Detroit: A True American City
Don't worry. I got closer than this.
If you follow me on Twitter (shameless plug) you know that I was on a corporate tour that had me in a couple Midwest towns these past two days. While I’m setting the stage, shout out to Right Coast Lex Steele for subbing in for me last minute yesterday while I was in Detroit. Visiting that city kind of inspired me. Sure we’ve all cracked jokes about how messed up it is. Everything from the old Detroit Lions stadium going for $583, 000 to the “It’s So Cold in the D” phenomenon have made the Motor City a constant punch line. I know I’ve told my fair share as well. But, after actually walking and driving around that city I realized a few things.
The Depression is Real
I heard about it on the news, experienced the layoffs and have seen a downturn in various cities, but this brought it all to life. I know everyone has problems, but unless your neighborhood looks like it belongs in a National Geographic article about Bosnian warfare – you don’t have it as bad as Detroit. The outlying suburban areas of Detroit are filled with empty houses. Not just empty. The houses are dilapidated. Some of the homes look like someone threw a Molotov cocktail inside. The structures were blown out. The facades were blackened. If the house didn’t look like it suffered an explosion, it looked like it was ransacked with window broken in or busted through and doors knocked off the hinges. And the houses that are still being used are collapsing from no upkeep.
The actual city is no better. I walked around with some coworkers to some of Detroit’s signature landmarks alone. Yes, we walked through a metropolitan city without seeing other people in the streets. I felt like I was in a scene from “I Am Legend”. When I did see people they looked unbelievably exhausted. The creases on their faces resembled a dried up riverbed – deep and continuous. People were dressed as if they didn’t know we lived past 2000. It wasn’t just the people that were stuck in the past. All the buildings in the city look like they were built in the early to mid 20th century. There wasn’t a newer building in sight. And many of those buildings were empty. We walked into a bank only to find some 1950′s interior decorating and about five people in the branch. Two of them were employees. We left, continued to walk around the city and just saw empty skyscraper after empty skyscraper.
Some buildings were just like the houses – falling apart or already in the midst of destruction. You could tell that at some point this city was a pinnacle of American ingenuity. But this economy has torn it down. Like many other things.
We Need to Start Taking Care of Our Own
While I was driving around I wondered – why aren’t there any fundraisers or infomercials for these kinds of cities? I understand that we should reach out and help Third World countries in their time of need. I’m all about being humanitarian. However, there comes a point where we need to use those funds to help ourselves. There were places in Detroit that were as impoverished as some of the lands we send money to help. I talked to a teenage kid who could barely put sentences together. We’re so quick to send cash or volunteer in various nations who need our help when there are many who could use that help right here. Detroit is far from alone, they’re just a beacon of poverty.
The Middle Class May Disappear
We drove through the neighborhood that I described in the second paragraph for about 15 minutes, made a left turn and suddenly we were in Gross Pointe. Instantly manicured lawns, artsy street signs and clean streets quickly replaced the blown out houses, crackheads and liquor stores. However the feeling of depression was still the same. A quaint downtown had empty shops and no foot traffic. Upper middle class neighborhoods had a lot of “For Sale” signs in the lawns. The only people who seemed untouchable were the mansions that resembled cathedrals or high schools on the outlying part of the area right near the lake. There are going to be a lot more people falling below the poverty line and the gap between rich and poor will surely widen.
Through Out It All, The Pride Is Still There
Underneath it all, there is still a lot of pride. My coworkers and I wandered into a BBQ spot named Slow’s within one of the many downtrodden neighborhoods. The outside of the restaurant looked as war torn as the rest of the locale, but the inside was totally refurbished and revitalized. Not only was the building refreshed, it seemed like the attitudes of the people inside were as well. That’s the happiest I’ve ever seen anyone that lived in Detroit and I have to admit I forgot about where we were as well.
The weird thing is, being in Detroit made me proud to be an American. It’s a true American city and my heart felt for the residents there. It was evident that there is still a lot of happiness and reverence for Detroit, but it’s buried deep below a lot of poverty and rubble.
This may seem like old news to you, but I will confidently tell you there’s a big difference between watching it on CNN and looking at it with your own eyes. Are there any experiences that you’ve had in this depression that are similar to my experience in Rock City? Do you think I’m too nationalist about my beliefs or do you think we should start investing in the U.S. again? Do you know of anyone that’s teetering on the poverty line? And most of all, do you still have pride to be an American? Let’s talk about it.
Seattle – …Yes, It Was Cold in the D – Washington
21 Responses to “Detroit: A True American City”
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i went there for a couple of days during the summer of 2008 for the Que boat ride. first thing i noticed when we got there and went out thursday night was the fact that every time there was a disagreement and there was threats of gun play, it involved women. i was like damn the women out here are really hostile. another thing that bothered me was drainage problem. it rained really bad on saturday afternoon. tons of water piled up on the highways and it made it impossible to drive.
one thing i will say is that i had a blast while there. even though there were a lot of abandoned buildings and impoverished neighborhoods i was able to look past all that and have a good time.
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Seattle Washington Reply:
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:54 pm
Yeah I have to say, I did have some fun while I was there. That BBQ joint was fire. On the other hand, I was watching my back a lot when walking around certain areas. That shit isn’t fun.
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Seattle…you forgot one thing…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oq0t7ZUwzGA
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CHeeKZ Money Reply:
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:39 am
I was expecting
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFYQQPAOz7Y
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Seattle Washington Reply:
March 3rd, 2010 at 12:56 pm
I listened to more rock music than I care to mention when we were driving around out there. It added to the American pride. I also felt the urge to drive a Camaro and grow my hair out.
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Are there any experiences that you’ve had in this depression that are similar to my experience in Rock City?
Yes, I have similar experiences every time I go home to visit my parents. I am from a rural, small town in South Carolina. Last I checked, the population was somewhere around the 2000 mark. What’s interesting about my town(and the county)is it’s been in a state of depression for as long as I can remember. Dilapidated houses, boarded up stores “downtown”, and tons of churches. It’s funny… people are quick to throw up a new church, but will not open a new business nor invest in new business ventures. And not much has changed in the past 15 years. The city has not progressed much at all… unless you count the new pedestrian crossing lights. I do remember there being a few more stores when I was younger, but they are gone, and have not been replaced.
It’s not a big city, so it will never be on the national radar. But, the empty buildings, boarded houses, lack of an economic stimulus of any kind, tells the same story being told in Detroit.
Do you think I’m too nationalist about my beliefs or do you think we should start investing in the U.S. again?
Not at all. We need to start putting this country’s citizens first. Does anyone remember a ABC special on the Children of Appalachia? http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845770&page=1 — http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6836954. This should not happen in this country. Poverty is real, and is generally ignored until shows like this ABC special or the next BlackinAmerica. Hell, I get angry when people choose to adopt overseas instead of adopting American children who need a family.
Do you know of anyone that’s teetering on the poverty line?
Yes!! My aunt used to work at this plant, and they cut her hours a few years ago. First, it was every other day, then it became every other week. She started taking classes to become a medical technician, and she began working part time at a group home. A few weeks ago, we found out she has a heart condition, and she spent about a week in the hospital. She’s seen a specialist, and has been told not to go back to work. And, I don’t think she had health insurance. Right now, my mom and her other siblings are pitching in to help out where they can. But, she is barely hanging on financially. And this is just the stuff I know about… who knows what else is going on with her finances before the health crisis.
It’s hard out here, Mr. Washington
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I have family that lived outside of Detroit (Romulus to be exact) and I spent a summer there about 12 years ago, and I remember going downtown and wondering where all the people were. In my mind I was comparing it to NYC, and didn’t get how a city could have so few people.
All that aside, I think Detroit is probably representative of a lot of major American cities that are suffering from similar issues…loss of industry and employment which leads to the host of problems you already mentioned. These cities still have people who have pride in where they are from and deserve more than the media’s pity. But to rebuild any city, you have to attract people and businesses back. Wish I knew how to make that happen *shrugs*
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What happened in Detroit could happen anywhere in this country. Corporations have way too much power and they are allowed to treat their workers like animals, they use them up and when shit hits the fan they jump ship without repercussion. Sure I could have sent my $10 to a different text message to help Detroit poor (if it existed) but that would not have solved the bigger problem. The government regulation of corporations is the issue. The credit crisis hit the D hard but I saw countless people lose there jobs in NYC. After all this bs I don’t want to hear about another bailout plan and I don’t need another $700 check, the government really needs to take some steps to protect workers, otherwise there will be more Detroit’s to come.
The truth is the Government only see’s green, corporations only see green, and people walk around oblivious to both these facts. These are the kind of situations that start wars in other countries but Americans are just so complacent, “Oh I lost my job because of the recession but I got a $700 stimulus, so I’m cool”. It just doesn’t solve anything and I’m not sure why more people aren’t bothered by these lame solutions. I watched Food, Inc this weekend and once again realized how effed-up it really is out there, the government is in collusion with large corporation, people just have to educate themselves and protect themselves.
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Great post SW!
I think the US tends to care more about their international responsibilities instead of their national ones. New Orleans will forever be an example of how we can never put faith in our own country to tend to serious situations on our home soil. Hence, we can never really trust the government to help in anything.
It’s amazing how US companies are offshoring a lot of their labor and ironcially there are talks that some European companies are investing their offshore labor to the US. Weird twist…
Pushin the C.R.E.A.M. Team Train,
-BBW
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Are there any experiences that you’ve had in this depression that are similar to my experience in Rock City?
I have a similar experience every time I go home to visit my parents. I am from a rural, small town in South Carolina. Last I checked, the population was somewhere around the 2000 mark. What’s interesting about my town is it’s been in a state of depression for as long as I can remember. Dilapidated houses, boarded up stores “downtown”, and tons of churches. It’s funny… people there are quick to throw up a new church, but will not open a new business nor invest in new business ventures. And nothing has changed in the past 20 years. The city has not progressed at all… unless you count the new pedestrian crossing lights.
It’s not a big, urban city, so it will never be on the national radar. But the dilapidate buildings, boarded houses, and vast unemployment without any inkling of an economic stimulus, tells the same story.
Do you think I’m too nationalist about my beliefs or do you think we should start investing in the U.S. again?
I believe we need to start investing in this country, and investing in the citizens of this country. I’m all for helping the least-developed and developing countries of the world, but we have some place in the US that need our attention. Does anyone remember the ABC special about the Children of Appalachia? http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=6845770&page=1 — http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6836954. Why do we have people living like this in America, the wealthiest, greatest country in the world? Really? Poverty in this county is real, and we generally ignore it until the next ABC special or the next Black In America special.
Do you know of anyone that’s teetering on the poverty line?
Yes! My aunt used to work at this plant that cut her hours a few years ago. First, it was every other day, then it was every other week. She started working part-time at a group home, and started taking a few classes at the community college so she can get a better job. At the end of January, we found out she has a heart condition. She was in the hospital for a little over a week, and has had to see a specialist about her condition. She has not worked in about a month, and she probably doesn’t have health insurance b/c she only had that PT job. My mom and her other siblings have all decided to pitch in to help where they can, but she is in dire straits. It’s going to be a rough spring for the family…
It’s hard out here in these streets, Mr. Washington.
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Good post dude!
I went to the D [||] in 2002. Even then I think I could see the beginnings of poverty. It just seemed as if the city was exhausted and lifeless. People make the most out of it, and thats the true defintion of American.
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Well here is a question for your question Seattle? If you are use to making 35-45K a year with GOOD benefits and your job goes away (doesn’t look like it is coming back) would you take a lower paying job with fewer benefits.
The problem with those workers, they aren’t worth much but they cost their companies big. I support min wage, but can I really be salty at this auto companies for wanting to get away from Unions?
Mich needs a new hustle (clean energy manufacturing?), and they need to nuture this industry with tax breaks and and cushy grants like Cali and Texas did comp sci.
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Seattle Washington Reply:
March 3rd, 2010 at 10:57 am
That is true. They do need a new hustle. It was eye-opening when I saw full on factories shut down and up for sale. We probably could pool some money together and buy one.
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I really do wonder how a city like this is ever supposed to recover. I don’t even know if tax breaks for corporations would be enough to lure new companies there. One of my co-workers said he went to Detroit and it really does look exactly as Seattle portrayed, sans the cameos of crackheads. All this makes me appreciate my upstate NY city.
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I passed through Detroit in the summer of 2000, and I would have sincerely hoped 10 years later, conditions would have improved. I actually did a small urban study in College on the city. I think once the real estate market picks up again, things will improve…
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Little Miss Sunshine Reply:
March 3rd, 2010 at 2:29 pm
I think the issue here is that you have to have people who want actually move to Detroit (for jobs and other benefits) and that is what’s lacking in Detroit. What might be true for other cities such as Chicago, NYC, and LA that just need for people to reinvest in housing since people want to move there is not true for Detroit. Like cheekz said- they need a new game plan because crying about the other one is not working.
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Yes, since I saw the State of The Union…..about save n the middle class all I can say is TEXT $10 to save america now…..what u saw in D was an earthquake that is transparent to the world and this quake covers the great USA….The RUBBLE is different…but it is still rubble.
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My sister and I actually spent New Year Eve in Detroit, believe it or not!
It is only 4 hours from Toronto and we wanted to do something different. I had also traveled there last December. I also found it strange that the streets of Downtown were completely empty and the man source of entertainment remained at the Casinos…
But I will say, for a City that is doing so poorly, the people of Detroit are very upbeat, gracious, outgoing and die-hard for their City!
I agree with your point Seattle that the US likes to be seen as the International Big Brother that will lend you money just to feel better about themselves, but domestically, some of their Cities remain without any real help or solutions.
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I appreciated this outsider’s perspective. Detroit is my home.
I currently live in Atlanta where I have been for about 6 months and the last two disasters (Haiti and Chile) and I felt guilty donating to both. Why? Because I am from Detroit. I know that behind the aging store fronts Corktown (that’s where Slows is), is a live place to chill and have a good brew and a bite to eat. I also know when you walk out with your carry out box, if you have a heart, you are apt to give it to one of the hungry bums watching (not vandalizing) the vehicles lined up outside.
And he may not even ask you for it. He may not even ask for any change. Detroit pride runs deep. We don’t like to beg nobody.
I want to move back. Single Black Male, a close friend of mine (who sent me here) thinks I am crazy, but Detroit has soul. Atlanta does not. They have traded in their city’s pride and history to be Black Hollywood. And while seeing shiny new everything is nice, it’s something not genuine about everything.
I miss genuine. And I care about my city. It took moving to brand new Atlanta to discover how valuable resilience is. How valuable history is. How much depth it adds to your interaction within a place.
It’s hard to stand up against a nation prepared to flick you away like a bothersome gnat. A nation that seems to forget we were once the 4th largest city and we helped create a middle class. They’d rather embarrass us in front of Congress and the nation and tell us to get our costs down, as if they didn’t support our business model when it covered the very retiree’s they want us to cut benefits off from.
We have a sense of authenticity that we miss. We are the Motor City. We eat Coney dogs all year, we cruise classic cars down Woodward every August. We go to the North American International Auto Show every January. We watch and play hockey. We stand in the cold for the Thanksgiving Day parade and rush home to watch the Lions, (whom we love to hate). We cling to our ways, and it’s not our ways that have destroyed our city, so we struggle with changing them to get it back.
And the names and comments hurt us. Third World Metropolis. Last one out, light a match. I used to say them. Until I moved to a city with no spirit.
By the way, the view you have of Detroit is from Canada, which when coming from Detroit, you go South to gain entry.
Guess I should wrote all this on my blog and left it at Thank you. maybe I will expound there… Anyway: Have a great week and I will retweet.
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PrettyGirlTwentyPearls Reply:
March 4th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Thank you so much for your outstanding reply. I am a Detroiter as well, and felt some kind of way about this post and was planning to write a reply. You have done it much better than I ever could have. Well done.
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