is Southfield that bad? (Detroit, Ann Arbor: 2015, university, to live)

[Kipglickman]

Originally Posted by Ohio248

If you see "plenty of diversity" in Southfield Public Schools, then you have not worked there recently.

Southfield High is basically 100% black

Southfield-Lathrup High is basically 100% black

Don't believe me? Look it up on [URL="http://www.schooldigger.com"]www.schooldigger.com[/URL]

How is that diverse? Yes, there may be some economic diversity and the like, but who's kidding who?

And it's not like the black population in places like NYC or Miami, where folks are from the West Indies, West Africa, etc. Most African Americans in Michigan have roots in the South, not in places like Jamaica, Haiti, etc.

A typical Detroit school is actually more diverse than a typical Southfield school.

Very diverse schools in Metro Detroit include West Bloomfield, Farmington Harrison, Troy High, Sterling Heights Stevenson, Utica Henry Ford, etc. These schools have Asians, blacks, Arabs, Jews, etc. etc.

BTW, there are no Jewish neighborhoods left in Southfield. The only Jews left in Southfield are a few elderly, and some Orthodox overflow from Oak Park. Most Jews now live in West Bloomfield, Bloomfield Township, and Farmington Hills, with a handfull of Orthodox in Oak Park around Greenfield and Coolidge north of 10 Mile.

This is simply not true, there is a thriving Jewish community in southfield with more and more families moving in every year. While its true that many Jews live in west Bloomfield, Bloomfield township, Farmington hills, and oak park, southfield might have a larger Jewish population than any of those sans West Bloomfield and Bloomfield township. While it is true that southfield public schools are predominately African American, you are neglecting to do more research. There are FOUR Jewish private schools in southfield. Akiva Hebrew day school, Beth Yehudah, Darchei Torah, and Bait Jacob. There are SEVEN Jewish synagogues: Young Israel of Southfield (orthodox), Beth Emanuel (orthodox) , congregation yagil Torah, Sharey tzedek (which happens to be a city landmark) is conservative, shomrie emunah which is orthodox, temple Emanuel (reform), and friends of refugees of eastern Europe. As a Jewish teenager living in southfield I felt this needed to be said

[greenvillebuckeye]

Originally Posted by delayed

Um. Actually, crime is an issue in Southfield. No it doesn't have the murder rate of Detroit but theft and break ins are common. 20 years ago Southfield was nice, now its full of trash. I know someone's going to jump in and call me all sorts of names because I said it's full of trash but it's true. Just because you accidentally threw your nice watch in a dumpster doesn't mean it's not still full of trash. I associate du-rags, sagging pants, banging car stereos, and rap music with trash...so, in my opinion, Southfield has fallen well behind in qualities I look for in cities I consider living in.

Oh, and where exactly is the "great parks and rec"? I would need to be forced to live in this city, and if I was I'd at least choose the 13 & Southfield area so at least my kids could go to Birmingham Groves High School.

you mean black people right??

[gameguy56]

Originally Posted by delayed

Um. Actually, crime is an issue in Southfield. No it doesn't have the murder rate of Detroit but theft and break ins are common. 20 years ago Southfield was nice, now its full of trash.

//www.city-data.com/city/Southfield-Michigan.html

That's right, Southfield's crime rate has gone DOWN in the last decade as it has become more black.

[313 TUxedo]

Originally Posted by gameguy56

//www.city-data.com/city/Southfield-Michigan.html

That's right, Southfield's crime rate has gone DOWN in the last decade as it has become more black.

I believe that. It may largely have to do with Southfield becoming older.

[PA Born]

Originally Posted by Kipglickman

This is simply not true, there is a thriving Jewish community in southfield with more and more families moving in every year.

This is definitely not true. Southfield has been losing Jews for 30 years.

There are few Jews left in Southfield except for elderly and some Orthodox close to Oak Park (between Southfield and Greenfield around 10 Mile). Even Oak Park has a decline in Jewish population, and they have more Orthodox Jews, with big families. Even they are moving out to West Bloomfield.

I am Jewish, BTW. The Jewish center of Metro Detroit is Maple & Orchard Lake in West Bloomfield. Southfield was the center from about 1970-1985.

[Bhaalspawn]

My family was part of the Jewish white flight from Southfield that occurred in the mid-Eighties.

[AdemH]

There are some Muslim families moving to Southfield now.

[slowdawg]

Ok, I know this is an old post...but heres the scoop.
Southfield has a better variety of dining and the abundance of stores means better access to whatever you need. its also much easier to find a house on a big (acre) wooded lot, where you can get a country setting yet have city conveniences.
BUT...the 1960s/1970s neighborhoods are not nice. Even back in the early 1990s I remember how run-down the Pinewood Manor subdivision (south of 13 between Southfield and Pierce) was, and it hasn't gotten better. the 12/Evergreen area (Lacrosse, Alhambra, etc) is the same way. Lots of 1960s/1970s houses with original windows, garage doors and siding. The vast majority of houses in these kinds of areas have faded paint, rotting trim, cracked and crumbling porches, etc. Many of these homes were owned by elderly people who failed to update and maintain them. As a result, the houses lost some of their value due to condition. New owners bought the houses on discount, otherwise they may not have been able to afford them. But, they, too, can't afford the upkeep and havent fixed them up. Others lost the houses to foreclosure, with high taxes a contributing factor.
People feel unsafe there and thats warranted. There are neighborhoods near 10 Mile where half the houses have bars on the doors. What do you expect people to think when they see that? respectable people do not want to move to a neighborhood where it looks like crime is a problem and people are living in fear.Similar neighborhoods in Farmington Hills and lower-cost neighborhoods in Ferndale can be found along 10 Mile as well and do not have anywhere near the amount of barred-up houses that neighborhoods along the Southfield stretch have.
In all honestly, crime is likely to drop very drastically now that Northland is closed. That place had problems with fights, gunfire, drive-bys, drug deals and car thefts.The police were there 2-3 times a day. Its closure will bring a decrease in police runs. Some of the rougher apartment complexes have been getting cleaned up, too.

[4tb02gro]

Originally Posted by delayed

Um. Actually, crime is an issue in Southfield. No it doesn't have the murder rate of Detroit but theft and break ins are common. 20 years ago Southfield was nice, now its full of trash. I know someone's going to jump in and call me all sorts of names because I said it's full of trash but it's true. Just because you accidentally threw your nice watch in a dumpster doesn't mean it's not still full of trash. I associate du-rags, sagging pants, banging car stereos, and rap music with trash...so, in my opinion, Southfield has fallen well behind in qualities I look for in cities I consider living in.

Oh, and where exactly is the "great parks and rec"? I would need to be forced to live in this city, and if I was I'd at least choose the 13 & Southfield area so at least my kids could go to Birmingham Groves High School.

Once a Falcon, Always A Falcon. That's our Groves High School motto. Boy do i miss that school.

[citylover89]

Southfield may not be the upper class neighborhood it was 15-20 years ago but it is not bad. It's bad reputation is because its primarily black.

In Metro Detroit as well as other parts of the US, an area that is not more than 70% white is considered a "bad" area. It is what it is. The Metro Detroit area has never been fond of racial diversity. Southfield is still around 20-30% white but that is going to decrease as the years go on because they are moving north. I have lived in Southfield at different points of my life. The area that is closer to Farmington Hills (12 mile) is fine. I've always seen a electic mix of different cultures there which I found to be a breath of fresh air because most cities here are not mixed culturally. In terms of other aspects, Southfield is pretty boring especially for someone who is 20-30 ha but its location is great. As people said earlier, the closer you get to 8 mile the more ghetto it gets I absolutely agree with that. Northland was notorious for having a lot of issues as someone said earlier. But overall I don't feel unsafe in most of Southfield, I don't think race has to do with that and the majority of the people in Southfield are hardworking middle class folks.