Reasons you still believe in Detroit after all the sh**

[melvindaler]

Detroit has risen from the ashes many times. From the fire of 1805, to the chaos of 1967.

This city has dealt with a lot of hardship and has risen time and time again.

The revival may take a while, but like our city motto: We hope for better things, it shall rise from the ashes.

That, is Detroit.

As long as it's run by idiots, regardless of their party, that's gonna be difficult. Even if they do get competent people in the government, it's still too big of a city, it should be split up into smaller cities, each one about the size of Dearborn. And they should each have their own school district. I'm not really 100% sure what I'm talking about though, maybe Detroit actually is making a comeback, but I just don't see it. Keep in mind I don't live in Detroit

[ABetterDetroit]

The largest reason to believe is that without doubt the civil war is finally ebbing.

Sure some people will fight the war until their dying breath, but more and more understand that as a region we will fail or thrive as one.

[erikd]

Sure, some parts are improving. But it's not enough to be considered a comeback for the whole city. I seriously don't think that Delray, Boynton, and a majority of Detroit neighborhoods will ever improve.

To clarify, there are comebacks in some individual neighborhoods, but there's not enough for people to be able to say that Detroit as a whole is improving.

BTW I'm writing this at 2am so what Im saying might not even make any sense. #DontDoTheDewBeforeBed

The neighborhoods surrounded by heavy industry in SW Detroit, especially Delray and Oakwood Heights, are transitioning away from having residential, and going towards being completely industrial areas.

The Marathon buyouts in Oakwood Heights a few years ago, the relocation of the cement production facilities from the east riverfront to Delray in the early 2000s, and the current buyouts of homes and businesses in Delray to make way for the new bridge and related facilities, are all examples of this transition.

I would consider this consolidation of heavy industry into one area of the city to be an improvement.

[Smirnoff]

When Grand River returns with all of the major shopping stores, movie theaters, & car dealerships like it was in the 50's & 60's.....btw; still waiting for Rita Bell to call?

[Dan Wesson]

Deadline Detroit. Friend or Foe?
This video done by an outsider from the west coast. Can he see Detroit from his front porch.

http://www.deadlinedetroit.com/artic...based_on_stats

A Tale of two cities Detroit be.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

I guess it depends on your worldview and what dark corner your stranded near some dark summer night.

[Ray1936]

Just for the helluva it, let me toss something into the hopper.

It's 1945. The friggin' war is over. Trying to purchase a home during the war was nearly impossible. The homes that existed were kept by their owners, and few, if any, new homes were built in the city limits. But those that were there, built before the war, were solid and substantial structures.l

VE day, and the war is over. 1945-46 saw our [[superb!) military personnel discharged into the civilian throes. Marriages and the baby boomers took place. And the demand for housing went through the roof. Builders responded, throwing up.........well, throwing up is the right word.

They threw up thousands of frame houses, most with asbestos siding and the cheapest construction possible. Electrical service was provided with insufficient 90-amp service and cheap plumbing. But the demand was strong; oh, so strong; by the returning GI's and others who had waited out the war.

And today, 70 years later, Detroit and the near 'burbs are littered with the carcasses of these wrecks of homes that were thrown up [[quite an appropriate term) in hopes of making a few quick bucks. There's the rub.

Those 1 1/2 story asbestos siding homes [[a few years later covered with aluminum siding) were not built for more than a score of years. But they still exist, and most of them are boarded up today; worthless.

Perhaps in years to come, square miles of Detroit will be razed and rebuilt with proper housing. But, alas, I don't see any trend in that direction at this time.

And, since I'm 81, I probably won't see any such trend in the near future. Y'know what that means for me. Sigh.

[softailrider]

Just for the helluva it, let me toss something into the hopper.

It's 1945. The friggin' war is over. Trying to purchase a home during the war was nearly impossible. The homes that existed were kept by their owners, and few, if any, new homes were built in the city limits. But those that were there, built before the war, were solid and substantial structures.l

VE day, and the war is over. 1945-46 saw our [[superb!) military personnel discharged into the civilian throes. Marriages and the baby boomers took place. And the demand for housing went through the roof. Builders responded, throwing up.........well, throwing up is the right word.

They threw up thousands of frame houses, most with asbestos siding and the cheapest construction possible. Electrical service was provided with insufficient 90-amp service and cheap plumbing. But the demand was strong; oh, so strong; by the returning GI's and others who had waited out the war.

And today, 70 years later, Detroit and the near 'burbs are littered with the carcasses of these wrecks of homes that were thrown up [[quite an appropriate term) in hopes of making a few quick bucks. There's the rub.

Those 1 1/2 story asbestos siding homes [[a few years later covered with aluminum siding) were not built for more than a score of years. But they still exist, and most of them are boarded up today; worthless.

Perhaps in years to come, square miles of Detroit will be razed and rebuilt with proper housing. But, alas, I don't see any trend in that direction at this time.

And, since I'm 81, I probably won't see any such trend in the near future. Y'know what that means for me. Sigh.

If those houses are boarded up and worthless [[which many or most are) I don’t think you can blame it on the house itself. Blame it on a complete lack of maintenance and a lack of care. I’ve been in hundreds of those houses, I don’t think they were built as poorly as you think. They were built with plaster walls with hardwood flooring, The electrical was mostly updated in most of them. I never really noticed out of the ordinary problems with the original build plumbing. If you’re referring to the Brightmore area, that’s a totally different story as there was a lot of crappy builds on slabs and crawls put up there. However, even in that area there are some nicely built brick houses here and there. Not that hard to pick them out even there days.

[Bham1982]

And today, 70 years later, Detroit and the near 'burbs are littered with the carcasses of these wrecks of homes that were thrown up [[quite an appropriate term) in hopes of making a few quick bucks. There's the rub.

While this is true, I think you're confusing correlation/causation. The city proper tends to have older, solidly built housing, moreso than the inner suburbs, which are dominated by the postwar schlock. Detroit was mostly built out by 1950.

A typical home in Dexter-Davison is much better construction than one in, say, Livonia, though the latter is obviously more valuable. I don't think construction quality is a major factor in the city proper's residential distress. Some of the worst hoods have exceptional quality housing.

[archfan]

There are a big swaths of houses in the outer ring of Detroit [[and inner ring suburbs) built in the late 40s and 50s. Many of them are 800 sq ft, wood-sided bungalows - pick a street in Warrendale. I think those are the ones Ray is talking about. There isn't a lot of demand for those. Maybe they could chop a bedroom off and market them as tiny houses.

[Bham1982]

There are a big swaths of houses in the outer ring of Detroit [[and inner ring suburbs) built in the late 40s and 50s. Many of them are 800 sq ft, wood-sided bungalows - pick a street in Warrendale. I think those are the ones Ray is talking about. There isn't a lot of demand for those. Maybe they could chop a bedroom off and market them as tiny houses.

You're right; there's a ring of distressed postwar housing at the city's edges. I'm just not sure that these areas are distressed because of the housing.

Keep in mind these areas were pretty stable until 20 years ago, and were the "good areas". In contrast, some of the worst ghettos in Detroit have very good surrounding housing stock. The '67 riots/rebellion took place blocks from Boston Edison, Virginia Park, Russell Woods, Dexter Davison, all areas with big, nice homes built for executives.

LaSalle Gardens is basically right next to 14th Street, and has grand mini-mansions to this day. You probably had a few wealthy people cowering in fear as fires and gun battles raged right next store.

The "bungalow belt" of Detroit started to decline because the blight moved out to the postwar fringe, not because the housing stock was crap, IMO. Keep in mind the exact same homes are very valuable in Ferndale, Berkley, etc. Even Birmingham has such homes near 14 Mile.

[Bham1982]

Here's an amazing 5,500 square foot mini-mansion in the heart of the riot zone, complete with bullet holes.

https://detroit.curbed.com/2017/4/21...-home-for-sale

I don't think housing stock is a strong driver of macro desirability trends. By '67 the real wealth probably left LaSalle Gardens. Until 2000 or so the crappy-ish bungalow neighborhoods near 8 Mile, Telegraph and the like, were much more desirable.

[1953]

I'm a sixth generation Detroiter, so I've got no choice but to pull for this town -- its where my people live.

[Dumpling]

There are a big swaths of houses in the outer ring of Detroit [[and inner ring suburbs) built in the late 40s and 50s. Many of them are 800 sq ft, wood-sided bungalows - pick a street in Warrendale. I think those are the ones Ray is talking about. There isn't a lot of demand for those. Maybe they could chop a bedroom off and market them as tiny houses.

Warrendale even has tiny houses. Even boarded up tiny houses.
No need to section up any of the endless bungalows that are there.

So many residents have moved on to better places...

[Jimaz]

Total duration 26 minutes:
On Contact: The Deindustrialization of America & Detroit with Charlie LeDuff

Detroit: An American Autopsy

[Honky Tonk]

So many residents have moved on to better places...

I'm glad to hear they've gone to a better place.

[Dumpling]

I'm glad to hear they've gone to a better place.

Many of them ARE in Heaven right now. Many of their children and
grandchildren have wonderful memories and stories to share. It's
a bittersweet beautiful family community affair.
[[Chick's is still there on Warren and may still be serving fish on
Fridays for anyone that has Warrendale nostalgia. Good idea to
check ahead, sometimes they host family reunions or other events.)

Nevertheless pretty soon the boardup list will be handed off to a
Canadian with family in Windsor and Toronto. Didn't count how
many houses are on the list - something like 1400. There will
be a strong stipulation that mere investment won't work.
Someone MUST live in the houses AND closely look after nearby
houses both vacant and occupied. Residing in Detroit is far
more of a contact sport than in other locales.

[SammyS]

Total duration 26 minutes:
On Contact: The Deindustrialization of America & Detroit with Charlie LeDuff

Detroit: An American Autopsy

Well that was depressing.

[ASilvaman]

I've stuck around because I've always believed Detroit had potential, that it's future was not defined by it's missteps of the past. I'm seeing change in the past years that I never really thought could happen so fast. I'm impressed how the cooperation from all parties made this happen.

Maybe transit can be next? Maybe

[mikefmich]

I'm sorry, but this "comeback" people are talking about is BS, people are just in denial of how f****d Detroit is. In reality, there's absolutely no hope for Detroit.

If I were to guess, I'd assume you're under 50? Perhaps even under 40?
Been around Detroit very long?

[Lombaowski]

While this is true, I think you're confusing correlation/causation. The city proper tends to have older, solidly built housing, moreso than the inner suburbs, which are dominated by the postwar schlock. Detroit was mostly built out by 1950.

A typical home in Dexter-Davison is much better construction than one in, say, Livonia, though the latter is obviously more valuable. I don't think construction quality is a major factor in the city proper's residential distress. Some of the worst hoods have exceptional quality housing.

This is very true. Inner city Detroit had some of the best housing stock in the country IMO, better than other industrial cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Cleveland. Lots of very nice, brick, single family homes that could endure everything but bad residents who never considered putting a dime into their homes. The housing stock was and even still is fine, the people living in them not so much.

[Dan Wesson]

This is very true. Inner city Detroit had some of the best housing stock in the country IMO, better than other industrial cities like Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Cleveland. Lots of very nice, brick, single family homes that could endure everything but bad residents who never considered putting a dime into their homes. The housing stock was and even still is fine, the people living in them not so much.

The last sentence above is something I have to agree with.
Based upon my years as a in home servicer for Sears for 9 years.

I witnessed the the blight found in inner city areas move outward to the cities edge. Roaches, abandon cars, garbage filled alleys and driveways, where there were none before. If it moved beyond city limits I don't know, my territory was the city proper. The east side got hit the hardest. Of this I can attest.

Why it occurred I'm sure is subject to your world view and resulting beliefs. But the result is undeniable.