Is Detroit Improving? (Westland, Inkster, Ferndale: appointed, 2013, crime)

[Geo-Aggie]

Originally Posted by ctg492

Port Huron, is now PoHo. 45 miles from the D used to be far enough. I grew up in Port Huron and return a few times a month to visit parent. I dreamed to return to live in PH for years, now I drive to parents and drive out. I read the Times Herald online every morning and wonder WTF happened to PH, the D spread it appears. The joke is if they stopped cars coming in off I94 onto Griswold exit the D would stay out.

I thought Port Huron was really nice and quaint when I went up and visited a few months ago. I'd live there, or Marysville, if it wasn't such a long commute to where I work. It has that small town, old rustic charm with older, but well kept neighborhoods and a thriving, but not crowded, downtown area. Plus, Lake Huron and trees as far as they eye can see! Really, Port Huron was exactly what I was hoping to find by moving to the Eastern US, but I just can't do a long commute.

[belleislerunner]

St. Clair's a really cool town to visit if you didn't go there. It's not as far - has the world's longest wooden boardwalk on fresh water and cool coffee shops/wine shops along the River. (Sue's Coffee etc). Palmer Park in St. Clair is a good place to spend a lazy Sunday and the St. Clair Inn (hotel) is undergoing renovations to reopen. Very cool town in the summer with boaters.

Port Huron also has the Raven Cafe - which is probably the coolest coffee shop/live music venue in all of Michigan.
Home | Raven Café

[ctg492]

What happened to Port Huron is the same that happened to most towns that let the "growth" of the boom years happen. I guess since I grew up there,It is like any town that you leave and return too. Lake Huron, best lake of the greats imo. St Clair River can't get more beautiful then that to boat in, it spoiled me to see other waters. Something happened to the town, it was like the sprawl of the trash spread, only way I can put it. The North end became Big box haven. Downtown they try so hard to make the spot. The Sperry's building has been under so many plans, now I read lofts again, Oak St and that area is slum landlord area.
But as with all cities there are nice and bad.

[usroute10]

Originally Posted by jonnynonos

Certainly "most of" is an exaggeration but there are parts of several inner-ring burbs that have gone south over the last 10-15 years.

Originally Posted by garyalex

Would you mind saying to which suburbs you're referring?

Thanks

Harper Woods, Eastpointe, Warren, Redford. Maybe Hazel Park.

[belleislerunner]

I'm not sure where you live - but your listed cities reference my earlier points. That may have been the case in 2010 - not today.

One of the hippest restaurants in Michigan just opened in Hazel Park. It's becoming the next "hip spot" by people priced out of Ferndale/Clawson/Royal Oak.

Rehab, new menu delight Mabel Gray diners in Hazel Park

[dbr56]

I was last in Detroit about 4 years ago, to catch a Pirates/Tigers series. Two things jumped out to me:
1) some of the nicest people I've ever met, truly.
2) I was stunned by the decay in and around downtown.

Some observations:
1)The ballpark is fantastic, easily one of the best in MLB.
2) We stayed in the Westin, a nice but not great hotel. Any new hotels online?
3) A lot of pride among the people I talked to.
4) I wondered about whether the GM towers help or hurt downtown - they're just too big and felt detached from the rest of downtown by the roads.
5) some beautiful bldgs to work with, renovate. Hopefully they're getting or will get the TLC they deserve.
6) Downtown maybe too spread out? There's a LOT of space to rebuild.
7) Maybe I missed the connection, but I did not feel any connection to the river from downtown.
8) Speaking of the river, maybe the saddest part of the trip (other than the Pirates' performance) was Belle Isle. I don't say this to take any kind of shot at the folks of Detroit, but it was a total mess. Weeds everywhere, trash, broken everything it seemed, uncut and unkept. It could be fantastic, but it was shocking.
9) This bears mentioning again - the people were awesome!

If I get back this summer (I hope to), will the improvements be noticeable to the average visitor?

[animatedmartian]

Originally Posted by dbr56

If I get back this summer (I hope to), will the improvements be noticeable to the average visitor?

Yea definitely. 4 years ago was definitely not as great now because I think that's about a year before the city declared bankruptcy.

1) some of the nicest people I've ever met, truly.

I see this comment a lot and it worries me. I don't want to go some place else where people are less nice!

2) I was stunned by the decay in and around downtown.

Go back even 10 to 15 years and downtown was pretty much no man's land.

Some observations:
1)The ballpark is fantastic, easily one of the best in MLB.

Ford Field is pretty great too if you ever get the chance to check it out. The new Red Wings arena looks to be a showstopper as well. Detroit seems to be good at building stadiums, it seems.

2) We stayed in the Westin, a nice but not great hotel. Any new hotels online?

Yea, mostly smaller boutiques and pretty much all of them in renovated buildings (a lot kind of look like square pegs inside of round holes). Detroit hasn't yet gotten to the point of having a brand new hotel building go up yet, but supposedly there's one at least confirmed in the pipeline and possibly more along the way once market conditions are right.

3) A lot of pride among the people I talked to.

It'd be unusual if there wasn't.

4) I wondered about whether the GM towers help or hurt downtown - they're just too big and felt detached from the rest of downtown by the roads.

Yea, a lot of people feel that way. 1970s urban renewal planning wasn't the best. Actually, when the Ren Cen was first built, it didn't even have the atriums it does now and the waterfront was still primarily for industrial use. It was originally intended to be a self-contained building and workers could have easy access to the freeway so they never had a reason to hang around downtown.

5) some beautiful bldgs to work with, renovate. Hopefully they're getting or will get the TLC they deserve.

A few news articles have said that developers have nearly run out of old buildings to renovate and now it's to the point where they have to look outside of downtown or build new.

6) Downtown maybe too spread out? There's a LOT of space to rebuild.

I personally like the size of downtown, but yea as of right now, there's not a lot in between major points of interest. Hopefully, the M-1 Rail will make traversing downtown a little easier (which I think didn't start construction until a couple of years ago, so you'd definitely notice that).

7) Maybe I missed the connection, but I did not feel any connection to the river from downtown.

Again Mid-century urban planning. Hart Plaza and Cobo Hall and the Ren Cen were built over what was otherwise a mixed-use waterfront neighborhood. Like most Midwestern cities, the river was primarily used for industry and the value of it near downtown has really only been realized within the last decade. Unfortunately, it's unlikely that Jefferson will be narrowed anytime soon so that'll always be a drawback.

8) Speaking of the river, maybe the saddest part of the trip (other than the Pirates' performance) was Belle Isle. I don't say this to take any kind of shot at the folks of Detroit, but it was a total mess. Weeds everywhere, trash, broken everything it seemed, uncut and unkept. It could be fantastic, but it was shocking.

The City of Detroit actually didn't have enough funds to maintain it (as well as most of the city's other parks). That's right before the city filed for bankruptcy. The State of Michigan ended up having to take over the park and now the park is actually improving, at least compared to years ago. Though, the next time you visit, you'll have to pay a fee.

9) This bears mentioning again - the people were awesome![/quote]

[Ztonyg]

Originally Posted by usroute10

Harper Woods, Eastpointe, Warren, Redford. Maybe Hazel Park.

I'd throw Wayne and Inkster into the mix as well.

[MS313]

Originally Posted by Ztonyg

I'd throw Wayne and Inkster into the mix as well.

Inkster is one of the worst.

[LM117]

Yeah, my uncle told me Inkster went down the crapper. He and my aunt lived in Inkster in the early 90's until 1994 when they moved to Wayne and stayed there until 2011 before moving to Westland. He said it's gotten terrible now. He works for a heating and air company and goes all over the place, so I hear a few things now and then. Wayne didn't seem bad to me when they lived there on Howe Road and most of the people were real friendly and usually asked where I was from since my accent is a dead giveaway (I'm from eastern North Carolina). I had lot of fun as a kid going to the Wayne Community Center and walking around Atwood Park with my cousins and their small dogs. My only complaint is that the roads are some of the worst I've ever seen in my life! The last time I was up there visiting was in 2013 and most of the streets had more craters than the moon. I'm supposed to be visiting again later this year, so I hope it's improved for my tires' sake.