my feelings about Detroit

Government: it's tough to say... i don't think Kwame is the greatest mayor ever, but i don't think he's the worst... he's made some mistakes but has done some good... Detroit is the way it is as a result of decades of neglect and decline... it will take decades to get it back to any semblance of a thriving city... one man isn't going to change that in a 4 year or 8 year tenure... the City Council is also a part of Detroit's city government and as far as i can tell (which isn't that far) they seem more like a hindrance than anything else... in my experience as a Detroiter they've been embarrassing and petty... with my limited experience and exposure, i'd say we get rid of the City Council... but i could be wrong...

Development: there are so many developments going on this city it's crazy... the wife and i just drove around town today and it was both encouraging and disheartening... there are glimmers of hope and doses of reality... in my neighborhood there are so many developments happening... if they all get filled up, Midtown itself will be as thriving as Royal Oak or Birmingham... but that's a big "if"... if they don't fill up, then it will be a daunting, nagging failed attempt... and this city has had too many of those... a whole lot of people are investing in the city though, so if it goes bad, a lot of people are going to lose a lot of money... but i don't think it will go bad... in fact, i think it'll go well...

Economically: it's not looking very good at all... companies are leaving the region left and right... it's a terrible time for Michigan in general, but especially Southeast Michigan... Detroit is in the process of redefining itself... in 20 years i think we'll still be known as the Motor City, but some other industry will rise up as a major provider of jobs... they're trying to become a major technology center here, but time will tell whether or not technology will be Detroit's next thing... regardless, something's gotta change...

Socially: Detroit is still a very sensitive and divisive place... people project so much onto the city that it's nearly impossible to change generational perceptions... racial tensions are still around, but another not so seen tension is financial tension... poverty is a major spirit in Detroit and it holds many of Detroit's residents in bondage while simultaneously scaring off Detroit's neighbors... i can only speak from my experience in Midtown/Downtown... people are friendly in general down here... for the most part, the people down here are glad you're down here because they want you to see how good it can be down here... there are however some (of all races and economic stratas) that don't want you down here if you're obviously not from around here...

Personally: if you were to stick a gun to my head and force me to decide right now whether i would live and raise my family in Midtown/Downtown Detroit or the Suburbs, i'd pick Detroit... the energy and potential are just too tantalizing for me... i love the grit and the reality of this place... i could raise kids down here in the right situation... anywhere outside of Midtown/Downtown i wouldn't live in because it's going to take a long long time for those parts of town to turn around... but if it's in the "city" city, i'll take it... it's a lot of fun down here and it's only gonna get better...

early closings

one of the things about living in the D that you just kinda get used to is that a lot of the places you wanna go to close early...

yesterday me and the wife headed down to the Y to get a quick workout in at about a quarter to 5... we got to the door and they tell us it's closed!!! gah!!! i shoulda known... Detroit would be so much more fun and easier to enjoy if things stayed open later... but things close when they do because right now, Detroit is what it is... places in the past have tried to stay open later/longer, but they've come and gone... Starbucks and Beans & Bytes seem to be doing alright at it though... hopefully, that's an indication of change...

anyways, instead of doing cardio at the Y, we did cardio in the city... speedwalked/jogged our way down Broadway to Randolph, west on Jefferson to Hart Plaza and the riverwalk... then back east up the riverwalk, past the RenCen to the Rivard Plaza (not finished yet)... then back west, took a look at the new coming Asian Village and then back to the Y (where we parked)... it was wonderful and encouraging walking the river... a Red Wings game had just gotten out... people were walking around all over the city and the riverwalk was filled with folks too... as we walked back towards to the Y we cut through Greektown and that was great to see people out and about the city...

okay, that's enough for today...

call it a comeback

it's been a long time since i've written and i wouldn't be surprised if no one reads this ever again... still, here i am writing again!!!

part of the reason i stopped writing is because i kind of got disenchanted with the city... i got tired of the filthiness... i got tired of the poverty... i saw some guy breaking into a car right in front of my home and didn't know what to do, i only knew i never wanted to live in a place where i could see something like that right in front of me... but it is where i live...

faith comes by hearing and i wasn't hearing much about the city and so my faith about it getting better got worse... i'd drive around and see much of the blight, and it also seemed like a lot of the buildings that are supposed to be helping Detroit's comeback (loft developments, new office buildings) weren't getting filled up... i started to wonder if i was a fool for buying into Detroit...

the wife and i have also been thinking about having a kid soon and still aren't sure if we really want to raise a kid here in the D... the schools are terrible and it's not really that safe...

regardless...... i love our loft... i love the grittiness of the city... the fact that it feels more "real" than the suburbs... i love seeing the city skyline everyday... i love the Penobscot building... i love hanging out in the Guardian Building's lobby... i love going to the Y... i love driving around and chillin' out at Campus Martius... i love just driving up and down Woodward... i love walking the river, especially as a new piece of the riverwalk opens up... i love the feeling of the tension of possibility... i love defying people's conventional thoughts about the D... i love supporting something that most people have turned their backs on...

so that's why we're still here... and i believe God has called us here and i'm still trying to figure out why (but i believe that this year i will find out why)...

i have every intention of writing more... at least once a week about some experience i've had here in the city... i do love this city and i'll love it more... promise!!!