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I was recently offered an employment opportunity in the metro detroit, Oakland county area to start in November. I currently live in LA (San Fernando valley) and was actually pretty excited about the move (love hockey, love the snow, love being drivable to Midwest and east .............be robbed and murdered, or watch the city I live in crumble and then not have access to public services.
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Originally Posted by RedWingsFan1
Thanks in advance.
Detroit itself has been dead for years, the Metro area, far from it. There is a huge difference between the city and the 'burbs - has been for a long time. Nothing new there. The media only cares to talk about Detroit and is oblivious to the condition of the Metro area.
What is new and current (suburbs, not the city) is a (quietly) rather low unemployment rate, especially among the skilled and educated. Don't believe the sob stories ya hear on TV (viewed by the unemployed, mostly), just try to go somewhere (outside of the City, that is) during rush hour. I'm fairly certain that 3:30 to 6:30 PM is not the time period of choice to go pick up your unemployment check. Rule of thumb around here: you could always gauge the economy here just by the rush hour traffic...I remember in 1980 you could drive all the way across Detroit on I-94 at 5:00 without ever touching the brake pedal. 696 and I-75 today? Bumper to bumper - even without construction crews. All those people aren't coming home from the casinos or the bars at that hour. Michigan has gone from ranking 42th in new job creation to ranking 10th! All that in just 3 years.
Real estate prices in the far suburban areas (northern Oakland and NW Macomb counties) are almost back to "bubble" prices and it wouldn't be so if there weren't any takers. Parts of B'ham and Bloomfield (and adjacent parts of Troy) are slowly turning into "Southfield II," and are no longer the desireable spots to locate yourself. There are many more "stable" locations in Oakland Co. to find a place to live - and many of them are gorgeous.
The flip side of the equation is that California is headed into some peculiar (possibly disasterous) eco-political situation which looks for all the world like a long term event. I'd avoid it...and those nasty income taxes they take from ya are obscene.
San Fernando is so yesterday and not to mention, in recent times, the focus of San Andreas earthquakes every 20 30 years that can ruin your house if not kill ya when that tile roof falls in. I'd stay out of there just for that reason alone.
Don't believe at least half of what you hear - BS is kinda the new pastime these days - particularly in the media. My advice, come see for yourself. But time is of the essence...take that job first. If nothing else, not much in the broad sense of time has changed. The Wings still rule, the Tigers are always near the top...and Cedar Point is better than ever. Get otta San Fernando for petesakes!
Last edited by TwinbrookNine; 10-05-2013 at 09:25 AM..
Detroit itself has been dead for years, the Metro area, far from it. There is a huge difference between the city and the 'burbs - has been for a long time. Nothing new there. The media only cares to talk about Detroit and is oblivious to the condition of the Metro area.
What is new and current (suburbs, not the city) is a (quietly) rather low unemployment rate, especially among the skilled and educated. Don't believe the sob stories ya hear on TV (viewed by the unemployed, mostly), just try to go somewhere (outside of the City, that is) during rush hour. I'm fairly certain that 3:30 to 6:30 PM is not the time period of choice to go pick up your unemployment check. Rule of thumb around here: you could always gauge the economy here just by the rush hour traffic...I remember in 1980 you could drive all the way across Detroit on I-94 at 5:00 without ever touching the brake pedal. 696 and I-75 today? Bumper to bumper - even without construction crews. All those people aren't coming home from the casinos or the bars at that hour. Michigan has gone from ranking 42th in new job creation to ranking 10th! All that in just 3 years.
Real estate prices in the far suburban areas (northern Oakland and NW Macomb counties) are almost back to "bubble" prices and it wouldn't be so if there weren't any takers. Parts of B'ham and Bloomfield (and adjacent parts of Troy) are slowly turning into "Southfield II," and are no longer the desireable spots to locate yourself. There are many more "stable" locations in Oakland Co. to find a place to live - and many of them are gorgeous.
The flip side of the equation is that California is headed into some peculiar (possibly disasterous) eco-political situation which looks for all the world like a long term event. I'd avoid it...and those nasty income taxes they take from ya are obscene.
San Fernando is so yesterday and not to mention, in recent times, the focus of San Andreas earthquakes every 20 30 years that can ruin your house if not kill ya when that tile roof falls in. I'd stay out of there just for that reason alone.
Don't believe at least half of what you hear - BS is kinda the new pastime these days - particularly in the media. My advice, come see for yourself. But time is of the essence...take that job first. If nothing else, not much in the broad sense of time has changed. The Wings still rule, the Tigers are always near the top...and Cedar Point is better than ever. Get otta San Fernando for petesakes!
What do you mean outside of the city? There are nearly 100,000 employees in downtown Detroit. Most of the traffic goes towards downtown Detroit in the morning and away from it in the evening. Plus at the time of events (sports games, fireworks, ect) downtown Detroit is by far the busiest place in Metro Detroit. And Detroit is not dead. I see more people outside walking around or hanging out in the average Detroit neighborhood than any cookie cutter subdivision.
What do you mean outside of the city? There are nearly 100,000 employees in downtown Detroit. Most of the traffic goes towards downtown Detroit in the morning and away from it in the evening. Plus at the time of events (sports games, fireworks, ect) downtown Detroit is by far the busiest place in Metro Detroit. And Detroit is not dead. I see more people outside walking around or hanging out in the average Detroit neighborhood than any cookie cutter subdivision.
Which neighborhoods, specifically? Not calling you out here or trying to start an argument: I'm genuinely curious. My wife and I spent around nine hours over the course of two days driving around Detroit and with the exception of downtown and a couple of areas to the northeast (that we don't know the name of - I did mark them on our map, though) there was virtually nobody around, at least by Dallas standards. I know, of course, that nine hours isn't even close to enough time to gauge a city and that's why I'm asking.
Which neighborhoods, specifically? Not calling you out here or trying to start an argument: I'm genuinely curious. My wife and I spent around nine hours over the course of two days driving around Detroit and with the exception of downtown and a couple of areas to the northeast (that we don't know the name of - I did mark them on our map, though) there was virtually nobody around, at least by Dallas standards. I know, of course, that nine hours isn't even close to enough time to gauge a city and that's why I'm asking.
The majority of Detroit is decaying, with small pockets of well kept neighborhoods (Sherwood Forest, the Chicago Blvd. Corridor, Boston-Edison, Dowtown, Midtown, Corktown, Greektown, West Village, Indian village). I drove through the city today. The entire area enclosed by I-75, I-94, Vernon, and St. John Street is pretty much gutted. It's the worst type of inner-city decay I've ever seen. Houses are blown out; there are tons of empty, unkempt lots; and the houses that are still occupied are probably not compliant with health codes. On top of it, the people that are hanging around outside appear to be dazed, having no idea what they are there doing. Essentially, they are people without a purpose. They are walking around, sitting on their front porches watching each other, coasting through life without a single idea of how to escape the tragedy they are encapsulated in.
It certainly cannot be argued that more people are out and about in the neighborhoods of Detroit than the suburbs. Places like Royal Oak, Ferndale, Plymouth, Novi, Birmingham, and Ann Arbor would easily refute that point.
I hope the best for this region, but the people in it are extremely jaded, stubborn, and opposed to any significant change. It'll no doubt be an uphill battle turning it around.
The majority of Detroit is decaying, with small pockets of well kept neighborhoods (Sherwood Forest, the Chicago Blvd. Corridor, Boston-Edison, Dowtown, Midtown, Corktown, Greektown, West Village, Indian village). I drove through the city today. The entire area enclosed by I-75, I-94, Vernon, and St. John Street is pretty much gutted. It's the worst type of inner-city decay I've ever seen. Houses are blown out; there are tons of empty, unkempt lots; and the houses that are still occupied are probably not compliant with health codes. On top of it, the people that are hanging around outside appear to be dazed, having no idea what they are there doing. Essentially, they are people without a purpose. They are walking around, sitting on their front porches watching each other, coasting through life without a single idea of how to escape the tragedy they are encapsulated in.
It certainly cannot be argued that more people are out and about in the neighborhoods of Detroit than the suburbs. Places like Royal Oak, Ferndale, Plymouth, Novi, Birmingham, and Ann Arbor would easily refute that point.
I hope the best for this region, but the people in it are extremely jaded, stubborn, and opposed to any significant change. It'll no doubt be an uphill battle turning it around.
I assume you mean Vernor (not Vernon) and St. Jean (not St. John).
In any event, I do appreciate your posts on this forum. While I know you're all for sticking around to hopefully see your home make a huge comeback, you also aren't jaded to how half-ass backwards this region is, and you seem to understand why some people may feel so negatively about the oppressive dysfunction (no other region functions like Detroit).
And this won't change overnight. You have now about 3 generations of Detroiters (suburban and city proper) who consider the way we're doing thing now "normal."
Last edited by 313Weather; 10-05-2013 at 05:56 PM..
I assume you mean Vernor (not Vernon) and St. Jean (not St. John).
In any event, I do appreciate your posts on this forum. While I know you're all for sticking around to hopefully see your home make a huge comeback, you also aren't jaded to how half-ass backwards this region is, and you seem to understand why some people may feel so negatively about the oppressive dysfunction (no other region functions like Detroit).
And this won't change overnight. You have now about 3 generations of Detroiters (suburban and city proper) who consider the way we're doing thing now "normal."
Yeah, those are the streets. Thanks for correcting it. I was reading quickly from Google Maps to see which area I was in and didn't think twice to check the spelling. I don't know if this particular region is known by a certain neighborhood name, so I just listed the roads I was between. It looked like a war zone.
Looking over this thread, I think some of the Detroit advocate posters here either don't live in Metro Detroit, or haven't in a very long time, as their uber positive image of the metro area is borderline delusional.
Jobs? What jobs? I know tons of people in the area who are unemployed or soon will be and, despite numerous submissions, can not find a new one. There's simply way more demand than supply in this regard.
People are leaving by the DROVES. I mean, I feel like I'm seeing someone on my street move on a weekly basis at this rate.
Crime IS spreading to the suburbs. My area, which some would consider affluent and probably was at one time, has been the victim numerous home invasions as well as auto thefts within September alone! Something that if you told me 10 years ago, I would have called your crazy.
And, as was mentioned on here, there's very little fun to be had here anymore, as most people seem to always stay in and whether it be Downtown Detroit on a Saturday or Ferndale/Royal Oak on a Friday, these places are pretty much ghost towns now.
To the OP, leave LA to come to Detroit? You don't hear that to often. All I can say is feel free to move down here if you wish, but do so at your own risk as I can almost promise you that you will end up wanting to leave rather quickly.
What do you mean outside of the city? There are nearly 100,000 employees in downtown Detroit. Most of the traffic goes towards downtown Detroit in the morning and away from it in the evening. Plus at the time of events (sports games, fireworks, ect) downtown Detroit is by far the busiest place in Metro Detroit. And Detroit is not dead.
100,000 compared to how many millions that work outside Detroit? Also, Detroit has several expressways and main roads radiating from it which facilitates rush hour traffic (compared to the grid pattern prevalent in the suburbs).
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I see more people outside walking around or hanging out in the average Detroit neighborhood than any cookie cutter subdivision.
And therein lies the problem: too many people hanging around looking for/causing trouble.
And therein lies the problem: too many people hanging around looking for/causing trouble.
This is certainly a criticism specific to Detroit. When you hear about or see people walking around in other cities, it is not automatically assumed that they are looking for/causing trouble. In fact, some (vibrant) cities pride themselves on how walkable their cities are. You guys are probably tired of hearing it by now, but this was particularly a strength in Denver. In fact, their downtown had an outdoor pedestrian mall that drew several thousands of people on any given night with its retail shops, bars, cafes, and restaurants. Heck, there were even a ton of people strolling in the evening in the residential neighborhoods and you wouldn't have thought twice about it.
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