6 ms·

It's bouncing back big time. It's going to take 10 or more years for the whole city, but it will be unrecognizable in the central city in the next few years. I

It's bouncing back big time. It's going to take 10 or more years for the whole city, but it will be unrecognizable in the central city in the next few years. I say this because when I go riding my bike in Detroit on Monday nights 2,000 people ride with me. That's the kind of thing that makes people move in. Hole in the wall restaurants have an hour wait. Big name restaurants take reservations weeks in advance. Minor minor minor minor league soccer teams draw like 2,500 people. The brand is strong. People are going to use it. There is a ton of energy down here and a shit ton of people who live right around the city who will move in once conditions are right, and they are becoming right for the hipsters and college kids.

bilbo0s 12y ago
"...people who live right around the city who will move in once conditions are right..." Probably not... because once the "conditions" are right... the price DEFINITELY will not be. But Detroit will probably draw more and more of the high end of the creative class. I won't argue that.
- michaelfdeberry 12y ago
  This can already be seen, housing is going to be a huge problem without some major investment in that area as well. Nowhere beside Downtown, and maybe one other neighborhood, is worth living in right now, and the rent in those areas are starting to sky rocket. Living in Cleveland I sometimes get contact by companies in Detroit looking for developers. I recently considered taking a position, but the housing situation made me reconsider. It was either pay 3X the rent for an apartment Downtown, compared to my apartment in Cleveland, or have a 45-60 commute every day. Even with the increase in salary it wasn't worth the move.
  - brohoolio 12y ago
    Definitely a problem right now too much demand not enough housing but the market has a way of fixing that.
  - maxmem 12y ago
    That's not quite right. Rent downtown is still not very expensive. I have a friend living in a gigantic loft in Greektown.
    - michaelfdeberry 12y ago
      A little late, but my post is in comparison to Cleveland, OH where for the same prices you could get something much nicer. I would also have many more living options available in Cleveland proper compared to the few areas in Detroit proper worth living. I will say that if you are moving away from a coastal area then Detroit is pretty cheap and has some interesting things to offer. However, being from Cleveland I can enjoy the positives of Detroit with a 2 hour drive without having to live there.
jasallen 12y ago
Is this an organized bike ride through the city? Please post info, I'd be interested to join.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- brohoolio 12y ago
  Yup. http://www.slowroll.bike/ http://www.slowroll.bike/ Come on down. It's seriously the best vibe and most diverse atmosphere in Michigan.
cylinder 12y ago
Who will employ these hipsters? Or do they just live off credit cards and their parents?
- brohoolio 12y ago
  Tech companies, Engineering companies restaurants? Who employees Brooklyn or Berlin?
  - w1ntermute 12y ago
    > Who employees Brooklyn No one. Haven't you seen Girls?
- nooron 12y ago
  Hipsters is approaching synonymous with young people at this point. If you're curious as to how young people in Detroit are making a living, I will give you some very concrete examples: 1. Me. I am the biz director of a fantastic startup. 2. My friends started a very popular band and play gigs profitably and organize parties. 3. Many people work in Quicken family of companies, many in real estate. 4. Many are web developers. 5. Some grow medicinal marijuana. 6. Several of my friends have started food trucks. 7. Many are servers or bartenders. I know a couple strippers too. I could go on like this for a while. Though I know some young people who are on their parent's insurance or receive some help paying down their student loan debt, I know of very few people who live off CCs & their parents. They do exist, but they are very rare.
  - armenarmen 12y ago
    The overuse of the word hipster, has really begun to irk me. Live in a city? Drink coffee? Wear jeans? Hipster.
    - tragic 12y ago
      Wait, I have to do more?
aResponder2 12y ago
Are you one of those critical mass riders who shuts down Campus Martius for a few hours a month? 'Cause if you guys could stop and let traffic through on our way home from work, that'd be really helpful. You could pass out pamphlets and get more riders that way.
- megablast 12y ago
  The whole point is to stop traffic, make people get out of their cars. Cars have taken over most cities, this is people pushing back. I think you may miss the point.
  - PhasmaFelis 12y ago
    Are you guys literally shutting down traffic for a few hours at a stretch? 'Cause that's a really shitty way to gain public support, and self-righteously informing people that you're doing them a favor by "getting them out of their cars" is only going to make it worse. I have, BTW, ridden a bicycle exclusively for 18 years, and I've always enjoyed Critical Mass (our local rides top out around 50 people). It frustrates me how many of my fellow cyclists seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot, PR-wise.
    - brohoolio 12y ago
      We might shut down an intersection for 2-4 minutes while riders roll through the intersection. The corkers or people who block the intersection are instructed to be nice and apologize for delays and to encourage drivers to join us. We roll at 7:30 which is well after traffic dies down and we do as much as possible to be respectful, like leaving a lane open so cars can pass us.
      - aResponder2 12y ago
        oh, for what it's worth, I apologize a bit to you. I know I'm likely coming off as a jerk, but I assure you it's unintended. You're just out for a bike ride.
    - 12y ago
malandrew 12y ago
As the motor city, it would be interesting if Detroit reinvented itself as the first American post-car city. i.e. Take roads, which are the most significant public space in most American cities and take it back from cars and give it to pedestrians and bicyclists. I would love to see any city in the world take this architects proposal for São Paulo (a major concrete jungle) and run with it. https://www.flickr.com/photos/12588351@N02/sets/72157623192662899/show https://www.flickr.com/photos/12588351@N02/sets/721576231926...

bilbo0s 12y ago

"...people who live right around the city who will move in once conditions are right..." Probably not... because once the "conditions" are right... the price DEFINITELY will not be. But Detroit will probably draw more and more of the high end of the creative class. I won't argue that.

michaelfdeberry 12y ago
This can already be seen, housing is going to be a huge problem without some major investment in that area as well. Nowhere beside Downtown, and maybe one other neighborhood, is worth living in right now, and the rent in those areas are starting to sky rocket. Living in Cleveland I sometimes get contact by companies in Detroit looking for developers. I recently considered taking a position, but the housing situation made me reconsider. It was either pay 3X the rent for an apartment Downtown, compared to my apartment in Cleveland, or have a 45-60 commute every day. Even with the increase in salary it wasn't worth the move.
- brohoolio 12y ago
  Definitely a problem right now too much demand not enough housing but the market has a way of fixing that.
- maxmem 12y ago
  That's not quite right. Rent downtown is still not very expensive. I have a friend living in a gigantic loft in Greektown.
  - michaelfdeberry 12y ago
    A little late, but my post is in comparison to Cleveland, OH where for the same prices you could get something much nicer. I would also have many more living options available in Cleveland proper compared to the few areas in Detroit proper worth living. I will say that if you are moving away from a coastal area then Detroit is pretty cheap and has some interesting things to offer. However, being from Cleveland I can enjoy the positives of Detroit with a 2 hour drive without having to live there.

jasallen 12y ago

Is this an organized bike ride through the city? Please post info, I'd be interested to join.

deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
brohoolio 12y ago
Yup. http://www.slowroll.bike/ http://www.slowroll.bike/ Come on down. It's seriously the best vibe and most diverse atmosphere in Michigan.

cylinder 12y ago

Who will employ these hipsters? Or do they just live off credit cards and their parents?

brohoolio 12y ago
Tech companies, Engineering companies restaurants? Who employees Brooklyn or Berlin?
- w1ntermute 12y ago
  > Who employees Brooklyn No one. Haven't you seen Girls?
nooron 12y ago
Hipsters is approaching synonymous with young people at this point. If you're curious as to how young people in Detroit are making a living, I will give you some very concrete examples: 1. Me. I am the biz director of a fantastic startup. 2. My friends started a very popular band and play gigs profitably and organize parties. 3. Many people work in Quicken family of companies, many in real estate. 4. Many are web developers. 5. Some grow medicinal marijuana. 6. Several of my friends have started food trucks. 7. Many are servers or bartenders. I know a couple strippers too. I could go on like this for a while. Though I know some young people who are on their parent's insurance or receive some help paying down their student loan debt, I know of very few people who live off CCs & their parents. They do exist, but they are very rare.
- armenarmen 12y ago
  The overuse of the word hipster, has really begun to irk me. Live in a city? Drink coffee? Wear jeans? Hipster.
  - tragic 12y ago
    Wait, I have to do more?

aResponder2 12y ago

Are you one of those critical mass riders who shuts down Campus Martius for a few hours a month? 'Cause if you guys could stop and let traffic through on our way home from work, that'd be really helpful. You could pass out pamphlets and get more riders that way.

megablast 12y ago
The whole point is to stop traffic, make people get out of their cars. Cars have taken over most cities, this is people pushing back. I think you may miss the point.
- PhasmaFelis 12y ago
  Are you guys literally shutting down traffic for a few hours at a stretch? 'Cause that's a really shitty way to gain public support, and self-righteously informing people that you're doing them a favor by "getting them out of their cars" is only going to make it worse. I have, BTW, ridden a bicycle exclusively for 18 years, and I've always enjoyed Critical Mass (our local rides top out around 50 people). It frustrates me how many of my fellow cyclists seem determined to shoot themselves in the foot, PR-wise.
  - brohoolio 12y ago
    We might shut down an intersection for 2-4 minutes while riders roll through the intersection. The corkers or people who block the intersection are instructed to be nice and apologize for delays and to encourage drivers to join us. We roll at 7:30 which is well after traffic dies down and we do as much as possible to be respectful, like leaving a lane open so cars can pass us.
    - aResponder2 12y ago
      oh, for what it's worth, I apologize a bit to you. I know I'm likely coming off as a jerk, but I assure you it's unintended. You're just out for a bike ride.
  - 12y ago

malandrew 12y ago

As the motor city, it would be interesting if Detroit reinvented itself as the first American post-car city. i.e. Take roads, which are the most significant public space in most American cities and take it back from cars and give it to pedestrians and bicyclists. I would love to see any city in the world take this architects proposal for São Paulo (a major concrete jungle) and run with it. https://www.flickr.com/photos/12588351@N02/sets/72157623192662899/show https://www.flickr.com/photos/12588351@N02/sets/721576231926...