Comments on: The abandoned house of the week…cheap houses, a smoking ban, and mass transit? http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/ Rantings and photos of Metro Detroit in a post-industrial era. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:53:10 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.2 By: me http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-201 me Thu, 04 Mar 2010 11:31:28 +0000 http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-201 YOu can have the house in Detroit for 2009 taxes... period YOu can have the house in Detroit for 2009 taxes… period

]]> By: admin http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-73 admin Wed, 25 Mar 2009 01:39:31 +0000 http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-73 <p>Nancy, that's great to hear. And I don't doubt there are other streets and neighborhoods like yours. Areas like Indian Village only survived as well as they did because people with sentiments like your own stayed put through the years.</p> Nancy, that’s great to hear. And I don’t doubt there are other streets and neighborhoods like yours. Areas like Indian Village only survived as well as they did because people with sentiments like your own stayed put through the years.

]]> By: Nancy http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-70 Nancy Mon, 23 Mar 2009 15:38:25 +0000 http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-70 There are still some really nice neighborhoods in Detroit. Ours is threatened by foreclosures and had lots of empty homes, something that's never happened before in this area, but it's still a terrific neighborhood with a good neighborhood organization working to hold things together. We've been here 26 yers, hve no plans to move. A young family just bought the foreclosed home across the street for a fraction of its price a couple of years ago, are adding better insulation, etc. There are still some really nice neighborhoods in Detroit. Ours is threatened by foreclosures and had lots of empty homes, something that’s never happened before in this area, but it’s still a terrific neighborhood with a good neighborhood organization working to hold things together. We’ve been here 26 yers, hve no plans to move. A young family just bought the foreclosed home across the street for a fraction of its price a couple of years ago, are adding better insulation, etc.

]]> By: admin http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-65 admin Sun, 22 Mar 2009 17:45:50 +0000 http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-65 There's no doubt that Detroit's not yet reached bottom. Houses for $1 or even $10,000 may be an opportunity, but they are most definitely an indicator of how bad things really are. You're absolutely right that Detroit is like no other American city. There’s no doubt that Detroit’s not yet reached bottom. Houses for $1 or even $10,000 may be an opportunity, but they are most definitely an indicator of how bad things really are.

You’re absolutely right that Detroit is like no other American city.

]]> By: Rick http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-64 Rick Sun, 22 Mar 2009 13:52:26 +0000 http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-64 That was a hilarious story on NPR..Funny yet not..Especially in this housing market I think its a little questionable to tell people that for as low as a dollar they to can own there own home..Oh yea as long as you have a gaurd dog, security system and a gun or two..I think most people have no idea how far a city can fall..Detroit truly is like no other city in America today.. That was a hilarious story on NPR..Funny yet not..Especially in this housing market I think its a little questionable to tell people that for as low as a dollar they to can own there own home..Oh yea as long as you have a gaurd dog, security system and a gun or two..I think most people have no idea how far a city can fall..Detroit truly is like no other city in America today..

]]> By: admin http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-63 admin Sat, 21 Mar 2009 21:08:26 +0000 http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-63 No need to feel slow. Some of us from Metro Detroit have been asking the same questions for years. The problem is that most have not been asking any questions at all, and that includes the political leaders from both sides of the aisle, corporate leaders of the Big Three, and even the citizens whose well being was/is dependent on the well being of their community. I think a complete lack of foresight and/or complete indifference to the future was the area's biggest downfall. It takes a critical mass to get the ball rolling on economic transformation for an area the size of Metro Detroit, and the area's lack of educated workers, high crime rates, and corporate and political corruption and cronyism led to "don't rock the boat" mentality. If the way things are works for you why change? And the employees of the Big Three and it's suppliers were very well paid for the education required. People chose the assembly lines over college because they could make close to six figures right out of high school. Supporting the status quo became the job of Union leaders and politicians. By supporting the workers you could almost guarantee reelection. The CEO's simply wanted to get their bonuses, which were usually based on the value of stock, which meant maximizing profits now, not setting the company up for a long, profitable future. Unfortunately this short sightedness is exactly the reason that the Big Three are in such dire straights. Since the politicians didn't want to rock the boat, and most of the citizen's had some dependency on the Big Three, no one wanted to take on the difficult task of preparing for the future. This mentality, is of course, to some degree, human nature, but close to 100 years of a sort of monomania for automotive manufacturing made it particularly hard to move away from. Those who saw the problems coming were "pessimists" (hey, that was me!), and usually just complained, or eventually moved away (that too was me.). Now that the area's back is against the wall there's talk of transformation, but with the downturn in the economy, the lack of much entrepreneurship, and a shrinking population, it's going to be hard to make the necessary changes. Plus there's plenty of long held grudges, egos, hard feelings, and anger that gets in the way of any type of agreement between the different parties involved. Everyone points fingers, refuses to accept their share of the blame, and is generally not willing to make the necessary sacrifices in order to head in the right direction. There's always hope. And if enough of the old guard leaves the area for greener pastures, and a new population of hard working, entrepreneurial, and progressive types begins to move in, change will eventually make it's way to Detroit. It's got great potential. It's almost a blank slate, just waiting to be made into something new. No need to feel slow. Some of us from Metro Detroit have been asking the same questions for years. The problem is that most have not been asking any questions at all, and that includes the political leaders from both sides of the aisle, corporate leaders of the Big Three, and even the citizens whose well being was/is dependent on the well being of their community.

I think a complete lack of foresight and/or complete indifference to the future was the area’s biggest downfall. It takes a critical mass to get the ball rolling on economic transformation for an area the size of Metro Detroit, and the area’s lack of educated workers, high crime rates, and corporate and political corruption and cronyism led to “don’t rock the boat” mentality. If the way things are works for you why change? And the employees of the Big Three and it’s suppliers were very well paid for the education required. People chose the assembly lines over college because they could make close to six figures right out of high school.

Supporting the status quo became the job of Union leaders and politicians. By supporting the workers you could almost guarantee reelection. The CEO’s simply wanted to get their bonuses, which were usually based on the value of stock, which meant maximizing profits now, not setting the company up for a long, profitable future. Unfortunately this short sightedness is exactly the reason that the Big Three are in such dire straights.

Since the politicians didn’t want to rock the boat, and most of the citizen’s had some dependency on the Big Three, no one wanted to take on the difficult task of preparing for the future. This mentality, is of course, to some degree, human nature, but close to 100 years of a sort of monomania for automotive manufacturing made it particularly hard to move away from. Those who saw the problems coming were “pessimists” (hey, that was me!), and usually just complained, or eventually moved away (that too was me.).

Now that the area’s back is against the wall there’s talk of transformation, but with the downturn in the economy, the lack of much entrepreneurship, and a shrinking population, it’s going to be hard to make the necessary changes. Plus there’s plenty of long held grudges, egos, hard feelings, and anger that gets in the way of any type of agreement between the different parties involved. Everyone points fingers, refuses to accept their share of the blame, and is generally not willing to make the necessary sacrifices in order to head in the right direction.

There’s always hope. And if enough of the old guard leaves the area for greener pastures, and a new population of hard working, entrepreneurial, and progressive types begins to move in, change will eventually make it’s way to Detroit. It’s got great potential. It’s almost a blank slate, just waiting to be made into something new.

]]> By: Tim http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-62 Tim Fri, 20 Mar 2009 12:21:58 +0000 http://www.themotorlesscity.com/2009/03/19/the-abandoned-house-of-the-weekcheap-houses-a-smoking-ban-and-mass-transit/#comment-62 Hi, I don't mean to sound slow and retarded but in Australia we are hearing heaps about how Detroit has houses available for as little as $1. I can see from a mile away that it's a dubious opportunity but i wonder if Detroit would make an international come-back if it tried to jump to the forefront of some eco-vehicular transport opportunity. Why can detroit pull itself out of its dismal demise by producing Electric, hybrid or Bio-oil cars? If it's cheap for international residential buyers it's assumedly cheap for international companies trying to move from protoyping to manufacturing. I just don't understand how an entire city (and certainly not a small one) can start to demise to the point where other countrys can start buying up houses for $1. Can you summarise Detroit in a few paragraphs as it stands today? Cheers Tim Hi, I don’t mean to sound slow and retarded but in Australia we are hearing heaps about how Detroit has houses available for as little as $1.

I can see from a mile away that it’s a dubious opportunity but i wonder if Detroit would make an international come-back if it tried to jump to the forefront of some eco-vehicular transport opportunity.

Why can detroit pull itself out of its dismal demise by producing Electric, hybrid or Bio-oil cars?

If it’s cheap for international residential buyers it’s assumedly cheap for international companies trying to move from protoyping to manufacturing.

I just don’t understand how an entire city (and certainly not a small one) can start to demise to the point where other countrys can start buying up houses for $1.

Can you summarise Detroit in a few paragraphs as it stands today?

Cheers Tim

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