When was Detroit blight at its worst?

[softailrider]

The Fairgrounds are on Detroit's West side.

It's on the east side of Woodward so to me that's the east side, I don't go with the John R thing. Thanks for the correction though, I need all the help I can get.

[Hermod]

I would say it was probably a bit worse about a year ago then it is now. I think that Brightmore has been cleaned up a noticeable amount. Far Northeast side, near the fairgrounds looks a little better, by better I mean more empty lots rather then burned out hulks. North End is maybe looking a little better too.

When I think "Far" Northeast, I think Harper and 7-Mile.

[Zacha341]

That's what I was thinking... right now is the worst! ABSOLUTELY!! Especially in parts of the east side, but the west is bad too. There are whole tracts of abandoned house and empty lots, unlit and filled with refuse and sadly these areas serve as dumping and murder spots for victims as we see with the WSU female student.

Blight peaked at its absolute worst on October 30th, 2013.

[Zacha341]

I've always considered Woodward to be the dividing line [[east to west side), as many streets that cross Woodward have different names depending on what side of Woodward you are on in that area on down to Calvert on to West Grand Blvd...

Technically, yes. North of 6 Mile/McNichols, John R. is the dividing line. They may have meant NE from their location.

[Baselinepunk]

"It's absolutely unconscionable what the "who me?" scrapyard owners and their GOP allies in Lansing have done, and continue to do, to us. And, frankly, I'm so sick of them and their ongoing intransigence and profiting off of the misery of others, that I think there should be a mass movement to go strip the living hell out of their properties and see how they feel about it. Direct action, baby...


What an invigorating statement in your post.

+1 !

[313WX]

When I think "Far" Northeast, I think Harper and 7-Mile.

Well since we're all nitpicking here, it's technically Harper and Moross [[as 7 Mile splits off and ends at Kelly).

[night-timer]

It's probably serious because they're looking @ and thinking Downtown and Midtown. Both appear to be on the up and up. The rest of us? Not so much.

I'm the OP. I was indeed speaking of downtown blight-busting because some noticeable and expensive refurbs took place there, and there will be more.

But I probably didn't express my point very well to begin with.

The Book Cadillac is NOT fully inhabited and never will be. Hotels always have vacancy rates and their owners factor that in, unless you're in a place that has big spikes in tourism at peak times of the year.

Like it or not, there is no need for a 'suburbia' in a place where people don't want to buy a house, a place with no workable infrastructure. I am not "putting the boot in" by saying that - it's just an observation.

Downtown will not be 'urban prairie' anytime soon, if it's any consolation. Suburban areas will become overgrown without any significant demand for land and space.

[DetroitPlanner]

It's on the east side of Woodward so to me that's the east side, I don't go with the John R thing. Thanks for the correction though, I need all the help I can get.

The official demarkation between East and West is Woodward until Six Mile, then it switches to John R. West Seven Mile begins at Seven Mile and John R. [[See Map)

Whether it is on the East or West Side is not all that important as it is in that middle area. I have always just considered that area the North Side.

[Honky Tonk]

I'm the OP. I was indeed speaking of downtown blight-busting because some noticeable and expensive refurbs took place there, and there will be more.

But I probably didn't express my point very well to begin with.

The Book Cadillac is NOT fully inhabited and never will be. Hotels always have vacancy rates and their owners factor that in, unless you're in a place that has big spikes in tourism at peak times of the year.

Like it or not, there is no need for a 'suburbia' in a place where people don't want to buy a house, a place with no workable infrastructure. I am not "putting the boot in" by saying that - it's just an observation.

Downtown will not be 'urban prairie' anytime soon, if it's any consolation. Suburban areas will become overgrown without any significant demand for land and space.

Living outside of Downtown, in Detroit "burbs", I totally agree with your assessment. However, the Book Cadillac will be fully inhabited, but only when there is a demand, and the demand would have to be caused by high-end, high-paid, corporate-types wanting to live near "the office". You'll have to draw some of those kind of businesses in first, then create a liveable, inhabitable atmosphere surround those businesses. The Book Cadillac is too expensive for the average clerk from a retail store. The areas outside the green zone, don't seem to be improving @ all. In fact, I'd say they're getting worse then when I first moved in.

[Hermod]

Well since we're all nitpicking here, it's technically Harper and Moross [[as 7 Mile splits off and ends at Kelly).

Yes, though "over there" where I grew up. we referred to Whittier as "6-mile" and Moross as "7-mile" when describing our location to outsiders.

[313WX]

Yes, though "over there" where I grew up. we referred to Whittier as "6-mile" and Moross as "7-mile" when describing our location to outsiders.

Yes, I'm aware [[I also live in the NE side).

[A2Mike]

The question is fascinating because there are practically endless perspectives on the city's worst moment. I was born and raised in Detoit and remember some of its best days - Hudson's, Crowley's and Kern's all in business, the first-run movie palaces, the Vernor's plant next the Bob-Lo boat dock, cutting a class at Wayne to get lobster and a champagne cocktail at Joe Muer's [[at 19!), making the Kresge Court at the DIA an almost daily coffee hangout, and on and on. As I got older I started seeing more fraying around the edges, even as I enjoyed the lobster bisque at the LCH. Finally, at 32, in 1977, I took a job in Chicago and that's when my information, except for an occasional visit to my aging dad, became second and third hand, through family, media, and friends. I remember my disbelief at reading, in the Chicago Trib, that Hudson's was closing. That coincided with my dad leaving for California, so those trips didn't happen anymore and I read of the devils' nights fires and other maladies. Later in the 80's, a friend living in Indian Village moved to the Farms so I made a few visits and saw first hand my belove Michigan Theater in its new guise....as a parking lot. In 1990, I moved to the SF Bay Area but came back occasionally to visit, especially the DIA and Ann Arbor. I couldn't help but notice more and more decay, but as I thought about retirement in A2 looked pretty good as California's own drawbacks became more apparent. Retired and living in Ann Arbor since last year, I was astounded to hear, earlier this year, that the DIA might be forced to deaccession its greatest treasures to pay for years of fiduciary perfidy by city officials continually elected and re-elected by an electorally significant number of brain dead Detroiters. That was the real bombshell for me, but I hope there's some cause for optimism, beacuse without the DIA an excursion to Detroit will be about as appealing as a picnic on Zug Island.

[A2Mike]

The question is fascinating because there are practically endless perspectives on the city's worst moment. I was born and raised in Detoit and remember some of its best days - Hudson's, Crowley's and Kern's all in business, the first-run movie palaces, the Vernor's plant next the Bob-Lo boat dock, cutting a class at Wayne to get lobster and a champagne cocktail at Joe Muer's [[at 19!), making the Kresge Court at the DIA an almost daily coffee hangout, and on and on. As I got older I started seeing more fraying around the edges, even as I enjoyed the lobster bisque at the LCH. Finally, at 32, in 1977, I took a job in Chicago and that's when my information, except for an occasional visit to my aging dad, became second and third hand, through family, media, and friends. I remember my disbelief at reading, in the Chicago Trib, that Hudson's was closing. That coincided with my dad leaving for California, so those trips didn't happen anymore and I read of the devils' nights fires and other maladies. Later in the 80's, a friend living in Indian Village moved to the Farms so I made a few visits and saw first hand my beloved Michigan Theater in its new guise....as a parking lot. In 1990, I moved to the SF Bay Area but came back occasionally to visit, especially the DIA and Ann Arbor. I couldn't help but notice more and more decay, but as I thought about retirement, A2 looked pretty good as California's own drawbacks became more apparent. Retired and living in Ann Arbor since last year, I was astounded to hear, earlier this year, that the DIA might be forced to deaccession its greatest treasures to pay for years of fiduciary perfidy by city officials continually elected and re-elected by an electorally significant number of brain dead Detroiters. That was the real bombshell for me, but I hope there's some cause for optimism, because without the DIA an excursion to Detroit will be about as appealing as a picnic on Zug Island.

[DetroitPlanner]

Detroit will be about as appealing as a picnic on Zug Island.

Hey don't knock it till you tried it!

[Hermod]

Yes, I'm aware [[I also live in the NE side).

10681 Nottingham [[between Yorkshire and Grayton) 1941-1954.

[Honky Tonk]

about as appealing as a picnic on Zug Island.

The PERFECT 2014 DetroitYes! picnic spot!

[renf]

There are good reasons to think that blight of residential units is greater now than ever before in the city of Detroit. The Censuses and the Census Bureau's American Community Survey count the number of inhabitable residential units in Detroit. The findings are as follows.

Year Total Residential units % Vacant
1980 490,000 8%
1990 408,000 9
2000 395,000 10
2010 371,000 28
2012 367,000 31