Man... WHAT HAPPENED to Detroit!?

[Atomini]

So last weekend I went to visit a cousin in Windsor, Ontario. He and I decided to hop across the bridge over to Detroit and oh man oh man.... It's like going right into a third world country!

There's broken busted shit, trash and garbage all over the place.... there's homeless and poor people everywhere. 1 out of every 4 or 5 houses we drove by was occupied and the rest were abandoned and/or falling apart. The people in the occupied houses were just hanging out on the porch drinking 40s. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Graffiti all over the place... and then after driving through run down crap areas after run down areas, once in a while suddenly out of nowhere we would pass through a very nice looking part of a neighborhood with a few nice houses. It was just so strange, as if passing through black and white. What's also interesting is that here in Canada, I noticed as I got closer and closer to Detroit, things were looking shittier and shittier. Windsor looks like a paradise compared to Detroit, but as I got closer to the river and the bridge, Windsor itself started looking more and more run down...

My cousin has been over the border to Detroit frequently, and he was telling me certain areas where I shouldn't stop at red lights or stop signs and other areas to just totally avoid all together. I was the one driving us, and I was insisting on just exploring the city (because I was just SO astonished at what I was seeing around me), and he started freaking out telling me not to go here or there, etc. because of the high crime areas and supposedly very very bad areas of the city. So now here i'm thinking to myself.... that the Robocop movies are basically actually a documentary about Detroit! And the 1st movie was made 25 years ago and was trying to show a dystopic future vision of a rundown crime-ridden Detroit! Boy did they ever predict that perfectly. They hit the nail on the head when they made that movie 25 years ago.

So when I got home I decided to hop on google and look up a few things about Detroit, and here's some statistics and facts I found:

1. Detroit is the 3rd most dangerous city to live in in the united states and flint a near by city is the 4th most dangerous criminal city in the usa.

2. 7 out of 10 murders go unsolved in the motor city.

3. There are 95,000 abandon homes in Detroit and 85,000 abandon businesses in Detroit.

4. Census has calculated that since 2000 to 2010 that 250,000 people have left Detroit.

5. Since 1950 half of Detroit's population has left the motor city.

6. Unemployment is up to estimated 50% in the city of Detroit.

7. Graduation rates in the D are 25%! Kids are more likely to end up in prison than finishing high school.

8. More people live in poverty than cars on the street.

9. Abandon homes in Detroit have turned into drug houses and meth labs.

10. On devils night kids go out and burn abandon buildings about 200 last year were burned down.

11. At the MacDonald's they had bullet proof windows like at a bank and you had to pass your money through a machine.

12. Michigan is the 3rd most unemployed state in the usa.

13. Obama bailed out GM and helped create 75,000 jobs but the jobs were out sourced and the people of Detroit never got to see any of those jobs.

14. Detroit looks like hurricane Katrina hit it

15. Detroit is the only place in America that you can walk around and see 30 story sky scrapers everywhere that are abandoned. This is not common in other cities.

16. Its like something you would see out of I am legend it looks like a abandoned historical city left in ruins

17. Detroit used to be one of the most high class wealthy cities in America.

18. Real state is at record lows because of the high amounts of abandon homes that lower housing cost. The Detroit news said that hundreds of houses are up for sale in Detroit for only a dollar $1

19. Wild animals are moving back into the city... pheasants, coyotes, even beavers

20. Criminals are moving to nearby cities like the capitol city of Michigan which is Lansing Mi and places like flint which has caused city crimes to rise in these near by cities.

21. Mayor Dave Bing has pledged to knock down 10,000 structures in his first term as part of a nascent plan to "right-size" Detroit, or reconfigure the city to reflect its shrinking population

Oh and speaking of Robocop, check this little informational piece about the Detroit PD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpNSrW6PAeI That's crazy....

Just thought i'd post about this since my jaw was dropping at what I saw when I was over there.

[austinite]

Never been there but I heard it's janky.

Worst place I've lived was pricehill Ohio. White Castle had bullet proof glass at the drive-through and would deliver food through a drawer. That's when I knew I F'd up by moving there.

[MickeyKnox]

These are the worst stats i have ever seen!?? They're worse than Calcutta!

#11 made my eyes bulge?? wow..never seen or hear of that before now. sad....

[Atomini]

LOL I know, it's like Robocop, literally. It's as if the writers for the movie had a time machine and saw the future.

[kalspic]

so atomini your saying nothing has changed?

[kalspic]

buffalo isnt too far off from this either

[Atomini]

so atomini your saying nothing has changed?

Hahah well the last time I was in Detroit was when I was a kid, and I don't remember much. Apparently it was a still a shithole back then? But couldn't have been as bad as it is today!

[< <Samson> >]

When I was looking to invest in real-estate I came across Detroit. Home prices are ridiculous(a decent house is 10k<or at least was). But, I still thought it would be a waste because of the stats.

Buffalo too. . . But, Buffalo is still in NY which makes it still valuable. But, Detroit full on died.

[Honkey_Kong]

Hahah well the last time I was in Detroit was when I was a kid, and I don't remember much. Apparently it was a still a shithole back then? But couldn't have been as bad as it is today!

Even though it's soo manipulated by Michael Moore that you can't honestly call it a documentary film, checkout Roger and Me. It highlights what was happening out there in the late 80's and what was causing the current result.

Even in the shittiest part of North Las Vegas, you don't have to order your Happy Meal through bullet proof glass.

[Honkey_Kong]

When I was looking to invest in real-estate I came across Detroit. Home prices are ridiculous(a decent house is 10k<or at least was). But, I still thought it would be a waste because of the stats.

Buffalo too. . . But, Buffalo is still in NY which makes it still valuable. But, Detroit full on died.

Yeah but at the same time, you could buy huge developments for dirt cheap and make money. Think of Delta City in Robocop.

[< <Samson> >]

Yeah but at the same time, you could buy huge developments for dirt cheap and make money. Think of Delta City in Robocop.

Straight slum lord. . . . I don't want to live there to run it.

[Honkey_Kong]

Straight slum lord. . . . I don't want to live there to run it.

Dude, you could buy city blocks for next to nothing, build houses there, then give land to a company for next to nothing provided they move a factory there. then you can make money selling houses in the development to the workers at the company.

[< <Samson> >]

Dude, you could buy city blocks for next to nothing, build houses there, then give land to a company for next to nothing provided they move a factory there. then you can make money selling houses in the development to the workers at the company.

There is a lot more to it.

One I would never have access to those kind of funds

Two I think the taxes there suck ass.

[Honkey_Kong]

There is a lot more to it.

One I would never have access to those kind of funds

Two I think the taxes there suck ass.

It was just a quick idea out of my ass there, but I think it could work. Getting funding wouldn't be impossible from other investors and I don't know about taxes, but the wealthy sure can find loop-holes.

[Atomini]

Yeah but at the same time, you could buy huge developments for dirt cheap and make money. Think of Delta City in Robocop.

My cousin told me that a house recently was sold in detroit for one dollar. That's a sad state of affairs.

I didn't know Buffalo was in the same situation....? But then again i've only ever passed through Buffalo when entering the States.

[Honkey_Kong]

My cousin told me that a house recently was sold in detroit for one dollar. That's a sad state of affairs.

I didn't know Buffalo was in the same situation....? But then again i've only ever passed through Buffalo when entering the States.

Those places are run down anyways. We should just build a wall around Detroit and start sending our prisoners there.

[< <Samson> >]

Those places are run down anyways. We should just build a wall around Detroit and start sending our prisoners there.

Now, that's an idea.

[HitIt]

since 1962 till now all detroit mayors have been democrats...hmmm.

[gixxerboy1]

Yeah but at the same time, you could buy huge developments for dirt cheap and make money. Think of Delta City in Robocop.

someone bought the old football stadium for like 200k

[RaginCajun]

and that my friend is why i like the fact that i can carry a firearm!

[alexISthrowed]

I live on the west side of the state but I work in Detroit very frequently. I was actually there all last week. It's been going downhill very rapidly since 2006-2007. I mean Detroit was never nice but now it resembles a war zone in some areas. People in Detroit are a different breed. They swear non stop, drive like shit, and are generally assholes. I enjoy driving under the overpasses and seeing the "bum apartments", some of them are pretty cool.

[cherrydrpepper]

Atomini you forgot one

#22 The only city hardest enough in America to give a white rapper street cred

[Rwy]

When I was looking to invest in real-estate I came across Detroit. Home prices are ridiculous(a decent house is 10k<or at least was). But, I still thought it would be a waste because of the stats.

Buffalo too. . . But, Buffalo is still in NY which makes it still valuable. But, Detroit full on died.

Stick to your day job my friend. Buffualo is not apart of NY and does not hold value like the real part of NY.

During the real estate boom a big time investor (multi millionaire ten times over) took a huge beating in buffalo. Tried turning 100's of houses in to section 8 but every time they got to a certain stage all the ghetto bastards stole everything out of the houses.

[Rwy]

You cant build homes in these places without the area being guarded by the armed forces. These people will steal every god damn thing they can. Piping sheet rock, tiles

[Shol'va]

This is a prime example of what happens to an area that was an industrial giant, only to have it's politicians outsource the jobs to China and elsewhere. Detroit is not alone. Go to pennsylvania and look at the steel mills that used to be there or over to the East Coast where we were the great ship builders of the world until all of that and more were outsourced. Same with all of our electronics, furniture, and on and on. All outsourced by your greedy politicians who are directly responsible, IMO, for the downfall of America. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if this were the 1950's most of these politicians would be in prison or hung for their treasonous ways. But not now as it is just the norm and lying, cheating and stealing are just a way of life, IMO.

[cherrydrpepper]

This is a prime example of what happens to an area that was an industrial giant, only to have it's politicians outsource the jobs to China and elsewhere. Detroit is not alone. Go to pennsylvania and look at the steel mills that used to be there or over to the East Coast where we were the great ship builders of the world until all of that and more were outsourced. Same with all of our electronics, furniture, and on and on. All outsourced by your greedy politicians who are directly responsible, IMO, for the downfall of America. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if this were the 1950's most of these politicians would be in prison or hung for their treasonous ways. But not now as it is just the norm and lying, cheating and stealing are just a way of life, IMO.

When you watch movies that take place in the future, a lot of them portray half the populace as being homeless. I sometimes wonder if life will imitate art as so often happens and we might see that someday.

[Honkey_Kong]

someone bought the old football stadium for like 200k

200k is a little out of my ballpark. I would've low-balled them at 50k

[Honkey_Kong]

This is a prime example of what happens to an area that was an industrial giant, only to have it's politicians outsource the jobs to China and elsewhere. Detroit is not alone. Go to pennsylvania and look at the steel mills that used to be there or over to the East Coast where we were the great ship builders of the world until all of that and more were outsourced. Same with all of our electronics, furniture, and on and on. All outsourced by your greedy politicians who are directly responsible, IMO, for the downfall of America. I've said it before and I'll say it again, if this were the 1950's most of these politicians would be in prison or hung for their treasonous ways. But not now as it is just the norm and lying, cheating and stealing are just a way of life, IMO.

A big part of our problem is our bullshit politicians receiving corporate campaign contributions and the lobbyists that set up shop in Washington. They had no idea when this country was made that these corporations would have bought and paid for all our representatives and leaders. They just ran us in to the ground and took every dollar they could.

[lovbyts]

So last weekend I went to visit a cousin in Windsor, Ontario. He and I decided to hop across the bridge over to Detroit and oh man oh man.... It's like going right into a third world country!

There's broken busted shit, trash and garbage all over the place.... there's homeless and poor people everywhere. 1 out of every 4 or 5 houses we drove by was occupied and the rest were abandoned and/or falling apart. The people in the occupied houses were just hanging out on the porch drinking 40s. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Graffiti all over the place... and then after driving through run down crap areas after run down areas, once in a while suddenly out of nowhere we would pass through a very nice looking part of a neighborhood with a few nice houses. It was just so strange, as if passing through black and white. What's also interesting is that here in Canada, I noticed as I got closer and closer to Detroit, things were looking shittier and shittier. Windsor looks like a paradise compared to Detroit, but as I got closer to the river and the bridge, Windsor itself started looking more and more run down...

My cousin has been over the border to Detroit frequently, and he was telling me certain areas where I shouldn't stop at red lights or stop signs and other areas to just totally avoid all together. I was the one driving us, and I was insisting on just exploring the city (because I was just SO astonished at what I was seeing around me), and he started freaking out telling me not to go here or there, etc. because of the high crime areas and supposedly very very bad areas of the city. So now here i'm thinking to myself.... that the Robocop movies are basically actually a documentary about Detroit! And the 1st movie was made 25 years ago and was trying to show a dystopic future vision of a rundown crime-ridden Detroit! Boy did they ever predict that perfectly. They hit the nail on the head when they made that movie 25 years ago.

So when I got home I decided to hop on google and look up a few things about Detroit, and here's some statistics and facts I found:

1. Detroit is the 3rd most dangerous city to live in in the united states and flint a near by city is the 4th most dangerous criminal city in the usa.

2. 7 out of 10 murders go unsolved in the motor city.

3. There are 95,000 abandon homes in Detroit and 85,000 abandon businesses in Detroit.

4. Census has calculated that since 2000 to 2010 that 250,000 people have left Detroit.

5. Since 1950 half of Detroit's population has left the motor city.

6. Unemployment is up to estimated 50% in the city of Detroit.

7. Graduation rates in the D are 25%! Kids are more likely to end up in prison than finishing high school.

8. More people live in poverty than cars on the street.

9. Abandon homes in Detroit have turned into drug houses and meth labs.

10. On devils night kids go out and burn abandon buildings about 200 last year were burned down.

11. At the MacDonald's they had bullet proof windows like at a bank and you had to pass your money through a machine.

12. Michigan is the 3rd most unemployed state in the usa.

13. Obama bailed out GM and helped create 75,000 jobs but the jobs were out sourced and the people of Detroit never got to see any of those jobs.

14. Detroit looks like hurricane Katrina hit it

15. Detroit is the only place in America that you can walk around and see 30 story sky scrapers everywhere that are abandoned. This is not common in other cities.

16. Its like something you would see out of I am legend it looks like a abandoned historical city left in ruins

17. Detroit used to be one of the most high class wealthy cities in America.

18. Real state is at record lows because of the high amounts of abandon homes that lower housing cost. The Detroit news said that hundreds of houses are up for sale in Detroit for only a dollar $1

19. Wild animals are moving back into the city... pheasants, coyotes, even beavers

20. Criminals are moving to nearby cities like the capitol city of Michigan which is Lansing Mi and places like flint which has caused city crimes to rise in these near by cities.

21. Mayor Dave Bing has pledged to knock down 10,000 structures in his first term as part of a nascent plan to "right-size" Detroit, or reconfigure the city to reflect its shrinking population

Oh and speaking of Robocop, check this little informational piece about the Detroit PD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jpNSrW6PAeI That's crazy....

Just thought i'd post about this since my jaw was dropping at what I saw when I was over there.

Yeah you got to love how he always toots his horn about that but it turns out all the jobs saved went to China. Did you know 8 out of 10 cars made by GM come out of China now?

[Shol'va]

Why should GM, which for all intents and purposes is now considered "Government Motors" be any different from all the rest of the American Companies that fled to cheaper labor. Hell even Levis which was a staple of America is no longer made in America. But it gets worse, as now China wants to be our phone company as well. And they also will be our shuttle into space as we will use them for sending up our highly classified payloads. And they also are planning on building all of our military hardware of the future. we give them all our blueprints which are classified to the nth degree and they promise in return not to look at the classified parts of it as they build our weapons for our military. They can build everything so much cheaper than the US. Just one thing though is that everything they build is junk that fails constantly. Chinese built goods are the worst built and made in the industry but that doesn't stop Wal-mart from buying from them to supply their stores. And as the leader of China once said on lack of quality, as long as it is being made and sold for export they could care less how crappy it is. And we continue to buy from them. Who is crazy them or us?

[kmms]

i lived on the outskirts of detroit before moving here. it's really an amazing place, beautiful houses with manicured lawns and great shopping in birmingham where i lived and you're literally only 10 minutes away from the war zone that is detroit.

having lived there for many years, i have only been into detroit fewer than a dozen times. unless you are going to a tigers game, a casino or for greek food then you've really got no business being there, and you are at risk.

[kalspic]

i've been told that you shouldnt even stop at red lights. just go right through them

[MuscleInk]

Why should GM, which for all intents and purposes is now considered "Government Motors" be any different from all the rest of the American Companies that fled to cheaper labor. Hell even Levis which was a staple of America is no longer made in America. But it gets worse, as now China wants to be our phone company as well. And they also will be our shuttle into space as we will use them for sending up our highly classified payloads. And they also are planning on building all of our military hardware of the future. we give them all our blueprints which are classified to the nth degree and they promise in return not to look at the classified parts of it as they build our weapons for our military. They can build everything so much cheaper than the US. Just one thing though is that everything they build is junk that fails constantly. Chinese built goods are the worst built and made in the industry but that doesn't stop Wal-mart from buying from them to supply their stores. And as the leader of China once said on lack of quality, as long as it is being made and sold for export they could care less how crappy it is. And we continue to buy from them. Who is crazy them or us?

I agree with what you are saying but what's the alternative? Corporations outsource to increase GMP. How do you put a stop to this when profitability, market share, and ROI are the drivers of corporations and investors?

America is run by corporations, not elected government.

[kmms]

i've been told that you shouldnt even stop at red lights. just go right through them

haha, i understand the sentiment but wouldn't recommend it as a daily practice. there won't be any cops around anyway but if they see you pulling that they are probably going to assume you are there for drugs and that's going to ruin your day.

[Atomini]

haha, i understand the sentiment but wouldn't recommend it as a daily practice. there won't be any cops around anyway but if they see you pulling that they are probably going to assume you are there for drugs and that's going to ruin your day.

LOL I highly doubt that but its a funny thought.

[spywizard]

cop "look at that stupid white boy, what's he doing around here?? buying drugs no doubt... hell he's got a job he can afford to pay a ticket and and a fine... lets pull him over"...