Originally Posted by
hamtown mike
7 years ago I bought a house that I loved. I still love and want my house. If I could fill enough balloons with helium and lift my house away I would.
The condition of my street has dramatically changed in those 7 years. Beginning with the actual street itself-it's literally crumbling. Every few weeks I have to vacuum out about a pound of pebbles that gets tracked into my car. The street was dead-ended to build the Henry Ford Rehab clinic years ago. Part of the deal was to build a turnaround at the dead end. To this day it is a mud pit thanks to Henry Ford's misaligned sprinkler system and parking lot runoff.
The garbage. OMG the garbage! shoes shoes shoes. Where do they come from? snack packaging, ice cream wrappers, big chug bottles, leaflets, shopping carts, children's toys, couches and on and on. [[At least twice a year I do a full pick of the street as slack jawwed children crowd around me asking me why I'm cleaning the street, usually with the conversation ending with "all christians should be killed.") I think I'll be giving the holiday lights a rest this season.
The renters. I would guess that 3/4's of the homes on my street are rentals. 3 abandoned homes-one right next door to me with an on again off again squatter and one burnt out shell of a house on this forgotten one block stretch. In the 7 years, 4 old polish lady hold outs passed away. Their out of state children sold the homes for dirt, to dirt bag scumlords just to be done with it. Thanks, love ya lots.
No neighborhood cohesion. Whomever said our differences make us stronger was gravely mistaken. There are at least 6 different ethnicities on my street so communication, which is key to stable neighborhoods, is not easy if even possible.
Thug-assed bass at 2 am. In Hamtramck a police officer's peace cannot be disturbed so it is on the resident to file the complaint and then go to court.
Unmaintained outdated single sewers that have backed up 4 times in the 7 years. Each time at least a foot of run off and human waste in my basement. With the city council's response of "that's just life in Hamtramck." Oh and my insurance adjusted to reflect the claim I made 3 years ago from the flooding, but hey, that's just life in Hamtramck. And oh, I bought a new vehicle a few months ago and that insurance bill jumped through the roof.
oh, oh and to add insult to injury I have the added joy of paying a 1% income tax for the privilege of living in such a utopia.
When I first bought the house I hosted a holiday party. More than 150 people came through. [[I did let the neighbors know, hell I invited them to stop by.) Today I am embarrassed to have people come by as well as fearful for their safety and the security of their vehicles.
I'm not rolling out this litany as a woe-is-me tale. I'm trying to describe the changes that happened to a fully occupied quiet and peaceful street over the past few years. And yes, I can financially afford my house, but spiritually I cannot. The atmosphere is changing me.
To those considering Hamtramck as a place to live- yes it is a fun place, but choose wisely. Look inside the core. North of Holbrook, south of Carpenter [[like way south), east of Lumpkin and west of Conant. and keep an eye of owner to renter ratio- not that you'd be able to tell. If you looked at the books most of the houses are homesteaded but the owners are not living in them.