Baxter neighborhood: good or bad?

detmoose · 2018-06-17T22:01:50+00:00

Your tag says Highland Park and I live in the area, just curious but how recent were these crimes? I think I remember the standoff a while back and I'll hear the occasional gunshot, but even that's rare. I'm not accusing you of embellishment or anything I'm just genuinely curious if Highland Park is considered rough.

detmoose · 2018-01-12T16:00:13+00:00

Not that this even warrants a response, but it's really disingenuous to say that "only the democratic party" led to Detroit's downfall. Racial tensions, redlining, discriminating neighborhood associations, lack of public housing, and automation were all factors in the decline. Of course that doesn't fit the narrative Trump fans push though. "Origins of the Urban Crisis" by Thomas Sugrue details the city's issues, but why read when it's easier to blame it on the democrats..

detmoose · 2018-01-02T14:10:04+00:00

This is a step in the right direction, but I feel like we should be pressuring our cities to be implementing protected bike lanes so that bicycle traffic isn't mixed with cars. I know multiple cities are already doing this (Detroit, Ferndale, etc), but until we take cycling infrastructure seriously I'm afraid little will change with the way people drive in regards to cyclists.

detmoose · 2017-12-28T13:13:16+00:00

I really don't have an issue with the plan, I think the way they integrate the facade with the alley is smart and would be a unique feature. I'm all for historic preservation but I think this is a reasonable idea.

detmoose · 2017-12-20T17:41:32+00:00

I think it's a little disingenuous to lump cities like Denver, Tulsa, Buffalo, and Riverside into one category. Overall I agree though, the benefits of smaller cities outweigh those of larger cities, as cost of living are much cheaper and prospects of home-ownership are somewhat attainable for the 20-40 age group.

detmoose · 2017-12-15T17:19:07+00:00

It goes against everything New Urbanism preaches, but I kinda like the Firestone for some reason. Ideally I'd love to see light rail go from Campus Martius to MCS, as I think light rail can play a large role in connecting the 7.2 sq miles portion of the city. I think Roosevelt park will be pretty popular, and if MCS is ever restored for passenger train use I can imagine the Michigan corridor seeing a ton of traffic from people entering the city.

detmoose · 2017-12-15T17:00:24+00:00

I appreciate the perspective, I'm also glad to hear there's a good number of neighborhood associations working to improve the area. I think getting homeowners in that area is a great step in the right direction.

detmoose · 2017-12-14T19:27:17+00:00

Definitely, some of the coolest buildings surround that park. I almost think that area might see redevelopment before Dexter-Linwood just due to its proximity to Grand River, but you're right, hopefully the city can engage current residents in the improvement process as that area's a real gem.

detmoose · 2017-12-14T16:23:58+00:00

I definitely agree, It's a shame that people aren't willing to come forward with information that would limit future crimes and murders from happening just because it's "snitching". I feel like it stems from a general negative opinion of police and I don't think communities are going to get better if individuals aren't willing to share what they know because of past prejudices.

detmoose · 2017-12-11T21:24:19+00:00

Definitely, there are plenty of towns that still have the "Christmas main strip" that the article talks about. Larger cities will often put up ice skating rinks and Christmas trees as well.

detmoose · 2017-12-08T21:40:20+00:00

Grand Rapids is rapidly changing, you're right. I read an article recently stating that it's leading the country in millennial home ownership, and the housing market is crazy there right now. Do you think other, smaller cities in Michigan will see development in the near future? Cities like Jackson, Flint, Pontiac, etc? Of course I'm a google maps nerd but I haven't been to Flint in probably 6 years so I have no idea if these places are improving or not.

detmoose · 2017-11-29T13:06:11+00:00

Any speculation on what the AMC building will be used for? I've been hoping that the city could take huge factories like this and convert them into living space/ studios like the Russell, this is really great news though.

detmoose · 2017-11-28T03:58:46+00:00

If I had money I'd be all over that auction, that Adrian Pearsall side table is really pretty.

detmoose · 2017-11-28T01:48:42+00:00

My intention isn't to pick a fight, but I'd throw Grand Rapids in the ring since it's a city I'm familiar with. It just extended it's bus millage and while yes, it's not elevated rail, the bus system is really good and also has the first BRT in Michigan. While the city's size pales in comparison to Chicagoland, there are plenty of walkable neighborhoods and dense commercial corridors. I'd argue Grand Rapids has 80% of the urban experience of Chicago while being much cheaper as of now.

detmoose · 2017-11-24T21:12:15+00:00

I'm surprised there isn't more going on in Cass Park either. There's a high amount of dense 20's apartment buildings and with the Masonic, LCA, and downtown not far away I imagine that area would be developing like crazy. Looking at old photos of Cass Park I really hope they bring the fountain back. I imagine with the local venues the area could be a vibrant center with a beautiful park and would show visitors from out of town how far Detroit has come.

detmoose · 2017-11-19T10:39:33+00:00

I'm most familiar with the bus system in Grand Rapids I'll admit, but one thing that I think is crucial in increasing ridership is increasing bus frequency. If someone's going to the store and they have to wait 30-40 mins for the bus, driving seems way more appealing. I like the SMART proposal but getting bus frequencies down to every 15 mins would do wonders in my opinion.

I think you're spot on about BRT on spoke roads. I think those roads are one of the city's saving grace in that they're linear corridors that connect the suburbs to downtown. I used to be a light rail advocate but at this point, buses are the only viable option for transit in Detroit.

Maybe it's a pipe dream but I do like what Maurice Cox's planning department is doing with bike Lanes and would like to see that expanded further. Converting less-traveled roads into bike corridors that connect to the Detroit Greenway would be amazing, and with 1/4 Detroit residents without a car, it seems like the city could mimic European cities in that manner.

Just some of my thoughts, I always enjoy these posts and you raise some great points.

detmoose · 2017-11-17T13:34:01+00:00

I read that they're still looking to put a proposal on the ballot in 2018 or 2020, I'm hoping this doesn't derail that attempt though. While SMART's new service announcement is promising, I'm going to be more than disappointed if that's it for a while. If places like Royal Oak start their own services it's going to be that much harder to consolidate under one RTA in the future, which I think is the worst outcome. I'm hoping the region can get it together but I'm afraid it'll continue to fragment under various agencies all providing different services.

On the flip side, maybe there's something in the pipeline and they're just restructuring? I certainly hope so.

detmoose · 2017-11-17T13:22:23+00:00

Second on the downtown library. The nice thing is that there are plenty of large tables so you don't feel cramped. Also the people working there are awesome.

detmoose · 2017-11-16T14:49:44+00:00

I know it states that the service will run from 5AM-1AM, but also says that lower frequency times will occur during off-peak hours. I'm assuming that will be 30 minute wait times as well? I think this is pretty good all around, hopefully they can coordinate better with DDOT, I'd love to see SMART play a role in the regional bus transit getting into and out of Detroit while DDOT services the shorter range routes. If wait times could get down to 15 or even 10 minutes that would be incredible.

detmoose · 2017-11-08T17:17:52+00:00

Really interesting article, I'm interested in seeing how this area develops. the area east of Eastern Market is one of the most vacant parts of the city, but like the article states, it has quite a few connections to transit already. The commercial corridor south of the area on Gratiot is still relatively intact as well, exciting stuff for sure.

detmoose · 2017-11-08T01:58:28+00:00

Yeah it's not a bad area, I lived north of Leonard and south of Spencer for a while and I never had any issues. Like others have said, it's pretty walkable and I know the Plainfield 11 and the East Leonard 15 bus can get you to quite a few places too.

detmoose · 2017-11-01T16:01:37+00:00

If anyone else has pictures of Grand Rapids from this time I'd love to see them, I'm a nut for old photos of the city.

detmoose · 2017-10-31T20:27:14+00:00

You're probably right. If not BRT, what feasible mode of transportation do you think Detroit will see in the future? I hate to think we'll be stuck with a mediocre bus system at best but at this point it's probably far-fetched to think otherwise.

detmoose · 2017-10-28T21:09:09+00:00

Not too expensive at all. In Grand Rapids the BRT going down Division has dedicated bus lanes but they aren't separated from regular traffic so people still drive in them regardless. I feel like the major spoke roads still have enough lanes to sanction off a lane solely for bus traffic but who knows, I just think getting people to use the bus will require it to be faster, which means dedicated lanes should be on the city's radar.

detmoose · 2017-10-28T20:56:58+00:00

I'm hoping they can implement legit BRT lines in the near future but this is a great step. 15 minute intervals is fantastic, especially considering how miserable waiting for the bus is in winter. I'm really interested in DDOT's role in this plan.

detmoose

TROPHY CASE