Why did you come to Detroit?

Bearinabox · January-22-10, 04:43 PM

Originally Posted by JStone

Bearinabox - Really?

Well, this one didn't, so I guess not.

Retroit · January-22-10, 05:17 PM

I'm confused about the "virtually non-existent crime". Are we still talking about Detroit?

**sumas** · January-23-10, 03:23 AM

To GPcharles: My Dad always said the best babies came from St John Hospital. My two older sisters were born at Deaconess [[now long gone), I and my younger brother were born at St John's, as were my two sons. It's definative, good hospital...great kids!

**JStone** · January-25-10, 04:00 PM

Retroit - I can't speak for the rest of Detroit, but in Corktown, I leave my doors unlocked and my windows wide open. In fact, I have been known to leave my lawn mower out during the summer time for days on end with no worries. I guess I'm just lucky. Fortunately I haven't had a need for home security.

**Lowell** · January-26-10, 12:38 AM

PCM, my sister was an elementary school teacher in Concord for 25 years. I found it a beautiful place with its millpond and classic 19th Century downtown. It is nice that the Google street view car passed through. I see the Silver Spoon is still there. There is a nice lake and golf course near by where I nearly got done in by lightning.

I grew up in small towns so I can appreciate your escape needs. I came to Detroit for the reason countless thousands of others came -- to work in the auto factories. I went away, traveled the world, made plans to live elsewhere but found myself irresistibly drawn back. I tell people, if you don't get Detroit you won't get it and I can't explain it. But if you do get it, you'll completely understand what I mean. It's kind of like looking at art.

Ron_saad · January-26-10, 06:33 AM

If this is the Lowell that started the new system, you screwed up all the hall of fame threads.Most of all of those people are not on anymore.

**Pcm** · January-26-10, 12:20 PM

Originally Posted by Lowell

PCM, my sister was an elementary school teacher in Concord for 25 years. I found it a beautiful place with its millpond and classic 19th Century downtown. It is nice that the Google street view car passed through. I see the Silver Spoon is still there. There is a nice lake and golf course near by where I nearly got done in by lightning.

I grew up in small towns so I can appreciate your escape needs. I came to Detroit for the reason countless thousands of others came -- to work in the auto factories. I went away, traveled the world, made plans to live elsewhere but found myself irresistibly drawn back. I tell people, if you don't get Detroit you won't get it and I can't explain it. But if you do get it, you'll completely understand what I mean. It's kind of like looking at art.

What was her name? Good chance that my family knows her!

**RaumVogel** · February-04-10, 08:29 PM

Is Paychecks still open in Hamtramick? I moved away in 1987

**Detroit Stylin** · February-04-10, 08:41 PM

I was brought here against my will on 28 April 1972.....but i love it.......

**EastsideAl** · February-04-10, 10:00 PM

My great grandfather came here because the Royal Irish Constabulary made it quite clear that he was not welcome there anymore, and he needed a job.

Toolbox · February-04-10, 10:04 PM

Wife came to work for a foreign auto industry company because the jobs in the state she is from were outsourced overseas.

She has no sympathy for BuyAmerican's bullshit until he recognizes all the other industries lost to overseas. Also, she is very perplex by the arrogant sense of entitlement "auto industry brats" have. In her opinion, work hard, get a paycheck and STFU.

Yes, wife wants to leave Michigan.. though she is the only one of us to have lived in the city.

**kryptonite** · February-05-10, 08:46 AM

Originally Posted by exmotowner

I came to Detroit because of the large gay population in Palmer Park. I left when everyone else did when it became overrun with crime. Still live in Nashville, but theres not a day goes by I dont miss home.

Dude, I lived in Palmer Park learly 80's and in Nashville for five years, then back to Detroit. I don't miss Nashville ever, I found it too religious and Southern 'surface friendly' for my taste.

Personally it has been great to be back in Detroit. I enjoy the city institutions, restaurants, bars, festivals, ethnic events, music scene, fundraiser events, etc. I always have a great time here whatever I do.

**G-DDT** · December-18-14, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by MIWP

I moved to Detroit from a very small Ohio town named Urbana when I was 17 years old. I moved here with my father who was attending Wayne State grad school and I was to attend Murray Wright high school. A very different school for a white boy who attended a small mostly white high school in Urbana. I soon met friends at school as well as around campus, Zoots coffee shop on Second Ave. became an every day hang out for me. Later after dropping out of school I began working at the Cosmic Cafe and later for several other neighborhood business after it went under. I have lived in several places and hoods in Detroit... Park Shelton on Woodward, Woodbridge district, East Jefferson and later moved to Grosse Pointe Park, Dearborn, Inkster, Dearborn Heights, than a quick move to Yellow Springs Ohio just a few doors down from Dave Chappelle... It was a quick stay as I found myself moving back to Detroit, this time the east side down the street from good old Harpos. God Bless Detroit!

"Cosmic Cafe"? That's a name I barely recall. Please, refresh me where was that located?
As for me, I was born at Grace Harper Hospital. My mom was going into labor passing out candy on Halloween [[Trick-'r-treater 1: "That house is giving away Milkduds!" Trick-'r-treater 2: "Oh yeah? Well that one is giving away babies!').

**sumas** · December-19-14, 04:19 AM

I grew up in the late stages of Detroits golden years. An almost perfect childhood. Watched the decline. Eventually did move out due to school issues but never stopped working with city non profits. Moved back to assist my Mom in EEV, then cared for her as she declined. That was 7 years. I have tremendous respect for the EEV community and we did our part in a small way.

Where I live now is almost magical to me. The community is so close knit, the old homes lovely,the generations that have lived here, the history, the caring and sharing, the oddballs and activists. Its vibrant. Always believed Detroit would see a resurgence but perhaps not in my lifetime but I am seeing it.

Our focus has always been kids so I guess I want them to have what I had. Loads of work need to be done, no near libraries, no active rec facilties so neighbors do amazing things for after school and summer programs.

We used to be crime free but a spate of home invasions last year mobilized the community. Community worked actively with the 7th precinct and those fuckers were caught pronto, drug house opened up and community/police shut it down in two weeks. They tried to reopen shut down intwo days.

I love the syngery of younger people moving in and the awesome dignity of our elders.

I hate winters but love Detroit. Will never leave again.

**Dan Wesson** · December-19-14, 01:53 PM

had no choice in the matter. didn't know much else till later.

**Zacha341** · December-19-14, 02:57 PM

Me too. Parents came during the mid and late fifties from more southern states.

Originally Posted by Ron_saad

Born and raised in Detroit.

**Smirnoff** · December-19-14, 08:14 PM

Fire-brewed Stroh's Beer.......next.

**Jimaz** · December-19-14, 08:29 PM

Originally Posted by sumas

... We used to be crime free but a spate of home invasions last year mobilized the community. Community worked actively with the 7th precinct and those fuckers were caught pronto, drug house opened up and community/police shut it down in two weeks. They tried to reopen shut down in two days....

Okay, that's the way to do it. There's no demotivator greater than futility.

**beachboy** · December-20-14, 02:12 AM

Originally Posted by Lowell

I grew up in small towns so I can appreciate your escape needs. I came to Detroit for the reason countless thousands of others came -- to work in the auto factories. I went away, traveled the world, made plans to live elsewhere but found myself irresistibly drawn back. I tell people, if you don't get Detroit you won't get it and I can't explain it. But if you do get it, you'll completely understand what I mean. It's kind of like looking at art.

A huge THANK YOU to Lowell for all the work he's done on DetroitYES, from all of us!!

casscorridor wrote: "Detroit has so much potential to be one of the great cities of the world..."

Detroit was one of the world's great cities when I was a little shaver in the 1950s. Visited the "Paris of the Midwest" many times with my parents [[from one of those little towns in the Thumb), then they moved away in the mid-70s. Also stayed occasionally with my Aunt and Uncle on the East Side. DY filled in what happened between then and recently. Another big Thank You to all DYer's ...

Now I live in a warm climate b/c my health does not permit living in cold Up North [[respiratory mess). I guess I miss the Detroit we knew and loved in the 50s and early 60s.

**Gistok** · December-20-14, 03:24 AM

Originally Posted by G-DDT

"Cosmic Cafe"? That's a name I barely recall. Please, refresh me where was that located?
As for me, I was born at Grace Harper Hospital. My mom was going into labor passing out candy on Halloween [[Trick-'r-treater 1: "That house is giving away Milkduds!" Trick-'r-treater 2: "Oh yeah? Well that one is giving away babies!').

When you reopen a nearly 5 year old thread... don't expect any answers from back then... especially from that poster who came here, then posted 10 times and just as quickly disappeared within a month.

There was one poster who opened up a 5 year old thread, complained about something I said then... and asked me for an explanation... to which I replied... "that was 5 years ago... and I have no clue over the context of the discussion from back then!!"

Mercifully my oldest posts from 15 years ago are not easily retrievable...

**KOMPOST** · December-20-14, 08:56 AM

Originally Posted by G-DDT

"Cosmic Cafe"? That's a name I barely recall. Please, refresh me where was that located?

The Cosmic was on Palmer where Byblos currently sits. Many fond memories.

**sumas** · December-21-14, 10:57 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Me too. Parents came during the mid and late fifties from more southern states.

My maternal grandfather grew up on the Kentuckey Ohio border, put to work in the mines at 13 so he split at age 13. Was a real liife hobo roaming the country. He heard about jobs in Detroit and got a job at Hupp mobile. He stayed in a boarding house near MacDougal and Jefferson. My grandmother lived on a ranch/farm in Texas that got wipted out by a freak snow storm, she was sent to live with in aunt who owned a diner on McDougal and Jefferson. They met and married First World War came and he served. Came back Worked at chalmers the depression came. My Mom's childhood was a real struggle. Her folks had little education but Mom graduated East Commerce High was offered a scholarship for college but her family needed the money bad so she went to work for Chrysler in the secretary pool where she was rapidly promoted to private secretary. She met my Dad there.

**SyGolden48236** · December-21-14, 11:10 PM

My paternal grandparents both grew up in Boston-Edison. Then after they married they moved out of the city in the late 1920s and into Grosse Pointe in search of more open space, less congestion and waterfront property. It was here that they raised their children and their children raised theirs.

**FormerDetroiter** · December-21-14, 11:13 PM

Both sets of my grandparents moved to Detroit from Kentucky and South Carolina in 1920 to work at Ford Motor Co. My parents were both born in Detroit. In 1972 I moved to California and lived there until 1998 when after trying for years to get my parents to move there I finally gave up and moved back to Detroit in 1998 because by then they were both too old to be uprooted. When they died a couple of years ago I moved back to California.

**sumas** · December-21-14, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by FormerDetroiter

Both sets of my grandparents moved to Detroit from Kentucky and South Carolina in 1920 to work at Ford Motor Co. My parents were both born in Detroit. In 1972 I moved to California and lived there until 1998 when after trying for years to get my parents to move there I finally gave up and moved back to Detroit in 1998 because by then they were both too old to be uprooted. When they died a couple of years ago I moved back to California.

You are a good person, I know full well what it takes to care for an aging parent. In some ways we sacrificed 7 yrs of our lives to stay with her. My Mom wanted to die in her home and she did. I would do it all over again for just one more day. She was an amazing woman but I guess at 91 she had a good run.