Good Neighborhoods

[Eric_c]

In those communities, can you walk around the streets after dark, say about midnight, without fear of being assaulted or robbed?

Can you sit on your front steps at 2 a.m. and talk with friends without a likelihood of being accosted?

In other words, are you nearly as safe in your community at night as someone in an inner-ring suburb would be? [[Note that I said "nearly as safe.")

If you can answer yes to those questions, I will retract my statement as it applies to the Villages.

As for B-E, it's a lost cause.

I absolutely promise that residents are able to walk at midnight and enjoy their porch at two in the morning in the Villages! Thanks for listening.

[Bearinabox]

I absolutely promise that residents are able to walk at midnight and enjoy their porch at two in the morning in the Villages! Thanks for listening.

Sorry to threadjack, but could you explain precisely which areas you are and are not including in "the Villages," and to what extent your remarks apply to every part of that area equally? I've heard a lot of talk about "the Villages," but have never quite been able to figure those two things out. For example, is west of the Boulevard still "the Villages?" How about Fischer St.? Van Dyke and Goethe? Thanks.

[BillyBBrew]

www.thevillagesofdetroit.org that should help you out bear....I live in West Village and I couldn't be happier as are almost every neighbor I've spoken to, home owner or not....The biggest crime I see here is car theft and car break ins. And yes, I've walked at night and felt safe.

[Eric_c]

Some more good info on the Villages:

http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/villages07.aspx

Bear -

Speaking to your question which I perceive to more or less ask about the consistancy of the Villages neighborhoods, I would have to say that the residential portions are overall exceptionally comfortable, even quaint. Certain blocks are bad, meaning mostly empty lots and ratty houses, but 90% of the community is solid.

To our west along Mt. Elliott is an old industial corridor, so there's not a lot of great housing over there. Moving East, Canton and Helen Streets have good block clubs and several noteable restorations. New construction has helped those streets, as well.

The Boulevard is difficult. Overall, the home-owners are pretty damn happy with things, but the houses are huge and take a special person to want to tackle them. E. Grand Boulevard residents also must deal with the fact that nursing homes, churches, funeral homes and hospitals line the street from Jefferson to Mack.

Field, Sheridan, and Townsend are good neighborhood streets, but the quality of the blocks varies. Field, as an example, where I live, starts out at Jefferson with apartments, evolves into nice, mixed-income housing, then the East Village condo development. Between Agnes and Vernor, frankly, the blocks are pretty ratty. Between Vernor and Mack, there are well-maintained, fine old brick homes under mature trees.

West Village is next and runs from Baldwin to Maxwell. I think it stands on it's own as a nice little area.

Indian Village is next, followed by East Village which runs all the way to Cadillac Boulevard. East Village is the most pock-marked and the most recent neighborhood included under the Villages umbrella. The area is the most in need of investment, but again, overall, it's a lot of good people.

The Villages also include the Gold Coast high rises south of Jeffeson like Detroit Towers, Shoreline East, the Jeffersonian, etc. as well as the Joseph Berry Subdivision; home of course, to the Manoogian Mansion.

The Villages use Gabrial Richard Park and Belle Isle as their access to the river.

If I were new to the area, I would rent at one of the high-rises, or in West Village. If I were to buy, I would buy in either West or Islandview Village, unless I were in the market for a home larger than 4,000 square feet.

If I could, I would invite interested people to spend a week in a guest room and show them just how wonderful the neighboorhood really is!