I left Detroit in 1965 and have been back once since then.

[p69rrh51]

I know crime is down but tell that to the 100's of people that will not cross 10 mile ,9 mile
will not even come to a Lions, Tiger or Red Wing game, most of my neighbors thing Im nuts going downtown for work

That is their problem and also their loss. An overwhelming majority of those I know who live north of Alter and east of Mack Avenue have no qualms about heading downtown and other popular areas of the city like Eastern Market.

[Honky Tonk]

That is their problem and also their loss. An overwhelming majority of those I know who live north of Alter and east of Mack Avenue have no qualms about heading downtown and other popular areas of the city like Eastern Market.

No it's not their problem, because they're not the ones getting blown away, jacked, robbed, or assaulted. It's our problem because we're the ones stuck here having to deal with it day in and day out. Some people come in, take advantage of a venue, [[as long s it's relatively safe) crap on the City, then go home. Anything that's "iffy" doesn't nearly have the draw it did years ago. By the way, Alter runs North and South, Mack runs East and West. Check your Loran.

[p69rrh51]

No it's not their problem, because they're not the ones getting blown away, jacked, robbed, or assaulted. It's our problem because we're the ones stuck here having to deal with it day in and day out. Some people come in, take advantage of a venue, [[as long s it's relatively safe) crap on the City, then go home. Anything that's "iffy" doesn't nearly have the draw it did years ago. By the way, Alter runs North and South, Mack runs East and West. Check your Loran.

Its funny almost everyone I chat with including the 14,000 plus in one of my Facebook groups has no problem venturing into the city and not only in the "safe" zones. Those who are clueless stay in the burbs and miss out on the what the city has to offer. Check your history loran was turned off a 10-15 years ago. You need to check a GPS, Mack curves almost due north after Cadieux so 2/3's of GP is east Mack. While Alter runs a little to the northwest form the river so GP is not directly north of Alter, but then its not due east either. You have absolutely NO right to lecture me jacked and blown away, I have forgotten more about that situation than you will ever know! As with any event you get your idiots, and there is nothing that can be done about it.

[Bucket]

People "need" to go to downtown Washington because of the federal buildings. People "need" to go to downtown NYC because of the financial center.

How many people "need" to go to downtown Detroit?

Who needs to come downtown? IDK, maybe the 35,000 who live in, or the 136,000 who work in, the 7.2 sq. miles of greater downtown? Greater downtown is the largest cluster of HQs in the region: General Motors, the Quicken family of companies, Little Caesars/Olympia Entertainment, Compuware, Campbell Ewald, Ally Bank, BCBSM, Meridian. Plus major institutions such as DMC, WSU, Henry Ford Health System, as well as the seat of federal, state, county and city government.

Then there are the 9.3 million annual visitors who choose to come down for sports, riverfront events, Campus Martius, NAIAS or whatever.

[Honky Tonk]

Its funny almost everyone I chat with including the 14,000 plus in one of my Facebook groups has no problem venturing into the city and not only in the "safe" zones. Those who are clueless stay in the burbs and miss out on the what the city has to offer. Check your history loran was turned off a 10-15 years ago. You need to check a GPS, Mack curves almost due north after Cadieux so 2/3's of GP is east Mack. While Alter runs a little to the northwest form the river so GP is not directly north of Alter, but then its not due east either. You have absolutely NO right to lecture me jacked and blown away, I have forgotten more about that situation than you will ever know! As with any event you get your idiots, and there is nothing that can be done about it.

I'm well aware of Loran being disbanded p69rrh51, as you know. You "chat" with all 14k Facebook people? Must be time consuming. Why do they venture in? Why don't they move in? I think we both know the answer to that one but only one of us will admit it. People from out of State visit and their vehicles are gone in the morning? People go for a walk in the neighborhood and get robbed @ gunpoint? Leave for a few hours and your home is broken into. You honestly think that's a normal way of life? [[now I'm lecturing) These aren't onsey-twosey incidents either, theses are common place reoccurrences. I'm glad you were able to forget. I don't ever want to end up on life support again. Especially for no reason @ all. Detroit does have a lot to offer. Security just isn't one of them.

[detroitbob]

pointless discussion. The one visit was one time too many.

[softailrider]

No it's not their problem, because they're not the ones getting blown away, jacked, robbed, or assaulted. It's our problem because we're the ones stuck here having to deal with it day in and day out. Some people come in, take advantage of a venue, [[as long s it's relatively safe) crap on the City, then go home. Anything that's "iffy" doesn't nearly have the draw it did years ago. By the way, Alter runs North and South, Mack runs East and West. Check your Loran.

I don't think that paying money for a ticket and attending an event is "taking advantage of a venue" and crapping on the city anymore then I think going to a Pistons game is crapping on Auburn Hills.

[masterblaster]

I'm well aware of Loran being disbanded p69rrh51, as you know. You "chat" with all 14k Facebook people? Must be time consuming. Why do they venture in? Why don't they move in? I think we both know the answer to that one but only one of us will admit it. People from out of State visit and their vehicles are gone in the morning? People go for a walk in the neighborhood and get robbed @ gunpoint? Leave for a few hours and your home is broken into. You honestly think that's a normal way of life? [[now I'm lecturing) These aren't onsey-twosey incidents either, theses are common place reoccurrences. I'm glad you were able to forget. I don't ever want to end up on life support again. Especially for no reason @ all. Detroit does have a lot to offer. Security just isn't one of them.

I don't understand why you are going off on p69rrh51?? The vast majority of Americans live in suburbia. They come to the city for the cultural things and then leave. This is normal behavior. They don't live in the city because of the higher crime and poorer public schools. This happens all over the country. Would you rather these suburbanites not come and spend there money here?; we would have less income tax revenue in the city, which is not good. No these suburbanites are not going to be caught hanging out on Cadillac Boulevard or Conner because there are no attractions over there and crime is more frequent.

[SDCC]

SDDC Hello. Thank you for your reply. My reply is above. I am not very good at navigating this site.

I appreciate your reply, and I will forever be envious of your location. I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into a non Detroit conversation. Again, a warm welcome and enjoy paradise.

[softailrider]

I'm well aware of Loran being disbanded p69rrh51, as you know. You "chat" with all 14k Facebook people? Must be time consuming. Why do they venture in? Why don't they move in? I think we both know the answer to that one but only one of us will admit it. People from out of State visit and their vehicles are gone in the morning? People go for a walk in the neighborhood and get robbed @ gunpoint? Leave for a few hours and your home is broken into. You honestly think that's a normal way of life? [[now I'm lecturing) These aren't onsey-twosey incidents either, theses are common place reoccurrences. I'm glad you were able to forget. I don't ever want to end up on life support again. Especially for no reason @ all. Detroit does have a lot to offer. Security just isn't one of them.

I have a brother who lives on Hubbard, near the Blvd, south of W. Vernon. If he goes out to dinner, and forgets that his garage door is open, his neighbors will just come by and help themselves. Forget about taking a walk at dusk or after dark, that can't happen.

[timinasia]

I appreciate your reply, and I will forever be envious of your location. I don't want to hijack this thread and turn it into a non Detroit conversation. Again, a warm welcome and enjoy paradise.

I understand your concern about turning this into a non-Detroit discussion.

[prokopowicz]

No it's not their problem, because they're not the ones getting blown away, jacked, robbed, or assaulted. It's our problem because we're the ones stuck here having to deal with it day in and day out. Some people come in, take advantage of a venue, [[as long s it's relatively safe) crap on the City, then go home. Anything that's "iffy" doesn't nearly have the draw it did years ago. By the way, Alter runs North and South, Mack runs East and West. Check your Loran.

This is the first I've ever heard anyone say that someplace is "north of mack" in the GP area. Everyone says east or west of Mack.

[xdet]

[QUOTE=EastsideAl;504953]Exactly. I think a lot of people here are too young to remember the "Escape From New York" years too.

I spent a lot of time in NYC in the late '70s and early '80s, and while it was certainly much bigger and more vibrant than Detroit [[as it always has been) it was also definitely decaying and pretty dangerous. Way more so than it is today. But even Detroit was more dangerous then [[even if more populated) than it is today, and Washington DC was statistically among the most dangerous cities in the country. Almost all U.S. cities saw large population declines during that era, including all of the ones named by Junjie except L.A."
Interesting EastsideAl- I moved from 'East Detroit' to Nyack, NY for college in 1967, some 20 miles north of NYC and having worked at the Russell Industrial Center during the riots, I wasn't sad to leave. We used to go into the city [[NYC) often in the late 1960s but by the 1970s is was really getting bad- by bad I mean just dirty and in general people were more 'edgy'. Lindsay lead the decline and Giuliani began the 'clean up', once again the city felt safe and clean again. Now de Blasio is taking it back again.
I've really enjoyed recent trips back to the Detroit area and still have family in the area but now Oregon has been home since 1979. Detroit's history is so interesting to me, with both grandfathers moving to Detroit in 1910, getting here just before the huge eruption in growth in the area. And my grandparents had much to enjoy in those days-
Like Belle Isle, my dad's parents lived very close to Belle Isle-

In springtime as the tulips came up [[grandma with dad, he looks sad even with his 'Cracker Jacks'!)

With a relative's canoe...complete with 'sound system'- how could you paddle and not make the needle skip???

Watch the building of the 'new Belle Isle' Bridge- [[with the old temporary bridge in the background-

Great grandpa ran the pumps at the old Detroit Dry Docks, close to Belle Isle, so how they pumped water when building the tunnel was interesting to him.

Lots of recreation in the area, from Belle Isle to weekend cruises-



100+ years ago there was lots of excitement in what was happening that seemed to continue until the 60s, but everyone everywhere was rebelling then.
Your grandparents got their first car, built just blocks from where you lived [[and maybe worked)

Their home on Stevens, near Woodward-


But I have a sense that some of the pride that was born in the "Paris of the Mid-west" is starting to return- if Detroiters [[and those in the surrounding areas) can keep it up, I think that pride will return.

[MrMichigan]

Nice pictures xdet ^^^. The city will come back, it's just a matter of time.

[daddeeo]

So what do want Art, a medal?

[Gistok]

This is the first I've ever heard anyone say that someplace is "north of mack" in the GP area. Everyone says east or west of Mack.

I'm glad I was not reading this thread until now... but prokopowicz... you and p96rrh51 remind me of the complexity that the 1700's French ribbon farms had on streets coming into the area as relates to the 4 points of the compass.

I remember when they were rebuilding the Moross bridge over I-94, and the traffic diversion signs the state put up. They got eastbound and westbound I-94 correct... but the "northbound" and "southbound" Moross [[7 Mile Rd. extension) signage gave all Eastsiders reaon to scratch their heads and wonder WTF??

Also Jefferson is eastbound and westbound in Detroit. But downriver and in Macomb County it is a north-south street. Luckily in the Grosse Pointes... the east/west and north/south points are separated where the street turns into Lakeshore Dr.... where it's NE/SW. I-94 and Harper Ave. also take the same bend from east/west to north/south.

And then there is Beaconsfield....

[masterblaster]

XDET, thanks so very, very much for those photographs! They are a site to see.