Downtown Detroit Okay to Live? (Farmington Hills, Wayne: hotel, neighborhood, theatre)

[Guardian]

Just so everyone knows, this (broken link) is the report that other people have been referring to.

[and the]

I'm sure this organization has no reason to be anything other then truthful and objective.

the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau

This line made me laugh out loud:

Wayne State based its analysis strictly on
Detroit Police Department crime statistics.

That report is a complete joke. I believe one of the reasons the Detroit PD is operating under a federal consent decree, (and incidentally has made virtually NO progress on mandated improvements), is because they fail to track and report crime stats accurately. If you want to make important decisions based on that report, or rationalize your way into believing that downtown Detroit is "safer" than the rest of the country on average, you go right ahead. But keep in mind: garbage in, garbage out. I'm perfectly willing to give credit where credit is due. Downtown Detroit is safer than the REST of the city. It's safer because the tourist in Greektown has their choice of cops to choose from who are standing by on the corners of Monroe, with their white hats on. But the poor schlub who's lived in Detroit all his life can't get a police response to save his life at Linwood and Clairmont.

[jumpygh]

Am I the only one who thinks there's more to this question than the relative safety of downtown? Unless you enjoy looking at abandoned buildings, downtown isn't very desirable.

I have a simple test for whether or not an area is safe. If every home and business in an area has iron bars on the windows and/or doors, the area isn't safe. My neighborhood in Farmington Hills has no security doors (screen doors with reinforced bars). How many neighborhoods in Detroit can say that?

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by and the

I can't think of any downtown areas in southeastern Michigan that are less safe than Detroit.

It never ceases to amaze me how often I am told to believe what someone claims to be true versus my own eyes and experiences.

And how many downtown areas are there in southeast Michigan, excluding the small "Main Street" downtowns found in alot of the towns? I'm talking large skyscrapers, to keep the comparison apt?

[and the]

It never ceases to amaze me how often I am told to believe what someone claims to be true versus my own eyes and experiences.

I was thinking the same thing when I read the "Chamber of Commerce" report about how safe it is downtown.

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by and the

I was thinking the same thing when I read the "Chamber of Commerce" report about how safe it is downtown.

I dunno...I have a pretty sunny outlook on life but if my experiences were getting mugged and shot or even if I knew enough (shoot-any!) people who have these experiences I wouldn't try to glaze it over. Simply haven't seen what all the "stay out of Detroit if you value your life!!" people are saying. Then again, I don't make it a point to drive down into the ghetto. Downtown doesn't qualify as a ghetto to me.

[and the]

Here are the downtown zip codes. Not sure how the report alluded to in this thread was able to say that Downtown Detroit is safer than the national average. Robberies alone are many times the national average...RIGHT downtown in the Jefferson/Woodward zip code.

48226
48216
48208
48201

Plug them in here and see for yourself. They don't give you quite the same picture as the City of Detroit would have you believe.
Relocation Essentials

Use the same site to check out a big city like NYC or Chicago. There's no comparison. By the way. Governor Jenny Twopennies says with the addition of the River Walk downtown, Detroit is on its way to rival Chicago. Same kind of propaganda BS the Chamber of Commerce Report is trying to feed you. Detroit will not remotely resemble Chicago in our life times, let alone "rival".

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by and the

Here are the downtown zip codes. Not sure how the report alluded to in this thread was able to say that Downtown Detroit is safer than the national average. Robberies alone are many times the national average...RIGHT downtown in the Jefferson/Woodward zip code.

48226
48216
48208
48201

Plug them in here and see for yourself. They don't give you quite the same picture as the City of Detroit would have you believe.
Relocation Essentials

Use the same site to check out a big city like NYC or Chicago. There's no comparison. By the way. Governor Jenny Twopennies says with the addition of the River Walk downtown, Detroit is on its way to rival Chicago. Same kind of propaganda BS the Chamber of Commerce Report is trying to feed you. Detroit will not remotely resemble Chicago in our life times, let alone "rival".

Okay. What you are refusing to see is that statistics--provided by you, the city of Detroit, the Chamber of Commerce, City-Data, God in Heaven, The Pope...Whatever!--don't take presidence over my own experiences and those of people I personally know who have also spent time in Detroit. Period. I have spent time in Detroit and felt it was fine. Was it Chicago, or half a dozen other urban downtowns I have spent time in? No. But like anywhere I keep my wits about me and enjoyed what there was to offer.

I'm not buying anyone's picture of Detroit--not your's, and not the Chamber's. It's my own picture based on my own experiences! I don't see how one can't see the logic in that.

[jeffncandace]

Originally Posted by and the

Here are the downtown zip codes. Not sure how the report alluded to in this thread was able to say that Downtown Detroit is safer than the national average. Robberies alone are many times the national average...RIGHT downtown in the Jefferson/Woodward zip code.

48226
48216
48208
48201

Plug them in here and see for yourself. They don't give you quite the same picture as the City of Detroit would have you believe.
Relocation Essentials

Use the same site to check out a big city like NYC or Chicago. There's no comparison.

Just did it for NYC. There is definately a comparison.

[Jake1256]

downtown detroit is great, wahts up with all these posts saying so dangerous. downtown detroit is safer than the average us city, downtown chicago, and any big city downtown. find a place downtown, along the merchants row lofts, there is alot of shops and clothing outlets.