Moving to Detroit from Sweden; any advice?

**Det_ard** · December-01-11, 12:24 AM

Originally Posted by Ravine

Probably so, but Zeyrek came here.

I guess he figured out this ain't the Chamber of Commerce.

**KOMPOST** · December-01-11, 08:07 AM

Originally Posted by rjk

So the OP was planing to move to Detroit in April and then decides against it based on the responses on a message board and some internet research? Wouldn't the best source of info come from the people/management who are working at the Detroit branch of the engineering firm he supposedly works for?

I hate to be a skeptic, but I have to admit to questioning the sincerity of this original poster from the get.
It smacked a bit too much of the "I'm a very attractive, slight, 20 year old naive woman from rural Georgia who came into a LOT of cash and am looking to buy a house in a very rough neighborhood in Detroit. Can anyone throw me some pointers?" threads that pop up occassionally.

That said, it was a wonderful catalyst for an honest, albeit depressing, discussion.

bartock · December-01-11, 09:31 AM

Originally Posted by Ravine

I agree with you, Gnome, and if Zeyrek turned down the job, probably so much the better for Zeyrek.

Zeyrek should be glad for coming to this forum to launch the inquiry. Now, Zeyrek sees how we really are, here in "the Detroit area."
Angry. Nasty.
Judgmental and high-handed.
We love to blame somebody else, as though we would be OK if so & so didn't dog us out all of the time.
And always, divided.

The educated over-value their academic status while the under-educated scorn them, with occasional veracity, for being uppity, not black enough, "siddity," or whatfuckingever.

If I say that, over the course of the past 30 years, I've watched as Detroit's black community cannibalizes itself, have I spoken an untruth? Am I a bad guy? Can those two questions be answered without knowing what I am and who I "look like?"

We elect the wrong people, often based on idiotic things such as "name recognition." Then, when we get bad results, we don't want to face facts.
Make no mistake: Kwame Kilpatrick really does love us. Of course he does; why wouldn't he? He does as he pleases, takes personal advantage of his position, exploits each & every one of us who voted for him, and then when his septic tank backs up and explodes shit all over his face, he blames everyone he can think of while also, of course, playing the race card, and a solid half of us actually fuckin' believe him and still morally support him.
Of course he loves us!! What's to not love?!!?

Oh, and I almost forgot to spray venom toward the "Ay-rabs," who snuck in and bought up all of the party stores & gas stations while we were, ummh, at church, yeah, that's where we were, at church. Those fuckers. We should own those places, but they "came over here" with pockets full of, and spilling over with, cash and jumped in just when we were getting ready to fully commit to buying, and operating, our own small businesses, just when we were lining up relatives & friends who would be willing to work day & night in shitty neighborhoods, for years, before starting to turn a real profit.
Yeah. That's what happened, those bastards. We were almost ready, too.

I could go on. Anybody want me to go on? I could start in on the schools, or the parents who think of them as surrogate guardians. Or am I causing a creeping sense of guilty discomfort?

You are too hard on yourself, Ravine. I only counted three "that"s.

bartock · December-01-11, 09:33 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

Good job my friend; however, you forgot about the Jews, spics, drunken Irish [[as if there could be any other kind) and the occasional goose-stepping German.

As an Irishman who is not [[at the present time) drunk, I am terribly offended.

Ravine · December-01-11, 02:19 PM

But, we are always drunk on something, sometimes even drunk on love. We just roll in a drunken way.

**old guy** · December-01-11, 04:50 PM

Originally Posted by Zeyrek

Thanks to everyone who took the time to respond to my inquiry about moving to Detroit. After reading everyone's posts and doing quite a bit of research on the Internet I've decided that Detroit isn't the right option for me, despite the job opportunity, and so I will be staying in Stockholm.

Wow....... That was 7 days and 94 posts back that Zeyrek said he was giving it up. Talk about beating a dead horse.

**mwilbert** · December-01-11, 05:29 PM

By the time we got to that post, I don't think this thread had much direct relationship to Zeyrek's relocation, so why stop just because he had been adequately discouraged?

**Zeyrek** · December-02-11, 01:43 AM

I am still amazed that my [[perhaps naive) post here generated such an intense debate about the city, but it has been really interesting to learn about Detroit and it's issues. I technically have until December 31 to decide on this job opportunity, but I very much doubt I will pursue it. Going into it my impression was that Detroit would be a somewhat gritty but fully functioning working class city, much like many industrial cities in Europe. I had no idea it had lost more than half its population and was becoming progressively abandoned like Chernobyl. I also thought that as a relatively old city it would be walkable with neighborhood cafes, squares, and shopping streets, but it didn't look like that from what I've seen on the Internet. From old photos it did look like it used to be that way. Anyway, I am still considering a visit to Detroit and the suburbs this month since a visit cant hurt, so who knows.

Before I forget, one person via private message recommended highland park as a good up and coming neighborhood for families. Obviously there are some nice areas of Detroit, but surely this person was not being serious, right?

**mwilbert** · December-02-11, 02:05 AM

Before I forget, one person via private message recommended highland park as a good up and coming neighborhood for families. Obviously there are some nice areas of Detroit, but surely this person was not being serious, right?

They were either deluded or not being serious. The bungalow section of Highland Park has some nice blocks, but in general Highland Park is in worse shape than most parts of Detroit, and it is farther from downtown than areas I would think more suitable.

I can understand your hesitation about coming to Detroit, and although I think you would be able to find someplace acceptable to live if you came, it may well be that it isn't what you were expecting. I would recommend to you, or to anyone thinking of living in or near Detroit to come visit first and see what it is like, and even more so for someone coming from a different country. You really can't get a feel for it from afar [[although you can certainly learn that there are a lot of contentious people!)

**Islandman** · December-02-11, 11:05 AM

There are about 5-6 streets in Highland Park that are OK right now. Most of the "state" streets are fine, as well as the rest going north to Davidson. Still wouldn't endorse it. Moving out of there shortly to Hamtramck.

Ravine · December-02-11, 11:19 AM

Wow, I learn something new every day.

I would not have figured on somewhat idiomatic terms such as "gritty" & "who knows" being common parlance in a place so far off as Stockholm.

**old guy** · December-02-11, 03:15 PM

Originally Posted by old guy

Wow....... That was 7 days and 94 posts back that Zeyrek said he was giving it up. Talk about beating a dead horse.

I stand corrected. That's the second time I was wrong this year.

**iheartthed** · December-02-11, 03:18 PM

Originally Posted by Zeyrek

Before I forget, one person via private message recommended highland park as a good up and coming neighborhood for families. Obviously there are some nice areas of Detroit, but surely this person was not being serious, right?

Either you're a troll or someone was fucking with you to keep this thing going.

bartock · December-02-11, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by iheartthed

Either you're a troll or someone was fucking with you to keep this thing going.

I believe the term used by some is a cockpuncher.

Ravine · December-02-11, 04:03 PM

With the mood I'm in about the mounting bullshit I see in both this city and this forum, it may keep going for quite a while.

Oh, and "gritty." Uh-huh.
But my part of this never had any investment in "Zeyrek's" question anyway.

**Forwardlook** · December-02-11, 04:11 PM

Zeyrek, if you scroll past my Chicago and Mopar Nationals pics there are hundreds of Detroit area photos in this three page thread...just to give you an idea of the area...

http://board.moparts.org/ubbthreads/...age=10&fpart=1

Hans in Finland

**Zeyrek** · December-03-11, 03:28 PM

Ravine, before you accuse someone of lying here you should make some inquiry into whether your accusations are actually true. If you've ever been to Sweden you would know that many imported television shows are shown in English and that most people speak English very well. You might also like to know that I worked in London for two years, so I know a thing or two about the language and grittiness.

Regardless, I must say it is disconcerting that someone would try to recommend that I move to highland park. It is also disconcerting that a simple question about moving to Detroit results in such a big argument. People who think I should move there are dismissed as pollyannas, which may have some truth to it but there is no reason to be nasty. People who say not to move there are insinuated to be racist. At the same time the people whodismiss detroit seem to ignore the fact that the apparently massive population exodus in recent decades is one reason why Detroit is in it's current state. Perhaps if they or their families had not left the city it would be a place more people would want to move to.

Most people on this forum have given positive and helpful advice but the nastiness I've seen is surprising.

**Signman** · December-03-11, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Zeyrek

Ravine, before you accuse someone of lying here you should make some inquiry into whether your accusations are actually true. If you've ever been to Sweden you would know that many imported television shows are shown in English and that most people speak English very well. You might also like to know that I worked in London for two years, so I know a thing or two about the language and grittiness.

Regardless, I must say it is disconcerting that someone would try to recommend that I move to highland park. It is also disconcerting that a simple question about moving to Detroit results in such a big argument. People who think I should move there are dismissed as pollyannas, which may have some truth to it but there is no reason to be nasty. People who say not to move there are insinuated to be racist. At the same time the people whodismiss detroit seem to ignore the fact that the apparently massive population exodus in recent decades is one reason why Detroit is in it's current state. Perhaps if they or their families had not left the city it would be a place more people would want to move to.

Most people on this forum have given positive and helpful advice but the nastiness I've seen is surprising.

Well if you have acquainted yourself with this city's history you would know why most have left.

Ravine · December-03-11, 06:06 PM

Zeyrek, I did not accuse you of lying. I was implying that DY may have been seeing a type of trolling that DY sees all of the time.

However, it doesn't matter to me, either way, because nothing I wrote previously was meant to be in answer to your original post.

**RickBeall** · December-04-11, 12:38 AM

Hi Zeyrek,

The following post by DetBill concerning Lafayette Park

http://www.detroityes.com/mb/showthr...602#post285602

is probably your best, realistic, single post of information. Layayette Park is a great area and is within walking distance of lots of great stuff, particularly the Dequinder cut and all the bike and walking trails along the Detroit River.

**Zacha341** · December-04-11, 07:02 AM

Z, a public forum is going to have a myriad of comments. Bottom line: Detroit is going thru a great deal that is systemic on many levels: racially, economically and socially. I'd say glean thru what has been written per this topic and other themes and news posts here on DY [[and from other sites and new sources referenced here), separating the heat from the light [[as you should with any site).

Evaluate and not what is 'consistent' and of most importance and concern to you per what you want for your family and decide.

In any event please stay in touch.

Originally Posted by Zeyrek

....Most people on this forum have given positive and helpful advice but the nastiness I've seen is surprising.

**grumpyoldlady** · December-04-11, 07:47 AM

We did not move out by choice..we were driven out by fear of what our neighborhoods were becoming. I was not going to stay in our home on Wayburn and live in fear that my child will be hit by a bullet as he rode his bike on the sidewalk. When our neighborhood started "changing" the bullets started flying. Not a racist comment....just the facts, Jack!

**grumpyoldlady** · December-04-11, 07:49 AM

We did not move out by choice..we were driven out by fear of what our neighborhoods were becoming. I was not going to stay in our home on Wayburn and live in fear that my child would be hit by a bullet as he rode his bike on the sidewalk. When our neighborhood started "changing" the bullets started flying. Not a racist comment....just the facts, Jack! And after relocating to Michigan's Thumb area for 5 years, we finally got the heck out of Michigan completely. Detroit's crime was coming right up I-94 to our area....literally...they would drive up to our area, break into some houses, and then drive back down to Detroit. Local law enforcement told us that is exactly what was happening based on home addresses of those they happened to be lucky enough to apprehend.