I've been feeling the itch myself. I'm visiting this week, from my new "home" in Seattle... and as I get older, I am feeling more and more of a draw. I'm not done yet, learning, exploring, gaining experience to bring back to the D... but getting closer and closer.
You're our very first commenter ever, Elise! Thank you!
I know exactly how you feel. It just never leaves you. And the idea that creative people are here feeding energy into the heart of the city leaves you with the itch to be a part of it. How can we not?
Wow, I am SO inspired by this post!!! To hear your story really validates my feeling that Detroit isn't just GOING to turn a corner... it IS turning the corner. Now.
I moved to Detroit from Ann Arbor in 2009 (prior to that was in Seattle). I'm not a Michigan native, and sometimes I've felt only the non-natives have faith in a new future for the city. Detroiters have had their hearts broken many times in the past, so I can't blame them for being jaded...and I know the old Detroit will never be again. But something different than the old Detroit is entirely within our reach. Maybe even something better...It really warms my heart to hear you're taking this chance on your old hometown.
So excited for your adventure! I promise you, your faith will be rewarded as mine has been!
Go Detroit! I'm from Portland, and my husband is from Ann Arbor/Plymouth. I'm always poking at him to consider moving there for the experience to building something amazing. My advice to you: 1) Preserve your tax base! It's the only way to fund a livable city. People move to PDX and don't want to pay for what they're using. Gah. 2) Set rigorous urban planning standards and stick to your guns. Even if people say it hurts business. You know what hurts business? If no one wants to live in your city. I think Detroit's learned that lesson, thankfully.
Good start guys. This first post was a great read. Someday, I'm going to finally make it up to Detroit... I know I've been saying that for years, but I really do want to meet you guys in real life and see what Detroit is all about. I've flown through your now awesome airport once, and I've actually flown in once to go to a Michigan game in Ann Arbor, but I've never actually gotten to see the Motor City.
I'm so happy to see that someone took this idea for a website and actually followed through on it.. While Detroit still has many problems, it is definitely reaching a tipping point that I believe will launch the city back into a resurgence.
I am just starting out on my journey as a recent college grad who grew up in the suburbs, left to go to school, and returned looking to move downtown. While there is nothing wrong with the suburbs
There is a draw to move downtown to be a part of the turnaround of this city... While it isn't going to be an easy fix, stories like the one you are sharing are going to go a long way to help make the dream of a vibrant Detroit a reality. Best of luck! I look forward to following along.
Congrats on taking the first step! Like I said on your Google+ post - you'll love it down here! I grew up in the burbs not far from you and I really like it down here. There are times when it is trying (the glorification of a criminal ex-mayor, for example) being a Detroiter - but I certainly believe as Rebecca said, the old Detroit is gone - Long Love the New Detroit!
I moved to the area in 2006 and my wife and I have been residents of the city since May 2009. I also work down here. We absolutely love it and I'm happy to provide any help I can in compiling resources, etc.
Grreaatttt Article Brian! My lovely fiancee & I are looking into home right now & Detroit has been definitely discussed, but find resources to get the "right" info challenging. Look forward to reading more
Awesome! What info are you looking for? I'm hoping to compile some information here as well; like, "What are my internet options" and "Who do I call for garbage pickup", etc..
Love the idea of this community blog, Brian! And yes, you definitely know a thing or two about building a community. :)
Mike lived downtown for 3 years, and I'm jealous that I never got to experience living in Detroit. The one main thing keeping us from moving there is the school system. We don't have immediate plans to have kids after the wedding, and I know we could send them to a private school in the burbs, but that's our biggest hesitation about moving downtown.
Looking forward to following along as this site grows!
I'm right with you on being stuck with a badly underwater mortgage, wondering why I'm paying out my teeth for an "investment" I'll probably never recoop. What's your plan for what to do with the Warren crib?
Honestly? I don't see I have any options, really. I have tried loan modification several times but the paperwork requirements are absurd (We need utility bills from your ex-wife that you divorced in 2007, etc.) and there's just no way I can hold on to a house that is worth half of what I owe.
Yeah, I hear you... I've spoken with and read about a lot of people who've gone through the same thing, and we're kind of in the middle of trying to figure out some kind of solution for ourselves. The one thing that really strikes me as strange about all the stories I hear is that no two cases are completely alike. You'd think by now, with the scale of the foreclosure epidemic and underwater mortgages, that banks would have (or would be required to have by law) a standard M.O. for how to deal with this kind of thing. I mean on paper, working with borrowers to do a loan modification or short sale is a better deal for a bank than letting a house go into foreclosure, right? But it sure doesn't seem to be the case, and the recent Freep series about Fannie and Freddie showed as much.
Anyway, don't mean to hijack your comments thread, but look forward to reading more.
Comments
I know exactly how you feel. It just never leaves you. And the idea that creative people are here feeding energy into the heart of the city leaves you with the itch to be a part of it. How can we not?
I moved to Detroit from Ann Arbor in 2009 (prior to that was in Seattle). I'm not a Michigan native, and sometimes I've felt only the non-natives have faith in a new future for the city. Detroiters have had their hearts broken many times in the past, so I can't blame them for being jaded...and I know the old Detroit will never be again. But something different than the old Detroit is entirely within our reach. Maybe even something better...It really warms my heart to hear you're taking this chance on your old hometown.
So excited for your adventure! I promise you, your faith will be rewarded as mine has been!
I can't wait to watch your story unfold!
Cheers,
-Ryan
I am just starting out on my journey as a recent college grad who grew up in the suburbs, left to go to school, and returned looking to move downtown. While there is nothing wrong with the suburbs
I moved to the area in 2006 and my wife and I have been residents of the city since May 2009. I also work down here. We absolutely love it and I'm happy to provide any help I can in compiling resources, etc.
Great work with the site!
Mike lived downtown for 3 years, and I'm jealous that I never got to experience living in Detroit. The one main thing keeping us from moving there is the school system. We don't have immediate plans to have kids after the wedding, and I know we could send them to a private school in the burbs, but that's our biggest hesitation about moving downtown.
Looking forward to following along as this site grows!
Anyway, don't mean to hijack your comments thread, but look forward to reading more.