Why I left

smudge pot · December-29-09, 07:13 PM

Originally Posted by Ray1936

Smudge pot, you've got something there. Most girls that I found attractive turned out to be Polish. Must be something in their genes, I guess.

Wish I could polka. Maybe I could'a scored.

Ray, who knows from Polka? Just fake it, you look goofy, sure, but what the hay? Beautiful girls in dresses, plenty of booze, I'm there!

**Caseyc** · December-30-09, 12:11 PM

I still live here, but I am still relatively young.

However, many of my friends from high school went to college in other states, graduated, and never came back. Many of my family members left for work, this was the first Christmas without my sister and her young family.

I moved to Detroit not long after I turned 18, and several of my friends who stayed in Michigan, ended up moving to Detroit. After a few years they ended up getting married, getting better jobs, having kids, and moving to the suburbs shortly thereafter. One of them loved the city and urban living [[a native New Yorker) much more than I did, and truely despised the suburbs. The last time I saw him, he had a condo and SUV out in Canton, and when we talked about our times past in Detroit, he said how much he missed the city, and his wife reminded him that "you can't raise kids in Detroit". He looked down and muttered; "I know".

I'm hoping he'll see my blog.

---------------------------------------

Why? What's so transformative about your blog?

**Sstashmoo** · December-30-09, 12:57 PM

Hi Cheddar.

**Detroitus** · December-30-09, 02:16 PM

My ties with the city were severed with my parents divorce in the early eighties. My father, who lived in Cadillac Square, first moved to Houston and then to the Florida Keys. After finishing law school at Detroit College of Law my mother became a committed suburbanite over time, working and living there exclusively.

Like so many many suburbanites in the area my family who live back there rarely venture downtown. While my siblings and I have memories of Boblo Island, Christmas at Hudson's and even hockey games at the Olympia my nieces and nephew don't know the city at all. I did make sure to take them all to a game at Tiger stadium though, flying back specifically to bring them all to the last Friday night game at the old ball field.

As for me my early years in the city made me the urbanite I am to this day.

**Whitehouse** · December-30-09, 08:40 PM

Is this chap a member of this forum? If not, track him down and invite him!

**Jimaz** · December-30-09, 08:57 PM

Kevin Bauman's 100abandonedhouses.com

**R8RBOB** · December-30-09, 09:39 PM

I left in 2000 and came back in 2004.

I want to leave again. Detroit WILL always be home but there nothing here in Detroit or Michigan to stay.

**Bodybagging** · December-31-09, 08:49 AM

I left in 2005, after nearly 40 years in the city, I finally met someone I cared enough for not to build a life around all the negativity, that the City seems to breed. Moved to the suburbs for a few years, then moved about 80 miles outside of the city, to our 40 acre farm.
I went from looking out my window and seeing crackheads and hookers, to seeing our free roaming horses and Pygmy goats....
Funny thing, While in Detroit I was constantly on guard, from the moment I moved out of the city, I have yet to lock the doors on our home, and never remove the keys from our cars, BUT the one thing I have not been able to break is the fact that I still sleep in my pants, do to all the years of having to jump up in the middle of the night and run outside for some reason or other.
I love Detroit, Hate the City Government, annoyed by the DPD but again I LOVE DETROIT and all of its character and history.

**milesdriven** · January-04-10, 11:24 AM

We lived on Hereford, near Chester, until November of '08. I left because I couldn't find any full-time work in the IT field, but we most likely would've left by 2012 anyway before my daughter was ready to start kindergarten. I'm glad that I can be downtown in 45 minutes, even though I now live in another state.

**MustangMan** · January-04-10, 04:03 PM

Same as jcole,
I left in '73 when my parents moved to Livonia. Crime had just started to get bad in the Grand River & Fenkell area. The rest of the family moved no later than '78. I miss the old neighborhood, but being safe was more important.

**Caseyc** · January-04-10, 04:30 PM

I went from looking out my window and seeing crackheads and hookers, to seeing our free roaming horses and Pygmy goats....

Sounds like it's time to move back and start one of those sustainable ribbon farms that the kids are so keen on these days.

**kryptonite** · January-04-10, 06:55 PM

I moved in 1995 after an awful break-in gun-to-the-head incident. Mostly I moved because of family issues and the family lives in the south. I lived in the south for 5 years and moved back to Detroit area in 2000.

Nowadays I live in the burbs but am in Detroit probably 5-10 times each month.

This is home and I love it. Someone HELP ME!

**rwoff** · January-04-10, 07:33 PM

I left Brightmoore in 1979 and moved to Chicago. Stayed in Chicago for 16 years and moved to Lawrenceville, GA

Retroit · January-04-10, 07:49 PM

Originally Posted by rwoff

I left Brightmoore in 1979 and moved to Chicago. Stayed in Chicago for 16 years and moved to Lawrenceville, GA

Welcome to the forum. What was the reason you left Detroit?

**KENSINGTONY** · January-05-10, 10:31 AM

I moved from Detroit when I got married in 1987.I didn't go far-Eastpointe,just over the border.I'm still there,even after my divorce 8 1/2 years ago.No plans to move because my frail Mom is with me now.She can't navigate the stairs in her 2 story EEV home that she's owned for 55 years[[where I grew up) anymore.I've met a woman from the San Francisco area and if my Mom wasn't with me,I'd consider moving to that area.The dealership where I work got the death letter from GM,my daughter is now 21 and graduating college,and the job market here in my field is poor.But no matter where I might go,I'll always be a proud Detroiter.

**ggores** · January-05-10, 11:13 AM

In 1984 I got really bored and left brightmoor, never to return, until ninety five couldnâ€™t take it anymore and moved back [[though not in detroit proper, east dearbern) and then back into brightmoor for 2.5 years in oh six, then back out because of I donâ€™t really know why, and then was just going to move downtown before christmas but got turned down because of, get this â€“ poor credit. WTF? Now I just stay at a dive somewhere the outskirts of town until everything blows over, and then perhaps to go back to that town sometime as Iâ€™m sure I will. Itâ€™s [[detroit) a very interesting place to dwell. Crazy.

**14509glenfield** · January-05-10, 11:36 AM

I have never left since I left in 1970. You can interpret adventures, why you left, what's happened since, where you at these days. Detroit sport scene paraphernalia ... I have bunches.
Eastwood Park, Mt.Clemens Speedway, Belle Isle [[everything), the FAIRGROUNDS and the first Northern "Stock Car" race, the Hydroplanes, Motor City Speedway, the Radio and TV personalities of the era, Bob-Lo boats.....the lists could go on. WHY? I've been back since.

Couple of year ago a young "pesticide" tech called on me to do an inspection. Long story short.
He was getting married in a month. Blew his socks off with a wrapped up a "lunch". Wrong. It
was 1984 "official" Tiger jersey as an instant wedding gift. He framed it.

I have never left.

**Oldertimer** · January-05-10, 12:35 PM

I was born and raised in Detroit. Lived at Baldwin &Forest, Parker & Mack, Hayes & Seymour, Lodewyck & Chester. Left the city in 1967 and never even thought of going back. I saw the city go down hill and the riots kill it. City has never recovered and it is over 40 years later

**MOTROIT** · January-05-10, 12:50 PM

WHY MOST OF YOU LEFT:
"Oh my god it's getting so bad around here, we need to get out and move to the burbs"
Insted of staying and sticking up for your city and fighting for what was yours.
If that is the case for you reader then SHAME ON YOU!

**GOAT** · January-05-10, 01:13 PM

^^^or couldn't take being robbed for the umpteenth time^^^

Insert "gun pointed, stabbed, beaten, vandalized..." for robbed.

It would be nice for some people to move back in order to stabilize the city. But you can't fault them for moving to protect their lifestyle or, my God, their life.

There will not be an increase in pop. in Detroit until the basic necessities of a functioning city are revised such as a school system and crime PREVENTION [[read NOT crime REACTION).

Tell me otherwise.

**MOTROIT** · January-05-10, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by GOAT

^^^or couldn't take being robbed for the umpteenth time^^^

Insert "gun pointed, stabbed, beaten, vandalized..." for robbed.

It would be nice for some people to move back in order to stabilize the city. But you can't fault them for moving to protect their lifestyle or, my God, their life.

There will not be an increase in pop. in Detroit until the basic necessities of a functioning city are revised such as a school system and crime PREVENTION [[read NOT crime REACTION).

Tell me otherwise.

Get robbed? Get a CCW and carry a gun. For the house buy a security system, and keep up a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH.

**exmotowner** · January-05-10, 01:25 PM

Originally Posted by MOTROIT

WHY MOST OF YOU LEFT:
"Oh my god it's getting so bad around here, we need to get out and move to the burbs"
Insted of staying and sticking up for your city and fighting for what was yours.
If that is the case for you reader then SHAME ON YOU!

Do you think everyone that left left after the first crime? You make it sound like none of us cared anything about the city and did not try and do their best to make it there and make things better. WE DID!, but just how much do you take before you realize its impossible to live there safely. Yes we all ran when we seen it getting bad and did not give a shit about the city. WRONG!

**DetBill** · January-05-10, 02:37 PM

Moved to Detroit from Canada in 1990. Lived Downtown till 2002, moved to Huntington Woods , then moved back downtown to Lafayette Park and I have just purchased a larger unit in 1300 Lafayette and thankfully sold my smaller one I bought in 2005 at a big loss but I gained the same amount on the new purchase . One of those Detroiters who have no intention of leaving. I actually like where I live, great neighbors, totally safe for me and my car, great location and very affordable considering what you get. I also luv the winter, am up north often for skiing, and hiking and camping. I think Michigan is a beautiful state. It has many parts of Canada beat big time for convenience and value. Many of us original outsiders often think some Michiganders are their worst enemy at times. Totally understand anyones who has been through hell and left , I ve just been fortunate, was careful to pick a good area with good security. I, as many of my neighbors, want to add stability to our city and try our best to do so. It can be difficult at times but overall, I still love Detroit.

**EMG** · January-05-10, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by MOTROIT

Get robbed? Get a CCW and carry a gun. For the house buy a security system, and keep up a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH.

Sorry, but when a neighborhood is so bad that you need to do that, the neighborhood's unacceptable to continue to put up with. Time to move out and let some other Pollyana deal with the unacceptable.

If I'd wanted to work with guns and enforce the law, I would have gone into law enforcement as a career. I've got better things to do with my life.

**MustangMan** · January-05-10, 03:06 PM

Originally Posted by MOTROIT

Get robbed? Get a CCW and carry a gun. For the house buy a security system, and keep up a NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH.

So what your saying is that people should have stayed armed themselves and added to the already increasing violence? Wouldn't this create more riot's, more neighborhood deterioration, etc... the list goes on. Most of the people who had lived in these neighbohoods never had to lock their door's, they were peaceful, and you suggest that they should have lowered themselves to the bad guy's level? This was clearly not an option, instead they took the peaceful option and moved to where their families could again live in peace not fear.