Kudos casscorridor65 for starting such a thoughtful thread.
There's a touch of "I can't believe this is happening" going on. Old timers are gobsmacked. There seemed no way our city of ruin could ever rebound. And some "Certainly this can't last; all the other fits and starts fizzled and died." Anybody remember Trappers Alley?
Now there are thousands of new residential units coming on line.
In Crain's today there was an article about the new Scott at Brush Park, mentioning it had 190 units--fully leased.
Why the newcomers are flocking there? For the same reason I did. Where else is one going to find the best of art, symphonies, culture, theater, major league sports, dining, clubs, waterfront, Canada, casinos, the best architecture, on and on, all within easy biking or walking range? All you had to do was be brave and open-minded and your reward was an inexpensive and enriching and exciting place to live.
In 1998 I received an outpouring of email after I launched the Fabulous Ruins of Detroit tour. Over and over I heard young suburbanites say how they wanted to live in a vibrant urban center, even asking for advice on how to do it. The pent up demand has always been there and now it is unleashed. And I can hardly believe it.