This is a good point. The explosion of downtown Detroit dining probably has a significant degree of patronage from the Pointes, and lessens the need for local options.
Obviously Oakland County residents patronize downtown restaurants too, but they aren't really dependent on downtown. The options along the Woodward Corridor in Oakland, from Ferndale to Bloomfield, east to Troy and west to Novi, are pretty extensive.
They're much smaller, though. The Hill and the Village, while charming, are very small compared to Bham and RO, and that's not accounting for Ferndale, Berkley, Clawson.
Another difference is that the Hill and Village are for GP residents, and reflect their tastes. Downtown Bham and RO aren't really representative of their respective cities.
Downtown Bham is full of poseur types from elsewhere in glitzy cars and flashy clothes. I'm in a wealthy Bham neighborhood yet my neighbors drive Ford Escapes, shop at Old Navy and belong to the YMCA. I see them in sweatpants and tennis shoes downtown, while the weekend poseur types are in $800 heels and $1,000 dresses.
And downtown RO is a fratastic party every weekend, with yelling, beer-swilling bros from elsewhere, while the actual RO neighborhoods are modest, progressive, and quiet.
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