Pleasant Ridge - Gay Mecca

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · August-25-11, 10:35 AM

According to the NYT, Pleasant Ridge has the 7th highest percentage of same-sex households. Maybe I need to move back to the Detroit area.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/us...seholds&st=cse

**Woodward's Cousin** · August-25-11, 10:39 AM

I counted P.R. down to 17th [[ excluding S.F., which was not included in the data set), and the only city between the coasts. Pleasant Ridge is a great, inclusive city. Do consider a move back.

**iheartthed** · August-25-11, 10:54 AM

Sounds like the list is just mathematically biased towards municipalities with small overall populations.

**bailey** · August-25-11, 11:00 AM

Originally Posted by DetroiterOnTheWestCoast

According to the NYT, Pleasant Ridge has the 7th highest percentage of same-sex households. Maybe I need to move back to the Detroit area.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/25/us...seholds&st=cse

+1 Iheart.

not knocking PR... for the reason Woodward said. But c'mon.

Besides, I thought we were supposed to be outraged around here at any mention of surburbs being the area's gayborhood? Ferndale is bad, but PR a "gay mecca"?

**Detroitnerd** · August-25-11, 11:02 AM

Bear in mind that we are talking about, geographically speaking, the smallest city in the state of Michigan. That would help explain this statistical anomaly.

**Woodward's Cousin** · August-25-11, 11:56 AM

Don't think it's correct to describe Pleasant Ridge data as an "anomaly".
Talk to any P.R. resident, gay or straight, and you will hear what a great town it is and how welcoming its residents are of diversity.

**Detroitnerd** · August-25-11, 12:02 PM

Originally Posted by Woodward's Cousin

Don't think it's correct to describe Pleasant Ridge data as an "anomaly".
Talk to any P.R. resident, gay or straight, and you will hear what a great town it is and how welcoming its residents are of diversity.

I used to live in P.R. It is not a slam against P.R. to say that the data are an anomaly. It is completely residential, upper income, and somewhat exclusive. It's like Ferndale without the poor [[unless you count "Peasant Ridge" over by the railroad tracks). It has two restaurants, one liquor license, and is a complete bedroom community, unlike Ferndale, which has more diversity. It only makes sense that affluent, same-sex couples would take up housekeeping in P.R., but that community's small size means they will be a significant percentage of that community.

So defensive!

**Artistic** · August-25-11, 12:06 PM

Surprised Saugatuck/Douglas did not make the list....could be that it's mostly second homes for the gay couples.

**bailey** · August-25-11, 12:15 PM

Originally Posted by Woodward's Cousin

Don't think it's correct to describe Pleasant Ridge data as an "anomaly".
Talk to any P.R. resident, gay or straight, and you will hear what a great town it is and how welcoming its residents are of diversity.

I think it's absolutely correct to describe PR as an "anomaly" ...for all the reasons you mentioned! lol.

Its a very nice bedroom community. But, per the data, we're talking about 118 people [[59 couples) in a city of 2500 in a 4.5 million person metro area. Not exactly indicative of much other than a handful of like minded and economically similar situated folks live near each other. I mean, i would bet that 118 people at most any gay oriented venue...bar, club, restaurant..whatever, in [insert "traditional gay mecca city" here] would be a slow night.

it seems like they are really reaching with what they are trying to extrapolate from that data.

DetroitPole · August-25-11, 12:32 PM

Interestingly, Hadley, Michigan, is a white mecca. A full 100% of the population is of the Caucasian persuasion. All 56 of them.

Where does one apply to become a dumb list maker?

**Det_ard** · August-25-11, 12:53 PM

This seems like a good place.

**Danny** · August-25-11, 01:10 PM

Pleasant Ridge a Gay Mecca. Homosexual folks building their communty in a middle class neighborhoods filled with nice brick colonials and tudors. Lots of middle class families with their kids will be packing their bags and move somplace else if this migration happens.

**Woodward's Cousin** · August-25-11, 03:39 PM

Detroit Nerd and Bailey--not at all defensive. The facts are what they are, and represent what is "usual, normal and expected" for Pleasant Ridge , e.g., not anamalous[[ from definition of "anamalous" in Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary --10th ed.). Just because P.R. is a small city doesn't mean that data somehow inaccurately portrays the city. And , no, the data doesn't reflect the entire Detroit region--Pleasant Ridge is different.
Danny--hey , the migration has occurred and Pleasant Ridge has been , and is today, a great place to raise a family. Anyone who has a problem with having gay neighbors either has moved long ago, or didn't move in in the first place [[ with, no doubt, some limited exceptions).

**surenowinlife** · August-25-11, 03:45 PM

Yup thats right as soon as WE clean up a neighborhood all you crazy dumb ass bastards come in and force us to live with all your redneck music and parking cars on blocks in your driveways.Then you don't bother to water the lawn or put your trash can away and there goes the neighborhood again.......
If only an earthquake could wipe out all the stupid narrow minded pea brained aholes this would be a great country to live in and fight for.I prouldy served in the U.S.Navy for years but couldn't be out because of these aholes.......................
"THE MOST VIOLENT ELEMENT IN SOCIETY TODAY IS IGNORANCE"
Emma Goodman

**Detroitnerd** · August-25-11, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by Woodward's Cousin

Detroit Nerd and Bailey--not at all defensive. The facts are what they are, and represent what is "usual, normal and expected" for Pleasant Ridge , e.g., not anamalous[[ from definition of "anamalous" in Merriam Webster's Collegiate Dictionary --10th ed.). Just because P.R. is a small city doesn't mean that data somehow inaccurately portrays the city. And , no, the data doesn't reflect the entire Detroit region--Pleasant Ridge is different.

Well, you sure sounded defensive. And, as I said, I'm not slamming Pleasant Ridge. It's a nice place for upper-income people, and its location along the lower Woodard corridor means it's gonna have gays. But it's not a "gay mecca" -- that's just silly, no more so than Royal Oak or Ferndale. In my opinion, the reason gay couples are well-represented is because it's a quiet bedroom community that's upper-income, and draws the stable DINKs out of lower Woodward's gay cohort, and plus it's so freakin' tiny that small groups of people become big percentages quite quickly.

**DetroiterOnTheWestCoast** · August-25-11, 04:02 PM

The term "Gay Mecca" in the title of the thread was meant in jest. Don't take it so seriously

**surenowinlife** · August-25-11, 04:14 PM

See around here small brains worry about small issues that the more educated people look past.There are far greater issues in this world then who is sleeping with whom.Stay out of my bedroom and I'll certainly stay out of yours...................................

**Woodward's Cousin** · August-25-11, 04:18 PM

Seems to me that some posts are pivoting on the term "gay mecca" more than the data reported in the NYT.
Calm down, DetroiteronTheWestCoast was just noting a report of interest, not trying to give anyone heartburn.
Detroitnerd--I know you're not slamming P.R., it's just that you seem to want to say that the data is inconsequential , and it is not. The data is important for Pleasant Ridge and for anyone trying to understand what Pleasant Ridge is all about.

lilpup · August-25-11, 05:51 PM

Pleasant Ridge was gay 25 years ago when I was in high school. Back then it got the tag for its zip code having one of the highest subscription rates per household for gay publications.

The first two AIDS deaths I knew [[not confirmed back then but I'm quite sure of it) were a couple on my paper route. One fell ill, looking cancer stricken, then soon died - that wasn't unusual in itself - but then in short order the other, much younger, went the same way.

**Patrick** · August-25-11, 06:03 PM

So...I guess it is the 2nd installment of "gay flight" along Woodward. Phase one involved the flight from Palmer Park...flight 2 involves te flight from Ferndale.

lilpup · August-25-11, 06:07 PM

Pleasant Ridge was gay before Ferndale was, but it didn't have a commercial district to develop into a high profile gayborhood community like Ferndale does. Ferndale is basically the convergence point of the Palmer Park gays and the Pleasant Ridge bedroom community gays.

**Pam** · August-25-11, 06:42 PM

Originally Posted by Danny

Pleasant Ridge a Gay Mecca. Homosexual folks building their communty in a middle class neighborhoods filled with nice brick colonials and tudors. Lots of middle class families with their kids will be packing their bags and move somplace else if this migration happens.

There are gay middle class families with kids too.

lilpup · August-25-11, 07:52 PM

All my dad ever cared about when new people moved in was whether or not they maintained their house and property while not causing a ruckus or attracting lawbreakers/thugs.

**Bham1982** · August-25-11, 08:00 PM

I never thought of Pleasant RIdge as a gay mecca, but it makes perfect sense.

Pleasant Ridge [[well, really only west of Woodward) has large, beautiful older houses that needs lots of work. This housing type is ideal for a two-adult, no child demographic. "Traditional" families don't want a 10-year gut renovation.

And schools are an even bigger factor. Pleasant Ridge sits in Ferndale School District, which has a poor reputation. Again, "traditional" families will go for the well regarded school district.

lilpup · August-25-11, 08:18 PM

The east side of Pleasant Ridge isn't bad, just smaller, less ostentatious houses & residents who are less snotty and arrogant.

A lot of the big, west side houses don't even have basements.

Any bad reputation Ferndale Schools has is recently developed, particularly as the south side of Ferndale has taken a hit.