I may be moving to Detroit in June. I know all of the shit-talk that goes around about Detroit and its crime problem these days, but since I may be forced to move there, do you guys have any recommendations on where to live within the city limits? I do NOT want to live in the suburbs. I'm not that picky about location otherwise -- I'd mostly just want to be close-ish to the Magic Stick and to great ethnic food. I'd also prefer to live in a house rather than an apartment/condominium. I've never even been to the city so any advice would be a great help.

How's the city overall?

learn how to use a knife? guns are for sissies.

How's the city overall?

That would depend on who you talk to, and which neighborhood. It changes block by block, and sometimes quite abruptly. Some gangs are scary bad-asses that you do not want a run in with. Others are little more than mouthy teenagers. Same as any other crumbling city? As for where to live? I'd suggest Hamtramck, based on what you wrote. It's a short drive to Downtown/Midtown, has nothing but ethnic food, and there is no shortage of decent one and a half story houses on good blocks that are so affordable, I'd buy one before I rented.

(geography-wise; Hamtramck is a 2 sq. mile city within the city of Detroit, with it's own council-manager government, police, and fire departments)

Yeah, I'll second what The Driver says. Based on what you said, Hamtramck was my first recommendation for you. Other neighborhoods to look into would be Woodbridge, Corktown, Southwest, Eastern Market and maybe Indian Village. It all depends on how comfortable you are with crime and decay I suppose. Look before you leap! And maybe just for arguments sake go look at a place in Ferndale or Oak Park just to get a baseline for the nearby suburb experience (rent-wise and comfort-wise.)

or, NW side, where I grew up. You can get a mansion in Palmer Woods, CHEAP (and pay plenty for heating it).
University District (off 7 Mile), Golf Course, Green Acres (just off 8 Mile), Sherwood Forest. These are huge houses.

Hamtramack has a lot of duplexes, close together, but it also has a viable commercial strip. Not too far from MagicStick but never walkable.
Other neighborhoods near MagicStick are Boston-Edison, Canfield Street, New Center Area. Can be dicey down there. You may need a mean dog and be comfortable with handling guns for protection.

If you want to live downtown, Lafayette or Harmony Park has townhouses, etc.

for suburbs, Ferndale & Royal Oak are not that far out, and they're older. Royal Oak has become kind of a gourmet ghetto but there's a downtown which has bars, restaurants, etc. No crime/break-ins worries.

I tell you one thing --- you can buy a perfectly decent house in any of the above for $25K, maybe $50K in Royal Oak.

the city varies, it can be really tough, where just going into a neighborhood makes you break into a sweat. A lot of the middle ring of the city is gone --- empty blocks where every building has been knocked down, or just one or two left. But from what I've heard, there's hope.

here's a positive blog: http://www.detroitblog.org/

Detroit and Memphis have a lot in common I think.


Ann Arbor is a nice option (and lots going on there) but depends on your commute.

GOOD LUCK!

A lot of white folks are also from the far SW side, near Dearborn, but I don't know anything about that area. Still viable tho.

And there is BADASS Mexican food in SW....

Hamtramck

Lived there for 6 months and I would move back just so I could walk over to Golden Hill Chop Suey every weekend. I got hooked on that food for some reason.

We had bikes stolen off the front porch one time, but other than that I never saw any trouble. Too bad I was there for a religious mission, or I would have gone to shows and spent more time at Record Graveyard.

Golden Hill Chop Suey closed awhile ago, sad to report, and nothing new has opened in it's place. Record Graveyard moved around the corner (across from the Post Office). And I'm sure bikes still get stolen. There were daytime break-ins happening back in the summer, but my perception was that they were more often than not, "crimes of opportunity".

I'll second Jesse's comment about Detroit and Memphis having plenty in common (good and bad). That will at least give you some idea of what you're in for.

Greektown.

I once saw a three hundred pound woman taking a shit on that big church up the street from the Magic Stick on Woodward as I drove by .... does that count for a review?

Rich: I'd say that counts. IF thats not a selling point I don't know what is.


Driver: Sad to hear that Golden Hill is gone. Damn. I was planning on coming out to Michigan with my wife this year (I haven't been back to visit since I lived there in '02-'03), and I wanted to stop by for some curry chicken.

Well, hell, Lafayette Coney Island is still there!

yeah, that neighborhood down near the Ambassador Bridge is pretty cool. Formerly "Mexicantown" but I suspect they're spread out now. Once again, a place where you'd need a mean dog.

"Corktown" is pretty sparse, housing-options wise.

Hamtramack hasn't been the same since Lili left us.

"Corktown" is pretty sparse, housing-options wise.

Good point. Although a lot of folks do seem to live over there. And hey, act quick, Jack White's brother's geodesic dome (behind the train station) is for sale (or was, last time I looked)

Hamtramck hasn't been the same since Lili left us.

True that. But some fun was sure had last night at The Painted Lady (Clone Defects!)

Now this should be interesting; I'm going out there to look for breakfast fixings...

Farming: One Way To Try and Save Detroit (from Fortune Magazine)

Farmington Hills. ??

If you are moving in that area move to the Royal Oak/Ferndale area. Better yet, forget Detroit move to Kalamazoo.

Hey, man, move to Detroit and start your own business!!!

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/us/10startup.html?scp=1&sq=detroit&s t=cse


Movie theater on Cass Corridor! How about a rock 'n roll bar that shows movies? with a shooting range in the basement!