CAdreaming

Im living in CA and havent really travelled much outside of the state in the shortish time ive been here - last week however we went on a trip to Detroit.
Hubby was born there, left when he was 7 but still has relatives there and is still a Michigan kid at heart.

I was a bit apprehensive after seeing photos of swathes of derelict houses and yes we did indeed see dereliction and poverty but on the whole I really liked it - and could live there.

Uncles live in the suburbs which are like separate towns on there own and the downtown area is cool - loved the Fisher building and saw Canada across the river

It is very different from California but I did love the big city vibe and the passion of the people for the cars (we were there for the dream cruise)
It's a city with soul and I would be interested to know what others feel/felt

lisa67

Glad you liked it. We lived north of Detroit for 7 years and often went there to eat, watch the Tigers game, the International Jazz Festival and concerts at the Fox theater. It has a lot to offer and I think that often people are scared because of its reputation.

Bob

And the winters!

lisa67

Definitely didn't mind leaving the snow behind!

Manc

Suburbia is fine. The problem for me is that the affluent areas of the suburbs like say, Sterling Hts and Troy and Royal Oak all shun Detroit and won't lift a finger to help the ailing city, without understanding that it's own future and prosperity as a suburb is directly linked to the Downtown area.

cxx

Love Michigan and Detroit - yes, there are some bad areas (maybe more than some other cities, but less than others), but there are some stunning buildings downtown (Fisher, Fox theater, RenCen, etc.) - in many cases the insides are even better than the outsides.
Highly recommend the Preservation Wayne tours if you want to see more of downtown - we took a few of their tours and the guides had a genuine love / passion for Detroit.
There are some beautiful towns / villages (aka surburbs) around that I'd move to tomorrow if I could get a visa

Bayleaf_01

We moved here 3 months ago and we love it. We are north of Detroit in Rochester Hills, there are some beautiful walks and loads of play structures for the kids.
This area has some excellent school districts as well.
Haven't experienced a winter yet .... I'll reserve judgment on that!!

lisa67

get a gas powered snow blower if you have a decent length of drive way...you won't be sorry! Buy your winter clothing (coats, boots etc) as soon as they come in the stores as once they're gone they don't tend to re stock.

Bayleaf_01

Thank you for the advice. We are lucky we get our first winter in a community that clears the snow for us. Starting to see winter coats creeping into shops, will have to go any find some soon. Thanks again

Manc

the snow isn't that bad, it's not lake effect that twats norther ohio off Erie or West MI off lake mich.......

but the wind.

my god the wind

Bob

Get a decent, metal tipped plough shovel all the same...always handy to clear your steps and get the car out, because even if you're in a condo with someone doing it, doesn't help you much if they don't get to your place till 10 in the morning when you've got to leave at 7...

Ash UK/US

I loved snow until I moved here... The first couple of years were fun now I hate the bloody stuff!!!

Karen68

You forget that Detroit is in Wayne County and the affluent suburbs you speak of are not and that tax dollars flow accordingly. the Grosse Points are in Wayne County and they have very affluent areas. I don't think that the suburbs' prosperity is linked to Detroit anymore - there are thousands of businesses outside of Detroit that do just fine the way things are. There is 40 years history of why people have fled from Detroit to the suburbs and I think everybody who lives around here would like nothing more than for the inner city to get back on its feet. Unfortunately there are declining tax revenues and the city respond by cutting the emergency services, which is counter-productive when it comes to crime levels and the feeling of safety. People have no say where their tax dollars go and who wants to move to somewhere where they do not feel protected?

We suburbanites are supporting Detroit though - there was a millage on the recent ballots to provide funding for the Detroit Institute of Arts, based in downtown Detroit and this was passed by Macomb, Oakland and Wayne counties. Every year from now on we will be paying a tax to support operating costs so the DIA does not have to dip into its endowment.

Manc

seems fair enough, Detroit was paying for white people in Royal Oak to go see zoo animals for years.......