I found my old house in Detroit today... (Lansing, Eastpointe: city hall, crime)

[Remisc]

...and I was horrified. I found the street, but all I found at my former address was a teal foundation and the remains of the pillars of my front porch. I used to feel safe in my neighborhood, but I was scared just trying to find my own former home. I drove up and down the streets where I used to let my children play. They're now full of remains of burned down homes, caked with garbage, and infested with assorted stray animals. I moved out of Detroit 17 years ago, when the neighborhood was still pretty OK. I'm still in shock that all that could happen in under 20 years.

[usroute10]

What do you expect? This is what happens when everyone leaves. Nobody wants to fix the problems of the city, they just want to flee the problems and bail out to the suburbs. Well guess what, some of these inner ring suburbs are starting to experience the same problems as Detroit neighborhoods did decades ago.

Obviously, the city of Detroit is not worth saving, as can be evidenced by the 1,000,000 people that have left over the past 60 years. So why be surprised at the abandonment and decay?

[canudigit]

I'm sorry that you found your old neighborhood to be in this condition. It's hard, because we tend to feel sentimental about places where we lived and raised our kids.

To the other poster: Yes, Detroit IS worth saving. It has all the bones of being a great city, hence the reason why it once WAS a great city: great waterfront access to international water routes, great historical structures, proud sports traditions that go back for decades, and a history of great contributions to this country and the entire world. If people look at some decayed neighborhoods and decide that a city should be done away with based on that, then they aren't looking very far and they definitely aren't thinking outside the box. Thank God that people like Mayor Bing and Robert Bobb don't have your depressing, negative outlook. Detroit can come back. Yes, it can. Not everyone has given up on this city. Just because 1,000,000 people have left over a period of 50-60 years doesn't mean that the city is done for. Do all successful cities have to have over a million residents to be considered worthy? I hope not, or we would have to tear down most of the cities in this country.

[MICoastieMom]

Consider yourself repped, Canudigit. I am still not spreading enough love around (my mother would be horrified at the thought! )

[canudigit]

LOL, MiCoastieMom. I would rep pretty much all of your posts too if I could. It's nice to have someone else on this forum who can see the potential in Detroit through the current problems and blight. Maybe if I start reading other forums besides Michigan's I will find some more people to rep between reading your posts and then I can rep you every time.

You know, just a thought, but don't these negative people who would like to see Detroit bulldozed into the Detroit River realize that if Detroit comes back around and reinvents itself and improves that, chances are, if they live in the state of Michigan it will help their bottom line too? Detroit is the biggest city in the state. As Detroit goes, in large part so goes the rest of the state. When there is positive news about Detroit, it affects the entire state.

[usroute10]

I am a Detroit resident, one who moved from the suburbs to the city. I may be the ONLY Detroit resident that posts on this forum. I see the potential in the city - the riverfront, Belle Isle, historic buildings, historic housing stock (such as Boston-Edison and Oakman Boulevard). However, the fact is that unemployment is estimated at 50% in the city, and now black people are fleeing from the city to the suburbs - at a tune of 15,000 per year. The crime is still bad, especially breaking and entering, and there is no relief in sight.

The fact is the mass exodus out of the city has not stopped in 60 years, and has accelerated greatly this past decade. What we need in Detroit are residents - good, hardworking, proud, family-loving residents - and we keep losing them with no end in sight.

[zthatzmanz28]

Originally Posted by Remisc

...and I was horrified. I found the street, but all I found at my former address was a teal foundation and the remains of the pillars of my front porch. I used to feel safe in my neighborhood, but I was scared just trying to find my own former home. I drove up and down the streets where I used to let my children play. They're now full of remains of burned down homes, caked with garbage, and infested with assorted stray animals. I moved out of Detroit 17 years ago, when the neighborhood was still pretty OK. I'm still in shock that all that could happen in under 20 years.

And we all invested in ENRON and were surprised when it went bust?

What has been said about Detroit is not lies.

Those who (the few who do) come inside the city limits should not be shocked

Take a gander on You-Tube at the videos, there is NO photoshop going on there.

There is a reason why there are no INFLUENTIAL and WEALTHY folks moving in.

Even Magic Johnson rescinded on his offer to build a few high end movie cinemas at Cadillac Square a few years back (like 10 or 15 years?)

Saying the city has great culture, soul, and architecture doesn't erase the fear, poverty and prejudices that started being built in 1967.

Great features will not replace decades of urban blight and years of corruption at city hall.

Wonderful memories will always be just that-- MEMORIES.

If prayers and dreams could lift a city from the ashes Detroit would be sitting high atop Mt. Olympus right now.

Instead it takes hands-on-determination, commitment, and mostly money--a whole lot of money--to turn the city around.

Even Nero fiddles too long as Rome burned and it fell into ruins.

City council, city hall, and Lansing have been content to "fiddle" and now it is too late to save the city, fire has taken its toll.


Wonder if Coleman left any Krugerrands behind?

[reconmark]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

And we all invested in ENRON and were surprised when it went bust?

What has been said about Detroit is not lies.

Those who (the few who do) come inside the city limits should not be shocked

Take a gander on You-Tube at the videos, there is NO photoshop going on there.

There is a reason why there are no INFLUENTIAL and WEALTHY folks moving in.

Even Magic Johnson rescinded on his offer to build a few high end movie cinemas at Cadillac Square a few years back (like 10 or 15 years?)

Saying the city has great culture, soul, and architecture doesn't erase the fear, poverty and prejudices that started being built in 1967.

Great features will not replace decades of urban blight and years of corruption at city hall.

Wonderful memories will always be just that-- MEMORIES.

If prayers and dreams could lift a city from the ashes Detroit would be sitting high atop Mt. Olympus right now.

Instead it takes hands-on-determination, commitment, and mostly money--a whole lot of money--to turn the city around.

Even Nero fiddles too long as Rome burned and it fell into ruins.

City council, city hall, and Lansing have been content to "fiddle" and now it is too late to save the city, fire has taken its toll.


Wonder if Coleman left any Krugerrands behind?

When people mention the "67" riots as the catalyst thay started the decline of the city, you can pretty much discount anything else they have to say.

[SCBaker]

Originally Posted by reconmark

When people mention the "67" riots as the catalyst thay started the decline of the city, you can pretty much discount anything else they have to say.

I was born and raised in Detroit (East Side). I grew up during the late 40's, 50's and early 60's. Detroit was always segregated because most white people did not want a black family to move into their neighborhood. The white neighborhoods were quite successful in keeping blacks out but once in awhile a black family would manage to move in. Then the whole neighborhood would panic and begin selling their homes and fleeing to the suburbs. This phenomenon began happening in the 40's if not before. The 67 riots had nothing to do with white flight. The riots were not anywhere near the white neighborhoods. It began when the Detroit police raided a blind pig. There was an enormous amount of police brutality(ask any police officer from the 1st precinct back in those days) and I guess the raid was the "straw that broke the camels back".

I graduated from Southeastern High School in 1961. When I enrolled there in 1958 there were 20% blacks, when I graduated there were 80% blacks.

My parents sold their house and moved to East Detroit (Eastpointe) in 1962. I went along kicking and screaming. I loved my neighborhood and didn't want to leave. I have fond memories growing up in Detroit and still love the City. I wish I could have lived there forever.

Originally Posted by Remisc

...and I was horrified. I found the street, but all I found at my former address was a teal foundation and the remains of the pillars of my front porch. I used to feel safe in my neighborhood, but I was scared just trying to find my own former home. I drove up and down the streets where I used to let my children play. They're now full of remains of burned down homes, caked with garbage, and infested with assorted stray animals. I moved out of Detroit 17 years ago, when the neighborhood was still pretty OK. I'm still in shock that all that could happen in under 20 years.

I moved from Michigan in 1972 and finally made it back to Detroit for a visit in 2003. I had been for warned of the condition of Detroit prior to my visit, so I thought I was prepared. No way, I spent a lot of time wiping away tears. The houses were all gone, except for a couple on each block, probably occupied by squatters, no steet signs, no paved streets or alleys, no trees. The neighborhood stores and movie theatre were leveled. Seeing downtown Detroit was also emotional. All of the stores and movie theatres(except for the Fox) gone. I worked in the Griswold Building from 1961-1963, it is still there. I remember standing at the window and looking out as the news of JFK's came accross the ticker tape on the bank accross the street and watching a citizen lower a flag to half staff in the center of the street. I thought that area of Detroit was more vast but it is really very compact. Which makes sense, because we went to Woolworth's or Kresge's for lunch and still had time to dart over to Hudson's. Oh, the memories! Thanks, for listening.

[ckhthankgod]

Originally Posted by zthatzmanz28

And we all invested in ENRON and were surprised when it went bust?

What has been said about Detroit is not lies.

Those who (the few who do) come inside the city limits should not be shocked

Take a gander on You-Tube at the videos, there is NO photoshop going on there.

There is a reason why there are no INFLUENTIAL and WEALTHY folks moving in.

Even Magic Johnson rescinded on his offer to build a few high end movie cinemas at Cadillac Square a few years back (like 10 or 15 years?)

Saying the city has great culture, soul, and architecture doesn't erase the fear, poverty and prejudices that started being built in 1967.

Great features will not replace decades of urban blight and years of corruption at city hall.

Wonderful memories will always be just that-- MEMORIES.

If prayers and dreams could lift a city from the ashes Detroit would be sitting high atop Mt. Olympus right now.

Instead it takes hands-on-determination, commitment, and mostly money--a whole lot of money--to turn the city around.

Even Nero fiddles too long as Rome burned and it fell into ruins.

City council, city hall, and Lansing have been content to "fiddle" and now it is too late to save the city, fire has taken its toll.


Wonder if Coleman left any Krugerrands behind?

It probably started before that, to be honest. Things just sped up since then, unfortunately.