tell me about Detroit (UPDATE!)

[Fayd]

i'm looking for internships for the summer. One that responded is quicken loans, located in detroit downtown.. 2 miles from wayne state university (whom apparently they have an agreement with to house interns during the summer. I need to talk to the company to find out if that housing is comped or if i have to pay for it.) basically 2 miles strait down Woodward.

one thing i'm worried about is crime. My 5 minutes on google won't give me numbers for actual crime rates in the area. my experience in los angeles says stay out of certain areas, and don't go out at night without purpose and you'll be fine. but I don't know detroit, so i don't know those areas.

Anyone have any experience or can link any crime statistics that might be helpful?

overall's are easy to find, but block by block isn't so. :/

EDIT: Also, i'm coming from san diego, so i'm gonna be flying in. no car, no living in suburbs.

i'm thinking that means bus, or 30 min walk to/from. busses not too bad?

UPDATE:
http://forums.anandtech.com/showpost.php?p=34974806&postcount=97

 

[iamwiz82]

Detroit is quite dangerous, but that area is fairly safe. The downtown area through to WSU is pretty calm. You will see bicyclists and such all the time. 2 minutes north of WSU it gets rough. Going East is ok for a bit. West is dicey. Downtown is lots of fun. I do know people who have been robbed on Woodward, but it was late at night and they were drunk.

<-- Works in Detroit, few miles up Gratiot from Quicken Loans.

 

[Slick5150]

Yeah, the above post is pretty accurate. Downtown is growing like crazy right now actually, and midtown (where Wayne State is) isn't far behind. Those are really THE places in Detroit to live/work/hang out (other than some of the very wealthy neighborhoods that weren't effected by Detroit's decline, but unless you want to buy a mansion, forget it).

I lived downtown for a couple years and generally speaking enjoyed it. It's a fun place once you get comfortable with where to go, where not to go, etc...

By the way, I have a friend that works for Quiken Loans and loves it there.

 

[LTC8K6]

 

[Exterous]

Well, since you are near Wayne State here are their crime stats for 2012:

http://police.wayne.edu/crime_stats.php

Overall Mid town is pretty safe and Downtown, Greektown and Eastern Market are all nice to nice(ish) areas where there are lots of things to do. There are definitely areas you won't want to be in late at night but I've found myself in many a 'wrong' area without issues. I'd avoid the west/southwest of 10 and north of I-94 though. Just be smart about it and you'll likely be fine

As for housing, if its in an area covered by Wayne State Police you should be good. They are generally very responsive and do a good job keeping the campus and surrounding neighborhoods safe. Downtown is also well patrolled by the DPD but outside of those areas and their presence can be thin with very slow response times. On the positive side if you own a car I-94 near downtown is about a close to you will ever come to Mad Max movies. Its a giant free-for-all as the State Police never do traffic patrols there.

 

[rcpratt]

You'll be fine in Midtown, crime-wise.

Quicken Loans sounds like a pretty grueling chew 'em up, spit 'em out operation. They have hired a ton recently. I know a few people that make decent money, but they work a lot of weekends and long hours. Other than that, all I know is that their employees (or at least some of them) park in the MGM parking garage, where I also park Except you suckers gotta take a shuttle.

 

[iamwiz82]

Well, since you are near Wayne State here are their crime stats for 2012:

http://police.wayne.edu/crime_stats.php

Overall Mid town is pretty safe which is where it sounds like you'll be working. Downtown, Greektown and Eastern Market are all nice(ish) areas where there are lots of things to do. There are definitely areas you won't want to be in late at night but I've found myself in many a 'wrong' area without issues. I'd avoid the west/southwest of 10 and north of I-94 though. Just be smart about it and you'll likely be fine

As for housing, if its in an area covered by Wayne State Police you should be good. They are generally very responsive and do a good job keeping the campus and surrounding neighborhoods safe

Amusing that the crime rates go up when school starts. It doesnt take long to smell the fresh meat at WSU, ha.

 

[Exterous]

Amusing that the crime rates go up when school starts. It doesnt take long to smell the fresh meat at WSU, ha.

And everyone's robbed out by the end of May

 

[TraumaRN]

Everyone else pretty much covered things. We all live pretty close so if you happen to move I'm sure one or a few of us would show you around the area. Heck, I volunteer for that right now. I used to work in Detroit a few years back at Detroit Receiving Hospital(basically the hospital sits in between WSU's campus and downtown Detroit)

Pretty safe area as long as you are not dumb. Myself and my best friend actually run from WSU's campus to Hart Plaza by the river and back once a month or so, usually about 5 miles depending on the route you take, and we feel safe.

Only thing that presents as a difficulty is lack of decent public transportation(the people mover only services downtown) and lack of good grocery stores(thats changing quick, whole foods is setting up shop soon) But otherwise this area actually does have plenty to do, lots of culture, lots of good restaurants as well, however the urban sprawl around Detroit means it sometimes can take you 45 minutes just to drive to a good restaurant.

Also Ann Arbor is about 40 minutes from downtown Detroit plenty to do out that direction as well.

 

[mistercrabby]

Risky. Find a cheap place in the 'burbs.

 

[Markbnj]

Detroit's awesome. We live out in Farmington, which is a great community. My Dad works at General Motors, and sometimes on weekends he takes my brother and I out to the proving grounds to watch the new models run. Some other weekends we take the boat down to Boblo Island, or cross over into Windsor to do some shopping. And we often drive up to Ludington to visit my aunts and uncles. In the winter we go skiing up at Boyne Mountain.

Wait, sorry, this was 45 years ago. Seems like it was yesterday.

 

[iamwiz82]

Detroit's awesome. We live out in Farmington, which is a great community. My Dad works at General Motors, and sometimes on weekends he takes my brother and I out to the proving grounds to watch the new models run. Some other weekends we take the boat down to Boblo Island, or cross over into Windsor to do some shopping. And we often drive up to Ludington to visit my aunts and uncles. In the winter we go skiing up at Boyne Mountain.

Wait, sorry, this was 45 years ago. Seems like it was yesterday.

Boblo Island! I remember that place as a kid too.

 

[Slick5150]

Took many a family trip to Boblo when I was young too. Was good fun.

 

[Exterous]

Wait, sorry, this was 45 years ago.

Heh - you got me. I was trying to figure out why in the hell you would be going to Boblo Island now

 

[Tweak155]

Downtown Detroit isn't bad - the bums can get on my nerves (they have the city mapped out as to where they should beg) but if you just ignore and keep walking, they're used to it.

The biggest problem with Detroit is learning the area and all the one way streets (as with most big cities). You can quickly end up places you don't want to be in just 30-60 seconds. As long as you learn your routes, you're good.

 

[iamwiz82]

This should help as well, a map of the shootings and homicides in Detroit since May 2012: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/99999999/SPECIAL01/120606001

9 within a major block for me.

 

[Ashenor]

Lmao Boblo was great!

Those were the days.

Detroit is fine to go visit and do stuff, but i would not want to live downtown. I live about 15 mins away and that is close enough for me.

 

[Pr0d1gy]

Go watch Hardcore Pawn if you want to know what Detroit is like.

 

[rcpratt]

Heh - you got me. I was trying to figure out why in the hell you would be going to Boblo Island now

Guess I'm the young one here, since I've never even heard of it. The rest of what he said all still applies though! Might want to go a town or two further than Farmington for the really nice parts of town these days.

 

[jhbball]

Going to the tigers game on the 27th. Yeeeee.

 

[artvscommerce]

Detroit has an incredible local music scene. What sort of music do you enjoy?

 

[KMFJD]

Boblo island was great when i was younger

 

[Gunbuster]

If you're a foodie the metro area has an outstanding selection of independent restaurants and bars.

 

[Markbnj]

Heh - you got me. I was trying to figure out why in the hell you would be going to Boblo Island now

I actually would like to go to Boblo Island now! I love exploring ruins.

 

[Ashenor]

I actually would like to go to Boblo Island now! I love exploring ruins.

I thought i heard they devolped it with condo's or something on it awhile back?