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Silicon Valley encompasses many cities in a "region". Here in Detroit, we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region so we use Detroit to encompass the who

by kj1210 15y ago

Silicon Valley encompasses many cities in a "region". Here in Detroit, we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region so we use Detroit to encompass the whole area. Ann Arbor falls within that area. It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;) The Detroit "region" or sometimes known as "Detroit Urban Area" or "Metro Detroit", is actually quite large and has many beautiful communities with in it. This wikipedia page sums it up well. The "region" is actually the 9th most populated urban area in the US. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Detroit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metro_Detroit People also forget how large the actual city of Detroit is. If you look at the map linked below, you'll see that Boston, San Fran, and Manhattan all can fit within the city limits of Detroit. http://markmaynard.com/?p=56 http://markmaynard.com/?p=56

pyre 15y ago
> It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to > Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;) But: 1. It's in a different county. 2. You're not really accounting for traffic, though my experiences were during the early 00's. 3. Ann Arbor was a completely different vibe than Detroit, or even a number of the suburbs. 4. Ann Arbor really isn't a suburb of Detroit. If you drive from Detroit to Ann Arbor, the suburbs give way to farmland before you all of the sudden end up in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.
- skrebbel 15y ago
  True. Anyone knows that if there's farmland in-between, startups can't be on a list together.
- ironchef 15y ago
  SF and the valley (or san jose as well) are often used interchangeably, yet: 1. They're in different counties (heck..the valley is even spread over multiple counties). 2. San Jose to SF is often over an hour (with traffic) 3. SF, Valley, San jose have very different vibes 4. Is Palo Alto (for example) a suburb of Fan Francisco or of San Jose? What I'm trying to show is that it's typically called the "detroit area" for simplicity's sake. Just like "the valley" or "sf area" is often used to encompass SF to San Jose (and the east bay as well). It's more of a moniker for the region.
davidw 15y ago
> we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region At the risk of being a bit facile, "an armpit" is what I get when reading about it. No mountains, humid summers, frigid winters, decline and decay in abundance. It's about the last place in the US I'd want to live, I think. More than a few startups, I'm afraid the whole area needs to work a bit on its 'brand'. How many people from younger generations pretty much immediately think of the rusting industrial husks and other fairly negative things when they hear 'Detroit'? My inclination is that this would most likely happen by being so cheap that people can move in, get lots of space for not much money, and do creative things with it. BTW, "San Fran" isn't a very current term for San Francisco.
- bmelton 15y ago
  The last place for you might be the first place for someone else. DC has humid summers, frigid winters, insane traffic, crime and prostitution, and a host of other things that are wrong with it... but it's still a place that many people want to go. There are national monuments, museums, cultural diversity, great food, great music, and it is the political center of the nation (world?). I can't speak for Detroit, as I haven't been there, but that's also why I'm not discounting it. I've found in my life that discounting things superficially has kept me from enjoying life as much as I could have. When I make it an effort to be more open-minded, I find it usually pays off. All that aside, how in the world is "San Fran" outdated? What are its more modern counterparts?
  - davidw 15y ago
    I'm not being superficial, I'm talking about things that count for me. It sounds like a dreadful place, given what I enjoy in terms of climate/geography. You're correct that I would not enjoy DC's climate much either, but being the capitol gives it certain privileges that Detroit does not enjoy in terms of a destination and place to do certain kinds of business. And I don't think you can dispute the fact that Detroit's "brand" is quite tarnished, no matter how much you click the down arrow. > All that aside, how in the world is "San Fran" outdated? What are its more modern counterparts? It makes you sound like someone from far, far out of town. People there call it "the city", which is sort of egotistical in its own way. I would just say "San Francisco".

by kj1210 15y ago

pyre 15y ago

> It's roughly a 45 minute drive from Ann Arbor to > Detroit...or 35 minutes for me ;) But: 1. It's in a different county. 2. You're not really accounting for traffic, though my experiences were during the early 00's. 3. Ann Arbor was a completely different vibe than Detroit, or even a number of the suburbs. 4. Ann Arbor really isn't a suburb of Detroit. If you drive from Detroit to Ann Arbor, the suburbs give way to farmland before you all of the sudden end up in the Ann Arbor/Ypsilanti area.

skrebbel 15y ago
True. Anyone knows that if there's farmland in-between, startups can't be on a list together.
ironchef 15y ago
SF and the valley (or san jose as well) are often used interchangeably, yet: 1. They're in different counties (heck..the valley is even spread over multiple counties). 2. San Jose to SF is often over an hour (with traffic) 3. SF, Valley, San jose have very different vibes 4. Is Palo Alto (for example) a suburb of Fan Francisco or of San Jose? What I'm trying to show is that it's typically called the "detroit area" for simplicity's sake. Just like "the valley" or "sf area" is often used to encompass SF to San Jose (and the east bay as well). It's more of a moniker for the region.

davidw 15y ago

> we don't have a name (yet?) to describe the region At the risk of being a bit facile, "an armpit" is what I get when reading about it. No mountains, humid summers, frigid winters, decline and decay in abundance. It's about the last place in the US I'd want to live, I think. More than a few startups, I'm afraid the whole area needs to work a bit on its 'brand'. How many people from younger generations pretty much immediately think of the rusting industrial husks and other fairly negative things when they hear 'Detroit'? My inclination is that this would most likely happen by being so cheap that people can move in, get lots of space for not much money, and do creative things with it. BTW, "San Fran" isn't a very current term for San Francisco.

bmelton 15y ago
The last place for you might be the first place for someone else. DC has humid summers, frigid winters, insane traffic, crime and prostitution, and a host of other things that are wrong with it... but it's still a place that many people want to go. There are national monuments, museums, cultural diversity, great food, great music, and it is the political center of the nation (world?). I can't speak for Detroit, as I haven't been there, but that's also why I'm not discounting it. I've found in my life that discounting things superficially has kept me from enjoying life as much as I could have. When I make it an effort to be more open-minded, I find it usually pays off. All that aside, how in the world is "San Fran" outdated? What are its more modern counterparts?
- davidw 15y ago
  I'm not being superficial, I'm talking about things that count for me. It sounds like a dreadful place, given what I enjoy in terms of climate/geography. You're correct that I would not enjoy DC's climate much either, but being the capitol gives it certain privileges that Detroit does not enjoy in terms of a destination and place to do certain kinds of business. And I don't think you can dispute the fact that Detroit's "brand" is quite tarnished, no matter how much you click the down arrow. > All that aside, how in the world is "San Fran" outdated? What are its more modern counterparts? It makes you sound like someone from far, far out of town. People there call it "the city", which is sort of egotistical in its own way. I would just say "San Francisco".