Brian Dickerson: In Greektown, a lesson in critical mass

The next time Mayor Dave Bing faces an audience of Detroiters skeptical about his plans to reconfigure their city into a smaller number of more densely populated, more commercially viable neighborhoods, he should invite Donn Fresard along.

Fresard is a prosecutor -- not just any prosecutor, but the chief of staff for Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy.

But the 14-year-old kid who swiped Fresard's wallet from a table at the Fishbone's restaurant in Greektown last Wednesday didn't know that. To him, Fresard was just another middle-aged guy in a suit, and the wallet on the table was a prize too tempting to resist.

When the kid grabbed the wallet and broke for the exit, he probably figured he'd be out of sight before what happened even registered with Fresard or his fellow diners.

In dozens of other Detroit neighborhoods, the kid might have been figuring right.

But Greektown isn't any neighborhood. It's a 24-hour urban village, a place where a polyglot of people -- casino-goers and diners, cops and judges, janitors and musicians, criminal suspects on their way to the county jail and bail bondsmen on their way to spring them -- share the same sidewalks, restaurants and bars.


Continued at: http://www.freep.com/article/2011032...-critical-mass

Strange story. Fairly upscale restaurant, so how does a 14-year-old get this chance to swipe a wallet?

He's either gained entry by being with other adults [[and if so, hopefully his parents whip his butt), or the restaurant can't keep the riff-raff out.

I guess he couldn't think of anything else to write about.

Yeah, the more people there are in a neighborhood or anywhere else the more difficult it is for the criminal element to to thrive. That column was hardly thought provoking.

I don't get it. How many people live in Greektown? Most Detroiter's don't want to live in Greektown. They want to livein safe neighborhoods close to good schools and stores where they can buy staples.

Great story! And that is a great article bringing up safety and the need for more eyes on the street [[critical mass).

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I don't get it. How many people live in Greektown? Most Detroiter's don't want to live in Greektown. They want to livein safe neighborhoods close to good schools and stores where they can buy staples.

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I don't see that these objections make sense. Greektown is a pretty safe neighborhood. It is close to the Friends school and the Chrysler school, which are good schools, especially for Detroit. It's pretty close to Eastern Market. It isn't a very residential neighborhood, but it seems to me like it would be a pretty nice place to live as places in Detroit go, if you could find a living space.

^Agreed. In addition, Greektown is very close to Lafayette Park, which in my opinion is one of the nicest residential areas in the city.

guaranteed this wasn't the first wallet lift in the area for this "kid", he got caught this time, law of averages, bet he's got a stash of 100 other wallets he's gotten away with......

Not many people live in Greektown, but plenty of people work there and entertain there 24-7. If there was a quality loft building in Greektown, it would be full.

I remember originally reading this story how awesome it was. This idiot kid goes to Greektown during lunchtime to try and swipe a wallet in a busy restaurant? Yeah, that was smart. And the bystanders running after the kid through the streets of Greektown is something right out of a movie. Love, love, love the story of a community coming together to stop crime, even if it is little, ole Greektown.

The issue I have is comparing it to the Detroit Works. Detroit Works based in neighborhoods. Greektown is not a neighborhood, but a distrct of Downtown.

Yes its close to Lafayette Park, but these are two totally separate environments.

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Originally Posted by DetroitPlanner

I don't get it. How many people live in Greektown? Most Detroiter's don't want to live in Greektown. They want to livein safe neighborhoods close to good schools and stores where they can buy staples.

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The reason that nobody lives in Greektown is because there is nowhere to live in Greektown.

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Originally Posted by iheartthed

The reason that nobody lives in Greektown is because there is nowhere to live in Greektown.

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Not true at all. The building with Nikki's Pizza has hundreds of units for rent and lots of tenants living there now. Millender Center is pretty close to Greektown. And a lot of the smaller buildings in that area have lofts above them, like the buildings that house the Old Shillelagh, Muccioli Gallery, etc.

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Originally Posted by MrNittany

Strange story. Fairly upscale restaurant, so how does a 14-year-old get this chance to swipe a wallet?

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Isn't there atrium seating at Fishbones? Anyone can cruise through there.