The comments being made reveal a lot about the priorities of the people making them. People obsessed with the cleanliness of a city or whether they could drive a car wherever they want aren't people interested in the cultural offerings of various urban centers. They're not interested in living an urban lifestyle and would prefer to live on their 1/4 acre lot within driving distance of a mall. NYC, Chicago and cities are appealing because when you're there, you never run out of things to see, do and experience.

When visitors come to Detroit, after they've hit the highlights, you really have to dig deep to find new things to share with them. If you're satisfied with eating out at Applebee's or consider going to a retread 70s concert at DTE to be high culture, Detroit's dearth of culture offerings, nightlife and interesting neighborhoods is never going to be a concern to you.