Most Miserable City in America...

[Lex1775]

Detroit, MI.

Woo-Hoo!! We're number one, we're number one!! And my family/friends wonder why I don't want to move back to the D.

http://realestate.msn.com/Buying/Article_forbes.aspx?cp-documentid=6171960>1=10932

[enid602]

1. suffering

It's not just Detroit that's suffering; there was a big article this AM on statewide lossess of mfg jobs in Ohio during the past decade. Thousands of homes not just foreclosed (but actually abandoned by lenders) in Cleveland, Phillie, Balto., Buffalo. Is this a rust belt phenomenon, or one that will spread thoughout the country?

I work for an appraisal management company, and view at least a hundred residential appraisals every day. I saw done today; the home was worth $15k, and was in Detroit, as well as the 5 comps included in the appraisal. These were 1600 to 1700 square foot homes with full basements; cottage-like, built in the '20's, with shutters, rolled roofs and on leafy, wooded lots. Obviously lovingly cared for. They would be worth $800K in West LA (hell, at least $500K in South or East LA), but only $15K in this beautiful neighborhood in Detroit.

[Faygo Kid]

3. Which neighborhood was it in?

As you can see from post 2, I know Detroit. And I know what you say is so true - some great housing stock. Detroit used to be number 1 in the nation in the percentage of people who own their own homes (into the 1970s, at least).

[enid602]

5. Detroit

North of McNichols, between Wyoming and Livernois. I don't know Detroit, but the houses looked beautiful in the photos. If it's a poor area, it's obviously well-loved.

[Faygo Kid]

6. McNichols is six mile. That's over on the west side.

In Detroit, you're either an East Sider or West Sider, depending on what side of Woodward Avenue you grew up in. That's true of the whole Metro area, by the way. That's over on the west side. I grew up an East Sider, but lived just off Livernois and Eight Mile for a couple years, 1999-2001.

You're right, excellent housing stock there.

[Faygo Kid]

2. Born and raised there, and worked downtown for 10 years. Still my town.

It's very sad, but Detroit has been down for many, many years. I worked at Federal's at 7 mile and Gratiot in the 60s, and grew up in Warren just the other side of Eight Mile Road. Spent a ton of time in Detroit; attended Wayne State for three years, church all the time growing up. Mom worked at Denby High School. Spent a ton of time there, and worked downtown from 1977-87. Got to see it deteriorate. They built the RenCen on the wrong side of Jefferson. I don't want to move back there, either, but the stadiums are nice (even if the football team stinks).

Anyway, it will always be "home turf." Lots of good people there and in the surrounding area.

Great place to grow up in the '50s and '60s, that's for sure.

[AndyTiedye]

4. Some TECHNO Should Take Away the Misery

[Octafish]

7. Detroit is a GREAT city.

Thanks to Henry Ford, Detroit is where the middle class was born. It is still the industrial heart of America, the arsenal of Democracy. People from the world over live and work together here.

[A HERETIC I AM]

13. "Thanks to Henry Ford"?

Perhaps "in spite of Henry Ford" might be more accurate.

http://barksdale.uta.edu/rabun2.htm

[BigDaddy44]

22. And their Mayor!!!

Man, what an inspirational, progressive and visionary leader HE is!!!!

[DiverDave]

8. When I saw this I thought, Salt Lake City.

I spent a couple of years there 1 month.

Most miserable in my book.

[patrick t. cakes]

11. utahs pretty sad

[ellie]

9. I really like Detroit

I used to live in Royal Oak and we always used to go to downtown Detroit to go out. I hope that it makes its way back from the brink.

[Nailzberg]

10. I was sent to Detroit for a few months last year on a job.

I really liked Detroit. Stayed at the Riverfront, so I took in a couple Red Wings games, Bears v. Lions, and a Tigers game. It's really sad to see all those empty buildings, even in the downtown. I think that's what surprised me the most. But it was a great city. Sure would be nice to see the D rise like the phoenix.

[OhioChick]

12. Congrats.

Cleveland has to be a close second.

[kevinbgoode]

14. I thought Cleveland was coming back. . .

I was there a couple of years ago and, while not overwhelmingly exciting, the downtown sure has been cleaned up. . .and there were lots of things to see/do in that area. The big downtown station they turned into a large mall/RTA center was nice as well. I walked around downtown during the day feeling pretty safe.

[panzerfaust]

16. And it has been decades since the river caught on fire

[OhioChick]

18. Cleveland has gotten

to be a ghost-town. Companies are leaving, so many foreclosures, etc. It's not what you remember it to be. It's right up there with Detroit.

[panzerfaust]

15. Stolen Title

Philly is surely worse, or Atlanta, hum perhaps Miami ...

[Lex1775]

17. Philly was number 5.

[Jeffro40]

19. Yea, and all the posters on DU can celebrate about more businesses

losing money.

Yea, those bastards! Oh, people losing their jobs? Whoops! Oh well, they deserve it for working for GM.

[tabasco]

20. Blaming the customers for a failing business is stupid.

Just as stupid as the GM management.

I haven't seen a lot of the posts you mention.

Just the ones condemning the bad management of US car companies.

[tabasco]

21. 55 posts and you already know all about DU.

You seem to hate this place so why don't you just leave?

All us America-hatin' libruls and all.

Why don't you go join the Army and stop fighting the "culture war" at your computer?

Ask for "eleven bravo" like I did.

www.goarmy.com

[Batgirl]

26. Yep, people on the DU all all the time celebrating

"about more businesses losing money." I mean you can hardly find a thread that isn't infested with those super cute "fuck yeah, businesses losing money!" smilies. Not to mention such inescapable DU acronyms as ROFLABLM and ROTFLMAOAMBLM.

And the godawful chortling that erupts whenever the topic of job loss and unemployment gets mentioned. Most of us don't even have to be very drunk to find endless hilarity in that topic. Probably because we are all extremely wealthy liberals who aren't affected by the economic misfortunes of those who must labor in the trenches for the aforementioned "businesses losing money." That would certainly explain our celebratory attitudes.

No doubt about it, you've got our number. You also demonstrate impeccable logic with your claim that GM outsourcing of jobs has been done purely as a response to the company's financial losses. Except for all those years of record profits when they were ... umm, outsourcing jobs and making record profits.

oh yeah, almost forgot:

[alfredo]

23. Detroit was OK until cocaine took over. I left in the spring of 1975.

Cocaine had taken over and things got too crazy.

[leeroysphitz]

24. We're not doing so hot these days but things HAVE been worse and they will get better.

[TrogL]

25. I take it that it hasn't changed much

I was there in the 70's and it looked like a war zone.

We were on tour and we had armed guards on the buses.