Saturday, May 24th, 2008...4:42 pm
The D
detroit skyline, originally uploaded by ryan.s o u t h e n.photography.
The husband and I have been having an ongoing conversation (for many years) about Detroit, from its rich history to the continuing saga of its present. It’s a conversation that ultimately leads to the topic of resurgence and more importantly if that can ever happen for D-town. And, big surprise, I believe it can. As with so many other things in life, hope is in the small things.
Since leaving Hamtramck, I’ve always believed that the people making an effort to be downtown, to hang out at places like Zoot’s, the Cass Cafe, artists, students and other creative types who made the downtown area they’re own, would be the people that could help turn things around. Not the automakers … or the unions.
And where does that begin? With people like Sweet Juniper, living in the midst of the larget collection of Mies Van Der Rohe architecture that also happens to be in the heart of Detroit. With the advocates who are living there, creating things and supporting the people that live there (nevermind the corruption in government). I admire these people.
But as we speak about all of these things, inevitably the husband asks a very obvious and important question. How do you actually live there? He asks, because we have a family and Detroit can be dangerous and limited in the things it can offer. I’m not just furthering a stereotype here, we both have multiple stories of first hand experience with the crime and lack of resources. In the case of Sweet Juniper, living in Lafayette Park, the husband (knowing the area well) says, “Where do these people buy groceries? Where do their kids go to school? What do they do?”
It’s a tough conversation because any thought of returning to Michigan has many implications, not the least of them is the economy. I don’t remember a time when our family and friends there have all been so unanimously despairing of the economy. They all tell me that it’s devastating and no one seems to know how/when it will end, only that its depressing.
I believe it will. I believe there is hope for Detroit and for Michigan. And here’s why.
The people who care about culture and creativity there really care about it. In other big cities, it’s easy. In Detroit, because the resources may not be as vast or diverse as in other places, the people you see out and about are people you feel connected to. You can feel it. When I lived there, I would go to the Detroit Film Theatre often and I’d always see the same people there and it was a real sense of community. Not that I’m saying it doesn’t exist here in Seattle. Of course, it does. It’s evident by the SIFF just kicking off. It’s just, well, different.
All said and done, talk is cheap. And that’s what we have right now, just talk. I’m not certain if we would ever move back to Detroit, or Michigan for that matter. If you asked me right now, I’d say no. But it’s hard to say what the future might bring. Maybe one day we’ll change from believers into doers.
4 Comments
May 25th, 2008 at 10:39 am
gosh, was I ever really that much of an idiot? I had so many baseless fears about moving here when we were still in san francisco.
we buy our groceries every week at eastern market. we get 20-30 pounds of fresh fruit and vegetables for less than $40. we get our cheese and dairy at the market, our meat fresh from the butcher, our dry goods and bread there too. it’s all very european, but that’s a good thing to some. we walk to the market. I go days without using my car. there is a full-service grocery store opening up in the lafayette park retail shops. we won’t have to cross a single street to get to it. for total yuppie, there is an upscale market that just opened on woodward called zaccaro’s. a little too whole foodsy for me. honey bee la colmena in mexicantown is the cleanest and nicest grocery store I’ve ever seen, with affordable produce and marinated mexican meat and deli salsa and guacamole. I haven’t spent a dime on food outside the city in many months.
as for schools, we send our daughter to a private school inside the city that is perfect for her. we can send her there until she’s ready for high school, at which point students from her school go anywhere from cass tech to cranbrook. after you consider the cost of a mortgage, it’s still cheaper to live in detroit and send your kids to private school than it is to live in the suburbs and send them to public school.
it’s no longer a matter of “can we really do this” for us. it’s a matter of “christ, why isn’t everyone doing this?” for around $100,000 you can step into the home of your dreams (victorian? contemporary? loft? mies van der rohe?) and have access to resources like a major downtown with weekend festivals, professional sports, museums, an unbelievable new riverfront walkway (5 miles). there are six playgrounds within a block of our house.
and after two years, I don’t know anyone (including us) who has been a victim of any crime.
detroit’s problem is one of perception.
May 25th, 2008 at 10:48 am
Agreed. Though I have perceptions as well and they are based on the experiences I had living there … though it was in Hamtramck and spending lots of time down in Cass Corridor … both positive and negative, which is why I think that Detroit will change; IS already changing.
We’ll be back for an extended visit at Christmas time. We’re planning on driving through neighborhoods and seeing things as they are now. If you have the time, I’d love to get our families together for coffee! Unless, you don’t feel like being the poster family for Detroit living
May 27th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Hey Kim!
Can we get our families together over Christmas too???
(P.S.- thanks for the card…)
May 27th, 2008 at 7:39 pm
Of course! I would like to meet Ramona and Ethan
You’re welcome on the card. I hope your family is hanging in there.
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