is Grand Rapids, as rough as Detroit? (Franklin: middle-class, new home)

[GreatLakesStateofMind]

The SE side of Grand Rapids is rough as Detroit the NE side can be pretty rough depending on which neighborhood your in, NW is very very nice, SW bout as bad as SE and besides the north part of Wyoming all the close suburbs are nice. And by all means don't go by just crime stats or "hear say" they never tell the whole truth. Unless you live in the rough part (the hood) its a good place to live.

[MS313]

No not really. Some neighborhoods do come very close though. Grand Rapids can get pretty dangerous in it's bad neighborhoods at times but not Detroit level dangerous. Remember Detroit is a very big city and is going to naturally have worse neighborhoods.

And another thing... Detroit does NOT make Benton Harbor OR Flint look good.

[Minnesota_Mikey]

Spent 2 months with a friend in college over the summer back in 2001, great city, some rough areas. but all around an amazing place.

[allbusiness]

This made laugh.

It's like night and day.

[topher5150]

I think the thread should be between Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and KZoo

[urbanliving99]

This thread was a troll - if you look at his other posts - they included similar questions about Portland, Minneapolis and other cities. Wish there were a way moderators could delete these threads - just so we don't even have to see the titles =)

[MS313]

Originally Posted by topher5150

I think the thread should be between Muskegon, Grand Rapids, and KZoo

I agree. Much better comparison. Especially the way Kalamazoo has been acting up lately. 1st homicide of the year already, plus 2 other shootings including a deputy.

[louis31]

Originally Posted by burgler09

Is Grand Rapids as rough as Detroit? I don't think Grand Rapids can even be considered rough... and Detroit's picture is under the definition of rough in the dictionary.

ok this right here is wha catches people off guard when they go to GR. the SE side of it CAN BE every bit as rough as Detroit and i know this cause i was raised there for the first 18 years of my life.

When i was there, poverty was real...i mean abandoned homes and run down buildings the whole nine yards man. I had cousins (blood) who lived in that area of detroit, say how bad the se side of GR looked while they were there.

if you dont believe me, here's what me/family been thru while livin' in GR i will keep this short as possible:

Pops: was a crackhead and even broke into our crib and cleaned us out to fuel his habits. in an' out of jail and been convicted for numerous felonies and was homeless for years (division street), etc.

Moms: commited various crimes (shoplifting, etc.), victim of domestic violence, in a relationship wit a big time dope dealer (from detroit actually) and provided numerous access to guns which i held in my hand at early age, etc.

Sisters: clinically diagnosed wit depression, an other mental ailments. we tried numerous times to kill each other wit knives, etc.

me: made attempt on my life at 10-12 years old, diagnosed wit mental disease, bullied everyday, jumped and beaten, stabbed in face with an object (cant remember what it was), fighting all the time and actually expelled from one elementary school (hillcrest) for punchin' a girl in the nose, use to break into people houses and cars, ran from police one night of felonious adventure even invading their road blocks, made an plan to rob old kent bank before it closed, my life was threathen for wearin hat in wrong position, and i can go on...

cousins: in and out of jail and prison, convicted for selling drugs, kidnap and gun charges, one had numerous warrant in DETROIT, eventually going to prison for it, the same one had gotten beaten while in juvinile an we sued the state for it, their father is serving two life sentences for reasons unknown, etc. Their sister was a victim of domestic violence (he chocked and hit her) but he hid from us cause we were gonna kill him.

uncle: selling drugs and possible gun possesion (dont recall), child support jail time cause lack of findin a job, etc.

aunts: one is victim of domestic violence and or disputes, etc.

Cousin (thru marriage): was killed at fannies corner's for "mean muggin" some cat in the same area i had my life threathened as a kid.

and i can go on forever...

so yes GR can be everybit as rough as detroit and thats not even mentioning the hunger pangs and homeless shelter visits. People talkin wreckless like its not rough is delusional and those same cats are the one that get robbed or worse.

I even ended up in ATL cause our spot was invaded by ATF and the pigs cause they were looking for drugs that our pops brother was sellin.

[Indentured Servant]

Originally Posted by louis31

ok this right here is wha catches people off guard when they go to GR. the SE side of it CAN BE every bit as rough as Detroit and i know this cause i was raised there for the first 18 years of my life.

When i was there, poverty was real...i mean abandoned homes and run down buildings the whole nine yards man. I had cousins (blood) who lived in that area of detroit, say how bad the se side of GR looked while they were there.

if you dont believe me, here's what me/family been thru while livin' in GR i will keep this short as possible:

Pops: was a crackhead and even broke into our crib and cleaned us out to fuel his habits. in an' out of jail and been convicted for numerous felonies and was homeless for years (division street), etc.

Moms: commited various crimes (shoplifting, etc.), victim of domestic violence, in a relationship wit a big time dope dealer (from detroit actually) and provided numerous access to guns which i held in my hand at early age, etc.

Sisters: clinically diagnosed wit depression, an other mental ailments. we tried numerous times to kill each other wit knives, etc.

me: made attempt on my life at 10-12 years old, diagnosed wit mental disease, bullied everyday, jumped and beaten, stabbed in face with an object (cant remember what it was), fighting all the time and actually expelled from one elementary school (hillcrest) for punchin' a girl in the nose, use to break into people houses and cars, ran from police one night of felonious adventure even invading their road blocks, made an plan to rob old kent bank before it closed, my life was threathen for wearin hat in wrong position, and i can go on...

cousins: in and out of jail and prison, convicted for selling drugs, kidnap and gun charges, one had numerous warrant in DETROIT, eventually going to prison for it, the same one had gotten beaten while in juvinile an we sued the state for it, their father is serving two life sentences for reasons unknown, etc. Their sister was a victim of domestic violence (he chocked and hit her) but he hid from us cause we were gonna kill him.

uncle: selling drugs and possible gun possesion (dont recall), child support jail time cause lack of findin a job, etc.

aunts: one is victim of domestic violence and or disputes, etc.

Cousin (thru marriage): was killed at fannies corner's for "mean muggin" some cat in the same area i had my life threathened as a kid.

and i can go on forever...

so yes GR can be everybit as rough as detroit and thats not even mentioning the hunger pangs and homeless shelter visits. People talkin wreckless like its not rough is delusional and those same cats are the one that get robbed or worse.

I even ended up in ATL cause our spot was invaded by ATF and the pigs cause they were looking for drugs that our pops brother was sellin.

I lived in GR until moving to Detroit after the 11th grade. It all depends on where you are living in a particular city. Every sqare mile of Detroit is not gangster and every sqare mile of Grand Rapids is not American Pie.

The big difference from Detroit and Grand Rapids was basically robbery. In the hood in GR, although there were a lot of murder, there was not a lot of robberies over shoes, coats, jewelery, eye glasses. However, there was a crew from my block in GR that robbed drug houses. One guy got shot in the head and killed. My best friend, in the 10th grade, had a brother who could steal a car, pick a lock....get you anything you wanted. My own brother, the oldest, had a brand new car in the 9th grade from selling drugs. By the time he was 16 he was living wild and my mom was worried to death and had the police looking for him because he would be gone weeks at a time and we did not know if he was dead or alive. Turns out he and his crew would be in Chicago, New Orleans (where he told me got in a shoot out with some cats down there), Atlanta. They were just running wild. There were two people murdered right in front of our hourse on seperate occassions. One year on the street that we lived, during the height of the crack houses, which littered our street and especially the next street over, there were 6 or 7 people murdered in a 5 block stretch. I seen people beaten, mugged.....fights all the time like this (actually a clip from our old neighborhood...see the cat pull his toaster out at 16 sec)


gun ru fight by P-ham - YouTube


Here is another clipper of a local rapper touring his neighborhood.


GUNRULE TV- N' MY HOOD: GC 24KT PT.2 - YouTube

I don't think Grand Rapids is nearly as rough as it was in the 80's, when I last lived there......but the streets of the SE side were cold. However, if you stayed out the streets....you could avoid most of the danger.

And this song by Grand Rapids Rapper "Willie the Kid"......is actually how it was when I lived there. Its rap....so if you can't take raw reality.....then don't play it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p4krgxN3Zmw

[louis31]

Originally Posted by Indentured Servant

I lived in GR until moving to Detroit after the 11th grade. It all depends on where you are living in a particular city. Every sqare mile of Detroit is not gangster and every sqare mile of Grand Rapids is not American Pie.

The big difference from Detroit and Grand Rapids was basically robbery. In the hood in GR, although there were a lot of murder, there was not a lot of robberies over shoes, coats, jewelery, eye glasses. However, there was a crew from my block in GR that robbed drug houses. One guy got shot in the head and killed. My best friend, in the 10th grade, had a brother who could steal a car, pick a lock....get you anything you wanted. My own brother, the oldest, had a brand new car in the 9th grade from selling drugs. By the time he was 16 he was living wild and my mom was worried to death and had the police looking for him because he would be gone weeks at a time and we did not know if he was dead or alive. Turns out he and his crew would be in Chicago, New Orleans (where he told me got in a shoot out with some cats down there), Atlanta. They were just running wild. There were two people murdered right in front of our hourse on seperate occassions. One year on the street that we lived, during the height of the crack houses, which littered our street and especially the next street over, there were 6 or 7 people murdered in a 5 block stretch. I seen people beaten, mugged.....fights all the time like this (actually a clip from our old neighborhood...see the cat pull his toaster out at 16 sec)


gun ru fight by P-ham - YouTube


Here is another clipper of a local rapper touring his neighborhood.


GUNRULE TV- N' MY HOOD: GC 24KT PT.2 - YouTube

I don't think Grand Rapids is nearly as rough as it was in the 80's, when I last lived there......but the streets of the SE side were cold. However, if you stayed out the streets....you could avoid most of the danger.

And this song by Grand Rapids Rapper "Willie the Kid"......is actually how it was when I lived there. Its rap....so if you can't take raw reality.....then don't play it.


Cockin That Thang Back - Willie The Kid - YouTube

yea, see i was born there in the 80's thru 98' so i know it was crazy then.