There is a very different story of immigration to the UK. I assure you that (almost) everyone who arrived from afar to end up in Brum worked their asses off and

There is a very different story of immigration to the UK. I assure you that (almost) everyone who arrived from afar to end up in Brum worked their asses off and the second generation born here are true Brits with the family values, respecting the religious heritage and the work ethic. Some might not want to work dawn to 11 in the family business but there is plenty of entrepreneurial spirit. Those with fancy cars who happen not to be white in Brum and the car culture that goes with it is something I really like even though I think cars are 'evil'. I don't believe there is a lot of 'Great' in Britain, but what there is has certainly been in part due to the efforts of people working in vibrant Birmingham. More canals than Venice. Before I went there the snob friends of mine in London and the shires told me it was a concrete jungle and I would be better just going to prison or walking off a cliff. But it has to be one of the friendliest and most welcoming places in the UK. The people there take an effort with their appearance which makes Londoners look like tramps in comparison. I found tree lined avenues aplenty. I have never been to Detroit and am not in a hurry to do so. I am not entirely sure I would survive that long even if I was looking for the good in everyone. Brum may have some concrete and dispiriting housing (lived in some for a while) but there aren't vast tracts of wasteland with feral dogs and everyone having access to a gun. Sure the big car plants of the West Midlands are no more, to be replaced with things like shopping centres, however, there are pockets such as the Jewellery Quarter where you have high tech next to low tech, cutting edge next to century old. Also different is how the suburbs developed. It was the car that caused Detroit to donut out into suburbs for the centre ring to become no longer needed. I understand Washington DC has sort of done that too. Birmingham certainly does not have a ring of wasteland around the citadel city centre. Just a few 60's tower blocks to be wary of if it is late at night and you aren't familiar with the area.