Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Week 5 - What Makes Cities Loveable? "What do we love? What do we hate?"
The majority of our team live in surrounding cities of Detroit. However, some of us were born and raised, but all of us work and play here. What do you love about Detroit (social awareness, culture, people, food, green initiatives, philanthropic opportunities, professional/educational opportunities, social activities, etc)? What do you hate about Detroit (social awareness, culture, people, food, green initiatives, philanthropic opportunities, professional/educational opportunities, social activities, etc)?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
What I love about Detroit is that, no matter where I live, it is and will always be home! Even with its greatest challenges (misappropriation of educational and local government funds - old and new), I flourished in spite of these limitations (subpar -learning materials, spaces, meals, community services, etc.). #IAmDPS Due to these hard times and others happenings, I am stronger because it. Every person I know with similar experiences, breed in Detroit, feels the same way. I feel safe in Detroit as I do in many other places. Safe as one can feel in a major city (crime does not discriminate, it can happen anywhere) and safe as in comfortable; I belong. With comfort comes confidence, pride and growth. With this confidence I’ve explored and have been provided numerous, wonderful experiences/opportunities (work, people, places, culture, philanthropy, etc.) Detroit has had to offer. I may never again live in Detroit, but I support the people and the initiatives that are here. Good or bad, Detroit has a global position in the world and I plan on being a part of its everlasting bright future.
ReplyDeleteI agree with feeling safe in the city, which makes the stories on national news saying Detroit is a crime-ridden city grind my gears. I might actually move back into the city eventually, I just want to be in a real community not just an apartment
DeleteAlexis, I have friends who are also DPS alumni and they feel the same way about their DPS education; they were better for it. I know DPS educators who are as hard-working, dedicated and passionate about education (if not more) than the educators that I know in surrounding cities so it does get under my skin when people continually dump on the teachers. For many of the students, they beat the odds having MUCH less than what they need or deserve. Many become doctors, lawyers, teachers and community activists-unfortunately, we hear about them much less than we probably should.
DeleteI love the cultural opportunities Detroit – especially concerning arts and entertainment. I can’t imagine living somewhere, which did not have access to such great art, theatre, film, dance and sporting. I enjoy trips to the Detroit Historical Museum, as well as ethnic oriented sites like the National Arab American and Charles Wright Museums. Finally, church and family are also closely related to my love of the city.
DeleteI hate negativism, people afraid to go beyond their narrow-mindedness, people who want “something for nothing,” and people who don’t vote but complain about government. Many of these attributes are not particular to Detroit, but they still make a difference in how I view the city.
I love the people and the cultures that make the city what it is. I love the fact that despite their being differing areas in the city, each area is connected and gets along with the other. I also love that despite being from Detroit, there is always something new to discover in the city. Like for example, I always thought that Armando's in Southwest Detroit was the best place for Mexican food. My friends took me on a food crawl around the area and showed that I was sadly mistaken. One of the things I hate about Detroit are the mindsets of people born and raised have toward the city. Instead of them having faith in what the city could be, they badmouth the city, move out and then speak ill of it outside the city, creating that mirage of a bad Detroit. Ironically this also creates something I love as the people who stay in Detroit are passionate about the city and say with pride they are glad to be Detroit.
ReplyDeleteI've been wanting to go on a food crawl. I love that there are bike and walking tours too. There is so much to explore! I feel like 10 years from now, people are going to be talking about Detroit, in a good way, all over the country.
DeleteWhat I love about the city is the many, MANY places to go and things to see. My husband and I are in the city any chance we get. A few times a year, we stay in a hotel overnight, even though we're literally 20 minutes away, and spend the night out on the town. We see bands, eat great food, go to the casino, catch a ballgame, whatever...there's tons to do and I love that about Detroit. What I don't love is that I don't feel like it's a city where I can raise my family. My main issue is safety. I can't live in a city where if I have an emergency, I may not be able to count on the police, fire and rescue departments to show up in a reasonable amount of time. If people are going to move back to the city, to neighborhoods, they have to feel like they will be safe there.
ReplyDeleteI feel the same way. I really want to buy a house in Detroit and make the city my home, but I also want to start a family sooner rather than later, and I just don't know that Detroit is a place (yet) where I feel totally comfortable doing that. I've been noticing a greater police presence, which is promising, so I'm hoping that in a few years, I'll be able to have a family in the city.
DeleteI can't say safety was ever a major concern as to why I don't live in Detroit. Emergency services are quite responsive "if" you live in certain areas of the city. For instance, last week at Bible study, 911 was called when one of the older parishioners fainted. I don't think more than 3 minutes passed by before the ambulance arrived.
DeleteMy issue with the city has always been the public schools. If your child is not lucky enough to get into one of the elite schools, then there is no point thinking your child will have access to a good education.
I love food, the music scene, the architecture of the old buildings, the Red Wings, and the people. I love the sense of history here, the fact that the story of Detroit is not just important locally, but also tells the story of America, which kind of gets me emotional. I love the abandoned buildings, the urban farming, and that so many different kinds of people live and work here. I love the different areas of the city and how they cultivate their distinct identities. I really love how passionate and enthusiastic Detroiters are about Detroit, how proud they are to be here, and how that love of the city is being channeled into community projects. I don't like that people have so many misconceptions and negative opinions about Detroit. What I don't love about the city are the transportation problems, the safety issues, and the fact that the benefits of development downtown haven't yet spread to the surrounding neighborhoods. But I'm optimistic about the future of the city, and I hope to be part of the changes.
ReplyDeleteI enjoy live music, but I now stay away from the large, popular concerts. If I have to pay a lot of money for a show, I want to actually hear the artist. I don't want to hear some patron singing along, unless the artist specifically asks the audience to do so.
DeletePersonally, I feel that Detroit is a very lovable city in a lot of ways. People love the underdog, a comeback story and being part of a renaissance; which Detroit falls into all of those categories. While Detroit is still working on its public safety issues, I do feel safe when I'm in the city. Like any big city, you'll unfortunately always have crime, however, it seems that Detroit's heading in the right direction. There's also a lot of great things to see and do, and every week, there seems to be a new commercial or residential area opening to the public.
ReplyDeleteAlso, to piggyback on a previous post regarding national and international perception of Detroit, I stumbled across this yesterday: http://www.mirror.co.uk/lifestyle/travel/usa-long-haul/detroit-motor-city-rises-ashes-5909593
I can definitely understand the underdog aspect that Detroit would fall under, due to the fact that when Detroit's renaissance hits a hurdle, the city continues to fight on to bigger and better things.
Delete