Back from “vacation,” part 2: Detroit, the suburbs, and gentrification

Last updated on: August 3, 2014 at 9:50 pm by Jane the Actuary

Back from “vacation,” part 2: Detroit, the suburbs, and gentrification 2014-08-03T21:50:00-06:00 Jane the Actuary

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

After our visit to Detroit back in March, I was able to offer some comments about the state of the city. We didn’t go into the city this time around, but we did make it over to Birmingham when the movie we wanted was showing at the theaters in downtown Birmingham. And here’s a fun fact about Detroit: unlike, I suspect, most cities where the center of gravity for young hipsters is the city itself, in artsy gentrifying districts, the downtown-areas where young (suburban) Detroiters hang out are, as often as not, not in the city itself.

Birmingham, for instance, is full of restaurants and shops and entertainment, like this:

There’s on-street metered parking and a number of municipal parking lots with the first two hours free, and modest charges thereafter.

It’s all quite upscale, though, so there’s always Royal Oak, which has more working-class roots (anecdotally, the father of my elementary school friend who lived in Royal Oak worked in an auto plant):

And if that doesn’t suit you, there’s Ferndale:

which has, I believe, similar working class roots, and, according to Wikipedia, “is well known in the Detroit area for its LGBT population and progressive policies.”

(All three images came from Google Images, not my own camera.)

Now, of course, classic gentrification is not just about the young ‘uns discovering the joys of an urban “lifestyle” but of “urban pioneers” moving into decayed areas with “good bones” to benefit from low prices and improve the area with their sweat equity and the energy and enthusiasm, as well as rehab funds, that they, but not long-time residents, can provide. And certainly Detroit is chock full of cheap housing — but also high taxes and low levels of services, especially police and fire protection, and besides this, Detroit has historically been a city of single-family homes, making it even less attractive to young hipsters.

The bottom line is that, every time I read about how Detroit is “gentrifying,” I’m very skeptical. Yes, a few hipsters are moving into small pockets of Detroit and trying to make a go of it. But the government can’t create a gentrifying neighborhood — anytime this has happened, it’s been at the initiative of the gentrifiers themselves. And a lot of this gentrifying energy has been, in the Detroit area, a suburban phenemenon.

Uncategorized

Previous Post

August 3, 2014

Back from "Vacation," part 1: update on Dad

Next Post

August 3, 2014 Back from "vacation," part 3: on the cost of college

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Actuarial/Retirement Issues Politics Uncategorized

Select a Month September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 December 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 August 2021 June 2021 April 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

According to Hebrews, Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and when?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Until the end of the age In all eternity past Throughout all generations Forever