Reasons to live in Detroit ? (Ann Arbor, Dearborn: best suburbs, real estate, rent)

[xxs78]

What's the reason to live in Detroit ? What's the reason to invest in Detroit for a small business ?
Which attractive things can we tell about Detroit ? ...Positive things..

[hemmie]

Do you mean the city itself or the metro area?

I can tell you from my perspective why I'm looking forward to moving there from Los Angeles. First a little background: My husband and I both work at a university here, so while we both enjoy our jobs, we make middling salaries. That does not take us very far here. We are hemmorhagging money here, mostly on rent but also full time daycare for our two children, which we must have because we both have to work. We only have one car; we both commute to the same place. I could have chosen a higher paying job, but that would have meant much longer hours and getting a second car, so the trade off wasn't worth it. The traffic here is as bad as they say - it is horrendous. LA has a lot to offer; I just feel like I don't have time or money to fully take advantage of it. We pay a premium to live "close" to work (8 miles), but because of traffic and our shared commute (i.e. we can't stagger drop off/pick up), our kids are still in daycare almost 10 hours a day.

In Detroit, we will be able to live on one salary, because the cost of living will be lower for us. We can send our children to high quality public schools in a pleasant suburb. Our children will be able to enjoy greater access to outdoor space, whether it be a yard (which we currently do not have in LA) or parks, which we do have but have to drive 10-15 minutes to. We have liked all the Michiganders we have met - "good peeps." The higher public education is first class, which is very appealing to us. Being close to Detroit - despite its troubles - still holds a lot of appealing options from my perspective: its music history, the DIA, the sporting events. Also, nearby lakes & zoo and Ann Arbor make nice day trips. I'm also looking forward to the occasional weekend trips to Chicago, Toronto, Cleveland. I grew up in California, where going to a different state took hours and hours.

I'm going in with my eyes wide open, but those are the reasons why we're looking forward to the move.

[xxs78]

Detroit has some problems ,but it's certainly underestimated.

[Dexterguy]

Originally Posted by xxs78

What's the reason to live in Detroit ? What's the reason to invest in Detroit for a small business ?
Which attractive things can we tell about Detroit ? ...Positive things..

Well, what's the reason to live in Detroit?
* Not to many that is why over 1 million have already left the city for the suburbs and other locations.

What's the reason to invest in small business?
*At this point it is almost impossible to open a business in Detroit and keep it operating for more than a few months. I used to go Detroit for some of the "old school" European bakeries and deli's. But every single bakery and deli that I use to go to is totally shut down and boarded up, except for one on Michigan Av. a block or so from the City of Dearborn border.

Attractive Things??
*Well, Detroit still has a pretty impressive skyline for a city that has probably shrunk to a population of about 830-850,000 people by now. Many improvements downtown attract suburbanites and vistors from other areas. But, the neighborhoods, except for the few remaining nice areas such as Indian Village and Boston-Edison, the neighborhoods are in deep decline and have been since the late 1960's.

I think that the best things that Detroit has done is to try to attract people downtown, with the Detroit Riverfront, the new Stadiums, new downtown street improvements, the Casinos, and hotel renovation.

[doublebb]

There are no reasons to live in Detroit. I grew up there in the 80's, and unfortunatley I still have to visit family there. Detroit is a toilet. Crack heads steel everything they can get their hands on, the Police still do nothing but run red lights because they're the law and untouchable. Michigan is at the footsteps of a depression being #1 on the unemployment list and theres no bouncing back! Any Michigan comeback would probably take 20 years and it still wouldn't be great. The only improvements Detroit has ever made are visual and are all downtown, nothing for the surrounding parts of the cities. Streets with no street lights, its a crap hole without the water to flush. Call me negative, but thats all Detroit has to offer.

And a few years ago when the Super bowl came to town, Detroit in its ploy to show how great of a city it is, went around and picked up all the homeless and hid them until all the out of towners went home.. Wow, thats nice... Im glad im gone! Now Its time to leave Michigan, I've been blown away!

[tabbcat]

Good reason: Toronto and Chicago are only 4 hours away!
Best reason: I have a house there that I need tenants for!

[Coldjensens]

If you mean the City, Detroit has a great downtown with a bit of life left to it (more than many other cities). There is a plentifiul suppy of skilled workers available. There are several very highly regarded large research universities in the area and several organizations that will put together partnerships between companies, education and government. (e.g. Autmoation Alley for one example). real estate is comparatively cheap and Detroit has some of the best suburbs that you will find anywhere in the country. Detroit also has an execellent freeway system (albeit badly in need of some repairs).

There is a lot of outstanding real estate avialable here. You will be amazed at what you cna buy for the same money as many other places. There is a lot of reasonably clean water, clean air, forests, fields lakes rivers streams, etc. The Beaches on Lake Michigan rival beaches anywhere for beauty (water is chilly though).


It really depends on you. What are you looking for? How old are you? Do you have children? etc.

[Cliffie]

In Detroit you will get your choice of real estate to live and work in, at rock-bottom prices.

You will have your pick of THOUSANDS of highly-qualified, moderately-qualified, over-qualified, and ready-to-train employees, many willing to undersell each other in order to have jobs again.

Unless you have a totally stupid product or service, like electric dog polishers, your business should take off nicely.

[xxs78]

Originally Posted by Coldjensens

If you mean the City, Detroit has a great downtown with a bit of life left to it (more than many other cities). There is a plentifiul suppy of skilled workers available. There are several very highly regarded large research universities in the area and several organizations that will put together partnerships between companies, education and government. (e.g. Autmoation Alley for one example). real estate is comparatively cheap and Detroit has some of the best suburbs that you will find anywhere in the country. Detroit also has an execellent freeway system (albeit badly in need of some repairs).

There is a lot of outstanding real estate avialable here. You will be amazed at what you cna buy for the same money as many other places. There is a lot of reasonably clean water, clean air, forests, fields lakes rivers streams, etc. The Beaches on Lake Michigan rival beaches anywhere for beauty (water is chilly though).


It really depends on you. What are you looking for? How old are you? Do you have children? etc.

I like this city

[zakian]

Originally Posted by xxs78

What's the reason to live in Detroit ? What's the reason to invest in Detroit for a small business ?
Which attractive things can we tell about Detroit ? ...Positive things..

There aren't any.