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Because if you are just looking for a majority white blue collar neighborhod with a bar and driving distance to Ecorse, that description likely applies to about 50 percent or more of metro Detroit.
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Originally Posted by jonnynonos
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]You might like Hamtramack. I know you're not a hipster but it at least is likely to have a few younger, more outgoing types. [/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Most people who grew up in Livonia your age leave it after school. The townies who stay and have lived there their whole lives are frankly not going to give a **** about making friends.
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Thanks man. You make it seem like I'm asking for too little...I mean I would prefer somewhere with restaurants, retail and nice architecture...but I am not really that picky you know and I will settle for a comfortable suburban life.[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]So, why do people leave Livonia? I know it has been dropping slightly in population because I saw that on the census data but I assumed that was just because generally Michigan is losing people..is there something particularly wrong with Livonia? It seems like a personally reasonable place to live. An affordable and safe community close to regional job centers with a population of over 90,000..[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Why would you say people leave after school more so than any other region of Metro Detroit? I know in general there is some outflow from the area to other large Midwestern metros like Chicago or the Twin Cities but I just thought that this is just because of the messy state that the City of Detroit is in..I figured the young people that stay in the Metro Detroit area are the types of people that either truly cannot afford to leave or that really love their hometown and don't want to go. The former I can't imagine being an issue in a middle class suburb and would probably be more applicable to a rougher neighborhood of the inner city. The latter is not a bad thing at all![/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]What is a "townie"? And why do you foresee natives or long term residents of the area to specifically not wanna be friends? Is it a territorial thing? Like they don't "take kindly to outsiders?" I mean if so that is really quite surprising in a Metro area of millions of people,.[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Also, while I was originally considered Hamtramck, I took a look at the demographics of the city and also looked at blocks on "Google Maps Street View."[/color]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]I am really not enamored at all. While some blocks seemed well kept, there was still lots and lots of blight from my view.[/color]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Also, what was concerning for me was the demographics..it is a very diverse community and while I am sure that makes for an interesting experience for people who are looking for that sort of thing, if I wanted to.be surrounded by that I could easily stay in Brooklyn or move to Queens lol.[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]It's 55% white, 20% Latino and 20% Asian with the remainder being Latino. It's also around 50% foreign born. Apparently the census lists people from the Arab world as white too so that is misleading...It seems that most of the Asian people are from South Asia like Bangladesh.[/color]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]I mean, I said earlier in the thread that I had taken the city of Dearborn off of my list of prospects because it was too foreign for me and I would feel out of place, Dearborn is statistically way whiter, way less diverse and has a lower foreign born population than Hamtramck so if I think Dearborn would make me uncomfortable than Hamtramck would likely make me go crazy. Additionally it seems that Hamtramck borders the worse parts of Detroit and the city of Highland Park (from what I am reading sounds worse than Detroit's worst areas!) It would be one thing if it was still a primarily Polish community like it was way back in the day because at least that is a culture I am familiar with and can blend into to, but now...no. Also, the fact that you mentioned "I know you're not a hipster" probably means there is hipsters there and I do not like those kind of people at all, and tbh for much of my life in NYC me and my family were moving neighborhoods every couple of years to basically escape hipsters who raised rents and changed vibes...[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]I'll be honest with you...I lived in the cesspit of a city that we call NY for most of my life, and while it's my hometown and where my family is there and it has some cool aspects, it's a hell hole. There is no space, no one speaks English except for yuppie scum who can tell you all about the plight of the American Indian but think you score touch downs in baseball...and there is nowhere within commuting distance of the city where you can live a life that remotely resembles normal American culture. Then, I moved to Brazil on impulse and lived in Sao Paulo which is gigantic and filthy and loud and expensive and no speaks English. [/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]This job I had, I had a choice between Detroit or Pittsburgh. I chose Detroit even though my yearly salary is $6500 less than it would've been in PA, there is less room for advancement because the HQ of the company is in PA, I get less vacation and benefits etc. The reason why I did that is because Pittsburgh had become too diverse, urbane and white collar. After living in the hell holes of NYC and Urban Brazil all I want is suburban middle America. [/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]As for making friends, at my age people don't make friends anyways like we did in HS. I am not looking to invade social circles so the extent ofi it would be having someone to watch sports with or get invited to a New Year/Christmas etc. Party lol. As for meeting potential partners I can use the internet for more serious stuff and to meet ladies like most people do these days, and for romantic connections that are shorter term for an evening or a weekend I can meet a dude at one of those bars in Ferndale/Royal Oak that I heard about..same system I use everywhere. : P[/color]
[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]Here is the ideal neighborhood for me:[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]- Quaint and Well-Kept with nice houses that are mostly older on dense streets and smaller lots.[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]- A "Main Street" with some restaurants, a bar, maybe a small grocery store or deli and some retail. All of that isn't required but I do want a Main Street area.[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]- A park, a lake, a river, a town square...something with nature where people go to walk dogs, hang out on nice days etc. A town with generally lots of big trees and stuff would be cool.[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]- Not a diverse community. That sounds bad but the SE Michigan metro area is the most segregated and takes in the smallest amount of new immigrants of any of the USA's 20 largest MSA's. The height of diversity would preferably be the Indian/Chinese/Thai restaurant on Main Street.[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]- 45 minute commute factoring traffic..tops[/color]
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[COLOR=rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.701961)]- A studio or 2 bed room apartment (not in a building or complex preferably part of a duplex or multi-family home/2-flat) for $650 or less[/color]
Well, you certainly know what you want. Re: Livonia and a lot of places like it, I suppose people leave because it is boring as all get out. It is literally just a bunch of houses with scattered retail -- and by that I mean strip malls.
I would look at Wyandotte. I know nothing about it but there used to be a poster here who really liked it and it sounds like it might meet most of your requirements.
Livonia has no Main Street or town; most inner ring suburbs don't.
Wyandotte might be your cup of tea! It has a nice downtown area that is adjacent to the city's waterfront. It is a working class, very majority white city. I am sure that you can find a house or a flat near the downtown area which will have your bars and coffee shop, etc. Livonia is just bland suburbia, but it may fit you. It is safe, but not quite as pristine as it once was. You may also consider the city of Wayne. It has a downtown area and mostly older housing stock like Wyandotte.
Lincoln Park and even Allen Park may work-mostly white, working class communities with old-time business strips
Here is an apartment building near Downtown Wyandotte, rent $675.
Working in Ecorse, I'd give the edge to Wyandotte. But commute aside you sound like a good fit for Ferndale. Hamtramck might be a little too gritty for your liking. I love Hamtramck but my guess is you'd prefer to drink and eat there more than you'd prefer to live there (although it would be closer to Ecorse for you than Ferndale).
Wyandotte, hits all of your criteria though. Lots of rental options. Mostly Polish area historically, it's still a solid area. Nice downtown, riverfront location, lots of young people and certainly a working class - clean/safe area. Plus, quite a few dive bars in Wyandotte. There are not a lot of hipsters in Wyandotte or downriver. Mainly just good hard working people. You'll find what you're looking for in your price range.
Livonia, Trenton, Grosse Isle, Milford, and several other places that might welcome an Irishman...
Most of Downriver has a very diverse community and may not be up to certain standards. Wyandotte, Riverview, Southgate and others have people of color, saints be praised.
As for switch-hitting, one would have to look at Royal-Oak, Ferndale and in the city of Detroit proper. Though the Downriver area is democratic and liberal, the majority of folks are still DON'T TELL ME AND I WON'T HAVE TO KICK YOUR ARSE...at least a majority of those over 30 tend to be so.
I was going to say Corktown, but alas, I believe the last Irish left that hood a few decades ago.
Last edited by zthatzmanz28; 01-03-2015 at 03:42 PM..
Livonia, Trenton, Grosse Isle, Milford, and several other places that might welcome an Irishman...
Most of Downriver has a very diverse community and may not be up to certain standards. Wyandotte, Riverview, Southgate and others have people of color, saints be praised.[quote]
The only downriver cities that have a significant number of minorities are: Lincoln Park (76% white, non-hispanic, 14% Hispanic), Taylor (74.7% white, non-hispanic, 15.8% black), River Rouge, and Ecorse. These cities don't constitute MOST OF DOWNRIVER, which you stated. And nobody is recommending Taylor, River Rouge, or Ecorse anyway.
Livonia, Trenton, Grosse Isle, Milford, and several other places that might welcome an Irishman...
Most of Downriver has a very diverse community and may not be up to certain standards. Wyandotte, Riverview, Southgate and others have people of color, saints be praised.
As for switch-hitting, one would have to look at Royal-Oak, Ferndale and in the city of Detroit proper. Though the Downriver area is democratic and liberal, the majority of folks are still DON'T TELL ME AND I WON'T HAVE TO KICK YOUR ARSE...at least a majority of those over 30 tend to be so.
I was going to say Corktown, but alas, I believe the last Irish left that hood a few decades ago.
Yes, mostly white.
I said it, I would prefer to live in a community that is mostly Caucasian, non-Hispanic.
I understand that 90 years ago people didn't consider the Irish (or Italians) white, but now anyone wholly of European descent (from the west of Eire to the Urals in Russia) is considered white. The census counts Arabs as white for some reason, however I have never heard anyone call a Yemeni a "white guy".
I understand that to the social justice brigade that disproportionately trolls these forums crucifies anyone that dare rebuke the sacred gospel of diversity (unless you're not white of course, then it's totally okay to wanna live in a 100% Mexican/Black/Chinese community) and views such "unenlightened souls" as nothing more than evil stormfront klansman bigot but apparently most of white America feels similarly because white flight is a very real phenomenon, especially in Detroit but everywhere...that's why towns like Georgetown, Tx (Austin), Thousand Oaks. CA (LA) Rockville Centre, NY (NYC), Evanston, IL (Chicago) and many others exist. Many white people (especially those who care more about real, pragmatic things like safety, community cohesion, good schools etc. and not intangible concepts like "diversity" and "open-mindedness" that mean nothing when you're getting carjacked) prefer to live in white communities. Perhaps it's white privilege, institutional racism or just plain unfair...not my problem I leave that to others to fix, all I know is I have lived in "culturally diverse", "ethnic melting pots" all of my life and they were sh!tholes, I prefer more homogeneous communities...apparently others do too or they wouldn't exist.
Democratic and liberal I am not, at least fiscally. As you say I "switch hit" and thus have no room to be socially conservative (I do still go to Mass every once in awhile though). I don't tell randoms of my personal preferences and unless i experience a radical change of needs I wont be prancing around with my boyfriend lol.
As for trying to scare me from certain areas (btw I am already here in MI, I moved to Wyandotte last weekend) saying that there are people of color, I haven't seen any really...perhaps a few live here but I doubt more than 3 or 4 families. As evidenced by housing patterns in this area if that number grows, people will move. Happened in River Rouge, happened in Pontiac, happened in Detroit.
I love Michigan thus far, I seem to fit in nicely and will be here for a long time. I wouldn't go to Corktown or anywhere in the city besides the stadium and the casino without a loaded gun for now. Maybe in a couple of years when the yuppies (not a very diverse crowd, lol) clean it up I will hang out there.
Well you definitely come across as a racist bigot, but that's ok, it is free country, and you can feel what you wanna feel just as long as you don't deny someone opportunity because they are minority.
Not all ethnic melting pots are sh!tholes. You are right though, the vast majority of white people live in very predominately white communities, so you are nothing unique.
Move to wyandotte it's a wonderful city on the river. Downtown area. The city hosts things throughout the year. Very close to ecorse but stay away from ecorse not safe. Lincoln park allen park Trenton all possibilities When u do check out your place make sure it's later in the day so u can check your neighbors. Drugs bring a lot of unwanted traffic it's big up here
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