Calling all Detroit city residents!

[mattharding313]

I am writing an article for a Wayne State course about why people live in Detroit [[city proper). So, I thought I'd ask all of you folks. Why do you live here? What do you love about it? What do you hate about it? What would you change about it?
Some key information: -Full name, age, neighborhood [[feel free to not email anything you don't feel comfortable sharing via this thread... mattharding313[at]gmail.com -How long you have lived in the city; where did you come from if you aren't originally from the city?
To get the ball rolling, hopefully: I'm Matt Harding, 21, currently of Midtown. I've lived in Detroit my entire life. I grew up in Warrendale, and have been living in the Greater Downtown area since coming to Wayne State at age 18. I love the rural feeling in some of the city's neighborhoods. It's wild, and moderately unique to Detroit. I enjoy getting out of Midtown occasionally -- even though I'm stuck here quite a bit for school and work. And if I could change one thing, it would be the stigma associated with being white in a majority-black city.

[Lowell]

This has been discussed numerous time in various ways on this forum.

I suggest that for starters you try plumbing this site. Try something like the following search phrase.

what is detroit like to live in site:detroityes.com

[Honky Tonk]

My name is Honky Tonk, and I'm a Detroiter. I like small puppies, long walks on Belle Isle beach, and I love to laugh.

[FormerDetroiter]

@mattharding 313.....you said something about "the stigma associated with being white in a majority black city"? Haven't you heard the mayor of Detroit is a white man.

[downtownguy]

@OP..."the stigma associated with being white in a majority black city"? Haven't you heard the mayor of Detroit is a white man.

Matt, not sure who you feel is stigmatizing you. When I moved downtown 33 years ago, the only stigma I felt was from fellow white people that lived in the 'burbs. Not much anymore since living downtown has gotten "cool." But if you feel you as a minority are being stigmatized by the majority, I can't relate.

[esighed]

I've lived here almost 40 years [[previously in Ann Arbor and Cleveland) and we moved here to Detroit "the fun side of 8 mile" because my hubby worked for the city. I like our neighbors because we all watch out for each other. If there is a strange person or car parked on the street we get on the phone. We take care of our neighbor family unlike the burbs where most neighbors don't ever talk to each other.

[EastsideAl]

As someone who has been white in a majority black city most of his life, and attended majority black schools until I went to college, I'm not sure I understand your "stigma" comment. Unless you're talking about the stigma that all Detroiters face when trying to do business, get insurance, get credit, get a loan, get basic service calls, or not be treated as a criminal by anyone outside the city. But that stigma, though it falls on all of us, is still considerably worse for our black neighbors.

[Gistok]

I've lived here almost 40 years [[previously in Ann Arbor and Cleveland) and we moved here to Detroit "the fun side of 8 mile" because my hubby worked for the city. I like our neighbors because we all watch out for each other. If there is a strange person or car parked on the street we get on the phone. We take care of our neighbor family unlike the burbs where most neighbors don't ever talk to each other.

Where ever did you get the silly notion that suburbanites don't talk to each other? We do talk to each other just as city folks talk to each other. Living in the suburbs is not a zombie existence...

We watch out for each other, tell each other we'll be away up at the cottage for the weekend, a vacation in Europe, or spending the winter in Florida... you know... stuff that all suburbanites do...

[[Sarcasm alert off)

[mattharding313]

For me, the stereotype is that I'm a rich suburbanite who came to Detroit to "save" it [[because I live in Midtown). I'll never be able to shake that... and obviously, it comes from people of all races. But, more often than not, I've run into black people on the street who told me I need to go back to the suburbs... even though I've never lived in a suburb... It's mostly a downtown area thing / certainly not a neighborhood thing.

[DetroitPlanner]

For me, the stereotype is that I'm a rich suburbanite who came to Detroit to "save" it [[because I live in Midtown). I'll never be able to shake that... and obviously, it comes from people of all races. But, more often than not, I've run into black people on the street who told me I need to go back to the suburbs... even though I've never lived in a suburb... It's mostly a downtown area thing / certainly not a neighborhood thing.

Being that everyone from Warrendale is a rich suburbanite! I grew up by Cody and have lived at Warren/Southfield for 20+ years. Not rich, but compared to the neighbors......

[SDCC]

Midtown - my favorite part of Detroit and with any luck my future neighborhood...

[rex]

lul. oh boy.

[Zacha341]

Search the site, maybe type in 'I am writing a paper...'. Just joking. Welcome to Detroityes!

And yes check out what is detroit like to live in site:detroityes.com and you will see plenty of info.

[Gpwrangler]

. We take care of our neighbor family unlike the burbs where most neighbors don't ever talk to each other.

Not true. But it comes up with this subject every time.

[downtownguy]

But, more often than not, I've run into black people on the street who told me I need to go back to the suburbs... even though I've never lived in a suburb... It's mostly a downtown area thing / certainly not a neighborhood thing.

With all due respect, Matt — but since you brought it up — maybe it's something in your attitude?

[Gannon]

With all due respect, Matt — but since you brought it up — maybe it's something in your attitude?

I dunno...back in 2006-2009 when I was jogging, walking, and biking regularly from Eastern Market to either downtown or Belle Isle [[and occasionally across town to Corktown), I often got heckled and chided by various folks. It was very common to hear, "you're not from here, are ya?!" "hey, officer" and "what the...?".

Perhaps it was my attitude, I always looked folks in the eye and said hello.


Cheers!

[sumas]

Actually I do understand the stigma comment. Recently was asked to fill out an area questionnaire. The options were black, Hispanic or non Hispanic????

[sumas]

Don't be mean to Matt. He is young and possibly did not know about the archive option. Lots of former forumers don't bother because of same old/same old stuff.

My eyes rolled slightly when the Dossin Mansion was located on Harbor Island. Its Grayhaven Island.

[sumas]

Feel free to PM us. Love Detroit, my neighborhood and community. Don't need the tshirts, just to experience Detroit with all its warts and pimples is enough. I see so much life all around. Might not be life the way I view it, sometimes I don't approve of behavior but the vibrancy is there and just simmering.

My personal bitch? I am sick of hearing about downtown/midtown. Neighborhoods are key factors and plain old ignored. 40 yrs of ignored. The vital communities that exist are based on love, sweat, tears, plenty of those... and such amazing folk.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

Feel free to PM us. Love Detroit, my neighborhood and community. Don't need the tshirts, just to experience Detroit with all its warts and pimples is enough. I see so much life all around. Might not be life the way I view it, sometimes I don't approve of behavior but the vibrancy is there and just simmering.

My personal bitch? I am sick of hearing about downtown/midtown. Neighborhoods are key factors and plain old ignored. 40 yrs of ignored. The vital communities that exist are based on love, sweat, tears, plenty of those... and such amazing folk.

You're right, the neighborhoods are more important than improving "pockets" of the city such as Midtown and Downtown. In fact, when I was small, you didn't have to leave the neighborhoods to shop, unless you were going to Hudsons downtown or other high line stores.
Everything you needed from 'mom and pop" grocery or hardware stores were within distance.

[sumas]

Yes Cincinnati kid, those days are fun to remember. Everything was in walking or bus distance. The Twin Pines man, Fuller Brush man, the local meat market, the news delivered. When I look back on my childhood in Detroit it was idyllic. Everyone knew everyone. The pick up baseball games in local fields, the girls always beat the boys hands down. Movie theaters everywhere.

Things change and we with time. I guess in my own old small way [[grants etc) we try to re create those moments for our new crop of area kids. Neighborhoods are critical in the re birth and so over looked and under funded.

[antongast]

I live here because I'm an evil anti-suburban hater who hates the suburbs. I don't really talk to most of my neighbors, though.

[poobert]

No one is going to like this answer.

I live in Detroit because it is the best of a bad situation. I live in East English Village. It's fine.

What I dislike the most about the region is the need to drive absolutely everywhere, and amenities are relatively few and far between. I'm a very active person as well and this region doesn't offer much in that way. There's plenty of strip malls if that's what you like, but a darth of nice parks and trails. The endless, flat sprawl is suffocating.

The blight of the city is really what bothers me the most about the city. Also very suffocating.

I've been trying to engineer a move for a couple years now with little success. Not to the suburbs, but out of Michissippi. I've finally landed a wildly good paying job that will give me the means to do so in a couple years. The missus is on board and we're ready to go.

I've lived in the suburbs. They're universally terrible. They are banal, uniquely devoid of character, and full of small-minded people. Don't believe me? The real estate prices in our "toniest" suburbs are on par with the ghetto houses in real US cities.

Detroit is the best option, presently, since that is where my job is. Looking to change all that. There are warmer, nicer places. I've seen them.

[313WX]

I'm arranging to move out of the city proper between now and next summer. I will be moving to the exurbs. The reason I'm moving to the outer ring suburbs is to get as far away from the "Detroit creep" into the inner rings suburbs as possible. My job is also in the suburbs.

As "universally terrible" as the suburbs are, I can't take much more of the lifestyle in Detroit proper, between the crumbling infrastructure, the ghetto culture, the blight, the abandonment, the lack of services, the lack of amenities and having to live like a prisoner [[at least this is what everyone outside of the downtown/midtown promise land deals with every day).

The goal is to get out of the state entirely for Chicago within the next few years.

Ultimately, the straw that breaks the camel's back for me is the perpetual aura of depression and embitterment that collectively plagues the entire state of Michigan between the sad decline of its largest city and the collapse of its largest industry.

[Zacha341]

Seems like a broad statement. Which suburbs have the 'smallest' minds? Never mind, it's just a rhetorical question......

I've lived in the suburbs. They're universally terrible. They are banal, uniquely devoid of character, and full of small-minded people. Don't believe me? The real estate prices in our "toniest" suburbs are on par with the ghetto houses in real US cities....