
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Old 05-06-2015, 08:20 AM
 
Location: On the brink of WWIII
21,088 posts, read 29,066,472 times
Reputation: 7812
Quote:
Originally Posted by SouthernCowboy90 View Post
People and media always make Detroit looks like one of the worst cities in America. I know Detroit has some real enonomic and crime problems, but I wonder: It is really that "dump" as they say it is? What's Detroit really like?
In the 30 plus years I have been in and out of Detroit, I have only been shot at ONCE (did leave two holes in the rear side panel of my '70 Duster.)
Only been accosted by homeless people looking for food or a handout, never beaten, mugged, or threatened.

Never had my car jacked, broken into or damaged. But I have never drove into Detroit with anything that was more than 5-8 years old. I have always owned cares that are at least 15 years old..
Lived in Detroit for several years at different times and places and never had my door kicked in, but I usually lived in an artsy neighborhoods like 4th street or Woodbridge.

Does that mean I drive the East Side after 10:00 pm? Or stop for red lights anywhere in the city?

Hardly. Be wise, be safe..
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Old 05-06-2015, 06:48 PM
 
2,990 posts, read 5,243,501 times
Reputation: 2365
Quote:
Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28 View Post
In the 30 plus years I have been in and out of Detroit, I have only been shot at ONCE (did leave two holes in the rear side panel of my '70 Duster.)
Only been accosted by homeless people looking for food or a handout, never beaten, mugged, or threatened.

Never had my car jacked, broken into or damaged. But I have never drove into Detroit with anything that was more than 5-8 years old. I have always owned cares that are at least 15 years old..
Lived in Detroit for several years at different times and places and never had my door kicked in, but I usually lived in an artsy neighborhoods like 4th street or Woodbridge.

Does that mean I drive the East Side after 10:00 pm? Or stop for red lights anywhere in the city?

Hardly. Be wise, be safe..
I'm not sure you realize what an out of the ordinary experience it is to "get shot at."

It's so far outside the norm for the vast majority of middle America that the idea rightly horrifies most people.
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