Exactly how ****ed is Detroit?

[Sun Aut Ex]

I read this article, and you know, before the article I knew that Detroit was economically troubled and had crime problems, but I didn't think it was at the "truly doomed" stage.

Can any Americans (Detroitans in particular) shine some light on the subject for me?

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I lived in MI for 2 years, several years ago. In all my time there, Michiganders/Michiganians? always spoke of how bad Detroit was: the crime, the pallor of the city, the poverty, the shabbiness. Also, in all my time in MI, I went to Detroit once, to the airport, and was there 45 minutes. It wasn't pretty.

However, my assessment of the city is not complete nor is it worthy of much consideration because I never went anywhere else but the airport. I do know it was the most violent city in the US several years ago.

[Sunny Marionette]

Pretty fucked, to answer your question. I grew up in a school so crappy...god damn...

Looking back, I think my gym teacher molested the kids when he "called them into his office" for 20-30 minutes. I remember finding crack on the playground and eating it. I also remember that there was this one really poor black girl who had to prostitute herself out to keep her family in their house...she was in junior high. Racism...god, you wouldn't even believe. We had basically four groups: The whites (rich bastards), blacks (dumb shits, dealers), Mexicans (didn't speak english, did anything) and the Canadians (lazyasses). If you were part of one, it was all out on the other ones, so basically everyone bullied the shit out of eachother. Terrible. In school we were taught more about the fur trading business, Ford, Motown and French history more than anything else. The math was nill (which I had problems with later when I moved to Iowa). Writing had a very strong focus, though. Science was nill.

As far as the economy goes, it wasn't so bad early on. There were a lot of Fords, Chevy's and GM's though. Never a Toyota in town. It got bad later. My dad used to design cars for Ford and he had to give that up and move here. His job was just eliminated.

As far as scenery goes, well, those pictures are accurate. There was a lot of a wasteland-ish feel to it. Graffiti was abundant, lots of overgrown with weeds parkinglots, stores rusted over, that sort of thing. A lot, a lot of graffitti. that's what I remember the most. Broken concrete and graffiti. And then the homicides on the news, always the homicides. there were a shitload. If anything was less than a homicide it didn't make the news.

That's Detroit.

[Sun Aut Ex]

I've heard stories about US cities where, if you go beyond a certain street in a city, you will "definitely get shot". I can't even mentally grasp how a govt can let any city sink so far. Here in Aus, cities just... aren't dangerous. At least, not any more than the suburbs.

[Oterro]

Ask Gene.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

I've heard stories about US cities where, if you go beyond a certain street in a city, you will "definitely get shot". I can't even mentally grasp how a govt can let any city sink so far. Here in Aus, cities just... aren't dangerous. At least, not any more than the suburbs.

My husband always spoke of places in Orlando, when he lived there that as a white man, he wouldn't go.

[Fr33domland]

homocides on the news, always the homocides. there were a shitload. If anything was less than a homocide it didn't make the news.

[Umbra Ac Silentium]

I've heard stories about US cities where, if you go beyond a certain street in a city, you will "definitely get shot". I can't even mentally grasp how a govt can let any city sink so far. Here in Aus, cities just... aren't dangerous. At least, not any more than the suburbs.

My husband always spoke of places in Orlando, when he lived there that as a white man, he wouldn't go.

I've never heard of such places...

[Sibirsky]

I've heard stories about US cities where, if you go beyond a certain street in a city, you will "definitely get shot". I can't even mentally grasp how a govt can let any city sink so far. Here in Aus, cities just... aren't dangerous. At least, not any more than the suburbs.

My husband always spoke of places in Orlando, when he lived there that as a white man, he wouldn't go.

There are places like that in most major cities.

[Sunny Marionette]

homocides on the news, always the homocides. there were a shitload. If anything was less than a homocide it didn't make the news.

I tried, mk? Sorry.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

My husband always spoke of places in Orlando, when he lived there that as a white man, he wouldn't go.

There are places like that in most major cities.

When he was driving the truck and I was with him, he told me that, if in the middle of the night, I had to go the bathroom and we were in, say Nashville TN, that I was to wake him up and he would accompany me.

Of course, any major city, anywhere in the world, is probably quite violent.

[Sun Aut Ex]

There are places like that in most major cities.

See, again, how does a city sink that far? The only place in Australia that even comes close is Sydney's King's Cross district, and even then, it's not even really close.

[Sun Aut Ex]

Of course, any major city, anywhere in the world, is probably quite violent.

None of the big five Australian cities are like that, at all.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

There are places like that in most major cities.

See, again, how does a city sink that far? The only place in Australia that even comes close is Sydney's King's Cross district, and even then, it's not even really close.

Well, consider what Sunny Marionettes posted.

[Sunny Marionette]

There are places like that in most major cities.

See, again, how does a city sink that far? The only place in Australia that even comes close is Sydney's King's Cross district, and even then, it's not even really close.

Corruption. Police get paid off, and then it just was kinda a crime city anyways. It had a lot of that earlier, when it was a port city and all that.

[Sibirsky]

There are places like that in most major cities.

When he was driving the truck and I was with him, he told me that, if in the middle of the night, I had to go the bathroom and we were in, say Nashville TN, that I was to wake him up and he would accompany me.

Of course, any major city, anywhere in the world, is probably quite violent.

I didn't know Nashville was that bad.

Everyone knows about the states', and local governments' financial problems. We may see major cities declare bankruptcy. If that happens, I have no doubt that the first one will be Detroit. The Feds may bail them out though.

[Fr33domland]

My husband always spoke of places in Orlando, when he lived there that as a white man, he wouldn't go.

I've never heard of such places...

Heh, I remember when i was like 10 me and my dad went to Detroit to watch a Tigers game. We drove by a McDonalds in an area where I did not see one white person, I asked if we could stop there, he replied "no, you don't go into a black McDonalds".

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Of course, any major city, anywhere in the world, is probably quite violent.

None of the big five Australian cities are like that, at all.

Then feel fortunate. Major cities in the US are quite violent. And I am sure there isn't just one cause for that.

[Sun Aut Ex]

Then feel fortunate. Major cities in the US are quite violent. And I am sure there isn't just one cause for that.

Well, I don't think western Europe is really like that either. Maybe the UK, but I've been to Germany, and it's hard to mentally picture anyone in that country as threatening.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

When he was driving the truck and I was with him, he told me that, if in the middle of the night, I had to go the bathroom and we were in, say Nashville TN, that I was to wake him up and he would accompany me.

Of course, any major city, anywhere in the world, is probably quite violent.

I didn't know Nashville was that bad.

Everyone knows about the states', and local governments' financial problems. We may see major cities declare bankruptcy. If that happens, I have no doubt that the first one will be Detroit. The Feds may bail them out though.

Neither did I, but apparently it is a dangerous city.

Yeah, things are looking bad for some states. If a city declares bankruptcy, I am sure violence is sure to increase (pending there's no bailout).

[Sibirsky]

There are places like that in most major cities.

See, again, how does a city sink that far? The only place in Australia that even comes close is Sydney's King's Cross district, and even then, it's not even really close.

It's a combination of many, many things. The decline of the auto industry and unintended consequences due to regulation being the major ones.

Detroit

[Sibirsky]

I didn't know Nashville was that bad.

Everyone knows about the states', and local governments' financial problems. We may see major cities declare bankruptcy. If that happens, I have no doubt that the first one will be Detroit. The Feds may bail them out though.

Neither did I, but apparently it is a dangerous city.

Yeah, things are looking bad for some states. If a city declares bankruptcy, I am sure violence is sure to increase (pending there's no bailout).

One of the worst cities (Camden, NJ) has cut their police force by 25% I think.

[Sun Aut Ex]

Well, I don't think western Europe is really like that either. Maybe the UK, but I've been to Germany, and it's hard to mentally picture anyone in that country as threatening.

As I re-read that, I remembered that France can also be quite bad.

[Nanatsu no Tsuki]

Then feel fortunate. Major cities in the US are quite violent. And I am sure there isn't just one cause for that.

Well, I don't think western Europe is really like that either. Maybe the UK, but I've been to Germany, and it's hard to mentally picture anyone in that country as threatening.

Madrid has it's bad spots. But I'm not sure if it's caused by the locals or by large influx of immigrants from others countries like Colombia or Africa that we've had in the past decade. I don't want to say that they're the problem, but we've got problems like gangs, stemming from areas where these immigrants concentrate.

[Sunny Marionette]

I've never heard of such places...

Heh, I remember when i was like 10 me and my dad went to Detroit to watch a Tigers game. We drove by a McDonalds in an area where I did not see one white person, I asked if we could stop there, he replied "no, you don't go into a black McDonalds".

Well, you don't. It ain't safe. A black person wouldn't go to a white McDonald's either. It's segregated. I mean, not officially, but still.