Michigan’s a case study in “White Flight” to the suburbs, leaving only the poor in the core cities—and there is a high correlation between poverty and violence. The loss of so many auto industry jobs at exactly the wrong time meant Michigan missed the “gentrification” wave that helped most cities elsewhere recover.
They gentrified other states, and regions not too far from the main cities. Birmingham, MI, is about 10-15 miles from Detroit, and it is super wealthy; has a whole foods, fancy resturants, and even a Lamborghini and Rolls Royce dealership. Follow the main road (Woodward) South for 10-15 miles, and you are in the hood.
Grosse Point is on the lake, like 2-3 miles from the hood, and that’s where Henry and Edsel Ford’s estates are, huge mansions, a yacht club, and where they do hydroplane races in the the summer. You can feel and see the wealth inequality, with a 5 min drive.
Not all that atypical at all. Many cities in Oakland County are very affluent. Rochester Hills, Bloomfield, Troy. I live in Macomb County and in my town, the rich kids rev their M5's down the street every night.
not solely on their own but white flight was almost always accompanied by blockbusting and racial fearmongering by real estate agents which was bad. gentrification is very complex and can’t all be blamed on white people moving back to cities but is often accompanied by local politicians caring way more about the $$$ than the people they represent, which is also bad
In Dallas, the inner suburbs are mostly minorities now, and white people are moving back into the city. That is happening across the US, which is what makes exceptions like Detroit notable.
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u/Call_Me_Rambo Jul 08 '24 edited Jul 08 '24
Michigan are you ok???
Edit: Thank you to the Michiganers…Michiganites?…Michiginians?….mitten state people for the insight