Detroit- Lonely Planet Number 1 most Hated

**DTW plug** · October-10-09, 10:13 PM

Just thought people should know.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/grea...ticles/42/9782

**detroitsgwenivere** · October-10-09, 10:40 PM

Gimme a break. Detroit worse than San Salvador?!!!

lilpup · October-10-09, 11:01 PM

hardly a scientific poll

**LeannaM** · October-11-09, 01:09 AM

LA is #4.

These polls are generally stupid.

Here's the description:

Introducing Detroit
Tell any American you’re planning to visit Detroit, then watch their eyebrows shoot up quizzically. ‘Why?’ they’ll ask, and warn you about the off-the-chart homicide rates, boarded-up buildings with trash swirling at their bases, and plummeting population [[down from 1.8 million in 1950 to 886,000 today). ‘Detroit’s a crap-hole. You’ll get killed there.’

Clearly, the Motor City has an image problem. While the aforementioned attributes are true, and while the city does waft a sort of bombed-out early East Berlin vibe, it’s these same qualities that fuel a raw urban energy you won’t find anywhere else. And that manifests in the city’s arts and music scene. They shred a mean guitar in ‘the D.’ Very mean.

Once the pride of the nation for its car-making savvy, the city fell to pieces when the auto industry tanked. Now it’s struggling to reclaim its place. It’s a grim but fascinating destination.

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/usa/great-lakes/detroit

**Gsgeorge** · October-11-09, 01:11 AM

Originally Posted by lilpup

hardly a scientific poll

Somebody call Forbes, they'd love this list.

**rjlj** · October-11-09, 01:12 AM

What? Detroiter's denying the truth, just like the Time article? Have you ever been ouside the U.S.?

**dtowncitylover** · October-11-09, 01:31 AM

HATE? I mean c'mon! That's too strong of a word. If I was an outsider who came to Detroit and saw the abandonment, I wouldn't say I hate the city because of it. You hate a city because of: People. It's all about the people. If the people aren't nice to you, then the city rubs off on you the wrong way. Detroit is, IMO, known for our nice people. I always talk to people from out of state, when I get the chance, and tell them about our fair city.

For me, I hate Chicago. The people are rude [[NYorkers are nicer), the congestion is annoying, and the corruption is mind-spliting. Chicago architecture is amazing and their tourists destinations are awesome, but I would never consider living permanently raising my children in the Chicagoland area, if I didn't have to.

**sumas** · October-11-09, 05:39 AM

I am starting to wonder about forum members. Lately there are so many Detroit bashers. I am a city resident and am well aware of our problems. I prefer to focus on what is great about this city, mainly the people and raw enery I see. If I wanted to feed the trolls, I could recite a litany about all the bad things that have happened to me personally regarding life here in the city. No doubt Detroit haters would lap it up. The flip side is I could write a whole book about what is great.

Last I looked this forum is called Detroityes. Can posters please keep it positive!

**maxx** · October-11-09, 09:00 AM

People who voted for Detroit as the most hated city don't know about East St. Louis.http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Th...l_StLouis.html

Maybe someone could post some info on ESL at that website.

**iheartthed** · October-11-09, 09:35 AM

Well, Detroit does have a bad image problem. I think the image is unfair -- especially when other cities have the exact same problems -- but that's how people truly perceive it from afar.

**epiphany** · October-11-09, 10:19 AM

They list Seoul, Korea as a most hated place as well... and Seoul is by far one of the most interesting and exciting places in the world to me... Along with Detroit.

**NoHeartAnthony** · October-11-09, 12:04 PM

Originally Posted by sumas

The flip side is I could write a whole book about what is great.

Then do it.

**Sstashmoo** · October-11-09, 12:09 PM

Quote: "Clearly, the Motor City has an image problem."

Thanks to the media, we were appointed poster child for the economic collapse. Nothing like speaking it into existence. Then here came all the Indy film makers targeting the worst imagery they could find. It's going to take many years for Detroit to shake this stigma. You can thank the powerful media and millions of zombies that tune in daily.

**iheartthed** · October-11-09, 12:57 PM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

Quote: "Clearly, the Motor City has an image problem."

Thanks to the media, we were appointed poster child for the economic collapse. Nothing like speaking it into existence. Then here came all the Indy film makers targeting the worst imagery they could find. It's going to take many years for Detroit to shake this stigma. You can thank the powerful media and millions of zombies that tune in daily.

Detroit's image problem started way before the financial collapse. If anything, the media just used that as a way to confirm what everybody had already thought about Detroit.

ziggyselbin · October-11-09, 01:26 PM

Detroit's image problem is based in reality. High crime for years and years and years along with an entrenched entitlement mentality among municipal leaders has created this reality.

**LeannaM** · October-11-09, 02:42 PM

Originally Posted by maxx

People who voted for Detroit as the most hated city don't know about East St. Louis.http://www.thirdworldtraveler.com/Th...l_StLouis.html

Maybe someone could post some info on ESL at that website.

Detroit's in the news, though. And it's huge. Why would a list like this care about a small town [[about 30k) like East St. Louis? Granted, it's bad, but it's smaller. The cities listed as "most hated" are mostly large cities.

It says the original nominations were based on "a list of your â€˜least favouriteâ€™ destinations." East St. Louis isn't a destination. St. Louis is. Granted, St. Louis has its problems. St. Louis' image isn't quite a bad as Detroit's though.

I can understand where you're coming from. East St. Louis may be worse. And there's nothing in East St. Louis to do [[other than the casino, and there are some of those on the Missouri side), but all of the cities listed on the "Most Hated" site seem to be large cities.

Here's the list of the Least Favorite Cities
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/guatemal...ticles/42/6379
Including Nashville and Honolulu and San Jose.

**Russix** · October-12-09, 01:11 AM

We're Number One! We're Number One! Woo-Hoo [[backflip)....

**sumas** · October-12-09, 03:15 AM

Hi Noheart, did write a book but still can't find a publisher. It's damn good too. The central theme is how the horse racing culture set the stage for Detroit to become the motor city.

Nice things to say #1: EEV sponsored a tour. Great homes, great neighbors. Didn't take a seat on the bus but did go briefly to the after glow at the Cadieux Cafe. A couple members of the Feather Bowling Society were there to teach lay people the nuances of the game. Wish I could have stayed longer. Fun time!

Nice things to say#2: We have friends all over this city. Even the perceived really bad areas of this city have great people and neighbors.

Nice things#3: Great front porches where people can sit and talk to neighbors walking by.Even the dope dealers are respectful of our elderly.

Nice things#4: Sidewalks. Burbs don't have them. New developers have reinvented the concept and call them "safety zones" Duh, they are sidewalks.

Nice things#5: Mature trees. Sorry we lost our Elms but nature has its own way. We still have majestic trees.

Nice things #6: Neat little small businesses trying for the slice of that ephemeral American dream.

I think I could possibly do 100 "nice things". Perhaps that could be a different thread.

I feel sorry for Detroit Bashers. They are the cowards that fled when Detroit was no longer Maybury and still pissed that they didn't get the price tag they wanted on their house.

**jjw** · October-12-09, 04:45 AM

hehehe---I don't ever recall Detroit being a "Maybury". That's a new one.

ziggyselbin · October-12-09, 05:43 AM

Originally Posted by sumas

Hi Noheart, did write a book but still can't find a publisher. It's damn good too. The central theme is how the horse racing culture set the stage for Detroit to become the motor city.

Nice things to say #1: EEV sponsored a tour. Great homes, great neighbors. Didn't take a seat on the bus but did go briefly to the after glow at the Cadieux Cafe. A couple members of the Feather Bowling Society were there to teach lay people the nuances of the game. Wish I could have stayed longer. Fun time!

Nice things to say#2: We have friends all over this city. Even the perceived really bad areas of this city have great people and neighbors.

Nice things#3: Great front porches where people can sit and talk to neighbors walking by.Even the dope dealers are respectful of our elderly.

Nice things#4: Sidewalks. Burbs don't have them. New developers have reinvented the concept and call them "safety zones" Duh, they are sidewalks.

Nice things#5: Mature trees. Sorry we lost our Elms but nature has its own way. We still have majestic trees.

Nice things #6: Neat little small businesses trying for the slice of that ephemeral American dream.

I think I could possibly do 100 "nice things". Perhaps that could be a different thread.

I feel sorry for Detroit Bashers. They are the cowards that fled when Detroit was no longer Maybury and still pissed that they didn't get the price tag they wanted on their house.

You might piss people off with accusing people of being cowards. Many left, and it has been documented here over and over because they were victimized by crime. In fact that is frankly an asinine thing to write.

As for your nice things_ nice, but to most that is expected. Sidewalks are everywhere. Neighbors know each other in a lot of places. Dope dealers are all over too but it is unlikely that they are counted as swell folks because they say hi and treat the elderly nice_ how do they treat others?_ you're reaching on that one.

As for businesses, Detroit has lost something like fifteen thousand over the years.

**aoife** · October-12-09, 07:24 AM

Lonley Planet is the bible for backpackers and traveling on the cheap. Detroit is not really a great town for that sort of activity- little public transportation, no hostels, etc. There is no reason to get offended or upset about it, it is just a fact. We have great festivals and neighborhoods and people and bars but you have to know were to find them and you have to have a way of getting to them and both of those things can be difficult for people new to the area.

As an example, I had friends from Australia come through a few months back. They loved the city, because it was so different from what they had seen before [[and they have traveled the globe), but admitted that if they had not had me to take them around and show them things they would have missed on their own they probably would have bailed early. It is a hard city to wrap you head around in a short time, especially if you absolutely unfamiliar with it and are coming from another culture.

**skyl4rk** · October-12-09, 07:46 AM

The fabulous ruins are enough to make Detroit a great tourist destination. I don't know why tourists haven't figured this out. I guess not everyone has the street smarts to explore the Motor.

There are so many jaw dropping scenes that you can only see in Detroit. Detroit is far more interesting than any other North American city.

And then once you start to explore the city, you start meeting the people, who are great.

Come for the ruins, stay because of the people.

**kathy2trips** · October-12-09, 11:47 PM

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

There are so many jaw dropping scenes that you can only see in Detroit. Detroit is far more interesting than any other North American city....Come for the ruins, stay because of the people.

The sweetest people in the world. Detroiters love to feed you. Great cooks. I can eat foods of more countries in Detroit than I'll ever see in person. Come hungry and with a game plan! Damn, now I feel homesick again.

**LeannaM** · October-13-09, 12:00 AM

I don't think I could call people cowards because they left Detroit. And that goes for a lot of major cities. Probably for a lot of people, once you have kids, you want the best school for them. And not everyone can afford, or want, private schools, and charters can be very difficult to get into. Suburbs, while I don't like them in general, can be a good thing if they have better schools. And suburbs [[especially older, more urban suburbs) may have sidewalks, front porches, and friendly neighbors, too.

I appreciate there are a lot of things that are special about Detroit. And those things are special, but not necessarily exclusive to one place.

**GRALR** · October-13-09, 11:46 AM

I love the people of Detroit, I was so surprised at the wonderful attitudes of everyone I met! There were some who were very upset over the corruption of the city government however. I think Detroit is wonderful, fascinating, and a great tourist destination. However most people look at the negatives and are generally scared, and really don't know what they are looking at. I know what Detroit offers simply because I love all Detroit used to be and what remains.