What's up with this area she left? Greenview & 8 mile...

**Zacha341** · April-03-11, 06:40 PM

Fox 2 Detroit posted an article about an older lady leaving Detroit who used to live in the Greenview and Eight Mile area [[off the Southfield fwy)... What's going on over there? According to her enough crime and lack of services to finally give up and leave:

Former Resident of Detroit: "I Wanted to Stay, But I Got Tired"

http://www.myfoxdetroit.com/dpp/news...ut-i-got-tired

**eno** · April-03-11, 06:53 PM

Down Greenview at 7 Mile Road, there was the incident of church members and their cars being pelted by vandals atop the roof of the abandoned Arnold Home, a retirement/convalescent center. There is a TV2 Fox News story on the incident if you can find it. I believe there was another incident when a woman ran over her boy friend with a moving van in the last few months and another involving an attempted car jacking gone bad when the car owner was shot dead at a gas station.

**Bham1982** · April-03-11, 07:14 PM

I don't know if this neighborhood has a specific name, but it's around Henry Ford High and O'Hair Park. I had relatives in this area until about 10 years ago, and a family member taught at Henry Ford until recently.

This was a completely decent neighborhood until maybe 10 years ago. Even 3-5 years ago it was semi-ok. Now it seriously sucks, and abandonment is spreading like wildfire.

It seems like everything in NW Detroit that isn't nice brick homes is going to hell. Basically all the modest bungalow neighborhoods have serious challenges, and I don't know how we can best respond. The "brick home" areas like Green Acres, University District, etc. are fine [[at least for now), but I don't know who will buy the nondescript bungalow-style homes.

IMO, the only way to salvage these bungalow blocks is for a new demographic to take a chance on the area. The African American population is moving out, and no one is taking their place.

Also, this area was solid middle class. This was never a lower working-class area. It was blacks with good union jobs, and they sent their kids to universities. When this area transitioned from white to black in the 1970's, it really didn't change much at all. It was the same good homeowning, civic-minded folks. It really was the last decade when everything fell apart.

**laurin** · April-03-11, 07:33 PM

We actually just left there in August. After much discussion, we couldn't deal with the crime, lack of services, deterioration of neighborhood, lack of decent shopping, and crime. It's hard even the most dedicated to stay there and watch your neighborhood fall apart around you.

**BrushStart** · April-03-11, 07:36 PM

What's happening in some neighborhoods is really, really sad. But, I don't think it can be stopped. I just don't see how some of these neighborhoods are ever going to be desirable in the future. Many of them would have declined even if city services were good- people are just not moving to areas like NW Detroit. Why would they?

Americans in general [[not just in Metro Detroit) are dividing into two camps: [[1) dense urban dwellers, and [[2) rural suburban dwellers. Older, less urban parts cities and inner-ring suburbs are in severe decline all over the Midwest, and even a bit in the Northeast. Take a look at the census maps, almost every metro looks like a bull's eye- growth in the urban core, and growth in the exurbs, with heavy losses in between.

The only neighborhoods escaping the decline are those with superior housing stocks. If you think about it, why would anyone want to live in an older, semi-urban neighborhood with nondescript houses? People would rather live in a nice big house with a nice big yard in a subdivision on the outskirts of town, or they want to be in or near the heart of city where access to job centers and amenities are best.

The point is, Detroit needs to somehow offset the losses occurring across the greater parts of the city with new growth in and around the core.Take a look at Chicago. They are experiencing similar declines, but are offsetting the losses with exploding growth in the city's core. In my opinion, the number one thing Detroit needs is to build mass transit. There's no way you can get the growth of a functional urban environment without a critical piece of infrastructure like mass transit. It's as ridiculous as building suburbs without roads and expecting people to live there. It simply doesn't work.

**Jimaz** · April-03-11, 07:56 PM

Is this the abandoned Arnold Home? [[It's closer to 7 Mile.)

**eno** · April-03-11, 08:24 PM

Southfield Woods

Pitcher Woods
By Kevin Byrne 1976, 9/8/01 [[Edited by M. Zapolski, Sr.)

The square mile between Southfield & Evergreen from 7 Mile to 8 Mile was known as Southfield Woods. It was originally in Redford Twp until it was purchased by Detroit in the late 1920s.

The whole area was originally a farm owned by the Cronin family whose home was built there in the late 1890s [[2nd house north of 7 Mile on the east side of Ashton facing 7 Mile). In the late 1920s, the Cronins sold some land in the western part of their farm off Grandville and Huntington [[by Cambridge & Vassar) where Redford Twp had built a 4-room school.

Mettetal was built using this Redford school as the basis for the new school. During this period, local streets had different names from the names we know: Rosemont was Wilson, & Vassar was Evergreen - imagine the confusion seeing the intersection of Southfield and Evergreen roads on a map today?

The whole farm was sold post-war to a developer who subdivided the land. Model homes were built on Ashton near Cambridge, and new homes were filled-in from east to west. In order to minimize taxes from the sale of all that land, the owner donated the land St. Gerard was built on to the archdiocese.
The developer could not develop the Pitcher Woods Ford High area because it was swampy and too sandy - deep sand with almost no clay. Did you know that Ford High has no foundation into bedrock? The area is so swampy that a cofferdam had to be built to hold back the water. Pumps and level measuring devices were installed in Ford's basement, and the whole school floats on water. The school is kept level by those pumps, which move water from high, to low, points. The pump room is located under the gym next to the pool pumps, and City engineers check the level weekly.

**Zacha341** · April-03-11, 08:28 PM

Perhaps this is the abandon nursing home that was referenced in the article...

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Is this the abandoned Arnold Home? [[It's closer to 7 Mile.)

**Lowell** · April-03-11, 08:38 PM

This Arnold Home. Link

**eno** · April-03-11, 08:48 PM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

Is this the abandoned Arnold Home? [[It's closer to 7 Mile.)

Yes, that is the Arnold Home along Greenview, between 7 Mile Rd. and Cambridge.

**Wesley Mouch** · April-03-11, 08:52 PM

Interesting that the quality housing stock -- brick -- areas are doing well, and the frame areas [[lower quality) are not. Brightmoor vs. Eliza Howell subdivision is a great comparison. Brightmoor nearly rural ruins. Eliza Howell doing quite well.

NorthEndere · April-03-11, 09:18 PM

Originally Posted by Wesley Mouch

Interesting that the quality housing stock -- brick -- areas are doing well, and the frame areas [[lower quality) are not. Brightmoor vs. Eliza Howell subdivision is a great comparison. Brightmoor nearly rural ruins. Eliza Howell doing quite well.

This isn't anything new. Very, very generally [[and with a lot of exceptions) just look at the difference between the vast bulk of the westside and eastsides of the city.

**Zacha341** · April-03-11, 09:30 PM

Wow! Fascinating bit of side info re. that area. I did know that some areas of Southfield are swamp land but not that far into Detroit...

Originally Posted by eno

...Did you know that Ford High has no foundation into bedrock? The area is so swampy that a cofferdam had to be built to hold back the water. Pumps and level measuring devices were installed in Ford's basement, and the whole school floats on water. The school is kept level by those pumps, which move water from high, to low, points. The pump room is located under the gym next to the pool pumps, and City engineers check the level weekly.

**Zacha341** · April-03-11, 09:34 PM

Yeah, it's got to be a thrill to live so close to that giant eye sore. When will it be torn down? Who knows what goes on inside with it laying open as it is. Who is the owner?

Originally Posted by eno

Yes, that is the Arnold Home along Greenview, between 7 Mile Rd. and Cambridge.

DetroitPole · April-04-11, 01:33 PM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

I don't know if this neighborhood has a specific name, but it's around Henry Ford High and O'Hair Park. I had relatives in this area until about 10 years ago, and a family member taught at Henry Ford until recently.

This was a completely decent neighborhood until maybe 10 years ago. Even 3-5 years ago it was semi-ok. Now it seriously sucks, and abandonment is spreading like wildfire.

It seems like everything in NW Detroit that isn't nice brick homes is going to hell. Basically all the modest bungalow neighborhoods have serious challenges, and I don't know how we can best respond. The "brick home" areas like Green Acres, University District, etc. are fine [[at least for now), but I don't know who will buy the nondescript bungalow-style homes.

IMO, the only way to salvage these bungalow blocks is for a new demographic to take a chance on the area. The African American population is moving out, and no one is taking their place.

Also, this area was solid middle class. This was never a lower working-class area. It was blacks with good union jobs, and they sent their kids to universities. When this area transitioned from white to black in the 1970's, it really didn't change much at all. It was the same good homeowning, civic-minded folks. It really was the last decade when everything fell apart.

A new demographic maybe, but the problem is economics:

Why would you move to a non-descript bungalow in the city where services are non-existent, crime is out of control, and the schools suck, when you could move to a similar bungalow in the inner-ring burbs where crime is low, and city services and schools are at least adequate - when taxes are higher in the city???

The city needs to first and foremost get its shit together and provide SOME level of services. There is no reason why they can't do that. The bureaucracy is redundant and inefficient. Cut it and invest in the people on the ground.

The city needs to address the issue of taxes. Either lower them to reasonable levels or create incredible tax-credits for moving into ho-hum areas of the city. At least we could get the working class folks who have been leaving over the past decade to stop the bleeding maybe.

A vacant house pays no taxes. So no more crying about the city having to have high taxes because of lost residents. ANY tax revenue is better than none.

Transit, connecting those areas to downtown and the suburbs, would make them more desirable as well. Again, why would you live in a non-descript part of NW Detroit when you could live in Southfield, and your travel time anywhere on the freeway is essentially the same?

The fact of the matter is that the vast majority of the city doesn't look like Midtown or Indian Village, and we can't reasonbly expect all those other areas to be "right-sized" away.

**Danny** · April-04-11, 02:02 PM

Well here is the FINAL SOLUTION! Detroit will have to surrender to the suburbs of Wayne County, reorganize its ghettoes and city government and deal with the crabbiness from most suburban whites. Face it Detroit lost 1.1 million whites, It became too black for its own good and even middle class blacks are surrending the comfort of white suburbia. Synder, THE NERD saw Detroit's problems and He can and will propose a Detroit County. Be ready!

WORD FROM THE STREET PROPHET!

Any more folks want to tell the news that you all move to the suburbs?

Neda, I miss you.

**reddog289** · April-06-11, 01:50 AM

When the day comes when I get my walking papers from my job. I ain't gonna walk I'll get a U-Haul and say yeah I'm A Beliver. I'm a beliver that I'm leaving the State.
My Grandparents lived near that area, Other side of Evergreen near Seven Mile.
Sad to say drove by there a few months back,I know what the whole brick vs the frame house deal means.Back in the 80's before my Grandparents left I would ride my bike round the area.Vaughn St was bad.Yet the area was well kept.
I should not refer to where I live as the "hood". Others say I live there yet Detroit has it beat hands down.From a site of amazment of what had happened to Detroit, I can say this the more I see and hear.I can't be a beliver. At least right now.

**reddog289** · April-07-11, 12:36 AM

After rereading this thread, I can say one thing. The large amount of trash on the curbs, Not just in the city but some burbs. Can't say I will move yet, I cannot blame this woman for moving from there.That is one thing I would not have to want to go through.
But after hearing of all the plans for the city of Detroit through the last 3 Mayors, I can't jump on the bandwagon.The great things Cub and the GSCC have done can only go so far if there are 50 opposites to Cub and don't give a crap about what happens to their city.