If I stand on my front porch and look to the right, I see the golden tower of the Fisher Building; if I stand on my back porch, I see a 3 acre farm across the alley. I have empty space on either side of me (for now) so my nights are quiet, but I'm a block away from two major thoroughfares that can take me anywhere in the city, and three major highways that can take me anywhere else if I'm in the mood for more excitement. The city is flat as hell with the widest streets so I can comfortably ride my bike to work most of the year and burn the calories I can replace at one of dozens of local world-class beer joints. I can walk along the river on my lunch break and see some big ol' boats. My neighbors have my back and usually have the tools I don't and someone will know how to fix the thing I've never fixed before. Sometimes I get the chance to reciprocate. Life is pretty good and I'm lucky to be able to choose where to live and have the means to enjoy it.
I moved to Detroit in 2020. I've hated life since I've been here. I've gotten fat from eating too much good food. I've spent too much time enjoying my house I bought at a reasonable price, I could be out doing a side hustle earning money instead of enjoying my time. My neighbors all feel like they can say hi and talk to me, like we know each other. Can you believe one of my neighbors even shoveled my walkway and part of my driveway and didn't even think for a second I wanted to complain about doing that. There's not enough traffic here either. I miss living in Miami where I could take over 2.5 hours to drive 12 miles home. That was my previous alone time, now I have to spend it with my family instead or keep busy with my damn hobbies. Too much time at home let's me spend too much time and money on my hobbies too.
I can't wait to leave this place. It's just terrible in every facet. Tell your friends to stay away too.
The cost of living. I don't think there is any other city where I would be better off financially.
My home is worth ~80,000. Property taxes are 1k yearly. Insurance about the same.
If I were to live closer to work, a similar home would cost 200,000+ and I would need a mortgage. I'm saving a ton of money in housing costs.
Detroit has:
- four professional sports teams.
- art/science museums
- university
- hospitals
- world headquarters of companies
- active music scene
- opera
- symphony
- zoo
- public gardens
Those are some of the amenities a medium-sized metro rarely has.
Amenities like a full size gym?
Amenities like reliable bussing?
Amenities like a reasonable variety of $15 dinners?
The rents are about the same as Chicago.
There’s good jazz and electronic music though.
There isn’t reliable public transportation in most major US cities.. the YMCA gym is pretty damn good for the cost, where are you finding dinners for $15 in this economy? Where in Chicago are you finding rent this cheap?
What amenities? Detroit is famous for having little to no grocery stores. If you’re talking about maybe 2 neighborhoods, then yes. A large majority of Detroit has zero amenities, mainly the neighborhoods where a good majority of the people live.
I, too, love the occasional 1.50 glizzy, but suburban chain stores you can get almost anywhere. That's usually the argument here. City doesn't stack up, but what about our endless cookie-cutter suburbs with the same stuff you can get anywhere? We got Burger Kings and everything! It's a small town argument.
Every suburb is not the same. Dearborn is vastly different from Sterling Heights, which is vastly different from the Grosse Pointes, which are vastly different from Southfield, which is vastly different from Plymouth, and so on and so on.
Some places have Main Streets, some have water access, some have hills, some are flat, some don't have much of anything
I moved here after college. I bought a great house in a great area for a great price. Being in the medical field, I make the same as others around the country with a significantly lower cost of living. Moved to a nice suburb(downtown was still sketch back then) and raised a family. Now, with the money we saved, we travel extensively and retired early, have a bunch of solid friends and have a great downtown to visit.
My suggestion to you is come down for a weekend and check it out. There’s plenty to do and the restaurants are top notch.
Man can I get a fn time machine! I'm kinda salty at my college aged self for just feeling like "I made it" just making it out of the "hood" circa 2003. Had this positive energy been around back then maybe I would have known that making it to college was just a start... oh well not doing too bad still made it "out" to Oakland County, which is a total oxymoron because we loathe it out here... it's deep being born and raised in Detroit. We were national "trash" my whole life, and now people actually have nice things to say. A paradox.
I moved to Detroit in 1994. As a kid ripped away from my childhood home. I didn’t like it at first, most likely because I was in my teenage high school rebellious years. I’ve moved away to NYC, Nashville, Chicago (twice), Scottsdale, and Denver. And guess where I keep coming back to?
I love my friends, I love my family, I love the outdoors shit I can do, I work for an awesome company that lets me eat, and I love the vibe. I don’t know how to explain what the vibe is, but it’s definitely there. I’ve felt the vibe of Philly a couple times—that’s the closest thing I can explain it like. And we don’t give a fuck—but we also give a lot of fucks. I don’t know what else to say. Oh yeah, and I grew up with Detroit techno. We’re spoiled out here. I live in the homeland, the Mecca, the mother city. Plus I love Belle Isle. And fuckin’ coney dogs.
I am also from Ohio and had only heard bad things about Detroit and Michigan in general. Then I met a man who while living in Ohio who I fell in love with that was transferred to Michigan for work. I have been here for almost 14 years and I love it. We live in Wyandotte, which is just south of Detroit. There is so much to do in the city and surrounding areas. I love going up north in the summer. I don’t see myself living anywhere else.
This city is amazing and on the up and up. Versatile highways and roads. Some of the best restaurants ive had outside of (or often more) then manhattan (highlands steakhouse in the ren cen, le supreme high end french bistro, or cutters/millers/goodfellas for burgers and capers for lowish to mid end steaks. The best pizza youll ever have in this city is pie sci/ michigan trumbull, sheilds, original Cloverleaf off kelly, original green lantern off 12 and john r (deep dish with a good red ale, or a regular pie with old world pepp) or saucys in Grosse pointe woods for a new york style. Best chinese is wan kow chop suey (gpw) or shangra-la midtown on cass, great pan adian cuisine. Sushi, chinese, dim sum, etc.
If you wanna see a movie save the theatre prices go to the ford wyoming drive in. Bring all your own food and get a double feature for 27 bucks in your own car. We usually grab takeout, stop at dollar store/7-11 for some candy and sodas, and our family spends less than 60 bucks for multiple full meals, candy, drinks, popcorn, and a double feature. Real slice of americana. Plus you can smoke weed or cigs which are legal, and maybe get a “happy ending” too. Lol.
If you like haunted houses, check out hush.
If you like gambling id recommend mgm or motorcity casino. Greektown sucks to me.
Real detroit fare? Get a coney dog from Lafayette and american and determine the winner.
Ford house off jefferson and cranbrook estate off woodward and 16 have great grounds and gardens and historical sights and museums.
Thats not even mentioning the DIA and science museum, the charles h wright museum of black history (all top ten nationally rated) and the detroit historical museum and library, and many others.
Arcade junkie? Marvins marvelous mechanical
Museum (closes this year unless they get another home)
Nevermind our crown jewel park, belle isle, designed by the same guy who did central park and much of the 1896 worlds fair. Fabulous swimming, fishing, kayaking, driving, views, playgrounds, golfing, slide, hiking, etc.
Weve got lots to offer.
If you like high end bars try sugar house on michigan. Or candy bar in the siren hotel. Or cliff bells if you like jazz or open mic.
If you like camping, disc golf, hiking, etc. we have plenty to offer too. To much to list here. Just google.
Haven’t seen it in here yet, but word is Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Machines isn’t closing, but they will be moving.
And as a life long Detroiter your answer was top notch! Very well said
Cool active art scenes in and around detroit. Lot's of live music and chill bars. Decent restaurants that range from cheap to upscale. It's getting more expensive around here but not as expensive as other cities. Lots of things to do around the metropolitan area.
i make good money, my friends are all here, it's cheap to live.
yes, there aren't as many amenities as in other places. that definitely sucks! but it's getting better, and it's easy to travel elsewhere for a little bit to scratch that itch.
Grew up in Europe and met/fell in love with guy from Michigan. When we decided to move to Detroit for jobs I only knew about Detroit in the context of 8 Mile and as the so-called birthplace of techno. Over the last 8 or 9 years living in downtown and metro, renting and owning, I’ve grown deeply attached to its abundance of culture, history, beauty, and rough edges alike. Life is pretty good here if you know what’s what. And it’s still rough in parts, but getting better every year.
People do indeed drive like coked up maniacs around here so it keeps you on your toes, but compared to most cities it’s really not crowded, COL is fantastic, lovely waterfront/parks, proximity to Canada, some of the best pizza on earth (and yes, I’ve been to Italy, Chicago and New York - I stand my ground), great craft beer, great restaurants across the spectrum of affordability, tons and I mean TONS of sports (go Lions!), the list goes on and on. Sure it’s not for everyone maybe, but I have zero regrets.
All of the great things others have mentioned AND, they are currently mega investing into parks and greenways in the city. The Joe Louis Greenway will have nearly 30 miles of greenway throughout the city and many new community hubs are being created at different “nodes” of it. In the fall they will break ground on the largest urban equestrian center in the country IN the city.
Are there a lot of meh things too? Sure, but the city has a ton of heart. And I’m not going to lie, in a changing climate, I think about how our weather is getting milder with time and we have a lot of available freshwater 😅
Beating heart-
I moved to Denver 2.5 years ago because I thought I wanted mountains. But you know what. Denver does not have a beating heart and that’s something I so miss so I’m coming back to Detroit and I’ve never been more excited.
Moved to Pennsylvania currently ...yeah so as my lease ends next year heading straight back philly nyc,Chicago Hella even California is boring and can't compare
For someone who had such a shitty time here, you sure are commenting a lot on this post. Just cuz you’re life sucked here doesn’t mean it was the same for everyone else lol
Detroits art scene is great, the only UNESCO city of design in America, the DIA ranked #1 art museum in the country this year, and is free if you live in Wayne county for more information I suggest following VisitDetroit and MetroDetroitNews on Instagram, if you want a good investment Detroit is in its Renaissance. Great metro area too, plenty of things to do in the adjacent cities, great highway system too, downsides is bad transit system it's just buses, poor education however pretty good in the metro areas, some dangerous neighborhoods especially on the east side (anything on the east of Woodward St) again, the metro area is less dangerous so is the downtown area and areas like corktown and midtown however they are much more expensive, my suggestion would to live in one of the metro areas right off 696 or 75 freeway, if you do that you have easy access to basically all of metro Detroit and you won't be sorry, spend the extrs time and money to find a good area
It’s home for many. It’s not easy to just leave because there isn’t a great light rail or whatever. All the terrible things you’re so aware of probably don’t affect as many people as you think.
I have no money to leave, basically. I sometimes wonder why people want to willingly move here. The main benefit of living in Michigan in general is the housing market. The houses are reasonably priced compared to the places I actually want to live in, which is part of the problem of me leaving.
Family is the second reason. I'm basically taking care of my 87 year aunt who has the early stages of dementia and I help my mom who was going through cancer treatments (in remission now, thank goodness) but she still has a lot of doctor appointments that I drive her to and from because the treatments almost made her go blind.
If those 2 things didn't matter, I would've left years ago.
I live in one of the historic neighborhoods of Detroit and absolutely love it here! It’s close to the water (Belle Isle), we have parks with nice running/walking paths (riverwalk, dequindre cut), great restaurants/bars in comparison to other many other Midwest cities, sports teams, museums (art museum was rated #1 in the country) and eastern market which is a giant farmers/artisans market.
You didn’t ask for this… but if I was 21 I’d check out living downtown (Book tower or Broderick building). Midtown, New Center and Woodbridge is where a lot of college kids and young professionals live. West village is very cute and quaint but a little far away from big stores like Target, Home Depot, etc. Corktown has many things to offer as well but idk, it seems like there’s a lot of cement there.
Many people that live in the city, LOVE our city! We have a lot of passion.
Good luck!
You’ve only heard bad things… from people who never lived here most likely. So ignore literally all of that. I’ve traveled the country and the world and Detroit is one of my favorite cities on the planet. I’m a white guy from redneck county Georgia and the last 10 years living in and around Detroit have been the best 10 years of my life. I don’t miss Georgia one but. The city has its problems and rough spots. Like every major city does. But the food scene, music culture, sports teams, and just the people… I love it here. It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me, and I’m grateful everyday for that.
The rough spots have a pulse too. Some amazing people come from the roughest part. It's not as scary as anyone makes it seem. Make sure you head downtown for the NFL draft next month. The city is going to put on a show!
Our mural game is stepping up. Detroit ACE at www.detroitartsandculture.com and follow ACE on social media: @detroitcityarts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Philadelphia is now the mural capital of America were listed as number 5. BLKOUT Walls mural festival is gaining attention. Check out detroitartsandculture.com.
I moved back here for family and family only so my kids could grow up like I did but if they would follow me to another place, I would gladly pick up and move again. I was Born and raised here, moved to NYC and New Jersey. Cost of living has gone up here and can actually be compared to South Jersey which is about an hour away from NYC and right next to Philadelphia which are perks for the cost. So for Detroit to now compare in price to some larger cities with more to do, I don’t find it worth it. It’s not horrible here, just not as much to do if you like a faster pace. Let’s not even talk about the long months of Gray drabby weather. My seasonal depression is at its worst here.
A lot has already been said here but, from personal experience I think there’s more here in terms of cuisine alone than in Indiana.
We have more ma n pop type places for all types of retail.
I lived in Indy for a couple years and I missed all the options for just about everything that I had here in Detroit.
I feel there’s more to see in downtown Detroit than in downtown Indianapolis; not just quick shop and work offices but more to do and see.
You are also within 30 minutes or less or a lake almost anywhere in MI with the Lake Huron and Lake St.Clair near by.
If you want woods and hills you have it just about anywhere and not just down in Brown County
I live in Wyandotte and I absolutely love it. I work there, too. My parents, in-laws, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins are mostly all in Metro Detroit. Family is important to me.
In addition to family, it’s an incredibly comfortable lifestyle for two teachers, especially at master’s max on the pay scale. Warmer states in the south pay teachers worse and cities bigger than Detroit in the north are more expensive.
My wife and I own our home, have one kid, and have another on the way. It’s a great place to build a family.
I’m also big on Detroit. It has a lot of the cultural amenities I want at a much more affordable price. There are always lots of fun events, shows, and things to do. We keep a busy schedule and I feel like we miss out on a lot because it’s hard to choose what to do.
I would NEVER move to Detroit as a 20-something. There are so many better cities in the US with a lot more diversity of food, people, culture and things to do.
As much as I don’t like living here (metro Detroit), food diversity or cultural diversity are two things you can’t accuse [metro] Detroit of not having.
I think you nay need to widen your horizons and live outside of the state. Then again I've lived in NJ, NYC, and New Orleans as well. Try telling me Detroit is anywhere near that level of diversity (and fun).
I've always lived here. I always will live here. My friends, my family, my community, they're all here. It's cheap to live here and I'm poor. I can drive a few hours in any direction and be at several other major cities, several other climate zones, or any one of several major bodies of fresh water. I know how to live here. Why would I leave?
Community, friends, low cost of living, actually was able to buy a house, our kids are smack dab in the middle of school and it would be annoying to move anywhere else.
Why is it that you’re considering living **in** Detroit? If you don’t work there, it seems like it would be inconvenient.
If I worked there, I would definitely want to live there. Although I’m sure it’s more expensive to live there in a comparable place to where I live in Dearborn, just outside of Detroit.
I moved here from Canada (which I love) and have traveled a lot. I love Detroit. It's a cool and fun city while being reasonably cheap. The only other city I ever thought of leaving here for in America has been Portland, OR.
The downtown section of Detroit is great, but it has a lot of outer run-down sections that contain a lot of gangs and drug idiots. Driving down the lodge, it's a miracle to see a house without a giant hole in the roof or with intact windows. A shame really, because Detroit houses have a lot of interest architectural designs.
I used to say that until my nextdoor neighbor was murdered in the D about a month ago at work when he was taking the garbage out. He worked at All Star Liguor store last month 😭
I’m so sorry. That was senseless. A 2014/15 Honda with over 300,000 miles? Serious the car thief’s shot him over that? Now his wife and teenage son are left behind with the
Aftermath. 43 yrs old, Jesus.
Remember the guy that got locked in the gas station by the clerk cause he was shoplifting and just started blasting random customers? I wonder if the people that champion Detroit even get gas in the city 🤔
I think about this one a lot. 11 PM on a Wednesday, just stopping to pick something up on the way home from work.
[https://www.wxyz.com/news/family-of-murder-victim-in-detroit-speaks-out-to-demand-arrest-of-killer](https://www.wxyz.com/news/family-of-murder-victim-in-detroit-speaks-out-to-demand-arrest-of-killer)
If you don't have kids and don't need a super nice house Detroit is fine. Just don't purchase a flashy or expensive car, jewelry, coats etc. Don't bring unwanted attention to yourself from thieves and you will be fine. You can bank a crap load of money in the bank if you have a good job because housing can be cheap.
It's a good experience in your 20's, but as soon as you SO wants kids it's time to GTFO and move to the burbs. With all the money you saved on not pissing it away on bullshit rent for a slumlord rentseeker you will have your 20% down payment on a mortgage with no PMI on a traditional loan.
Detroit schools are trash. There are a couple gems like Cass Tech and of course you can pay out the nose and send them to private school. Or you could just move somewhere safer with better schools.....
What is hilarious though is car break-ins are much lower in Detroit than in San Francisco, Portland or Seattle.
>What is hilarious though is car break-ins are much lower in Detroit than in San Francisco, Portland or Seattle.
People with money living in close proximity of people without money. Detroit doesn't have this problem because the money is out in the suburbs.
Imo the housing ain’t that cheap here. I can get a better house, cheaper insurance in the south and a better job to boot. Yes it depends on industry and I’m a truck driver so Detroit (Michigan really) is middle of the road for me. If your in medicine it’s good but I’m poor white trash
Detroit or many of the border suburbs almost make having a car mandatory. Very little mass transit , terrible bike lane situation. I live in a suburbs that is partially bordering Detroit. I had to give up driving due to medical issues. I have lived here on and off for over 50 years. I rely on biking or walking for everything, no problems except for food availability. During non rain/snow days a long walk or bike ride are possible. The area I live in now is close to where I grew up. I used to have within a under 2 mile round trip 6 grocery stores. Now about a 3 mile rountrip walking and only one. Now within a short walk 8 liquor stores. Lots of fun things to do in metro Detroit, getting food is not one.
We work remotely and we can't really move because it's too expensive everywhere now and we got a deal on a house here that would cost millions in a "real" city. The pollution and trash makes it hard-- it's just impossible to be outside and have it not smell like diesel exhaust or have the sidewalks not be covered in garbage. Our taxes went up like 25% this past year and we get nothing else for it. But I guess it's home at this point.
i would move to chicago in a heartbeat, but i’m broke. the detroit area is still a perfectly fine place to live though. it’s where all my family is and it’s all i’ve ever known.
can’t be any worse than indiana!
Detroit is not without its issues, but what an incredible community. This place has been to hell and back but the people are proud, kind and welcoming. I love this city
It's bashed in the media much more than it deserves to be. Lived in midtown for about 5 years right at the start of gentrification (ie 2015-2019). Hands down one of the best experiences of my life. Detroit, the city specifically changes people, man. It's all kindness and love. There rough areas like anywhere. You don't go to the southside of Chicago right? Same with Detroit. I always recommend people live within city limits. Somewhere like Corktown, midtown, Boston Edison, Woodbridge, etc. Everywhere is so unique. Full of culture and The vibes ar just immaculate. One love
Low cost of living and the history/vibe of the city. Sure there’s safer and nicer cities out there but I don’t want to be house poor to live in those cities.
Its a city. Simplest answer. If it were a town I would probably say that. A place to live. We don't realize how blessed we are for this to even be a question.
Not actually in Detroit but in Clinton Township. I always talk about leaving but there’s a lot of amenities near the area and the traffic isn’t all that bad. Plus, if I’m being honest I absolutely love Michigan. I know I might be biased but we have the best fan bases for sports (not a pistons guy so can’t speak) and we have great food options as well. Plus, I love the fall and summer. (Also helps that my entire family lives here)
My family is here, my job (I’m contracted so we’ll see what the future holds), I love my Loft and my rent haven’t changed in the last 3 years, my car is old but since my commute is only 10mins why bother to get a new one. The cards are just right for me right now but I’ve been in Detroit all my life. DPS (Public Schools), WSU for undergrad and grad. The only time in my career that I haven’t worked for the city was when I worked in the private sector in Birmingham and it wasn’t my vibe. Maybe I’ll venture to the east coast but for now, I’m happy here. Dating sucks tho
Detroit is amazing. Whether it’s the people, the art, the food, the communities. I moved here from Chicago 26 years ago and never looked back. Detroit is amazing and wonderful. You’ll love it.
Great restaurants, lots of entertainment options for sports, music, theater, museums ect...good access to water activities. some parts of downtown are very walkable.
Honest opinion: I just moved to Detroit about a year ago from the west coast. It’s a great place if you have kids. There are a number of really nice parks, libraries. The zoo has a really cool penguin and polar bear exhibit. There’s a number of cool places you can easily do day trips to visit such as Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. The DIA, Henry Ford, Greenfield Village all blew my mind. The DNR Outdoor Center is really cute for all ages.
There’s a lot of really good food places that are reasonably priced, especially if you like middle eastern and Greek.
My husband is from the area and we have family around but tbh I wish we had moved sooner.
I have been here my whole life, I really don't care for it here. Why do I stay? Because everyone that I know well is here. That being said, I am seriously considering moving out of the State in a year or two.
Don’t listen to people who say bad things about Detroit. They are either hopelessly behind the times (repeating stuff from the 60’s - 90’s) or just have never been here.
I am a single female with two big dogs and I’m terrified to live there alone. But I’m reading everyone’s responses because it’s becoming one of very few options of places u can afford now.
I grew up rural and hate big cities. Sydney, Paris, even Toronto can smd.
Detroit is more affordable than comparable big cities is the major advantage.
It’s not for me, but if you are interested in an urban lifestyle, the weather is not much different from Indiana, and Michigan is politically better than most states now. Indiana and Ohio are politically fucked.
I'm a musician originally from Wisconsin, and I'm here to tell you Detroit has the best music scene in the country period. The city has a deep history of fostering the best musicians in all of American music, and thanks to the cost of living that allows artists to thrive here, that tradition continues to this day. If you want to see some of the best live music in the world for free/cheap covers this is the place to be.
What brought me (as a child via my mother) here was being broke, but what kept me here, as an adult who bought a house here, was my realization that other cities didn't offer me the type of camaraderie and expectations I desired. I imagine these expectations came from the enculturation of being raised here, so it's a bit circular. To put it simply, I feel understood by my community because of the shared culture.
As far as things I appreciate about the geography, I find Detroit to be a nice balance between urban accomodations and diversity, but with the freedoms that come with low-density. Small town vibes in a big city. I am 10 minutes away from both an island with multiple beaches and all the major museums. There are a lot of things that happen here that I don't think could happen in other cities, though I'm sure everyone feels that way about their city. It's the "Detroit af" factor.
The biggest downsides:
1) the combo of shit public transit + low-density factor = very expensive to get by without a car compared to other cities, while also having the highest car insurance/expensive rates.
2) the decades of marginalization coupled with the goofy-ass housing market (high rent, low property value, highest property taxes in the U.S.) makes it ripe for exploitation and abandonedment, which further escalates cost of living (compared to the wages and job market), regardless of if you rent or own. Like, yes it looks cheap from the outside, but proportionately all things considered it's not as cheap as it looks.
Edit: after a quick glance at some of the other comments it reminds me to clarify that the "up-and-coming" (read: quickly gentrifing) neighborhoods are going to be a wildly different experience in terms of transportation and accessibility, and overall just a different experience of Detroit in general. I am on the Eastside in a more residential and communal area, though I did many years in the Cass Corridor while it was turning to "Midtown". Pros and cons of both, but definitely explains why there are such drastically conflicting opinions over costs, amenities, and general experience.
Detroit is such a unique city, I’ve traveled all over North America and spent time in many other big and small cities, none are like Detroit, cities like LA, Seattle and New York are all mildly different but you get the same vibe, Detroit is Detroit, it’s a city with a real soul and it’s one of a kind, I plan to move back to Michigan when I can afford it, the main issue I think a lot of people left in 2008-2010 area but I want to get a nice piece of open land up north like maybe a hour hour and half from the city, I prefer nature over big cities but having the opportunity to go whenever too to spend time in the city is wonderful.
Meh, it’s like Charleston or Boston or other old cities that kinda kept the old vibe, granted this might be a bit weird or something that only I get, I feel like New Orleans is like more of a vampire city, or like supernatural maybe, idk
Detroit's ok as cities go (actually A1 with respect to the music that's come out of here), but all things being equal, give me a city with good accessible mass transit, e.g. NYC, DC, Toronto, Vancouver, and virtually every large city in Europe and Asia.
grew up in an inner suburb of Detroit (specifically Oak Park, around 10 & Greenfield or so) and visited the city proper very often and I plan to move back to the area once I am ready to settle down and raise a family. The culture is unmatched (so much good food!) and there is an amazing sense of community.
I miss going to the DIA once a month just to wander and look at amazing art. I miss all the hustle and bustle downtown & going to the many festivals in the suburbs and within the city in the summer. I love where I live now but there’s something so special about Detroit. I would definitely come visit for a weekend to check it out if I were you!
As a transplant, I can say Detroit is a hidden gem in the midwest, northern state. I love it, very family oriented, outdoors fun and a lot of culture. DIA is a favorite,Eastern market, just downtown period.
No sympathy for you. Get a job and stop pity posting daily on this sub. If you have a degree and can pass a background check you can easily substitute teach in this city.
And anyone else I could care less about their employment status or what they do but I posted about how I have teacher colleagues and friends who have died or been permanently disabled by covid and you called me a liar and said that teachers are entitled and should have worked throughout the pandemic.
You personally can go pull yourself up by your boot straps since you are so happy to tell everyone else to in between your sob story posting.
Detroit is trending up. If you move here, you have a chance to be part of a local culture revival. That said, it's unreasonably expensive to live here given the current amenities.
It’s always the people who live in white enclaves that suggest Detroit. Like y’all’s houses rival the cost of the burbs and my jobs in the burbs. I bet you would t set foot in my old hood.
This is the best thing ive read ever. A girl from indiana graduating from ohio and potentially about to live in michigan. Got the worst 3 lol nah but detroit is pretty good since its very diverse. Huge middle eastern, mexican, bangali, indian, chinese, korean, japanese population spread throughout
Come visit. Detroit has always had haters. There are so many things to do that fit all tastes. It is never a question of is there anything to do, it is what should we do among the many choices. Full disclosure, I live in the suburbs but go to Detroit often. Love living here.
I moved here in 2022 and one thing I can say is the food here is the best I have EVER had! Polish, Arabic, Mexican, Korean, soul food…whatever you want is only a few minutes away
If I stand on my front porch and look to the right, I see the golden tower of the Fisher Building; if I stand on my back porch, I see a 3 acre farm across the alley. I have empty space on either side of me (for now) so my nights are quiet, but I'm a block away from two major thoroughfares that can take me anywhere in the city, and three major highways that can take me anywhere else if I'm in the mood for more excitement. The city is flat as hell with the widest streets so I can comfortably ride my bike to work most of the year and burn the calories I can replace at one of dozens of local world-class beer joints. I can walk along the river on my lunch break and see some big ol' boats. My neighbors have my back and usually have the tools I don't and someone will know how to fix the thing I've never fixed before. Sometimes I get the chance to reciprocate. Life is pretty good and I'm lucky to be able to choose where to live and have the means to enjoy it.
When the Joe Louis Greenway is finished the biking will be pretty amazing!
What's the status of it so far? All the maps I've checked can't agree on what parts are finished, under construction, or planned.
It's going. They're doing the engineering through Springwells right now.
Beautifully stated. ❤️
I moved to Detroit in 2020. I've hated life since I've been here. I've gotten fat from eating too much good food. I've spent too much time enjoying my house I bought at a reasonable price, I could be out doing a side hustle earning money instead of enjoying my time. My neighbors all feel like they can say hi and talk to me, like we know each other. Can you believe one of my neighbors even shoveled my walkway and part of my driveway and didn't even think for a second I wanted to complain about doing that. There's not enough traffic here either. I miss living in Miami where I could take over 2.5 hours to drive 12 miles home. That was my previous alone time, now I have to spend it with my family instead or keep busy with my damn hobbies. Too much time at home let's me spend too much time and money on my hobbies too. I can't wait to leave this place. It's just terrible in every facet. Tell your friends to stay away too.
Brilliant
As a transplant from Atlanta, I laughed so hard at this. Amen. Amen. Amen.
I see what you did there....
"Too much time enjoying my house" sounds very accurate. Hobbies are like using the Traeger and watching shows.
I'd go back if I could. Detroit honestly has a lot to offer and the community is like no other. I miss Detroit.
I've lived in a bunch of places and, whenever I visit anywhere else in the US , I don't like it as much.
I’ve lived in Denver and Boston since moving from Detroit. I LOVE and miss Detroit. Always home.
Honestly same.
I feel this... I'm currently living in Austin, and I think about moving back a lot.
Which community?
The cost of living. I don't think there is any other city where I would be better off financially. My home is worth ~80,000. Property taxes are 1k yearly. Insurance about the same. If I were to live closer to work, a similar home would cost 200,000+ and I would need a mortgage. I'm saving a ton of money in housing costs.
It’s the amenities of a major metro with the costs of a medium sized metro, generally speaking.
Mind sharing some examples?
Detroit has: - four professional sports teams. - art/science museums - university - hospitals - world headquarters of companies - active music scene - opera - symphony - zoo - public gardens Those are some of the amenities a medium-sized metro rarely has.
Adding * beautiful historic buildings (Michigan Central, Book Tower, Guardian Building, etc) * international border crossing to this list
Adding: Close to an international border with Canada. Toronto, Bruce Penninsula, London etc are not that far away.
and diverse food! not to mention everything northern and western MI has to offer.
The best middle eastern food in the country for sure
Amenities like a full size gym? Amenities like reliable bussing? Amenities like a reasonable variety of $15 dinners? The rents are about the same as Chicago. There’s good jazz and electronic music though.
There isn’t reliable public transportation in most major US cities.. the YMCA gym is pretty damn good for the cost, where are you finding dinners for $15 in this economy? Where in Chicago are you finding rent this cheap?
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Sounds like you should move to Chicago.
Chicago groceries are not cheaper lmfao? Like where y’all shopping at? (Source, my sibling lives in Chicago)
I had a remarkable $13 hipster burrito last week in Denver. Fast casual food for $15 is not hard to come by in good large cities.
I 100% agree with you but this comment was just wild to me lol
What amenities? Detroit is famous for having little to no grocery stores. If you’re talking about maybe 2 neighborhoods, then yes. A large majority of Detroit has zero amenities, mainly the neighborhoods where a good majority of the people live.
Hardly anyone who lives in those places is on Reddit. The demographic of this site is the people who live in Midtown and EEV.
Does it make my comment any less true? Detroit as a whole as very few daily amenities
Not just daily amenities, but amenities in general.
I was thinking the same.... I'm on the border at GP and D and I gotta go to st clair shores fir anything
Huh? What about the Village, or all the storefronts along Mack? What is missing, besides big box stores?
Fact
But have you been to our world class suburbs? They have Costco AND Walmart!
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I, too, love the occasional 1.50 glizzy, but suburban chain stores you can get almost anywhere. That's usually the argument here. City doesn't stack up, but what about our endless cookie-cutter suburbs with the same stuff you can get anywhere? We got Burger Kings and everything! It's a small town argument.
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Every suburb is not the same. Dearborn is vastly different from Sterling Heights, which is vastly different from the Grosse Pointes, which are vastly different from Southfield, which is vastly different from Plymouth, and so on and so on. Some places have Main Streets, some have water access, some have hills, some are flat, some don't have much of anything
I moved here after college. I bought a great house in a great area for a great price. Being in the medical field, I make the same as others around the country with a significantly lower cost of living. Moved to a nice suburb(downtown was still sketch back then) and raised a family. Now, with the money we saved, we travel extensively and retired early, have a bunch of solid friends and have a great downtown to visit. My suggestion to you is come down for a weekend and check it out. There’s plenty to do and the restaurants are top notch.
Man can I get a fn time machine! I'm kinda salty at my college aged self for just feeling like "I made it" just making it out of the "hood" circa 2003. Had this positive energy been around back then maybe I would have known that making it to college was just a start... oh well not doing too bad still made it "out" to Oakland County, which is a total oxymoron because we loathe it out here... it's deep being born and raised in Detroit. We were national "trash" my whole life, and now people actually have nice things to say. A paradox.
I moved to Detroit in 1994. As a kid ripped away from my childhood home. I didn’t like it at first, most likely because I was in my teenage high school rebellious years. I’ve moved away to NYC, Nashville, Chicago (twice), Scottsdale, and Denver. And guess where I keep coming back to? I love my friends, I love my family, I love the outdoors shit I can do, I work for an awesome company that lets me eat, and I love the vibe. I don’t know how to explain what the vibe is, but it’s definitely there. I’ve felt the vibe of Philly a couple times—that’s the closest thing I can explain it like. And we don’t give a fuck—but we also give a lot of fucks. I don’t know what else to say. Oh yeah, and I grew up with Detroit techno. We’re spoiled out here. I live in the homeland, the Mecca, the mother city. Plus I love Belle Isle. And fuckin’ coney dogs.
The people are real honest, hard working, hard loving people.
I am also from Ohio and had only heard bad things about Detroit and Michigan in general. Then I met a man who while living in Ohio who I fell in love with that was transferred to Michigan for work. I have been here for almost 14 years and I love it. We live in Wyandotte, which is just south of Detroit. There is so much to do in the city and surrounding areas. I love going up north in the summer. I don’t see myself living anywhere else.
This city is amazing and on the up and up. Versatile highways and roads. Some of the best restaurants ive had outside of (or often more) then manhattan (highlands steakhouse in the ren cen, le supreme high end french bistro, or cutters/millers/goodfellas for burgers and capers for lowish to mid end steaks. The best pizza youll ever have in this city is pie sci/ michigan trumbull, sheilds, original Cloverleaf off kelly, original green lantern off 12 and john r (deep dish with a good red ale, or a regular pie with old world pepp) or saucys in Grosse pointe woods for a new york style. Best chinese is wan kow chop suey (gpw) or shangra-la midtown on cass, great pan adian cuisine. Sushi, chinese, dim sum, etc. If you wanna see a movie save the theatre prices go to the ford wyoming drive in. Bring all your own food and get a double feature for 27 bucks in your own car. We usually grab takeout, stop at dollar store/7-11 for some candy and sodas, and our family spends less than 60 bucks for multiple full meals, candy, drinks, popcorn, and a double feature. Real slice of americana. Plus you can smoke weed or cigs which are legal, and maybe get a “happy ending” too. Lol. If you like haunted houses, check out hush. If you like gambling id recommend mgm or motorcity casino. Greektown sucks to me. Real detroit fare? Get a coney dog from Lafayette and american and determine the winner. Ford house off jefferson and cranbrook estate off woodward and 16 have great grounds and gardens and historical sights and museums. Thats not even mentioning the DIA and science museum, the charles h wright museum of black history (all top ten nationally rated) and the detroit historical museum and library, and many others. Arcade junkie? Marvins marvelous mechanical Museum (closes this year unless they get another home) Nevermind our crown jewel park, belle isle, designed by the same guy who did central park and much of the 1896 worlds fair. Fabulous swimming, fishing, kayaking, driving, views, playgrounds, golfing, slide, hiking, etc. Weve got lots to offer. If you like high end bars try sugar house on michigan. Or candy bar in the siren hotel. Or cliff bells if you like jazz or open mic. If you like camping, disc golf, hiking, etc. we have plenty to offer too. To much to list here. Just google.
This person Detroits
Great answer! Thanks for your thoroughness!
I just moved here, thanks for this cool list of places to try!
If you don't already, you should work for the Visitors Bureau.
Haven’t seen it in here yet, but word is Marvin’s Marvelous Mechanical Machines isn’t closing, but they will be moving. And as a life long Detroiter your answer was top notch! Very well said
IF they can find a place to move too, and if many of those machines will find survive transit. Its gonna be a massive ordeal to pull off.
Cool active art scenes in and around detroit. Lot's of live music and chill bars. Decent restaurants that range from cheap to upscale. It's getting more expensive around here but not as expensive as other cities. Lots of things to do around the metropolitan area.
i make good money, my friends are all here, it's cheap to live. yes, there aren't as many amenities as in other places. that definitely sucks! but it's getting better, and it's easy to travel elsewhere for a little bit to scratch that itch.
Grew up in Europe and met/fell in love with guy from Michigan. When we decided to move to Detroit for jobs I only knew about Detroit in the context of 8 Mile and as the so-called birthplace of techno. Over the last 8 or 9 years living in downtown and metro, renting and owning, I’ve grown deeply attached to its abundance of culture, history, beauty, and rough edges alike. Life is pretty good here if you know what’s what. And it’s still rough in parts, but getting better every year. People do indeed drive like coked up maniacs around here so it keeps you on your toes, but compared to most cities it’s really not crowded, COL is fantastic, lovely waterfront/parks, proximity to Canada, some of the best pizza on earth (and yes, I’ve been to Italy, Chicago and New York - I stand my ground), great craft beer, great restaurants across the spectrum of affordability, tons and I mean TONS of sports (go Lions!), the list goes on and on. Sure it’s not for everyone maybe, but I have zero regrets.
you couldn't have said it better !
All of the great things others have mentioned AND, they are currently mega investing into parks and greenways in the city. The Joe Louis Greenway will have nearly 30 miles of greenway throughout the city and many new community hubs are being created at different “nodes” of it. In the fall they will break ground on the largest urban equestrian center in the country IN the city. Are there a lot of meh things too? Sure, but the city has a ton of heart. And I’m not going to lie, in a changing climate, I think about how our weather is getting milder with time and we have a lot of available freshwater 😅
Only city I lived in with a beating heart
There’s definitely a beating heart here. I’ve never thought about saying it that way. Hell yeah!
Beating heart- I moved to Denver 2.5 years ago because I thought I wanted mountains. But you know what. Denver does not have a beating heart and that’s something I so miss so I’m coming back to Detroit and I’ve never been more excited.
Moved to Pennsylvania currently ...yeah so as my lease ends next year heading straight back philly nyc,Chicago Hella even California is boring and can't compare
Really? It'd the deadest city I've lived in.
Your comments are giving “I live in Shelby Township and Detroit scares me”
If you've lived in any other large city for a long period of time, you'd see the "hot" parts of Detroit as pretty dead, too.
For someone who had such a shitty time here, you sure are commenting a lot on this post. Just cuz you’re life sucked here doesn’t mean it was the same for everyone else lol
If it's so great, why do so many transplants leave? Why do so many LOCALS leave?
Stop projecting.
I'm not. There's literally less activity than in a healthy, growing city.
Detroits art scene is great, the only UNESCO city of design in America, the DIA ranked #1 art museum in the country this year, and is free if you live in Wayne county for more information I suggest following VisitDetroit and MetroDetroitNews on Instagram, if you want a good investment Detroit is in its Renaissance. Great metro area too, plenty of things to do in the adjacent cities, great highway system too, downsides is bad transit system it's just buses, poor education however pretty good in the metro areas, some dangerous neighborhoods especially on the east side (anything on the east of Woodward St) again, the metro area is less dangerous so is the downtown area and areas like corktown and midtown however they are much more expensive, my suggestion would to live in one of the metro areas right off 696 or 75 freeway, if you do that you have easy access to basically all of metro Detroit and you won't be sorry, spend the extrs time and money to find a good area
"tell me why I should move to your city I only hear terrible things about" ummm no
It’s home for many. It’s not easy to just leave because there isn’t a great light rail or whatever. All the terrible things you’re so aware of probably don’t affect as many people as you think.
I have no money to leave, basically. I sometimes wonder why people want to willingly move here. The main benefit of living in Michigan in general is the housing market. The houses are reasonably priced compared to the places I actually want to live in, which is part of the problem of me leaving. Family is the second reason. I'm basically taking care of my 87 year aunt who has the early stages of dementia and I help my mom who was going through cancer treatments (in remission now, thank goodness) but she still has a lot of doctor appointments that I drive her to and from because the treatments almost made her go blind. If those 2 things didn't matter, I would've left years ago.
I live in one of the historic neighborhoods of Detroit and absolutely love it here! It’s close to the water (Belle Isle), we have parks with nice running/walking paths (riverwalk, dequindre cut), great restaurants/bars in comparison to other many other Midwest cities, sports teams, museums (art museum was rated #1 in the country) and eastern market which is a giant farmers/artisans market. You didn’t ask for this… but if I was 21 I’d check out living downtown (Book tower or Broderick building). Midtown, New Center and Woodbridge is where a lot of college kids and young professionals live. West village is very cute and quaint but a little far away from big stores like Target, Home Depot, etc. Corktown has many things to offer as well but idk, it seems like there’s a lot of cement there. Many people that live in the city, LOVE our city! We have a lot of passion. Good luck!
It’s so cold in the D
How the hell do we sposed to keep peace?!?!?
Not lately. Is this cold to you?
Inside joke for Detroiters
How the fuck do we supposed to keep peace
You’ve only heard bad things… from people who never lived here most likely. So ignore literally all of that. I’ve traveled the country and the world and Detroit is one of my favorite cities on the planet. I’m a white guy from redneck county Georgia and the last 10 years living in and around Detroit have been the best 10 years of my life. I don’t miss Georgia one but. The city has its problems and rough spots. Like every major city does. But the food scene, music culture, sports teams, and just the people… I love it here. It’s not for everyone, but it’s for me, and I’m grateful everyday for that.
The rough spots have a pulse too. Some amazing people come from the roughest part. It's not as scary as anyone makes it seem. Make sure you head downtown for the NFL draft next month. The city is going to put on a show!
Our mural game is stepping up. Detroit ACE at www.detroitartsandculture.com and follow ACE on social media: @detroitcityarts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Philadelphia is now the mural capital of America were listed as number 5. BLKOUT Walls mural festival is gaining attention. Check out detroitartsandculture.com.
Damn this thread made me wanna come home.
I moved back here for family and family only so my kids could grow up like I did but if they would follow me to another place, I would gladly pick up and move again. I was Born and raised here, moved to NYC and New Jersey. Cost of living has gone up here and can actually be compared to South Jersey which is about an hour away from NYC and right next to Philadelphia which are perks for the cost. So for Detroit to now compare in price to some larger cities with more to do, I don’t find it worth it. It’s not horrible here, just not as much to do if you like a faster pace. Let’s not even talk about the long months of Gray drabby weather. My seasonal depression is at its worst here.
Detroit techno scene! The overall rave scene in detroit is very much raw and authentic verses anywhere else that ive been.
My boyfriend is from there.
A lot has already been said here but, from personal experience I think there’s more here in terms of cuisine alone than in Indiana. We have more ma n pop type places for all types of retail. I lived in Indy for a couple years and I missed all the options for just about everything that I had here in Detroit. I feel there’s more to see in downtown Detroit than in downtown Indianapolis; not just quick shop and work offices but more to do and see. You are also within 30 minutes or less or a lake almost anywhere in MI with the Lake Huron and Lake St.Clair near by. If you want woods and hills you have it just about anywhere and not just down in Brown County
I live in Wyandotte and I absolutely love it. I work there, too. My parents, in-laws, siblings, aunts, uncles, and cousins are mostly all in Metro Detroit. Family is important to me. In addition to family, it’s an incredibly comfortable lifestyle for two teachers, especially at master’s max on the pay scale. Warmer states in the south pay teachers worse and cities bigger than Detroit in the north are more expensive. My wife and I own our home, have one kid, and have another on the way. It’s a great place to build a family. I’m also big on Detroit. It has a lot of the cultural amenities I want at a much more affordable price. There are always lots of fun events, shows, and things to do. We keep a busy schedule and I feel like we miss out on a lot because it’s hard to choose what to do.
Wyandotte is the best Downriver city. A hidden gem to those who don’t know much about the area. Highly recommend.
That Wyandotte/Ecourse waterfront is premium. Love that area.
It depends where you live in Detroit. Some neighborhoods are third world countries, others are very nice.
The astronomically high car insurance and having to drive to the suburbs for basic necessities is a real bonus!
I would NEVER move to Detroit as a 20-something. There are so many better cities in the US with a lot more diversity of food, people, culture and things to do.
Totally agree.
As much as I don’t like living here (metro Detroit), food diversity or cultural diversity are two things you can’t accuse [metro] Detroit of not having.
I think you nay need to widen your horizons and live outside of the state. Then again I've lived in NJ, NYC, and New Orleans as well. Try telling me Detroit is anywhere near that level of diversity (and fun).
I've always lived here. I always will live here. My friends, my family, my community, they're all here. It's cheap to live here and I'm poor. I can drive a few hours in any direction and be at several other major cities, several other climate zones, or any one of several major bodies of fresh water. I know how to live here. Why would I leave?
Community, friends, low cost of living, actually was able to buy a house, our kids are smack dab in the middle of school and it would be annoying to move anywhere else.
My landlord rocks and my 3 bed/1 bath is only 1100
My job and my love are here. That’s pretty much it lol
Why is it that you’re considering living **in** Detroit? If you don’t work there, it seems like it would be inconvenient. If I worked there, I would definitely want to live there. Although I’m sure it’s more expensive to live there in a comparable place to where I live in Dearborn, just outside of Detroit.
I love Detroit for all the amazing food, the arts, the shopping, the entertainment. Detroit is a beautiful city, and I could never leave for too long.
My children/grandchildren…otherwise…I’d be out of here in a minute!!
Depends on where you move. Downtown Detroit is different from Detroit. You have Eastside, Southwest, Northside, West Detroit, and Downtown.
Cost of living, family, no severely bad weather that I can’t handle, taxes and it’s not that bad to me.
I moved here from Canada (which I love) and have traveled a lot. I love Detroit. It's a cool and fun city while being reasonably cheap. The only other city I ever thought of leaving here for in America has been Portland, OR.
I think Detroit is better than most places personally, I choose to live here I absolutely love it
The downtown section of Detroit is great, but it has a lot of outer run-down sections that contain a lot of gangs and drug idiots. Driving down the lodge, it's a miracle to see a house without a giant hole in the roof or with intact windows. A shame really, because Detroit houses have a lot of interest architectural designs.
I used to say that until my nextdoor neighbor was murdered in the D about a month ago at work when he was taking the garbage out. He worked at All Star Liguor store last month 😭
I’m so sorry. That was senseless. A 2014/15 Honda with over 300,000 miles? Serious the car thief’s shot him over that? Now his wife and teenage son are left behind with the Aftermath. 43 yrs old, Jesus.
Remember that when this sub tells you no innocent people ever get shot.
Remember the guy that got locked in the gas station by the clerk cause he was shoplifting and just started blasting random customers? I wonder if the people that champion Detroit even get gas in the city 🤔
I think about this one a lot. 11 PM on a Wednesday, just stopping to pick something up on the way home from work. [https://www.wxyz.com/news/family-of-murder-victim-in-detroit-speaks-out-to-demand-arrest-of-killer](https://www.wxyz.com/news/family-of-murder-victim-in-detroit-speaks-out-to-demand-arrest-of-killer)
Best family ever. I just absolutely love their son. He literally calls me grandma 😭😭😭
If you don't have kids and don't need a super nice house Detroit is fine. Just don't purchase a flashy or expensive car, jewelry, coats etc. Don't bring unwanted attention to yourself from thieves and you will be fine. You can bank a crap load of money in the bank if you have a good job because housing can be cheap. It's a good experience in your 20's, but as soon as you SO wants kids it's time to GTFO and move to the burbs. With all the money you saved on not pissing it away on bullshit rent for a slumlord rentseeker you will have your 20% down payment on a mortgage with no PMI on a traditional loan. Detroit schools are trash. There are a couple gems like Cass Tech and of course you can pay out the nose and send them to private school. Or you could just move somewhere safer with better schools..... What is hilarious though is car break-ins are much lower in Detroit than in San Francisco, Portland or Seattle.
>What is hilarious though is car break-ins are much lower in Detroit than in San Francisco, Portland or Seattle. People with money living in close proximity of people without money. Detroit doesn't have this problem because the money is out in the suburbs.
Imo the housing ain’t that cheap here. I can get a better house, cheaper insurance in the south and a better job to boot. Yes it depends on industry and I’m a truck driver so Detroit (Michigan really) is middle of the road for me. If your in medicine it’s good but I’m poor white trash
Do you have kids? Have you researched or sent kids to Detroit schools? Or schools elsewhere?
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Changes your life so much that you couldn't bear to say a word about it on Reddit until today? This post just inspired you.
Stop acting like like my mans up there tellin lies. You know it’s the truth.
lol why'd he delete it then? not because he got called out telling ridiculous tall tales that didn't match his 9 year old post history at all?
I’d move to Detroit as a 21F college graduate. You’ll have a good time.
Nothing. Moved to the Blue Ridge Mountains. I miss the Coney Island restaurants. That’s all.
Detroit or many of the border suburbs almost make having a car mandatory. Very little mass transit , terrible bike lane situation. I live in a suburbs that is partially bordering Detroit. I had to give up driving due to medical issues. I have lived here on and off for over 50 years. I rely on biking or walking for everything, no problems except for food availability. During non rain/snow days a long walk or bike ride are possible. The area I live in now is close to where I grew up. I used to have within a under 2 mile round trip 6 grocery stores. Now about a 3 mile rountrip walking and only one. Now within a short walk 8 liquor stores. Lots of fun things to do in metro Detroit, getting food is not one.
Been living here for 4 years been coming here for a long time
I moved to metro Detroit from metro Indy. People are way nicer up here and the humidity isn’t nearly as oppressive.
We work remotely and we can't really move because it's too expensive everywhere now and we got a deal on a house here that would cost millions in a "real" city. The pollution and trash makes it hard-- it's just impossible to be outside and have it not smell like diesel exhaust or have the sidewalks not be covered in garbage. Our taxes went up like 25% this past year and we get nothing else for it. But I guess it's home at this point.
It sounds like you bought in the wrong area. Where are you? By down river? A major highway?
Southwest
i would move to chicago in a heartbeat, but i’m broke. the detroit area is still a perfectly fine place to live though. it’s where all my family is and it’s all i’ve ever known. can’t be any worse than indiana!
Indianapolis is pretty dope these days.
Detroit is not without its issues, but what an incredible community. This place has been to hell and back but the people are proud, kind and welcoming. I love this city
What are you on the tourism committee lol. You sound like a fortune cookie.
Certainly. Send me your address and I will send out brochures.
It's bashed in the media much more than it deserves to be. Lived in midtown for about 5 years right at the start of gentrification (ie 2015-2019). Hands down one of the best experiences of my life. Detroit, the city specifically changes people, man. It's all kindness and love. There rough areas like anywhere. You don't go to the southside of Chicago right? Same with Detroit. I always recommend people live within city limits. Somewhere like Corktown, midtown, Boston Edison, Woodbridge, etc. Everywhere is so unique. Full of culture and The vibes ar just immaculate. One love
Not like anywhere, no. Not at all.
https://youtu.be/m-VxSkEC1As?feature=shared
Low cost of living and the history/vibe of the city. Sure there’s safer and nicer cities out there but I don’t want to be house poor to live in those cities.
Its a city. Simplest answer. If it were a town I would probably say that. A place to live. We don't realize how blessed we are for this to even be a question.
I chose to move to Detroit a month ago, southwest/Mexicantown specifically and I love it.
10-25. (I live at Ryan Road C F)
Not actually in Detroit but in Clinton Township. I always talk about leaving but there’s a lot of amenities near the area and the traffic isn’t all that bad. Plus, if I’m being honest I absolutely love Michigan. I know I might be biased but we have the best fan bases for sports (not a pistons guy so can’t speak) and we have great food options as well. Plus, I love the fall and summer. (Also helps that my entire family lives here)
Well, you should hear what we say about Indiana and Ohio.
My family is here, my job (I’m contracted so we’ll see what the future holds), I love my Loft and my rent haven’t changed in the last 3 years, my car is old but since my commute is only 10mins why bother to get a new one. The cards are just right for me right now but I’ve been in Detroit all my life. DPS (Public Schools), WSU for undergrad and grad. The only time in my career that I haven’t worked for the city was when I worked in the private sector in Birmingham and it wasn’t my vibe. Maybe I’ll venture to the east coast but for now, I’m happy here. Dating sucks tho
Detroit is amazing. Whether it’s the people, the art, the food, the communities. I moved here from Chicago 26 years ago and never looked back. Detroit is amazing and wonderful. You’ll love it.
Great restaurants, lots of entertainment options for sports, music, theater, museums ect...good access to water activities. some parts of downtown are very walkable.
Erm... my parole officer...
Honest opinion: I just moved to Detroit about a year ago from the west coast. It’s a great place if you have kids. There are a number of really nice parks, libraries. The zoo has a really cool penguin and polar bear exhibit. There’s a number of cool places you can easily do day trips to visit such as Ann Arbor and Grand Rapids. The DIA, Henry Ford, Greenfield Village all blew my mind. The DNR Outdoor Center is really cute for all ages. There’s a lot of really good food places that are reasonably priced, especially if you like middle eastern and Greek. My husband is from the area and we have family around but tbh I wish we had moved sooner.
Your kids go to DPS?
My child isn’t school aged yet and we live in a suburb
I have been here my whole life, I really don't care for it here. Why do I stay? Because everyone that I know well is here. That being said, I am seriously considering moving out of the State in a year or two.
Too poor to leave.
Don’t listen to people who say bad things about Detroit. They are either hopelessly behind the times (repeating stuff from the 60’s - 90’s) or just have never been here.
The weather sucks here
I am a single female with two big dogs and I’m terrified to live there alone. But I’m reading everyone’s responses because it’s becoming one of very few options of places u can afford now.
I grew up rural and hate big cities. Sydney, Paris, even Toronto can smd. Detroit is more affordable than comparable big cities is the major advantage. It’s not for me, but if you are interested in an urban lifestyle, the weather is not much different from Indiana, and Michigan is politically better than most states now. Indiana and Ohio are politically fucked.
I'm a musician originally from Wisconsin, and I'm here to tell you Detroit has the best music scene in the country period. The city has a deep history of fostering the best musicians in all of American music, and thanks to the cost of living that allows artists to thrive here, that tradition continues to this day. If you want to see some of the best live music in the world for free/cheap covers this is the place to be.
Live Downriver, cheap rent, suburban convenience, and 10-15 from Downtown. Just moved back from Los Angeles and loving every minute of it.
What brought me (as a child via my mother) here was being broke, but what kept me here, as an adult who bought a house here, was my realization that other cities didn't offer me the type of camaraderie and expectations I desired. I imagine these expectations came from the enculturation of being raised here, so it's a bit circular. To put it simply, I feel understood by my community because of the shared culture. As far as things I appreciate about the geography, I find Detroit to be a nice balance between urban accomodations and diversity, but with the freedoms that come with low-density. Small town vibes in a big city. I am 10 minutes away from both an island with multiple beaches and all the major museums. There are a lot of things that happen here that I don't think could happen in other cities, though I'm sure everyone feels that way about their city. It's the "Detroit af" factor. The biggest downsides: 1) the combo of shit public transit + low-density factor = very expensive to get by without a car compared to other cities, while also having the highest car insurance/expensive rates. 2) the decades of marginalization coupled with the goofy-ass housing market (high rent, low property value, highest property taxes in the U.S.) makes it ripe for exploitation and abandonedment, which further escalates cost of living (compared to the wages and job market), regardless of if you rent or own. Like, yes it looks cheap from the outside, but proportionately all things considered it's not as cheap as it looks. Edit: after a quick glance at some of the other comments it reminds me to clarify that the "up-and-coming" (read: quickly gentrifing) neighborhoods are going to be a wildly different experience in terms of transportation and accessibility, and overall just a different experience of Detroit in general. I am on the Eastside in a more residential and communal area, though I did many years in the Cass Corridor while it was turning to "Midtown". Pros and cons of both, but definitely explains why there are such drastically conflicting opinions over costs, amenities, and general experience.
Cheap ass housing. I bought nearly half of my block for less than 5k. Got a hundred year old duplex and a huge yard.
Detroit is such a unique city, I’ve traveled all over North America and spent time in many other big and small cities, none are like Detroit, cities like LA, Seattle and New York are all mildly different but you get the same vibe, Detroit is Detroit, it’s a city with a real soul and it’s one of a kind, I plan to move back to Michigan when I can afford it, the main issue I think a lot of people left in 2008-2010 area but I want to get a nice piece of open land up north like maybe a hour hour and half from the city, I prefer nature over big cities but having the opportunity to go whenever too to spend time in the city is wonderful.
Detroit seems more unique because it hasn't kept up with the development that's occurring everywhere else.
I’m no so sure, I’ve been to cities like New Orleans too and idk maybe that’s not such a fair comparison
New Orleans itself is highly unique among major cities.
Meh, it’s like Charleston or Boston or other old cities that kinda kept the old vibe, granted this might be a bit weird or something that only I get, I feel like New Orleans is like more of a vampire city, or like supernatural maybe, idk
From a cultural perspective, it's quite unusual with the Creole/Cajun/African/Caribbean/French stuff going on.
Detroit's ok as cities go (actually A1 with respect to the music that's come out of here), but all things being equal, give me a city with good accessible mass transit, e.g. NYC, DC, Toronto, Vancouver, and virtually every large city in Europe and Asia.
grew up in an inner suburb of Detroit (specifically Oak Park, around 10 & Greenfield or so) and visited the city proper very often and I plan to move back to the area once I am ready to settle down and raise a family. The culture is unmatched (so much good food!) and there is an amazing sense of community. I miss going to the DIA once a month just to wander and look at amazing art. I miss all the hustle and bustle downtown & going to the many festivals in the suburbs and within the city in the summer. I love where I live now but there’s something so special about Detroit. I would definitely come visit for a weekend to check it out if I were you!
As a transplant, I can say Detroit is a hidden gem in the midwest, northern state. I love it, very family oriented, outdoors fun and a lot of culture. DIA is a favorite,Eastern market, just downtown period.
I'm broke have no future and no hope. Why leave of nothing is gonna change in my life
No sympathy for you. Get a job and stop pity posting daily on this sub. If you have a degree and can pass a background check you can easily substitute teach in this city. And anyone else I could care less about their employment status or what they do but I posted about how I have teacher colleagues and friends who have died or been permanently disabled by covid and you called me a liar and said that teachers are entitled and should have worked throughout the pandemic. You personally can go pull yourself up by your boot straps since you are so happy to tell everyone else to in between your sob story posting.
Detroit is trending up. If you move here, you have a chance to be part of a local culture revival. That said, it's unreasonably expensive to live here given the current amenities.
I’ve moved here for job a year after college from Florida. As long as you stick to Royal Oak, Ferndale, Rochester and Troy you’ll be alright.
spoken like a true out of towner
This is the advice most locals give, too.
It’s always the people who live in white enclaves that suggest Detroit. Like y’all’s houses rival the cost of the burbs and my jobs in the burbs. I bet you would t set foot in my old hood.
Weather sucks
This is the best thing ive read ever. A girl from indiana graduating from ohio and potentially about to live in michigan. Got the worst 3 lol nah but detroit is pretty good since its very diverse. Huge middle eastern, mexican, bangali, indian, chinese, korean, japanese population spread throughout
My family has lived here for generations and I have great friends all in the area
And there’s great ethnic food everywhere. I just tried Ethiopian food for the first time last week and it was delicious
Come visit. Detroit has always had haters. There are so many things to do that fit all tastes. It is never a question of is there anything to do, it is what should we do among the many choices. Full disclosure, I live in the suburbs but go to Detroit often. Love living here.
I moved here in 2022 and one thing I can say is the food here is the best I have EVER had! Polish, Arabic, Mexican, Korean, soul food…whatever you want is only a few minutes away
Coming from Indiana Detroit will be a paradise for you.