How are neighborhoods improving

[boater4life]

I always see new businesses or buildings being opened or rehabbed and it is great to see. It is giving downtown some new life. However, what is being done in neighborhood's and schools to be improved? It seems like that is what really needs to be fixed and it really doesn't seem like much is being done. Does anyone else feel that way as well?

[Wings]

It's hard to fix people. You can put money into the schools, but it won't matter if parents don't send their kids to school, their kids don't want to learn, or parents are afraid of sending their kids to school. You can fix up houses, but if there are still gangs running the street, then those houses won't be fixed for long. Money doesn't build a community. What I'd like to see is more money being spent on emergency services and the police department, since that would help in cutting down crime and making the areas more livable. For now, it seems the focus is making the downtown/Midtown/Corktown areas more trendy to attract young, wealthy people and build communities around those areas. It has to start somewhere, and the center of the city is the first place to start.

[sumas]

"its hard to fix people" , our area kids have the worst parenting possible. We try to work with area kids and sadly I do not know half of the parent/s. My little Misha, drew a picture with a heart and message saying I Love You. I went soooo melt down.

THE FLIP OF THAT IS NEIGHBORHOODS , really work hard to maintain safety, upgrade properties, write grants and board vacant buildings. For every negative I see in this city, I see two positives.

I believe in a strong core city bur everything outside of it has suffered. No rec centers, no accessible libraries. Shame on the city for forgetting our neighborhoods and children.

[Wings]

"its hard to fix people" , our area kids have the worst parenting possible. We try to work with area kids and sadly I do not know half of the parent/s. My little Misha, drew a picture with a heart and message saying I Love You. I went soooo melt down.

THE FLIP OF THAT IS NEIGHBORHOODS , really work hard to maintain safety, upgrade properties, write grants and board vacant buildings. For every negative I see in this city, I see two positives.

I believe in a strong core city bur everything outside of it has suffered. No rec centers, no accessible libraries. Shame on the city for forgetting our neighborhoods and children.

Are you disagreeing with me? You proved my point by saying that kids around here have the worst parenting possible. There is no amount of money or investment that can fix that. Some neighborhoods have some great people who really want to see a difference, that is true, but there are an overwhelming amount of neighborhoods who don't have that, evidenced by the huge population decline and crime rate.

[Dan Wesson]

Are you disagreeing with me? You proved my point by saying that kids around here have the worst parenting possible. There is no amount of money or investment that can fix that. Some neighborhoods have some great people who really want to see a difference, that is true, but there are an overwhelming amount of neighborhoods who don't have that, evidenced by the huge population decline and crime rate.

Sumas writes in dichotomy's which causes issues of clarity.

[Wesley Mouch]

"its hard to fix people" , our area kids have the worst parenting possible. We try to work with area kids and sadly I do not know half of the parent/s. My little Misha, drew a picture with a heart and message saying I Love You. I went soooo melt down.

THE FLIP OF THAT IS NEIGHBORHOODS , really work hard to maintain safety, upgrade properties, write grants and board vacant buildings. For every negative I see in this city, I see two positives.

I believe in a strong core city bur everything outside of it has suffered. No rec centers, no accessible libraries. Shame on the city for forgetting our neighborhoods and children.

These are not mutually exclusive goals. Of course both are important. Downtowns and neighborhoods both serve people. Both are valuable. Both are much of what a city 'is'.

This debate about downtown vs. neighborhoods distracts from the real problem, which is overall viability. Neither should we send 100% of our the money available to rec centers, nor should we sent it all to downtown development. Its all about proper balance.

Look at Industrial Development vs. Environmental Responsibility. It too is about balance. Neither should be 100%. No sense having clear air if you are starving from lack of jobs. And no sense having jobs if you live choking on each breath. China had clean air, and no jobs with starvation. Now they have jobs, but pollution -- and are trying to balance it back out.

[Honky Tonk]

I always see new businesses or buildings being opened or rehabbed and it is great to see. It is giving downtown some new life. However, what is being done in neighborhood's and schools to be improved? It seems like that is what really needs to be fixed and it really doesn't seem like much is being done. Does anyone else feel that way as well?

Correct. In fact, I'd say it's getting worse. "Every Neighborhood Has A Future", just your's doesn't right now. I've already dealt with Dug-In, and James Craigslist on one, IMO, serious police issue. I was given the runaround, and it was dragged out for 8 months. Nothing ever became of it. Sorta like Night-Timer's and Django's "it's not a crime for someone to show you their gun" scenario. I do miss the blue bus police parades, though.

[sumas]

Are you disagreeing with me? You proved my point by saying that kids around here have the worst parenting possible. There is no amount of money or investment that can fix that. Some neighborhoods have some great people who really want to see a difference, that is true, but there are an overwhelming amount of neighborhoods who don't have that, evidenced by the huge population decline and crime rate.

I do not agree or disagree. Our children just need more safety nets. I live in a community that does care. Are we doing enough or too much. Miss A wants to be a pediatrician and an attorney. Admirable goals. Poor sweety can't read, She is 14. Miss S down the street is helping her with reading skills.

[sumas]

Sumas writes in dichotomy's which causes issues of clarity.

Thank you for the compliment. My husband says the most sane people see all sides of issues and map plans to improve things. As to clarity, I'm pretty sure I focus well on things needed to improve life in our city.

Not hard to miss, I seem to be a target for anti Detroit people. My equilibrium is back. I live in a community that gives a care. Kinda hard for Detroit haters to understand. Kids have issues that we try to address as a viable group of caring people. These "evil" children help seniors with groceries,taking out trash, lawn cutting, love walking dogs and enjoy church attendance where old folk fawn over them. Attention and kindness do help loads. Can't help that some have bad home environs. Foster care in most cases suck worse.

Where is lack of clarity? Please enlighten me.

[emu steve]

...What I'd like to see is more money being spent on emergency services and the police department, since that would help in cutting down crime and making the areas more livable. For now, it seems the focus is making the downtown/Midtown/Corktown areas more trendy to attract young, wealthy people and build communities around those areas. It has to start somewhere, and the center of the city is the first place to start.

I agree with these points.

It is the popular buzzword: "Infrastructure" and I don't simply mean road and bridges.

Got to have lights. Got to have good police and EMS. and so on.

That said, Detroit needs to re-develop a tax base. That can come from property taxes on buildings, i.e., downtown, Midtown, etc., and the income tax from middle/upper income workers in the city. Those income sources need to really continue upward.

The thing I've always noticed about D.C. is that the upper income people essentially help provide for the less fortunate through their taxes, including taxes on some pretty pricey real estate.

So if a 500 unit condo goes up in a pricey area, the property and income taxes paid benefit ALL residents [[and visitors) of the city.

The D.C. CFO doesn't care where that tax dollar comes from. He is glad to have it.

[Wesley Mouch]

I agree with these points.

It is the popular buzzword: "Infrastructure" and I don't simply mean road and bridges.

Got to have lights. Got to have good police and EMS. and so on.

That said, Detroit needs to re-develop a tax base. That can come from property taxes on buildings, i.e., downtown, Midtown, etc., and the income tax from middle/upper income workers in the city. Those income sources need to really continue upward.

The thing I've always noticed about D.C. is that the upper income people essentially help provide for the less fortunate through their taxes, including taxes on some pretty pricey real estate.

So if a 500 unit condo goes up in a pricey area, the property and income taxes paid benefit ALL residents [[and visitors) of the city.

The D.C. CFO doesn't care where that tax dollar comes from. He is glad to have it.

This point is lost on the anti-gentrification forces on this forum. Gentrification is not only a good thing, but it is essential to the best interest of the poor too.

Many complain about 'income inequality' -- or 'wealth inequality' -- and I understand the concern. However sometimes more inequality also means more money in a city. You don't think NYC could survive without its gentry, do you?

We can have both a gentry, and poor... and the money, tax, and most centrally, the businesses created by the gentry will help the poor. Will there be inequality? Yes. Is some inequality good? Yes. Is too much bad? Yes.

So to the thread... to fix the neighborhoods the best think you can do is work with bankruptcy and structure the city's finances for future success.

[rex]

"This point is lost on the anti-gentrification forces on this forum. Gentrification is not only a good thing, but it is essential to the best interest of the poor too."

Things like community centers, libraries, schools, services and a big ETC depend on a taxes. By and large in the last 20 years middle income Detroit that kept things afloat broke for splitsville and left behind those who cant contribute much if anything. These really shouldnt be startling revelations to anyone. Most of you seem older with more perspective of how things have shaken out in Detroit that I have.
Between midtown, WSU, and downtown there should be an area nearby for people with good jobs and some $$$. Other cities all have this. Before this recent resurgence what was that? a few blocks in Corktown? Indian Village? You can call it gentrification but its hardly the landed gentry. Its people making 50-75K a year who actually get to keep 40-60K. Thats more avg than anything. People like to live near their jobs. It should have happened sooner.

[poobert]

There is one library within walking distance of me [[all of 5 minutes), and another that is an 8 minute drive. The problem is not with infrastructure. It is "user error" so-to-speak. I'm a voracious reader, and use my libraries liberally. I have never had another patron in line with me checking out anything but DVDs.

The problem with Detroit is that 20% of the population are the salt of the earth. Good Americans who work tirelessly because they believe in their home, their lives, their neighborhoods. The best people you will ever meet, not to be found in the toniest suburb or the Manhattan high-rise. Then 80% are scofflaws, squatters, hoodlums, ne'er do wells, and, dare I say, "thugs" [[but to be called a racist?)

The problem is that it takes one bad apple to ruin the whole bunch. Sadly, our neighborhoods are littered with bad apples.

It's mostly all bad news. However, the Detroit Land Bank is doing great things with the auction in our neighborhoods. This is really unprecedented in my many years here, and a step in the right direction. Anecdotally, there is also a bit of "hipster spillover" starting to happen, that is, those priced out of $1500 one bedroom apartments downtown and Midtown who still want to be part of the pulse of the city, so that is good. Now the City just need to step up "broken windows", quality of life enforcement to crack down on the cretins and mop this place up.

From an unassuming eastside bungalow, poobert out.

[RickBeall]

The new canal system is connecting neighbors like never before.

[sumas]

The new canal system is connecting neighbors like never before.

That is funny but not so much to detroiters who got flooded basements. We got calls from friends all over the city and Creekside in particular got hammered.

I did look up the distance our area kids need to go to libraries, 2.8 mile and 4.2 miles. Of course there is the main library which is just under 5 miles. Some pretty skunky areas that kids would have to traverse. CAY rec is about 4 miles but most programs are pay for use. Butzel is open but a skeleton staff. Under Duggan, some programs are being re installed. The kids want us to take them to Belle Isle to swim but frankly I don't want the responsibility for their safety.

[emu steve]

This point is lost on the anti-gentrification forces on this forum. Gentrification is not only a good thing, but it is essential to the best interest of the poor too.

Many complain about 'income inequality' -- or 'wealth inequality' -- and I understand the concern. However sometimes more inequality also means more money in a city. You don't think NYC could survive without its gentry, do you?

We can have both a gentry, and poor... and the money, tax, and most centrally, the businesses created by the gentry will help the poor. Will there be inequality? Yes. Is some inequality good? Yes. Is too much bad? Yes.

So to the thread... to fix the neighborhoods the best think you can do is work with bankruptcy and structure the city's finances for future success.

Unlike D.C. where there are battles over developers battling tenants for still good buildings [[there are neighborhoods going upscale and yes the low income/elderly aren't particularly wanted), in Detroit's Midtown/downtown areas there are plenty of opportunities to add thousands of apartments or condos and not displace anyone.

Basically if Detroit gets a 'fresh start' financially and a clean balance sheet, then they need to grow revenues by say 5+% each year.

[Zacha341]

Hello Sumas: We got water leakage on the bottom step area of our basement. The first time ANY water has come in. What a storm.

I've worked with kids and teens but water activities is not on the list. Peoples versions of their ability to swim is subjective and 'real' water ala lakes and rivers have killed too many so-called able young swimmers lately.

Butzel is open but a skeleton staff. Under Duggan, some programs are being re installed. The kids want us to take them to Belle Isle to swim but frankly I don't want the responsibility for their safety.

[Zacha341]

Yeah PB: Even with the improvements the mentality of some astounds me. I have friends that live off Fenkell and Grand River on what was once a nice street and the 'family'? behind them just throws their trash in their back yard to pile up and stink. So now they have rats and the look of that on a corner house. Like duh, what does it really take to put your trash in your dumpster? Young guys sit about 'grimming' and staring people who are trying to keep up their property.

It IS really about values which cannot be bought or subsidized in the way that has been going on.

The problem is that it takes one bad apple to ruin the whole bunch. Sadly, our neighborhoods are littered with bad apples.

[sumas]

Hello to you too Zacha! Actually I am stalling by posting on line. I have 3 grants to write mostly benefiting area children. No doubt you have done that community meeting thing where everyone has opinions and want more and more meetings to discuss stuff. I was well a head of the curve but due to all those meetings I am on a stiff deadline. Notably no one is kicking in money for me to fax 3 separate grants or to mail hard copies. Sorry just pouting a bit.

I am so grateful we didn't flood.

As to the land bank, no clue how well it is working. I find our neighborhood desirable and as avowed porch sitters we get lots of drive up "investors" asking questions. Strangely, we got an email from Villages of Detroit asking us to investigate a few homes way up our street that are on a demolition list. The ones that should be on the list were not. We did check those properties out and at least on the outside they looked like beautiful brick homes. One address was clearly wrong. We did provide names and numbers of residents up the way that would have better info than us.Had a neighbor who owns his home and taxes paid who got on the wrong list for property tax seizure. That was a huge mess for him. Those investors were from upstate New York and they were not happy to find out which property they actually bought. They allowed it to become an amazing eyesore.

Just talking about bad/wasteful government, a few months back our street lights were replaced with Led lighting.. I thought cool even though major streets have have been dark for years. A few weeks back, almost all of our street lights got removed supposedly as a part of a greater plan to space lighting different. Now our street is almost pitch black.