Suburbs Losing Young Whites To Cities, Brookings Institution Finds

[jhartmich]

Interesting article about white flight - to cities.

Read it here

[R8RBOB]

Well....no more chocolate cities and no more vanilla suburbs...LOL

[tkelly1986]

Nothing new, Detroit just has not experienced this trend to the extent places like Chicago have. I welcome it, Detroit can benefit from diversity and more of what Richard Florida identifies as "the creative economy" [[which includes all races).

[DetroitDad]

From the topic article in post #1;

The suburbs now have the largest poor population in the country. They are home to the vast majority of baby boomers age 55 to 64, a fast-growing group that will strain social services after the first wave of boomers turns 65 next year.

To those who do not think this is the trend in Detroit, you obviously don't visit or live Downtown or Midtown. Five years ago, there wern't many families down here, or people walking dogs, or many people on the streets period. Now, go Downtown during the day or early evening, and things are very different.

Young professionals and families who wish to stay close to home are moving into Downtown or Midtown Detroit, but they are few. Unfortunately, many other young people are abandoning suburbia for good urban centers, but in Michigan, that means means young people are abandoning Michigan. That is likely to go unchanged until our urban centers [[the ones we here are working on today) are rewarding places to live.

[EastsideAl]

Unfortunately, many other young people are abandoning suburbia for good urban centers, but in Michigan, that means means young people are abandoning Michigan. That is likely to go unchanged until our urban centers [[the ones we here are working on today) are rewarding places to live.

All too true. When I lived in New York, San Francisco, and Boston I ran into plenty of former suburban Detroiters who lived in those cities. Most of whom would not have considered living in the City of Detroit. They often seemed amazed that I had actually grown up there and survived [[and hadn't become a drug addict, thug, or marginally employed barfly). Even more so that I would consider going back.

Still, if we were to have an actual economy here that was attractive to young creative types and professionals I think this trend could increase and really benefit Detroit. Instead, we have hung on far too long to 2 outdated illusions, 1) that the auto industry was inevitably going to "come back" and provide thousands of new jobs again, 2) that the way to revitalize Detroit was to literally rebuild it - tear out all that old urban stuff and replace it with big glass towers built away from the street and little plain square boxes built on cul-de-sacs.

[lincoln8740]

To those who do not think this is the trend in Detroit, you obviously don't visit or live Downtown or Midtown. Five years ago, there wern't many families down here, or people walking dogs, or many people on the streets period. Now, go Downtown during the day or early evening, and things are very different.

Young professionals and families who wish to stay close to home are moving into Downtown or Midtown Detroit, but they are few.

Young white professionals moving to cities is nothing new and what also hasn't changed is that once that young professional gets married and has children they get the hell out of the city and go right to the burbs--this happens everywhere--Chicago and new york.

Now for one to say that not just FAMILIES are moving into the city but WHITE families are moving in as well is just knee slapping hilarity at its finest!!!

And yes I am in midtown and detroit everyday and have been my whole life

[DetroitDad]

Young white professionals moving to cities is nothing new and what also hasn't changed is that once that young professional gets married and has children they get the hell out of the city and go right to the burbs--this happens everywhere--Chicago and new york.

Now for one to say that not just FAMILIES are moving into the city but WHITE families are moving in as well is just knee slapping hilarity at its finest!!!

And yes I am in midtown and detroit everyday and have been my whole life

They did, except for the ones who bought those nice condos just before the mortgage crash. Rather than throw in the towel, some are choosing to stick it out and start families in the city. When life throws you lemons you make lemonade, you know? Then you have families like mine, who are playing a different game. If we move to suburbia, we would have to buy another car. This week, my wife needed to run some errands so I either took the fifty three or walked.

[dtowncitylover]

Blksoul is going to be pissed.

lol I kid.

[wolverine]

Young white professionals moving to cities is nothing new and what also hasn't changed is that once that young professional gets married and has children they get the hell out of the city and go right to the burbs--this happens everywhere--Chicago and new york.

For the most part, I would have generally agreed with you. But more and more I'm seeing this is not the case. Go to any Northside neighborhood primarily populated by white urban professionals and you'll see tons of strollers and young kids at the parks. Increasingly these neighborhoods are becoming family oriented from when at one time they seemed to cater to recent college grads. What I don't see is a bunch of teenagers of walking around. But we'll see. Maybe the people who were after the city life in the 90's will stick around.

Certainly I wouldn't raise a family in Wicker Park which is populated by tons of PBR chugging hipsters, but most definitely Lincoln Park, South Loop, New East Side, Ravenswood, and Edgewater.

As for New York. I got a couple friends just starting to raise families in Brooklyn. I've asked about it and of course they will be sending their kids to private schools. They don't seem to be concerned about the ill effects of the city. Yes, I'm just mentioning "my friends," but there's also their friends, and their friends too who are raising families.

[EastsideAl]

Young white professionals moving to cities is nothing new and what also hasn't changed is that once that young professional gets married and has children they get the hell out of the city and go right to the burbs--this happens everywhere--Chicago and new york.

Obviously someone who has never been to Park Slope, and other parts of brownstone Brooklyn - aka, baby central.

[detroitbob66]

I am white, actually Im olive because Im Italian, but I am a 28-year old living in the heart of the Cass Corridor. I absolutely would NOT have it any other way. Thanks

[dtowncitylover]

Obviously someone who has never been to Park Slope, and other parts of brownstone Brooklyn - aka, baby central.

Of course one neighborhood in the thousands of American urban neighborhoods is most likely an exception.

My both set of grandparents left the city, my parents left the city, my sister and her husband left Chicago in favor of the suburb.

[CLAUDE G]

The reason why this has not happened yet in Detroit is because there is no incentive to move down there. Nobody wants to move down there and deal with the crap that goes on down there on a daily basis. Unfortunarly its going to remain this way until something sparks a housing boom in downtown and the lower income properties start getting bought up and renovated.

Here is an intresting YouTube Video about Tiger Stadium...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTpMfsgOhMk

Instead of the city pissing away Tiger Stadium like they did, if they would have allowed someone to come in there and build condos in the upper deck, it could have had the potential to spark development down in the corkdown community which could have spread to the rest of Detroit.

[lincoln8740]

I am white, actually Im olive because Im Italian, but I am a 28-year old living in the heart of the Cass Corridor. I absolutely would NOT have it any other way. Thanks

If you are single with no children then thank you for proving my point.

If you have children and voluntarily live in the cass corridor then I feel sorry for your children

[wolverine]

We'll have to see when the next census results come out. I'm still not convinced America's alpha cities are a bad place to raise a family. Plenty of urban neighborhoods offer the same level of security and ammenities as suburban ones. I definitely would not say 1 in a 1000. But certainly the majority of urban neighborhoods white urban professionals would find unacceptable to raising a family. I think people here are contrasting the issue a bit much.

[Bearinabox]

If you have children and voluntarily live in the cass corridor then I feel sorry for your children

That's an asshole thing to say any way you slice it. How would you react if someone said the same about your children and your place of residence?

[313WX]

That's an asshole thing to say any way you slice it. How would you react if someone said the same about your children and your place of residence?

Don't feed the trolls!

[MotownSpartan]

From the topic article in post #1;

Young professionals and families who wish to stay close to home are moving into Downtown or Midtown Detroit, but they are few. Unfortunately, many other young people are abandoning suburbia for good urban centers, but in Michigan, that means means young people are abandoning Michigan. That is likely to go unchanged until our urban centers [[the ones we here are working on today) are rewarding places to live.

I have also experienced this with my colleagues and friends. Those who want an urban lifestyle don't move into the city, they just leave the state for places like Chicago, SF, etc.

[Danny]

That data from from 2000-2008 census data by the Brookings Institution is correct. Lots of hip cool skinny jeaned white kids are moving back to the cities, starting with some once poor black ghettoes. Detroit will join this trend when new regionalized economical structure is in place.

Take a look at the U.S. Census figures in some American cities from white growth:

Washington D.C. 2000 [[30.8%) 2008 [[36.1%)

St Louis, MS. 2000 [[43.3%) 2008 [[46.6%)

Atlanta, GA. 2000 [[33.2%) 2008 [[38.5%)

Oakland CA. 2000 [[31.3%) 2008 [[36.9%) For the first time on American History, whites reclaimed Oakland, CA. Oakland at the time was mostly black city.


Here's is what I'm predicting Detroit years in the future.


2020 over 120,000 whites, over 542,000 blacks and over 99,000 hispanics


2030 over 267,000 whites, over 412,876 blacks and over 144,956 hispanics


2040 over 479,000 whites, over 333,002 blacks and over 178,097 hispanics


2050 over 689,000 whites, over 193,580 blacks and over 223,983 hispanics


2060 over 826,000 whites, over 76,213 blacks and over 299,987 hispanics


2070 over 1,082,000 whites over 46,973 blacks and over 425,567 hispanics


2080 over 1,543,000 whites over 32,987 blacks and over 765,999 hispanics


2090 over 1,456,000 whites over 29,098 blacks and over 932,024 hispanics


2100 over 1,290,000 whites 33,000 blacks and over 1,297,333 hispanics.


New regionalizational and technological ideals will lure more whites, hispanics and any other races to Detroit and promote demographic growth. Detroit will recover in the mid 21st century as it grew during the birth of the automobile industry.


WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET


From the rennaisance city

In Memoriam: Neda Agha-Soltan

[iheartthed]

Of course one neighborhood in the thousands of American urban neighborhoods is most likely an exception.

My both set of grandparents left the city, my parents left the city, my sister and her husband left Chicago in favor of the suburb.

In addition to Park Slope, there is Clinton Hill, Fort Greene, Brooklyn Heights, and DUMBO in Brooklyn.

In Manhattan, the area around Union Square, the Upper West Side, the Upper East Side, and South Harlem.

There is definitely a large uptick in the number of young white families opting to stay in the city [[New York), compared to the 1950s through the 1990s. And unlike the previous era, the main reason that people leave the city for the suburbs today is cost of living.

[Detroitnerd]

Maybe if all the smuggest residents of Oakland and Macomb counties were to jam their fingers in their ear and scream for 20 years then everything will be just like 1962 again.

[Rone]

I grew up in the suburbs, but went to high school in Detroit [[U of D). Moved to Chicago, came back and bought a house in Detroit. I am not moving to the suburbs.

[DetroitPole]

I'm buying a house in a family-friendly neighborhood of the City. Would I ever move to the suburbs? Noooo. Would sooner move to Mars.

Honestly though, it is Detroit or bust. If Detroit ever becomes unbearable [[not unlikely) for me I will leave the state. I don't like anywhere else in the metro region, at all really.

I know I'm not in the majority, but I know I am not alone. Certainly for economic reasons but for reasons of desirability we don't get creative young people moving to the Detroit suburbs from other parts of the country because they are great places to live. Of course they aren't moving to Detroit in any significant number, either, but while Detroit has a plethora of problems to scare away even the hardiest urbanite, the suburbs as they intrinsicately are are why these people don't want to move there.

People complain about the Michigan "brain-drain" [[probably more aptly called a youth drain) but when all you have to offer are decaying cities and bland milquetoast suburbs, on top of a lack of jobs, what do you expect?! Sorry folks, "great lakes, great times" aren't enough to keep young people interested.

Then the older generation laments from the comfort of their suburban cul-de-sac the lack of a "real city" as their kids pack their bags for Chicago; New York - the same people who proudly proclaim they never go to Detroit. Hmm, I wonder if that could be part of the reason it is so fucked up?

I know a box house with aluminum siding in Roseville or a McMansion in Rochester Hills was the dream of boomers everywhere, but the younger white generation has a different value system.

Maybe somebody should let L Books Patterson know about this study and let him know it is "too late" for Oakland County. How stunned he will be to hear that young people are not flocking to the greatest county in the universe.

[laurin]

Granted, we're not white, but as a young family we cannot live in Detroit any longer. We are leaving at the end of the summer for the suburbs. While I prefer the suburbs over the city, I'd prefer leaving the state over either. The metro area just doesn't have the draw for young professionals and family.

But also, the draw of cities always been the case? I remember around the time that I graduated college in 2003, most of friends targeted cities-- most of which outside of Michigan. The ones who stayed are either underemployed or unemployed.

[ASR89]

DetroitPole, out of curiosity, which neighbourhood are you and your family moving to?