  Detroitman Member Username: Detroitman Post Number: 1034 Registered: 06-2004 |
Midtown: A risk worth taking? Developers have spent $1.6B since 2000 on Detroit area long considered dangerous. Louis Aguilar / The Detroit News http://www.detnews.com/apps/pb cs.dll/article?AID=/20070109/B IZ/701090342/1001 | ||
1953 Member Username: 1953 Post Number: 1240 Registered: 12-2004 |
I enjoyed reading this article. Thank you, Detroitman, for linking me to it. | ||
Lowell Board Administrator Username: Lowell Post Number: 3540 Registered: 10-2003 |
I think Midtown [Cass Corridor to us old timers] is the best investment venue in the City of Detroit. It is filled with stable institutions like Wayne State, the DIA, CCS, and the Medical Center. Making it especially attractive are the 50 + cultural venues within walking distance with downtown not that far away with all of its sports and other venues. Yes, crime is an issue but crime is always relative in terms of perception. Compared to, say, two or three decades ago when that area was a declining high crime artist bohemia district of dilapidated flophouses, it is now far more secure. The perception, which is correct, is that it is getting safer which added to its attractions will make its appeal continue to grow. The new residents with their money and connections will demand and get even more security. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 8127 Registered: 10-2003 |
The best way to improve the area is to move there. | ||
Detroitduo Member Username: Detroitduo Post Number: 782 Registered: 06-2005 |
I thought the article was a nice read, but I felt that the negatives were more "jabs" or sneers than actual facts being pointed out. I felt the article matched it's title quite well, but overall it was the typical type of article I would expect a jaded non-City-of-Detroiter to write. Sneering that people would actually spend $200k-$300k for a condo in a neighborhood where "shady" things may still go down on occasion. Kinda reminds me of our "friends" who all told us we were making a huge mistake buying in Brush Park, 5 years ago. The fact is, as more people move into the neighborhood with money and expectations, the more the neighborhood will change. 6 years ago, the neighborhood was scary. 2 years ago, it was managable. Today I hardly recognize it. | ||
Mrjoshua Member Username: Mrjoshua Post Number: 1139 Registered: 03-2005 |
The investment cost is well worth it especially if you are a casual user of crack and other street drugs. You don't have to drive to pick them up which lessens the chance that your car will be impounded if arrested. Prostitutes are also within walking distance of your loft and their mobility to and from your place of residence can result in discounts for services rendered. | ||
Stecks77 Member Username: Stecks77 Post Number: 242 Registered: 08-2006 |
Mrjoushua: Are there any VD clinics nearby that you find especially convenient? | ||
Boo Member Username: Boo Post Number: 168 Registered: 01-2004 |
i think the article is a fair assessment of the current state of affairs in midtown- to sugarcoat anything is pointless. as for mrjoshua- if you are looking for the highest possible return on investment than midtown might not be right for you. quality of life means a lot of different things to different people and to assume that it all boils down to dollar and cents only for every resident of midtown is stupid. | ||
Mrjoshua Member Username: Mrjoshua Post Number: 1140 Registered: 03-2005 |
For me it means unfettered access to easily obtainable/competitively priced street drugs and ladies of the night. DetroitStylin sold me on this area for the above reasons and I'm determined to see it through. | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 710 Registered: 04-2006 |
Stecks, just go up the Lodge to Hermann Kieffer Hospital. If you're bold enough to ask that in public I'd suggest going right away. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 3414 Registered: 08-2004 |
Mrjoshua, I think they miss you on Non-Detroit issues... go back to that neighborhood where your predilections are more appreciated.... | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 140 Registered: 09-2006 |
MrJoshua, if you dont want to get those drugs in midtown/brushpark , while your at it ,don't forget you can always hop in your car and drive to downtown Royal Oak and Birmingham as you can buy them there also, with the right connections, only in a much more upscale enviroment. The prostitutes are also readily available in those areas also,, Only problem out there is you cant walk to baseball games, football games, prime theater, opera etc.. Gee, sounds like those folks there have to drive to our area for some of the more enjoyable things to do. (Message edited by DetroitBill on January 09, 2007) | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 5400 Registered: 02-2004 |
The development and gentification of Cass Corridor and medical district is to me a success. Higher demand of megalofts and supercondos had lured lots of hip cool skinny white kids into that area. (Message edited by danny on January 10, 2007) | ||
Gambling_man Member Username: Gambling_man Post Number: 930 Registered: 11-2003 |
Living in downtown, or anywhere in this city has some challenges, to be sure....but JT1 said it best earlier, when he said that if you want to improve an area, move there. I am also a city resident who is starting to resent people from outside the city (who have no intention of living or coming here) pointing fingers at everything that we do right or wrong. There are alot of things wrong with the city.....the greatest of which is the fact that alot of good people don't live here.....even the ones pointing their fingers. | ||
Stecks77 Member Username: Stecks77 Post Number: 243 Registered: 08-2006 |
I'm VD free! I assumed Mrjoshua was not considering he was partaking in all the local "action." Nice one Detroitplanner | ||
Futurecity Member Username: Futurecity Post Number: 440 Registered: 05-2005 |
Mrjoshua, Crawl back under the rock from whence you came. Quickly, before the worms on your back begin to dry. | ||
Mrjoshua Member Username: Mrjoshua Post Number: 1141 Registered: 03-2005 |
Being a Detroiter, Futurecity, I can see where you're coming from with your request. I am simply reinvesting my hard-earned money back into pockets of the CoD that need it most. Yes, this is being somewhat of a hedonistic Robinhood of sorts, but it benefits everyone in the end. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 8137 Registered: 10-2003 |
Hopefully no pun intended. | ||
French777 Member Username: French777 Post Number: 65 Registered: 10-2006 |
Me and my cousins drove down to the Fox theater to see White Christmas and they all went to Wayne State and they are like " Wow I hardly reconize it. This area is so much better!!" | ||
Eric Member Username: Eric Post Number: 663 Registered: 11-2004 |
A risk worth taking? Seems to me that developers answered this question years ago with a yes. Midtown isnt nearly as risky a place to live or invest as it was 5-10 years ago. | ||
Korridorkid Member Username: Korridorkid Post Number: 5 Registered: 01-2005 |
I've been Living in Midtown now for about 4 years and I've noticed the dramatic change in only four years, but I can't help wonder whether or not things will slowdown when the residents who may previously come from built-up /developed suburbs who choose to live down here, still don't have some communitiy amenities that they may be used to/enjoy. Not to sound uppity or anything but more places like Avalon (specialty food stores and Markets) MCBC, Mantra, Amsterdam Coffeehouse, and other gathering and retail spots indicative of a thriving energetic artistic neighborhood. Even basic amenities like more dry cleaners, Laundrymats-missing 2nd street!-more walkable chain drugstores or comparable independent market cleaner, safer greenspaces, streetcleaning etc. I don't mean to try to suburbanize midtown, because majority of what i enjoy about it is it's difference to suburbs, but those are things that i would like to see more of and i think would further entice more developers and residents to the area. Some thoughts i suppose... Also does anyone think that Midtown Re-development/restoration will surpass the overall speed of downtown/CBD redev. in terms of (but not restricted to) land value, commercial space occupied, number of new developments and percentage of available residential units filled (taking into account space and limitations available by respective locations). Does Midtown have the possibility to be the Anchor Redev. space in Detroit's future and the Downtown area will follow? Love to hear some ideas and thoughts! | ||
Haydenth Member Username: Haydenth Post Number: 203 Registered: 05-2005 |
I just moved out of Midtown. It's not a terrible place to live but if you're trying to be legit with your auto insurance and pay taxes then it can get somewhat pricey. I'm 23 with a perfect driving record and insurance was upwards of $300/mo. Income taxes for residents who work in the burbs is 2.5%. Rent was very reasonable in midtown. This is pretty par for the course everywhere in Detroit though. I lived in the Belcrest (5440 Cass) and found it to be a pretty well run place with convenient parking. I had a skyline view but just couldn't afford it (and didn't go to WSU) so I moved just east of Alter Rd. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2041 Registered: 06-2004 |
Quitter. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 212 Registered: 10-2006 |
Downtown versus Midtown for residents; interesting thought and idea. I sorta doubt that they are necessarily competing as they have different markets. I would guess that Midtown is more for college age/young professionals whereas downtown would only be for those who can afford it. I would guess that the average person all else being equal would rather live downtown. Certainly the scale of Midtown is more similar to what those moving in from the burbs might be familiar with and has more of a neighborhood feel; downtown would have more of a feeling of larger city. The more that I think about it, they are different markets. Which one will have more residents/higher percentage of occupancy is probably also a toss up.... | ||
Haydenth Member Username: Haydenth Post Number: 204 Registered: 05-2005 |
That's alright, I still spent more time living in the city than about 80% of this forum. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2043 Registered: 06-2004 |
It was a joke. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 288 Registered: 04-2006 |
i don't believe downtown is necessarily more desirable... though it has a big city feel that midtown lacks, midtown BEATS downtown in cultural attractions, parties, art galleries, independent music venues, grocery stores, etc... plus unique things such as avalon, eastern market, etc... are so handy... until we get public transit,i don't think i could live in the CBD myself... everything i do is up on this end... | ||
Mrjoshua Member Username: Mrjoshua Post Number: 1146 Registered: 03-2005 |
A State Farm agent in Midtown informed me that local auto insurance rates were dropping by nearly 30 percent within a few months. I'm not sure why, but this is a welcome development. | ||
Dabirch Member Username: Dabirch Post Number: 2045 Registered: 06-2004 |
I think it is because so many have found the convenience of walking to their dealer's locale that the incidence of accidents related to drug use have plummeted. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 215 Registered: 10-2006 |
Midtown does have more of the 'neighborhood' attractions, but the CBD has a nice share of the classy bars, sporting venues, and lots of 'high culture' attractions from the Opera House to the DAC... | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 1035 Registered: 03-2006 |
Plus CBD has Bouzouki! | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 1038 Registered: 03-2006 |
I moved from Woodbridge to Downtown and I love it here. I love going for walks at night and people watching, walking to the Y and Sweet Loraine's. Tons of good bars and I'm a Lions and Tigers season ticket holder. Ironically enough my parents stayed at the Atheneum on New Years and their room looked directly into my place. | ||
Andylinn Member Username: Andylinn Post Number: 293 Registered: 04-2006 |
but chitaku, how are you going to get the "united we stand," th ebest coney in the city? | ||
Spaceboykelly Member Username: Spaceboykelly Post Number: 191 Registered: 04-2005 |
I was at the party at Mantra Chinatown that was mentioned at the beginning of the News article [one of the "gaggle of college kids"] and it was [as all Mantra parties are] fabulous. Do yourselves a favor and check it out... it's a risk worth taking. P.S. I'm surprised nobody has brought up how funny "a risk worth taking" is. | ||
Detroitbill Member Username: Detroitbill Post Number: 142 Registered: 09-2006 |
I also enjoy living downtown,, live in Lafayette Park, walk to many things I like to do on the weekends,, Greektown, Eastern Market, RenCen, Campus Martius, Baseball- Football games, jazz and art festivals,,, I think its a great place to live,, | ||
Thecarl Member Username: Thecarl Post Number: 980 Registered: 04-2005 |
that's the trendy "old miami" beach, right? | ||
Detroitduo Member Username: Detroitduo Post Number: 784 Registered: 06-2005 |
Keep us posted on the State Farm Insurance thing... That sounds like a good thing. | ||
Jt1 Member Username: Jt1 Post Number: 8148 Registered: 10-2003 |
30% off on State Farm rates is still considerably more than many other carriers. | ||
Gistok Member Username: Gistok Post Number: 3433 Registered: 08-2004 |
Thecarl, yes... South Beach is the Art Deco district of old Miami Beach. After it was saved from "the wrecking ball of bigger developments" by Barbara Ann Capitman and other preservationists in the 70's-80's, it became the very trendy hot spot known today as South Beach. | ||
Chitaku Member Username: Chitaku Post Number: 1041 Registered: 03-2006 |
AndyLinn the best coney in town is Duly's in Southwest! |
