Curbed: GPP doesn't want Detroit

**poobert** · February-04-14, 06:25 AM

This topic has surfaced to and fro around these parts but now that the road closure is essentially "completed" - snow is plowed into the middle of Kercheval to create a natural barrier, which is, of course, illegal - upon which ornery locals have vociferously defended closing Kerch.

I half believed it for a moment, until I experienced it, much to my surprise, one day, trying to get into a retail establishment just inside the Park. I damn near missed my appointment trying to find a way into GPP.

I ended up cruising all the way down to St. Ambrose just to get into the kingdom.

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...nt-detroit.php

It's a a lousy sham, more building walls in 2014.

It's just nice to see some national media turning against such a provincial idea.

**Honky Tonk** · February-04-14, 07:40 AM

What a half-truth, B/S article. The truth is GPP doesn't "want" Detroit stealing their cars and robbing their houses. That's the reality of the situation. There are plenty of mixed residents in Grosse Pointe, and truth be told, they're there to escape those issues in Detroit. I go into GPP several times a week, and have never had an issue finding a way in. I do remove the "D" from my ride, though.

**Wesley Mouch** · February-04-14, 12:28 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

What a half-truth, B/S article. The truth is GPP doesn't "want" Detroit stealing their cars and robbing their houses. That's the reality of the situation. There are plenty of mixed residents in Grosse Pointe, and truth be told, they're there to escape those issues in Detroit. I go into GPP several times a week, and have never had an issue finding a way in. I do remove the "D" from my ride, though.

Black flight is nothing new. Its one of the few rational ways of addressing the problems of Detroit, a city where a protective barrier is viewed as an insult rather than a reasonable response. But oh what a powerful symbol. However George Cushingberry will need a few of these symbols to get re-elected. Funny that GPP will effectively be supporting GC, but politics is like that.

**313WX** · February-04-14, 08:38 AM

I guess I'll be boycotting Gross Pointe Park now.

If you don't want my money being spent in your city, I'll take it elsewhere.

**RO_Resident** · February-04-14, 09:39 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I guess I'll be boycotting Gross Pointe Park now.

If you don't want my money being spent in your city, I'll take it elsewhere.

Adding this to your boycott of Palmer Woods? Or, does the boycott extend to all of Detroit?

**1953** · February-04-14, 09:52 AM

I live in Grosse Pointe and, though I understand the reasons for this closure, I am opposed to it. Its no way to be neighborly, it interferes with traffic flow, and I doubt it will be good for business - rare is the hemmed in market that out sells the accessible one. I hope somebody higher up the chain of command steps in and gets this fixed. I imagine a lawsuit could do it...

**313WX** · February-04-14, 09:59 AM

Originally Posted by RO_Resident

Adding this to your boycott of Palmer Woods? Or, does the boycott extend to all of Detroit?

Why would I boycott a city I pay taxes to and reside in?

For that matter, what do Palmer Woods and the city of Detroit have to do with this discussion?

**bailey** · February-04-14, 10:00 AM

Originally Posted by 313WX

Why would I boycott a city I pay taxes to and reside in?

For that matter, what do Palmer Woods and the city of Detroit have to do with this discussion?

Palmer woods has several blocked off streets that impede access.

Over the years, efforts to wall off Detroit streets to keep out motorists have drawn howls, with critics charging elitism and racism.

Today, Detroit not only is welcoming the efforts, the cash-strapped city footed the bill.

Northwest Detroit’s upscale Palmer Woods neighborhood, known for its tudor mansions and streets bordered by landscape rocks instead of curbs, has installed traffic barriers to block speeders from cutting through the historic area.

Also, no one seems to mind dropping a chrysler plant across Kercheval in Detroit....but GPP does it to make a pedestrian/entertainment district and its tantamount to apartheid.

**Honky Tonk** · February-04-14, 10:03 AM

Originally Posted by bailey

Palmer woods has several blocked off streets that impede access.

Also, no one seems to mind dropping a chrysler plant across Kercheval in Detroit....but GPP does it to make a pedestria/entertainment district and its tantamount to apartheid.

Well that's it! I'm not spending my money in Palmer Woods!

**13074Glenfield** · February-04-14, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by RO_Resident

Adding this to your boycott of Palmer Woods? Or, does the boycott extend to all of Detroit?

And Warren...

**Honky Tonk** · February-04-14, 02:50 PM

Originally Posted by 13074Glenfield

And Warren...

I"M the one boycotting Warren.

**poobert** · February-04-14, 03:00 PM

The ultimate irony is, especially in the past 2 years or so, that Grosse Pointe's entertainment district is the greater downtown Detroit vicinity. Throw a rock downtown on a Friday and you'll hit a Grosse Pointer.

**GP For Life** · February-04-14, 09:52 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

http://detroit.curbed.com/archives/2...nt-detroit.php

I damn near missed my appointment trying to find a way into GPP.

I ended up cruising all the way down to St. Ambrose just to get into the kingdom.

Do you have some sort of disability that I am not aware of? I mean, St. Ambrose church is 1.75 blocks away from Kercheval and Alter. So, let's double this to account for the "round trip" effect, and that gets us 3.5 blocks. Driving/walking 3.5 blocks should not cause you to nearly "miss" an appointment. Also, since it's been this way since the fall, maybe you should have added some time into your schedule for this?

While we're on the subject, everyone on this website talks about "walkable" neighborhoods, but when you try to develop one you guys drop an o-ring. Seriously, this is an attempt to build a nice little retail area for people and you guys are kicking and screaming like a child over 3.5 blocks.

Here, this might help.

**poobert** · February-04-14, 10:08 AM

Originally Posted by GP For Life

Do you have some sort of disability that I am not aware of? I mean, St. Ambrose church is 1.75 blocks away from Kercheval and Alter. So, let's double this to account for the "round trip" effect, and that gets us 3.5 blocks. Driving/walking 3.5 blocks should not cause you to nearly "miss" an appointment. Also, since it's been this way since the fall, maybe you should have added some time into your schedule for this?

While we're on the subject, everyone on this website talks about "walkable" neighborhoods, but when you try to develop one you guys drop an o-ring. Seriously, this is an attempt to build a nice little retail area for people and you guys are kicking and screaming like a child over 3.5 blocks.

Here, this might help.

Hey, Curbed, and the rest of the world outside your blue-haired bubble seems to agree with me. You guys need some serious PR work over there.

I mean, come on, a giant mound of snow? Why not just set up anti-tank barriers? A giant mound of snow is to create a walkable entertainment district? Are there mines in it?

This just reminds me of the point system all over again. Vociferously denied by the frozen chosen in GP to the very end when the rest of humanity knew full well what was going on.

Walkable entertainment district my ass. You generally don't create vibrancy by excluding people.

And Palmer Woods is 100% residential. It isn't the same at all.

You Country clubbers should write to Curbed with with your flimsy reasoning so they can make fun of you.

**bailey** · February-04-14, 10:10 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

Hey, Curbed, and the rest of the world outside your blue-haired bubble seems to agree with me.

This just reminds me of the point system all over again. Vociferously denied by the frozen chosen in GP to the very end when the rest of humanity knew full well what was going on.

Walkable entertainment district my ass. There's nothing to be entertained with by in GP anyway. Just a couple Episcopal churches and smarmy wife-killers.

lol. well then what is your complaint? sounds like you have no use for GPP so what do you care?

**bailey** · February-04-14, 10:21 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

Hey, Curbed, and the rest of the world outside your blue-haired bubble seems to agree with me. You guys need some serious PR work over there.

I mean, come on, a giant mound of snow? Why not just set up anti-tank barriers? A giant mound of snow is to create a walkable entertainment district? Are there mines in it?

This just reminds me of the point system all over again. Vociferously denied by the frozen chosen in GP to the very end when the rest of humanity knew full well what was going on.

Walkable entertainment district my ass. You generally don't create vibrancy by excluding people.

And Palmer Woods is 100% residential. It isn't the same at all.

You Country clubbers should write to Curbed with with your flimsy reasoning so they can make fun of you.

Palmer woods is keeping people out by allowing its residents to decide which public streets should be blocked off to minimize "traffic"... heaven forfend if you had an engagement in Palmer Woods and were minorly inconvenienced by having to drive one freaking block further in any direction to get you to the place you needed to go.

Also, I note further you've not addressed the quivering rage everyone expressed when Chrylser plopped the Connor plant across Kercheval.

The HORROR.

PS... if 100% residential streets can block off access without engendering moral umbrage and cries of racism, then can all rest assured you had no problem with GPP blocking off Windmill Pointe, Korte, Gothe, Beconsfield and Somerset?

**GP For Life** · February-04-14, 10:30 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

I mean, come on, a giant mound of snow? Why not just set up anti-tank barriers? A giant mound of snow is to create a walkable entertainment district? Are there mines in it?

It's part of construction.

Why do you think you should have a say in how we build and develop our city?

Are you still butthurt about the 3.5 blocks?

I think you just see construction and investment and you get jealous and start crying racism.

**noise** · February-04-14, 10:39 AM

Originally Posted by poobert

Walkable entertainment district my ass. You generally don't create vibrancy by excluding people.

"Ritzy" districts the world over disagree with you!

I often have little choice but to eliminate problematic people from my life. Detroit's problems are well-documented. Maybe there was little choice left.

**poobert** · February-04-14, 10:55 AM

Originally Posted by noise

I often have little choice but to eliminate problematic people from my life. Detroit's problems are well-documented. Maybe there was little choice left.

Then call a spade a spade and cut the shit about entertainment districts.

I predict a reverse backlash from the drunken GP men attempting to get to My Dad's Bar to escape from their harpy Junior League wives.

**noise** · February-04-14, 01:52 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

Then call a spade a spade and cut the shit about entertainment districts.

I predict a reverse backlash from the drunken GP men attempting to get to My Dad's Bar to escape from their harpy Junior League wives.

This is 2014 America we're talking about. We'll never cut the shit, man.

**313WX** · February-04-14, 12:13 PM

Originally Posted by poobert

And Palmer Woods is 100% residential. It isn't the same at all.

^^^That, and also there's a difference between blocking off a street or two or three WITHIN a community to deter real crime problems and blocking off streets that restrict access from neighboring communities because of perceived fears of crime.

**mwilbert** · February-04-14, 01:21 PM

Without making any judgement on what's going on at Kercheval, if you look at streets the people in Palmer Woods actually closed off, it does in fact look like they were just trying to reduce the number of people using the neighborhood as a shortcut between Woodward and Seven Mile.

Which annoys me a bit, because I liked to use it as a shortcut between Woodward and Seven Mile, but I don't see that it does much to exclude anyone.

**Bham1982** · February-04-14, 10:25 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

^^^That, and also there's a difference between blocking off a street or two or three WITHIN a community to deter real crime problems and blocking off streets that restrict access from neighboring communities because of perceived fears of crime.

So the East Side of Detroit has only "perceived fears of crime", while the Palmer Woods area, probably the safest residential area in Detroit, has "real crime problems". LOL.

Let's be honest. If black snobs in the city limits block access to thugs, no problem; if [[probably less wealthy) white suburbanites try the same, it's Apartheid Part Deux.

**professorscott** · February-04-14, 11:38 PM

I'm kind of bothered by this whole thread, the very idea that anyone would be the least bit surprised that the good people of GPP would make an effort to keep Detroiters out of their sacred little place. Next thing you know, someone is going to tell me that water is wet and the Pope is Catholic! Egad!

**EASTSIDE CAT 67-83** · February-05-14, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

So the East Side of Detroit has only "perceived fears of crime", while the Palmer Woods area, probably the safest residential area in Detroit, has "real crime problems". LOL.

Let's be honest. If black snobs in the city limits block access to thugs, no problem; if [[probably less wealthy) white suburbanites try the same, it's Apartheid Part Deux.

awesome observation Bham, I lived in the patch for 3 years from roughly 88-91, I was on Maryland just off of St Paul. We were basically a piggy bank for those who wished to walk the few blocks into the park and take what they could get from us rich [[ha ha) workin stiffs...I was actually robbed at gun point in 91 right in front of my house by a young detroit lad who thought what was mine was his, that said The wall, if built is not going to deter those who come to the Park for nefarious reasons. Also I would say that most Detroiters who come into GPP to shop do most of their shopping in the Village as apposed to btwn Alter and Nottingham except for maybe the Party store on Wayburn.