Warren Rises? Good News for Warren

[Bham1982]

Sure Warren could be better but I could think of plenty of places around here that would be very happy to have a slice of their residential and commercial tax base because let's cut the bullshit, that's what the bashing is really about.

Yeah, that's exactly it. People who aren't particularly fond of Warren are obviously jealous, and desperately wish their deprived burgs had the incredible desirability of 9 Mile & Van Dyke.

If only Bloomfield or Northville or Ann Arbor had such desirability, we wouldn't have such jealous haters. Good luck matching the amenities of Warren.

[TTime]

Yeah, that's exactly it. People who aren't particularly fond of Warren are obviously jealous, and desperately wish their deprived burgs had the incredible desirability of 9 Mile & Van Dyke.

If only Bloomfield or Northville or Ann Arbor had such desirability, we wouldn't have such jealous haters. Good luck matching the amenities of Warren.

Who said anything about Bloomfield, Northville or Ann Arbor? Warren clearly isn't as desirable as those places...go look for an argument elsewhere.

[spower03]

Yes, if they move to Warren from Arkansaw, Kentucky or Alabama.

Hamtramck is already tapped out of Polish people to move 'out to Warren".

Dude if you're going to make fun hillbillies at least know how to spell A-R-K-A-N-S-A-S right ! You spelled it as if you sounded it out!

[spower03]

Warren is no Royal Oak and it doesn't have to be. Every city in the metropolitan area doesn't need a "downtown". Warren serves a valuable purpose. If you are a young family and you are looking for a safe city to lay down roots then Warren is the place for you! Warren Woods and Warren Consolidated Schools are excellent schools, not to mention De La Salle and Regina call Warren home! Is it exciting? No! What with downtown/midtown, Royal Oak, Partridge Creek, etc. all in close proximity it is not a bad place to raise a family!

[jerrytimes]

The only thing Warren doesn't have is a trendy downtown. They have good neighborhoods, good schools, lots of places of employment and nice parks. It's not the perfect city but it a good place to raise a family.

[Baselinepunk]

IMHO, any city without a vibrant, diverse and unique downtown is a boring city.

For me, cities like Southfield, the Bloomfields and Warren are boring cities.

[Bham1982]

IMHO, any city without a vibrant, diverse and unique downtown is a boring city.

Then I guess Michigan only consists of boring cities. Can't think of a Michigan city that really meets all these conditions.

Ann Arbor, maybe? Not very diverse or unique, but probably comes the closest.

[Bham1982]

Who said anything about Bloomfield, Northville or Ann Arbor? Warren clearly isn't as desirable as those places...go look for an argument elsewhere.

Ah, so you meant to say "plenty of places, except for anywhere remotely desirable". That clears it up.

[Baselinepunk]

Then I guess Michigan only consists of boring cities. Can't think of a Michigan city that really meets all these conditions.

Ann Arbor, maybe? Not very diverse or unique, but probably comes the closest.

Yeah, I guess you're right.


Ferndale, Rochester, Northville, Plymouth, Royal Oak, Marquette, Traverse City, Grand Rapids, etc, don't meet that criteria either, I guess. \sarcasm .

Ann Arbor -- not unique? I guess every town in Michigan has major University in it.

Hmmmmm

FYI - diversity is a term that can describe other "things" than race.

Just little tid bit fer ya just so you can tell everyone around the water cooler later on that you actually learned something new today.

What a gift!

Now, go forth and use thy new knowledge --- wisely ....

[dtowncitylover]

Now, go forth and use thy new knowledge --- wisely ....

If it's not the city center of an Alpha Plus world city, to Bham it might as well be a dirt road in BF Nebraska.

Virbant- Go downtown right now and tell me what's going on there isn't vibrant. I haven't seen downtown like that in my lifetime. It's time Time Square, but it's come along way since its desertion of the 90s/00s.
Diverse- Sure the city is still overwhelmingly black, but the 7.2 square miles are full of diverse people, racially, socio-economically, culturally, artistically, etc.
Unique-Show me another Campus Martius, Guardian Building, Fisher Building, Riverfront, Belle Isle, Indian Village

[Danny]

The only thing Warren doesn't have is a trendy downtown. They have good neighborhoods, good schools, lots of places of employment and nice parks. It's not the perfect city but it a good place to raise a family.

That's right Warren has two communities: South Warren that looks like Detroit and North Warren that looks like Sterling Heights. It's like going through the ghetto to middle class luxurious neighborhoods just by crossing the street.

[softailrider]

Warren is no Royal Oak and it doesn't have to be. Every city in the metropolitan area doesn't need a "downtown". Warren serves a valuable purpose. If you are a young family and you are looking for a safe city to lay down roots then Warren is the place for you! Warren Woods and Warren Consolidated Schools are excellent schools, not to mention De La Salle and Regina call Warren home! Is it exciting? No! What with downtown/midtown, Royal Oak, Partridge Creek, etc. all in close proximity it is not a bad place to raise a family!

Thank you, I totally agree. I don't see anything wrong with Warren. If you're a young couple or an older couple and you don't want to rent what the hell is wrong with buying a house there? if you call the police they come, if you call EMS they come. It's not like you're buying a house on Lemay and Mack Avenue that you couldn't ever re sell. Most people probably don't give a shit about a downtown area.

[TTime]

If it's not the city center of an Alpha Plus world city, to Bham it might as well be a dirt road in BF Nebraska.

Virbant- Go downtown right now and tell me what's going on there isn't vibrant. I haven't seen downtown like that in my lifetime. It's time Time Square, but it's come along way since its desertion of the 90s/00s.
Diverse- Sure the city is still overwhelmingly black, but the 7.2 square miles are full of diverse people, racially, socio-economically, culturally, artistically, etc.
Unique-Show me another Campus Martius, Guardian Building, Fisher Building, Riverfront, Belle Isle, Indian Village

Vibrant is defined as full of energy and enthusiasm, pulsating, bright and striking. I have been to cities that I would call vibrant but downtown Detroit right now does not fit that description to me.

[dtowncitylover]

Vibrant is defined as full of energy and enthusiasm, pulsating, bright and striking. I have been to cities that I would call vibrant but downtown Detroit right now does not fit that description to me.

So the construction of a tram line, retail investment, skyscraper rehab, a wonderful riverfront, beautiful architecture, and in general, a CBD full of economic boom, is not vibrant? Compared to downtown Detroit 1998, downtown Detroit 2015 is vibrant.

I'm not saying Warren isn't anything. Warren does play an important role in the economic health of this region. It is a fine place to raise a family, though not for me.

[mwilbert]

Vibrant is defined as full of energy and enthusiasm, pulsating, bright and striking. I have been to cities that I would call vibrant but downtown Detroit right now does not fit that description to me.

It certainly isn't always vibrant, but it is much more of the time than it was ten or or twenty or thirty years ago.

It was crazy on Saturday. I don't even know what was happening except the Dally in the Alley, but I've never seen so many people spread across such a wide area of greater Downtown. You often see a big ballgame crowd, or the fireworks crowd but this was different, there was stuff happening from below Grand Circus Park all the way up past the DIA. And the Tigers weren't home.

[TTime]

So the construction of a tram line, retail investment, skyscraper rehab, a wonderful riverfront, beautiful architecture, and in general, a CBD full of economic boom, is not vibrant? Compared to downtown Detroit 1998, downtown Detroit 2015 is vibrant.

I'm not saying Warren isn't anything. Warren does play an important role in the economic health of this region. It is a fine place to raise a family, though not for me.

First off let me say that I'm not some huge supporter of Warren, I don't live there or do any business there. I simply find it funny when people from Detroit bash Warren because in the whole scheme of things Warren is arguably a better place to live and do business in many ways. To your other points, one man investing in a small chunk of a huge city does not qualify as some amazing comeback to me for a once world class city and as far as the "wonderful" riverfront, new tram and "skyscraper" rehab I guess I'm just not as impressed as you are especially considering that over the last 5 or 6 years seemingly everywhere I've travelled in the U.S. Is experiencing some sort of boom...unfortunately for Detroit those booms put other cities even further ahead while it attempts to play catch up.

[dtowncitylover]

"wonderful" riverfront, new tram and "skyscraper" rehab I guess I'm just not as impressed as you are especially considering that over the last 5 or 6 years seemingly everywhere I've travelled in the U.S. Is experiencing some sort of boom...unfortunately for Detroit those booms put other cities even further ahead while it attempts to play catch up.

What's with the quotation marks? It is a wonderful riverfront we have created. What used to be factories and warehouses then nothing, then that! David Broderick, David Whitney, Book Cadillac, 1001 Woodward are all skyscrapers, they're actually getting used! Most for the first time in a generation. You're right, many cities have seen a boom, but stand downtown in 1998 and stand downtown in today and tell me you don't see our boom. We're not like other cities. We completely hallowed out our inner core so I think its right to be impressed by what is going on. Because no one as late as 2005 would have imagined this.

[TTime]

What's with the quotation marks? It is a wonderful riverfront we have created. What used to be factories and warehouses then nothing, then that! David Broderick, David Whitney, Book Cadillac, 1001 Woodward are all skyscrapers, they're actually getting used! Most for the first time in a generation. You're right, many cities have seen a boom, but stand downtown in 1998 and stand downtown in today and tell me you don't see our boom. We're not like other cities. We completely hallowed out our inner core so I think its right to be impressed by what is going on. Because no one as late as 2005 would have imagined this.

I would not call the riverfront wonderful and people who do have seriously low expectations. I would call it functional now, no more and and no less. As for the skyscraper part I realize when many of Detoit's were built they were rightfully called skyscrapers but other than a couple examples the buildings that have been rehabbed downtown would be referred to as mid rise or even low rise buildings in most major cities, other than places like DC for obvious reasons.

[dtowncitylover]

I would not call the riverfront wonderful and people who do have seriously low expectations. I would call it functional now, no more and and no less. As for the skyscraper part I realize when many of Detoit's were built they were rightfully called skyscrapers but other than a couple examples the buildings that have been rehabbed downtown would be referred to as mid rise or even low rise buildings in most major cities, other than places like DC for obvious reasons.

No, I think you just have really high expectations. Unless you're expecting the riverfront to be turned into Coney Island, I'm not sure what more you want out of it. Merry-go-round, fountains, nearly 3 miles of uninterrupted path, a STATE PARK, scenic views, access to the new Outdoor Adventure and Discovery Zone, access to the Dequindre Cut. The Riverfront is a wonderful and much needed addition to our downtown.

And per your definition of skyscraper, most of those buildings then are already used. But its nonetheless great to see our low to mid-high rise skyscrapers become fully functional buildings again, many with original work used again.

[TTime]

No, I think you just have really high expectations. Unless you're expecting the riverfront to be turned into Coney Island, I'm not sure what more you want out of it. Merry-go-round, fountains, nearly 3 miles of uninterrupted path, a STATE PARK, scenic views, access to the new Outdoor Adventure and Discovery Zone, access to the Dequindre Cut. The Riverfront is a wonderful and much needed addition to our downtown.

And per your definition of skyscraper, most of those buildings then are already used. But its nonetheless great to see our low to mid-high rise skyscrapers become fully functional buildings again, many with original work used again.

I apologize for not finding common ground with you on this topic, which we have taken way off course, but I don't feel wonderful about 3 whole miles of uninterrupted riverfront walk, a below grade bike path, a merry go round, some fountains and a view of a very average aging skyline. Don't get me wrong, on the right day I have experienced a few really nice, relaxing moments along the river and the little nature preserve areas they have created are welcome changes but in general I find it underutilized and gray. Unfortunately in my opinion these things you brag about don't add up to a wonderful riverfront experience. By the way you forgot to emphatically mention that there are a couple of volleyball courts...ha

[Honky Tonk]

No, I think you just have really high expectations. Unless you're expecting the riverfront to be turned into Coney Island, I'm not sure what more you want out of it. Merry-go-round, fountains, nearly 3 miles of uninterrupted path, a STATE PARK, scenic views, access to the new Outdoor Adventure and Discovery Zone, access to the Dequindre Cut. The Riverfront is a wonderful and much needed addition to our downtown.

And per your definition of skyscraper, most of those buildings then are already used. But its nonetheless great to see our low to mid-high rise skyscrapers become fully functional buildings again, many with original work used again.

Correction, 2 State Parks.

[Hermod]

So the construction of a tram line, retail investment, skyscraper rehab, a wonderful riverfront, beautiful architecture, and in general, a CBD full of economic boom, is not vibrant? Compared to downtown Detroit 1998, downtown Detroit 2015 is vibrant.

Other than having the kind of stores you find in a suburban mall now days, Detroit wasn't all that vibrant in 1950.

[1953]

As I cannot hear this conversation about Detroit, back to Warren.

I have young kids and I am looking for a place on the East Side to put down roots. While Warren has houses, it lacks a lot of the attributes I am looking for. Its houses are very small, and many are out of date. Its neighborhoods lack any semblance of charm; many are merely post-WWII tract housing.

The city has parks, but they don't seem vibrant or interesting to me. It has commerce, but all of those strip malls make me want to gag. It is true that I'm looking for a single family home, but I would appreciate if some part of town near my house had zero-setback, multi-story, mixed-used developments, to give me somewhere more interesting to visit without having to leave the city.

The "downtown" that Warren has built is really just an ugly 1960's civic center, without any of the urban charm of more historic urban places. While my family has a car, I know that my kids and I enjoy walking places and taking alternative forms of transit, if only for the fun of it. Also, we like to go interesting places on weekends - museums, kid-friendly attractions, etc. Maybe Warren has some of these, but I can't think of any in particular.

So, yeah, Warren is probably an ok town, but I can't move my family there [[even though it suits my geographic needs perfectly), because I can't see raising a thriving family there. I want Warren to succeed, so I want them to consider some of these types of developments in the years ahead. A strong inner ring will help Detroit, but a bedroom community of 100,000+ seniors living in small post-WWII bungalows is not the way to get there.

1953

[Bham1982]

No, I think you just have really high expectations. Unless you're expecting the riverfront to be turned into Coney Island, I'm not sure what more you want out of it. Merry-go-round, fountains, nearly 3 miles of uninterrupted path, a STATE PARK, scenic views, access to the new Outdoor Adventure and Discovery Zone, access to the Dequindre Cut. The Riverfront is a wonderful and much needed addition to our downtown.

The riverfront is perfectly fine, but it's the exact same thing that every other city on earth already has. It isn't some badge of honor to have a green strip of land along a riverfront; it's more like an expectation, given that rivers haven't been defined by commerce for 80 years. What else are you going to do with riverfronts?

[Wintersmommy]

As I cannot hear this conversation about Detroit, back to Warren.

I have young kids and I am looking for a place on the East Side to put down roots. While Warren has houses, it lacks a lot of the attributes I am looking for. Its houses are very small, and many are out of date. Its neighborhoods lack any semblance of charm; many are merely post-WWII tract housing.

The city has parks, but they don't seem vibrant or interesting to me. It has commerce, but all of those strip malls make me want to gag. It is true that I'm looking for a single family home, but I would appreciate if some part of town near my house had zero-setback, multi-story, mixed-used developments, to give me somewhere more interesting to visit without having to leave the city.

The "downtown" that Warren has built is really just an ugly 1960's civic center, without any of the urban charm of more historic urban places. While my family has a car, I know that my kids and I enjoy walking places and taking alternative forms of transit, if only for the fun of it. Also, we like to go interesting places on weekends - museums, kid-friendly attractions, etc. Maybe Warren has some of these, but I can't think of any in particular.

So, yeah, Warren is probably an ok town, but I can't move my family there [[even though it suits my geographic needs perfectly), because I can't see raising a thriving family there. I want Warren to succeed, so I want them to consider some of these types of developments in the years ahead. A strong inner ring will help Detroit, but a bedroom community of 100,000+ seniors living in small post-WWII bungalows is not the way to get there.

1953

I live in Warren and co-sign all you said above. Though I do like the mid century modern homes and prefer the original interiors. I see a lot of my neighbors ripping them out and "updating" but all that updating will be out dated soon. The city is looking old and tired and I dislike that. I work hard on my landscaping and yard but I would say 1/2 or better of my neighbors do not. I keep up on home maintenance but again a lot of the homes on my block are in need of painting, landscaping, new roofs, new siding and or new windows.

my biggest complaint is that the city is boring ...we travel north, west or south to do all our fun stuff