Why I'll Say I'm From Detroit

[Paris_of_the_Midwest]

Perhaps my wife and I are just a myth – college-educated young professionals who chose Detroit for the opportunities it offers and an authenticity unlike any place the world over. But now, as I start graduate school this month in Boston, I intend to tell people, “I grew up in New England, but I’m from Detroit.�




I wonder, though, whether Detroit will reciprocate. Or will I be only the latest defector, outcast, sell-out?




Detroiters have high standards. The “I’m from Detroit� badge often seems like the hardest to earn and the easiest to lose.

http://www.freep.com/article/2009090...-from-Detroit-

[Stosh]

Perhaps my wife and I are just a myth – college-educated young professionals who chose Detroit for the opportunities it offers and an authenticity unlike any place the world over. But now, as I start graduate school this month in Boston, I intend to tell people, “I grew up in New England, but I’m from Detroit.�

I wonder, though, whether Detroit will reciprocate. Or will I be only the latest defector, outcast, sell-out?

Detroiters have high standards. The “I’m from Detroit� badge often seems like the hardest to earn and the easiest to lose.

http://www.freep.com/article/2009090...-from-Detroit-

Hmm. I don't really know. There's opportunity to be had in the regon, that's for sure. Probably not for the uneducated, so much anymore. But for the artistic, the talented, the educated in the up and coming industries and cutting edge diciplines, sure.

The region could be and should be the place for those that strive to stand out in the crowd. New York, or anywhere on the coasts for that matter, are over crowded, talent wise. Making it here is so much easier.

And I suppose that calling the region home, or being a Detroiter, would take some time and comittment to the region. There's plenty of examples of people that were born elsewhere that are considered Detroiters through and through. Ernie Harwell, Bob Talbert, Aretha Franklin, and many others are transplants to the region, yet they are as Detroit as they come.

[Ray1936]

Living in Las Vegas where NO ONE is 'from' Las Vegas, I'm proud to tell folks I'm from Detroit when asked. Sometimes they wince a bit, at which time I come back with, "Hey, at least it's not Cleveland.".

[dtowncitylover]

As much as I love this guys enthusiasm, I just don't think he will ever truly be "from Detroit". I was born in Pontiac and raised in Royal Oak, but growing up with Detroit being my second home; I think [[and know, frankly) I'm more from Detroit than he'll ever be.

[reddog289]

Outta my Monday Moanin Mind on this
I do as much as I say I DONT like living here.I say I am from Detroit, cause hell its the closest big city by me.I never would say that in any time of my life I could have said my "Detroit Homes" were the Paris of the Midwest, Yet I don't care where anyone is from anymore. That said I will move on.

[kathy2trips]

I live in Texas, but I'm from Detroit. With that combination, nobody messes with me! LOL!

[ScottD]

Funny, I tell people the exact same thing. I was born and raised in Detroit and now live about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. When I tell people I am from Detroit and they give me that look, I just say, "Better than being from Cleveland."

Living in Las Vegas where NO ONE is 'from' Las Vegas, I'm proud to tell folks I'm from Detroit when asked. Sometimes they wince a bit, at which time I come back with, "Hey, at least it's not Cleveland.".

[Detroitej72]

I always have been, and always will be a Detroiter and proudly tell folks whenever I travel where I'm from.

[East Detroit]

I always say I am from Detroit, with pride.

If people "wince" I don't say "At least it's not..." wherever. I start with my list of great things.

Maybe I should say "At least we have water."

[Ragtoplover59]

It's in the Delivery,
When I say "I'm from DETROIT", No Winces Allowed! :~)))))))))))))))))))))))

[vetalalumni]

I tell others if it comes up naturally.

Sometimes people will wear a Tigers baseball cap as I often do on weekends or evenings. If opportunity presents itself, we may end up talking. Something like that happens once a month at best.

[izzyindetroit]

As my wife and I depart our beautiful Detroit home for graduate school, we are filled with fond memories and deep gratitude for this city. We don’t know now whether we’ll come back, and I wonder if people here sincerely believe we would. Trust me, we would.

This is the same guy that got married on top of the Park Shelton.

http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/wedding16608.aspx

[WolverinesA2]

The region could be and should be the place for those that strive to stand out in the crowd. New York, or anywhere on the coasts for that matter, are over crowded, talent wise. Making it here is so much easier.

Making it here is so much easier? How so? The unemployment rate, both in Detroit and for Michigan as a whole, says otherwise. As does the brain drain of college graduates from the state of Michigan, due to the lack of jobs. "Making it here" isn't quite as easy as you make it sound. Michigan is in a horse race with Mississippi for the title of "most economically-depressed state in America."

[Retroit]

So, this guy spent only 4 years here and now he's telling people he's from Detroit to get some "street credentials"?

What a mooch!

[smogboy]

This is the same guy that got married on top of the Park Shelton.

http://www.modeldmedia.com/features/wedding16608.aspx

I never knew what a great view it is from the top of the Park Shelton! I think that would be an interesting project- show people what sorts of views are from the tops of Detroit skyscrapers & high rises. It's rarely a view a lot of us ever see.

But back to the point here... why should I be ashamed of this area? I'm still here so if I were to seriously bash it [[as opposed to intelligently discussing it), in essence I'd be saying I'm a dope for being here. If it was truly that bad for me, I would've taken off a long time ago.

[FlyingJ]

I was born in Detroit. Same hospital as the guys down the street here who did "Menace 2 Society", back before it was a Knife & Gun Club-and Florence Ballard keeled over there. Ergo, I'm from Detroit, I even had to wait out an Election Day[[who does THAT anymore? Oh, that's right, gotta make sure the Civil Servants get theirs) & wait out several smelly hours in that bureaucratic hellhole Herman Kiefer to pick up my birth certificate

live about 35 miles east of Los Angeles. When I tell people I am from Detroit and they give me that look, "

Thanks to the propagandists from "The O.C." they might give you a stranger look when you say "Chino", but it's good enough for Bruce Campbell;
http://books.google.com/books?id=EWj...age&q=&f=false

[eriedearie]

I say it with authority! "I was born in Virginia, but I'm from Detroit!"