Detroit - Named Most Dangerous City in U.S.

[detmich]

Hi everybody,

I am a french woman. I understand not very well English. But I try to learn. I yet posted on the forum.
" French woman searches grandfather of Detroit". I would like to go to Detroit when I will speak and understand [[better) English.
Is really Detroit a dangerous city for the tourist?
Thank you very much for your answers.

More soon.
Mary

Quite frankly, Detroit is a very dangerous place. There is a mindset, known in the US as Detroitism, whereby Detroit's problems are denied or treated as local flavor. You can not, I will write that again, you can not come to Detroit and wander around. Period, end of discussion.

If you do go to Detroit you will need to have someone with you who can act as a guide and a "Buddy". I am about to be attacked by almost all the other posters on this board for telling you that. But it is simply irresponsible and unfair to tell anyone, let alone a woman from a foreign country who does not speak English fluently that visiting here is like visiting any other city. It is simply not the truth.

Mary- Detroit est une vrai ville tres dangereuse. C'est pas pour un femme seule. Detroit resemblent beaucoup a la ville Naples en Italia. Mais trop mal.

[Roq]

You can not, I will write that again, you can not come to Detroit and wander around. Period, end of discussion.

If you do go to Detroit you will need to have someone with you who can act as a guide and a "Buddy". I am about to be attacked by almost all the other posters on this board for telling you that. But it is simply irresponsible and unfair to tell anyone, let alone a woman from a foreign country who does not speak English fluently that visiting here is like visiting any other city. It is simply not the truth.
l.

Mary, please listen to detmich's advice; he [[or she) is right on the money. I love Detroit and would not live anywhere else by choice, but I'm not blind to the fact is IS an extremely dangerous city. Please find someone to tour the city with as suggested above.

[iheartthed]

The report first says "city" but includes the metro, but only a division of the Metro [[i.e. Detroit-Livonia-Dearborn MSA division), and that division is simply Wayne County. This is actually a bit strange/odd, because for no other metro did they simply cut off the rest of the metro and simply use the central county, I don't think.

Also, to note, the FBI Uniform Crime Report they use is only for the first half of the year [[Jan. to June) unless they were able to obtain the full years report, as that has yet to be released.

Lastly, I wonder which violent crimes, in particular, rose, last year? Because, homicides [[both the number and the rate), particularly in Detroit, were down significantly from 2007 [[down %14). As usual, the report leaves quite a few questions, for me.

Who needs to be bothered with details, right? Warning, the following sentences will only make sense to those with a fundamental grasp on elementary mathematical concepts.

Forbes did a bit of selective re-definition in order to define the area and create a definition for metro Detroit. They used what the census bureau web site defines as a Metropolitan Division for Detroit's calculations, and this is not the same as a Metropolitan Statistical Area [[MSA). Metropolitan Divisions are subsections of MSAs that the census bureau uses to help define large metropolitan areas like Detroit, Philadelphia and Miami.

Detroit, Philadelphia and Miami all ended up on this list of "most dangerous" metropolitan areas, but if you look closely at each of these three cases, Forbes only uses a single Metropolitan Division to calculate their levels of dangerous for their respective MSAs. Compare this to how they calculated levels of dangerous for Memphis, Las Vegas, and Stockton, Ca., and you will notice that it is an unfair comparison, since in the case of those cities, they use their entire Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Forbes did this because those MSAs are too small for the Census Bureau to break up into Metropolitan Divisions.

So Forbes makes up yet another list comparing apples and oranges, but it doesn't matter because there are always idiots who will babble on about it, without giving it the least bit of critique. And trust me, the objective of Forbes is to get you to babble on about it, not to be precise.

[thecarl]

Detroit, Philadelphia and Miami all ended up on this list of "most dangerous" metropolitan areas, but if you look closely at each of these three cases, Forbes only uses a single Metropolitan Division to calculate their levels of dangerous for their respective MSAs. Compare this to how they calculated levels of dangerous for Memphis, Las Vegas, and Stockton, Ca., and you will notice that it is an unfair comparison, since in the case of those cities, they use their entire Metropolitan Statistical Areas. Forbes did this because those MSAs are too small for the Census Bureau to break up into Metropolitan Divisions.

would it be fair to say that forbes did not use metropolitan divisions for cities that are too small to have them - but in cities large enough to have metropolitan divisions, they used the metropolitan division which best represents the city?

[iheartthed]

would it be fair to say that forbes did not use metropolitan divisions for cities that are too small to have them - but in cities large enough to have metropolitan divisions, they used the metropolitan division which best represents the city?

What would be the point of doing so? How does comparing a subsection of Metro Detroit with the entire metropolitan area of Lexington, KY prove that Metro Detroit is more dangerous than Lexington, KY?

[firstandten]

Detroit is not considered a entertainment/ tourist town like the other cities mentioned with the exception of a few areas like Greektown, and down by the river which are relatively safe. Detroit is a city of neigborhoods some of which are less safe than others. Detroit is no different from most American large cities. The touristy areas are mostly safe and when you go into the hood you need to act like you know where you're going and what you are doing.

For example the Motown museum during the day along with HFH is a pretty safe area at night the museum is closed and the area not so safe. This is not only a Detroit problem and the statistics only tell part of the story. Back when Detroit was the murder capital a lot of that was due to drug gang wars going on in the city which of course inflated the count. If you weren't into the drug culture chances are you would be ok.

You think you're so safe in New Orleans french quarter well , just wander a few blocks outside of the french quarter area and tell me how you feel. or a few miles away from the Las Vegas strip. My point is, its everywhere and because we aren't a tourist destination like some of the other cities our crime rate gets hyped up. After all reporting on too much crime in a tourist type city is bad for business.

[Moetown]

You think you're so safe in New Orleans french quarter well , just wander a few blocks outside of the french quarter area and tell me how you feel. or a few miles away from the Las Vegas strip. My point is, its everywhere and because we aren't a tourist destination like some of the other cities our crime rate gets hyped up. After all reporting on too much crime in a tourist type city is bad for business.

I am the only person to mention the french quarter and I said it was unsafe not "safe," unsafe is being kind. Anybody that walks 4 blocks off bourbon st to rampart st would be having a good day to just get robbed and not shot.

[Danny]

Detroit has been a world's danagerous city for a long time. When whites and ethnic folks moved out the blacks and spookies move in, a instant ghetto filled out violent crime and dross becames the norm.

[detmich]

I don't know anyone who thinks New Orleans is safe. People go because the food is fantastic and the FQ is fun. That's it.

[Ocean2026]

Forbes in and of itself - uses "pop" methodology and I'd read them with a grain of salt. Unfortunately there have been better studies which link Detroit as the most dangerous. There was one which went into detail on all sorts of violent crime and came up with an index- wish I had the link. That one had Detroit #1 Flint #2 and East St Louis #3.

The "Detroit is just like any other big city" does not hold water. New Orleans is also bad but its its own special situation. Much of it was washed away and abandoned due to a natural disaster.

I do agree with the other posters about Forbes- they are basically looking for attention and some of its subjects and methods are really faulty.

[Moetown]

I don't know anyone who thinks New Orleans is safe. People go because the food is fantastic and the FQ is fun. That's it.

You left out mardi gras and the jazzfest which starts this weekend by the way .
www.nojazzfest.com/

New orleans is still a great city, I might swing by on my way back from memphis this weekend for the memphis in may festival . http://www.memphisinmay.org/

[firstandten]

The "Detroit is just like any other big city" does not hold water. New Orleans is also bad but its its own special situation. Much of it was washed away and abandoned due to a natural disaster..

New Orleans was really rough long before Katrina came along it just made a bad situation worst.

[drjeff]

Quite frankly, Detroit is a very dangerous place. There is a mindset, known in the US as Detroitism, whereby Detroit's problems are denied or treated as local flavor. You can not, I will write that again, you can not come to Detroit and wander around. Period, end of discussion.

If you do go to Detroit you will need to have someone with you who can act as a guide and a "Buddy". I am about to be attacked by almost all the other posters on this board for telling you that. But it is simply irresponsible and unfair to tell anyone, let alone a woman from a foreign country who does not speak English fluently that visiting here is like visiting any other city. It is simply not the truth.

Mary- Detroit est une vrai ville tres dangereuse. C'est pas pour un femme seule. Detroit resemblent beaucoup a la ville Naples en Italia. Mais trop mal.

You're right and wrong. PARTS of Detroit are dangerous. But the parts that a tourist would visit are not. Downtown is one of the safer downtowns in a major city, statistically. The Eastern Market area is fine. Belle Isle is fine. The theater/stadium district is fine. The Museum/WSU district is fine. West Grand around the Motown Museum is fine during the day when a tourist might visit. The worst thing about being a tourist in Detroit would be that there's not good way to get between all these areas without good public transportation, and driving here as an outsider is not at all easy. It does no one any good to make a blanket statement that "Detroit is very dangerous!!!" when in fact many parts of the city are perfectly safe.

[firstandten]

You're right and wrong. PARTS of Detroit are dangerous. But the parts that a tourist would visit are not. Downtown is one of the safer downtowns in a major city, statistically. The Eastern Market area is fine. Belle Isle is fine. The theater/stadium district is fine. The Museum/WSU district is fine. West Grand around the Motown Museum is fine during the day when a tourist might visit. The worst thing about being a tourist in Detroit would be that there's not good way to get between all these areas without good public transportation, and driving here as an outsider is not at all easy. It does no one any good to make a blanket statement that "Detroit is very dangerous!!!" when in fact many parts of the city are perfectly safe.

Very fine points you make,

Tourist areas in most big cities are safe, after all its bad for business if it isn't . Its the neighborhoods that are the problem, Detroit is a city of neighborhoods and it not really consisted a tourist type city. Its a lot easier in a city like Detroit to hype the crime angle for that reason. Also in a city with such high unemployment illegal activities such as the drug economy fills in the income gaps. A lot of crime happens because there are people involved in directly and indirectly with that drug economy. You have random incidents of course, but in reality there's usually a reason why people are victimized when you consider violent crimes.

[detmich]

It is all well and good to let the world know that parts of Detroit are safe. However, that does not deal with Mary's original question. Please cross post to Asked and Answered. It is not safe for a French woman to come to Detroit and wander around by herself. She should have someone from the area with her. 'Nuff said.

[firstandten]

It is all well and good to let the world know that parts of Detroit are safe. However, that does not deal with Mary's original question. Please cross post to Asked and Answered. It is not safe for a French woman to come to Detroit and wander around by herself. She should have someone from the area with her. 'Nuff said.

To answer your question its not safe for ANY woman to wander around certain areas in Detroit by herself. and a escort is well advised.

I would make the same comment for most of the big cities in the United States.

[DocTerry]

And, in fact, in most big cities, there are areas that male tourists should not go to alone, either. Marie - I'm sure there are people here who'd be happy to show you around and "coach" you a bit. Me included - I had a wonderful time in Montreal a few years back due to a local resident willing to show off the city and my lousy French didn't make it too difficult.

[dcmorrison12]

I've lived in Midtown Detroit for 2 years now and I've always felt safe and I've never encountered a dangerous situation. Isn't this all that matters, I mean, screw the studies.

[detmich]

I would make the same comment for most of the big cities in the United States.

What is it with this mantra? It is like a battered woman saying, " he's good to me when I don't make him angry". Christ almighty, Detroit is not like all other "big" cities in the United States. What is with the ingrained denial?

On top of that, she didn't ask about any other city. She asked about Detroit. Are you so ashamed of your hometown that you have to constantly try to belittle others to build it up. The level of denial is un-fucking-believable. It seems pathological and perhaps it is. Could an entire region suffer from the same pathological behaviours? Could this possibly explain the complete ineptitude of the repeatedly elected city government?

What other god damned mayor in the USA would say his parking enforcemnet agents are undertrained and may very well embarrass his city? None, but in Detroit everyone acts like it's normal. You have all lived in this dysfunctional social situation that you don't seem to know what is normal any longer. Christ, wake the fuck up.

[dcmorrison12]

some feel compelled to point out that other cities have the same problems because this region has a tendency to say that a normal big city problem is solely a Detroit problem, and it's not always right. Detroit is constantly put down and given the short end of the stick, so we feel the need to point these things out.

[firstandten]

What is it with this mantra? It is like a battered woman saying, " he's good to me when I don't make him angry". Christ almighty, Detroit is not like all other "big" cities in the United States. What is with the ingrained denial?

On top of that, she didn't ask about any other city. She asked about Detroit. Are you so ashamed of your hometown that you have to constantly try to belittle others to build it up. The level of denial is un-fucking-believable. It seems pathological and perhaps it is. Could an entire region suffer from the same pathological behaviours? Could this possibly explain the complete ineptitude of the repeatedly elected city government?

What other god damned mayor in the USA would say his parking enforcemnet agents are undertrained and may very well embarrass his city? None, but in Detroit everyone acts like it's normal. You have all lived in this dysfunctional social situation that you don't seem to know what is normal any longer. Christ, wake the fuck up.

Just because you hate Detroit[[ and probably its people) don't expect everybody to buy into your crap. I answered your/her question. If you want me to say that I hate Detroit I won't. The next time you want to talk about someones reading comprehension start reflecting on your own biases.
You do your own research about the dyfunctional dymanics of other cities [[regions) its there.

[detmich]

Just because you hate Detroit[[ and probably its people) don't expect everybody to buy into your crap. I answered your/her question. If you want me to say that I hate Detroit I won't. The next time you want to talk about someones reading comprehension start reflecting on your own biases.
You do your own research about the dyfunctional dymanics of other cities [[regions) its there.

1st&10, I don't hate Detroit. In fact I think it is pretty cool in its own way. That does not translate into telling women from foreign countries [[who admit they do not speak fluent English) that it is okay to go to Detroit and wander around. I won't apologize for telling her the truth.

I am sorry that you are still stinging from when I embarrassed you about your reading.

[firstandten]

1st&10, I don't hate Detroit. In fact I think it is pretty cool in its own way. That does not translate into telling women from foreign countries [[who admit they do not speak fluent English) that it is okay to go to Detroit and wander around. I won't apologize for telling her the truth.

I am sorry that you are still stinging from when I embarrassed you about your reading.

I'm glad you are open minded about the city, I certainly didn't tell the young lady to go wandering around Detroit. And I won't apologize for saying its not a good idea to wander around in any city About the reading its no big deal like I said you pulled together enough quotes to give a creditable argument for your point .Not a great argument but good enough and for that I give credit when its due.

[Mary Murphy]

Hi everybody,

One year ago, I saw an American movie "taken" : Two [[girl) teenager American arrive to Paris. The first day, they are kidnapped in center of Paris, in daylight.
I went to Paris , sometimes. Once I have had a problem .Thieves tried to steal us at the exit a subway. I think that all big cities are dangerous for the tourists [[American, French and other) .Perhaps the better is been “coached” by a person of Detroit, If we will visite to Detroit.

Thank you very much, DocTerry, for your message.
Cordially to everyone.
More soon.
Mary

[Retroit]

When my relatives from a small town in northern Italy came to Detroit and were driven through the city, they were scared to death! [[Crouched down in their seats with hands covering their heads. This was in a locked car during daylight.) They thought there was a war or riot going on because, surely, people could not live in such horrible conditions in normal times.

True story.