Gays in Detroit

[poobert]

Ferndale is the gay area of Detroit. Anecdotally, I would say that the nice older homes in Pleasant Ridge/Hungtington Woods and and Palmer Woods/University District/Sherwood Forest/Green Acres have lots of gays.

Palmer Park area [[the apartments, mostly) was the gay area until the early 80's, when rising crime and decay pushed gays to suburbia. I think, before that, the gay community was more to the south in the old Jewish apartment corridors [[Dexter Davison and the like).

Does the Ferndale thing ring true still? There are still stores and the like, but I know a lot of people in Ferndale, none of whom are gay, and I know a lot of gay folks, and none of them live in Ferndale. Has the population dispersed?

[bailey]

Does the Ferndale thing ring true still? There are still stores and the like, but I know a lot of people in Ferndale, none of whom are gay, and I know a lot of gay folks, and none of them live in Ferndale. Has the population dispersed?

I don't think it was ever the Gayborhood it was represented to be, but it was and probably still is the closest thing Detroit has to one.

[Bham1982]

Does the Ferndale thing ring true still? There are still stores and the like, but I know a lot of people in Ferndale, none of whom are gay, and I know a lot of gay folks, and none of them live in Ferndale. Has the population dispersed?

I don't think that Ferndale is [[or ever really was) a super heavily gay community, but I do think it's kind of the closest thing to a nexus for the demographic, given that they have the community center, and a number of gay-friendly gathering places.

Ferndale/Pleasant Ridge has lots of nice older homes, and generally crappy schools. This will attract many childless couples, many of whom are presumably gay. If I may stereotype, gays seem to prefer to renovate a nice older house, rather than buy some tract home.

I'm sure the same thing is going on in other communities with the nice houses/iffy schools thing [[University District, EEV, maybe Rosedale Park, maybe Lathrup Village).

[leapfrog]

I don't think that Ferndale is [[or ever really was) a super heavily gay community, but I do think it's kind of the closest thing to a nexus for the demographic, given that they have the community center, and a number of gay-friendly gathering places.

Ferndale/Pleasant Ridge has lots of nice older homes, and generally crappy schools. This will attract many childless couples, many of whom are presumably gay. If I may stereotype, gays seem to prefer to renovate a nice older house, rather than buy some tract home.

I'm sure the same thing is going on in other communities with the nice houses/iffy schools thing [[University District, EEV, maybe Rosedale Park, maybe Lathrup Village).

I disagree with many of your points - and yes, you are stereotyping.
Believe it or not, Gay people have children too and even those of us that do not recognize the value of successful schools.

[Bham1982]

I disagree with many of your points - and yes, you are stereotyping.
Believe it or not, Gay people have children too and even those of us that do not recognize the value of successful schools.

I am stereotyping, but it is true that gay couples are generally childless.

And, when you don't have children, locational decisions change. When I bought my house, the school district was the primary consideration, because I plan on having children.

If I never wanted to have children, I would be much less invested in local school quality issues.

[Hans64]

Interesting thread. I grew up in the Detroit area but left long ago for Chicago, San Francisco, and now Portland where I am settled long term. Here there is no "gayborhood" and the city is better for it: the gay population is highly integrated and doesn't need a separate area of the city to call its own. Detroit and SE Michigan have a long way to go. Sadly, I'll probably never live there again in spite of family connections and my own sense of nostalgia.

[MidTownMs]

Interesting thread. I grew up in the Detroit area but left long ago for Chicago, San Francisco, and now Portland where I am settled long term. Here there is no "gayborhood" and the city is better for it: the gay population is highly integrated and doesn't need a separate area of the city to call its own. Detroit and SE Michigan have a long way to go. Sadly, I'll probably never live there again in spite of family connections and my own sense of nostalgia.

I don't blame you for settling in Portland. It was on the top of my list for relocation spots, however, due to health reasons, I moved to the Southwest. I found Portland to be everything you mentioned and more.