Survey: Detroit area not alluring to young professionals for many reasons

**begingri** · November-15-10, 04:17 PM

Fewer than one in 10 metro Detroiters believe the region is a good place for young professionals, according to a new survey that underscores the challenges of retaining recent college graduates.

Many of the 1,000 metro Detroiters interviewed by the Gallup polling organization as part of the final year of a three-year quality of life survey gave the six-county region negative marks for a variety of issues that drive resident attachment to a place, which is considered a key indicator of economic growth.

The study, which surveyed residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair, Livingston and Lapeer counties, cited three factors that emotionally attach residents to the area: openness [[how welcoming the community is), social offerings [[fun places to gather) and aesthetics [[physical beauty, including parks, playgrounds and green space).

While the findings aren't surprising, they are vexing for city officials, nonprofits and foundations that are pouring tens of millions of dollars into the region a year, specifically in Detroit, to attract young professionals.

Nearly 70% of those interviewed have a negative view of the region's nightlife offerings, despite new restaurants, bars and entertainment venues over the past three years, particularly in downtown and around Wayne State University in midtown.

Another challenge of attracting young professionals is the perceptions of public schools. Fewer than one in every five residents have a positive image of K-12 education.

Continued at: http://www.freep.com/article/2010111...r-many-reasons

**p1acebo** · November-15-10, 04:22 PM

Originally Posted by begingri

Fewer than one in 10 metro Detroiters believe the region is a good place for young professionals, according to a new survey that underscores the challenges of retaining recent college graduates.

Many of the 1,000 metro Detroiters interviewed by the Gallup polling organization as part of the final year of a three-year quality of life survey gave the six-county region negative marks for a variety of issues that drive resident attachment to a place, which is considered a key indicator of economic growth.

The study, which surveyed residents in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb, St. Clair, Livingston and Lapeer counties, cited three factors that emotionally attach residents to the area: openness [[how welcoming the community is), social offerings [[fun places to gather) and aesthetics [[physical beauty, including parks, playgrounds and green space).

While the findings aren't surprising, they are vexing for city officials, nonprofits and foundations that are pouring tens of millions of dollars into the region a year, specifically in Detroit, to attract young professionals.

Nearly 70% of those interviewed have a negative view of the region's nightlife offerings, despite new restaurants, bars and entertainment venues over the past three years, particularly in downtown and around Wayne State University in midtown.

Another challenge of attracting young professionals is the perceptions of public schools. Fewer than one in every five residents have a positive image of K-12 education.

Continued at: http://www.freep.com/article/2010111...r-many-reasons

That is unfortunate, there is a solid night life... you just have to look for it.

**Johnlodge** · November-15-10, 04:32 PM

In other news, Pope still Catholic.

**bailey** · November-15-10, 04:36 PM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

That is unfortunate, there is a solid night life... you just have to look for it.

....and drive to it. through multiple cash starved municipalities looking to cash in on DUIs.

**Detroitnerd** · November-15-10, 04:39 PM

In other news, low taxes and barebones services turn out to not attract new businesses, new residents or new sources of revenue.

**p1acebo** · November-15-10, 04:41 PM

Originally Posted by bailey

....and drive to it. through multiple cash starved municipalities looking to cash in on DUIs.

Or take a cab? Or have a DD?

Or I guess you could be an idiot and drive drunk, but that is your own prerogative. Have fun.

**Detroitnerd** · November-15-10, 04:43 PM

Oh, yes. Drunk driving is bad, bad, bad. That's why we have a realistic system where people live near neighborhood taverns, and there is a fast and efficient 24-hour mass transit system to keep us off the road when we drink. And the way the metropolis is so tightly developed, there's never any reason to drink and drive.

Oh, except all of that isn't true. And we drive drunk all the time. Some of us better than others.

RAY ON TRAILER PARK BOYS: "Now, what do you mean by 'drunk driving.' Do you mean, like, driving all over the road and running into things? Or just driving while intoxicated?"

**rhythmc** · November-15-10, 05:54 PM

this survey is not all that surprising or interesting. I think every city has at some point had these issues.

In other news, water is wet...

lilpup · November-15-10, 06:52 PM

Of course people are going to say this when it's what they get told time and time again by the politicians and the press. It doesn't even say that the 1,000 they interviewed are young professionals!

**Zacha341** · November-15-10, 07:10 PM

Yep, and fire burns, and fat meat is greasy.....

.....

Originally Posted by rhythmc

In other news, water is wet...

**TKshreve** · November-15-10, 07:14 PM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

Or take a cab? Or have a DD?

Or I guess you could be an idiot and drive drunk, but that is your own prerogative. Have fun.

Palm to face. Apparently you don't worry about money.

Oh, yes. Drunk driving is bad, bad, bad. That's why we have a realistic system where people live near neighborhood taverns, and there is a fast and efficient 24-hour mass transit system to keep us off the road when we drink. And the way the metropolis is so tightly developed, there's never any reason to drink and drive.

Oh, except all of that isn't true. And we drive drunk all the time. Some of us better than others.

I couldn't agree with you more on this point Dnerd. This city does little if nothing to stem drunk driving outside of putting people in jail. Real proactive Metro Detroit.

**BrushStart** · November-15-10, 07:18 PM

But, but, IT'S STILL 1950!

**p1acebo** · November-15-10, 07:26 PM

Originally Posted by TKshreve

Palm to face. Apparently you don't worry about money.

If you are going to spend 20+ on drinks for the night, what is an extra 5? Or how about having one less drink and spending that money towards your cab. And rotating who DDs every week doesn't cost much either, you really don't have to spend money to be safe. I don't see how any of that is way more expensive than driving yourself, maybe you just know something I don't about drunk driving.

lincoln8740 · November-15-10, 07:31 PM

Originally Posted by p1acebo

If you are going to spend 20+ on drinks for the night, what is an extra 5? Or how about having one less drink and spending that money towards your cab. And rotating who DDs every week doesn't cost much either, you really don't have to spend money to be safe. I don't see how any of that is way more expensive than driving yourself, maybe you just know something I don't about drunk driving.

/
Or how about using the designate service?

We go to wings games all the time and it costs 70$ with tip to get back to SCS--5 people and that's 14$ a piece and no one has to be the DD.

However, if you are one of those ...... bags that drive a smart car or mini-cooper and can only fit three people in your car well......

**Zacha341** · November-15-10, 07:44 PM

Ugh, to drunk driving. Not! Drink heavy at home.... pass out on couch...

... LOL!

Originally Posted by TKshreve

Palm to face. Apparently you don't worry about money.

I couldn't agree with you more on this point Dnerd. This city does little if nothing to stem drunk driving outside of putting people in jail. Real proactive Metro Detroit.

**BrushStart** · November-15-10, 08:36 PM

Here's a dose of reality: I'm in my mid-20s and here's where 39 of my friends [[from high school, college, and grad school) originally from Metro Detroit now live:

Chicago [[6)
Seattle [[3)
Denver [[2)
Pittsburgh [[2)
Indianapolis [[2)
Portland [[1)
Miami [[1)
New York City [[1)
Philidelphia [[1)
Columbus [[1)
Phoenix [[1)
Las Vegas [[1)
TOTAL: 22

The rest of my friends [[new and old) who still live in Michigan live in these places:
Royal Oak [[4)
Ann Arbor [[3)
Downtown Detroit [[2)
Midtown Detroit [[2)
Mexicantown Detroit [[1)
Eastside Detroit [[1)
Ypsilanti [[1)
Grand Rapids [[1)
Northville [[1)
Livonia [[1)
TOTAL: 16

Friends still scattered across suburban Detroit and living w/ their parents [[5+)

The moral of the story is, that more than half of my friends originally from Metro Detroit who moved out of their parents' house have left Michigan. Most of them have fled to "destination" cities, like Chicago, Seattle, and Denver, and live in urban areas. Of those who have stayed, 15/17 have chosen urban areas. That's saying something. Beyond that, I've met very few people from outside the region who have moved to Metro Detroit to reside permenantly. I bet if you did the same count that I did above, you will find similar trends. This should be a serious wake-up call for our regional leaders. Fix the urban areas, or lose your young people. Period.

**Novine** · November-15-10, 09:23 PM

The problem isn't that we're losing young people to other cities. You should be leaving! Go see the world and live somewhere other than where you grew up. It's a good experience. The problem is that we're not attracting people to come to Detroit with their experiences and knowledge . The Urbanophile has a good take on the obsession with "brain drain" and how it's all wrong in its focus and priorities. We shouldn't be worried about the ones who leave, at least not until they are old enough and experienced enough to bring their wealth and talent back to Detroit. Instead, we should be focused on why we can't attract wealth and talent to come to Detroit. Fix that and when the youngsters who want to come back are ready to come back, they'll have a reason to come back.

http://www.urbanophile.com/2008/06/0...g-brain-drain/

**Fnemecek** · November-15-10, 10:12 PM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

In other news, low taxes and barebones services turn out to not attract new businesses, new residents or new sources of revenue.

And in even more shocking news, high taxes and barebones services attract even fewer.

Detroit, for what it's worth, has a tax burden that is almost double the national average.

**rhythmc** · November-15-10, 10:18 PM

Originally Posted by Novine

The problem isn't that we're losing young people to other cities. You should be leaving! Go see the world and live somewhere other than where you grew up. It's a good experience. The problem is that we're not attracting people to come to Detroit with their experiences and knowledge . The Urbanophile has a good take on the obsession with "brain drain" and how it's all wrong in its focus and priorities. We shouldn't be worried about the ones who leave, at least not until they are old enough and experienced enough to bring their wealth and talent back to Detroit. Instead, we should be focused on why we can't attract wealth and talent to come to Detroit. Fix that and when the youngsters who want to come back are ready to come back, they'll have a reason to come back.

http://www.urbanophile.com/2008/06/0...g-brain-drain/

I agree with this completely. It is very important that people get out and experience the world far beyond home and hopefully bring that knowledge home. However, people should remember that everyone is free to make the decision on where they want to live. Detroit can work to present enough things of interest that former residents and others will choose to bring their knowledge and experience to the city and metro area.

**professorscott** · November-16-10, 01:57 AM

This is really simple: young professionals like cities, and nowhere in this region is there anything approximating a real city.

Metro Detroit is a hodgepodge of suburbs. Even most of the City of Detroit is built on the suburban model: single family homes, driveways, lousy transit, freeways. We created an environment where everybody is supposed to drive everywhere all the time. We thought, fifty or sixty years ago, we were doing something cool and modern. Now, a few of us, very few, realize it was a horrible mistake.

If we want to attract young professionals - that is, if we want to have any hope for a decent economy in the future - we have to tear apart what we mistakenly built, and try again. Sadly, I see absolutely no political will around here to do anything like that.

**Meddle** · November-16-10, 02:08 AM

....and drive to it. through multiple cash starved municipalities looking to cash in on DUIs.

Or I guess you could be an idiot and drive drunk, but that is your own prerogative.

If you are going to spend 20+ on drinks for the night, what is an extra 5?

Who said anything about driving intoxicated? He said drive to it. through multiple cash starved municipalities looking to cash in on DUIs. They'll either find or make up a reason to stop you and write some kind of a ticket to raise revenue. You don't have to do anything wrong late at night. If they want to stop you, they will.

$5? You open and close the door of a cab without even getting in and they'll charge you $5. To actually GO anywhere will be much more.

**Newdetroit** · November-16-10, 05:14 AM

Well it is true that urban professional want a dynamic energetic pedestrian area to live in. So there are two options. 1)Develop Midtown correctly, or 2)Urbanize Woodward Blvd from 9 mile to Maple. If you look at the Amtrak rail, it goes from Ferndale [[9 mile and hilton), through Royal Oak, then in between Royal Oak Golf Course and Elks Park, then through Eton Park where the Birminham Amtrak stop is located which is incidentally acrosss from Oakland-Troy Airport. Perhaps a start would be converting this Amtrak line into a shared pedestrian train [[Metro). Then building up 9 mile, converting the Golf Course and Elks Park into a Pedestrian downtown as well as the Eton Park area...And who knows, if the Oakland Troy airport which is being remodeled were to just take over the City Ariport, that would be huge area to develop. This would result in many downtown areas [[larger than Royal Oak) being connected by a Metro. Then you would have all these downtown areas next to each other and connnected by a Metro: Eton Park/Oakland Airport, Royal Oak Golf Course/Elks Park, Downtown Royal Oak, and then Downtown Ferndale. In addition, there is downtown Pontiac connected further north and let's not forget downtown Birminham and Berkely. If you even want to go further with this idea, the Amrtrak line goes through Springdale Golg Course at Adams and Big Beaver. This is just an idea...meaning there is actually the possiblity to reurbanize Oakland County...a metro system, many downtown areas. etc... In the meantime, Midtown and Downtown Detroit could be developed. We would have an incredible urban layout with a beautiful downtown, midtown, and then 7-10 downtowns between 9 mile and Pontiac. I know, this will never happen though. People would be dead set against converting golf courses and Parks to downtowns, and the Oakland Troy airport is not going anywhere...But just thought Id mention this as a pie in the sky.

**Novack** · November-16-10, 06:28 AM

Originally Posted by Detroitnerd

In other news, low taxes and barebones services turn out to not attract new businesses, new residents or new sources of revenue.

Low Taxes?

Not in real estate. Taxes are one of the main reasons we have so much available property in Detroit. Lots of possible investors, but the taxes kill the margins on single family and multiple unit possible purchases.

**Lowell** · November-16-10, 07:16 AM

I think the real underlying issue is job opportunity. This poll was taken in the worst of times in the hardest and longest hit region of North America. When the adults are being laid off, having their wages and benefits slashed, being forced to move for work, being thrown out of their homes and even entry level jobs are sparse, it does not lend to an optimistic outlook.

A big chunk of this is natural. Young people tend to think where they grow up is unappealing. They prefer to be out from under their parents' thumbs, see the lights of Paris and not have to be home by midnight. I'd bet that accounts for at least 4-5 of those 'out of ten' numbers. I would be curious how this poll compares with other regions. In the Wisconsin small towns where I spent my high school years, those numbers were completely normal. Almost no one saw their future there.

Since this poll is from metro Detroit, presumably 80% of those polled are from suburbs, as that is the population make up. Very frankly, other than a handful of places like Royal Oak and Birmingham, there is 'nothing to do'. Everything requires auto transportation as noted above. The real urban big city night life in downtown Detroit and Windsor have often been cast as boogey men by parents and are off limits.

What's a kid to do?

**Danny** · November-16-10, 08:00 AM

In order to bring young professionals to Detroit, it had to have regionalizational and international corporations coming in. These regionalizational and international corporations have a endless hunger for tax breaks and other incentives. Mayor Dennis Archer proposed that plan in 1995 and it brought in fewer companies like Compware and Ernst and Young into Downtown Detroit. Our city leaders needs to go out the world and convice them that Detroit a tax cut city. Then the young yuppified kids who are fresh out of college will come to make Downtown Detroit their place to do business.

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET

Because regionalization makes cities grow for Neda's sake.