Fleeing Detroit

An Associated Press story paints an accurate picture of Detroit: the home of my ancestors, my home for a short while, and still the home of many family members:

Officials in the nation's poorest big city see hosting the game as a huge boost. They say it will be a catalyst for further development and provide a chance to improve Detroit's gritty reputation. They hope visitors will take note of new restaurants, clubs and lofts downtown. To make sure the city makes a good impression, dilapidated buildings have been torn down, roads repaved and landmarks renovated.

Yet with the exception of a few square miles in the center of town, many residents say they have not seen any improvement. And they don't expect the Super Bowl to have an effect on their lives.

"They spend all that money on the Super Bowl ”¦ but they ain't doing nothing for here," said Arthur Lauderdale, 59, who lives about four miles from the heart of downtown on Detroit's east side.

The scenery along Van Dyke Street near Lauderdale's home would be familiar to anyone who has seen "8 Mile," Eminem's movie about life in Detroit. The street's once-bustling commercial section is dominated by boarded-up stores, charred buildings and vacant lots. The only signs of activity are at storefront churches and the occasional liquor store and hot-dog joint.

That is not to say there are no thriving areas outside of downtown. Detroit has several historic neighborhoods of stately mansions, and new housing developments for the middle class have sprung up here and there. But those are exceptions in a city that people have been fleeing for half a century.

Link.

Very sad, and it was basically intentional (in the sense that much of it could've been avoided, but for political machinations that such degeneration furthered). There's plenty of blame to go around, but if you say "Coleman Young," you'll accurately identify the biggest culprit.