So I live near the infamous city of Detroit. (less than a half mile out. It’s basically Detroit.) Once known for the great auto industry, home of the autos, birthplace of the industry, whatnot.
It appears many of you have no idea how rough the city is. Many blocks are completely burnt out. Destroyed. The few houses on those desolate blocks are drug houses. You slide money under the door, drugs come out. I don’t know, I don’t do drugs. You have strip clubs everywhere. Topless bars. 8 mile is lined with medical marijuana stores. The old Packard plant is crumbling, it was once a car factory. It was abandoned like most of the city when the car industry left. There’s a few factories left, like the chrysler plant I pass almost daily.
I’ve woken up to people trying to get into my window. I was 10 when my parents first handed me a gun, because they had to go out and someone had tried breaking in. They told me to shoot, and not to stop until they dropped.(luckily the intruder didn’t come back). We’ve had several cars stolen, now we use steering clubs. I fall asleep to the sound of the train whistle, gun shots, and police sirens many nights. There have been nights I wake up because there are fire trucks 2 houses down, trying to put out a fire that was started by an arsonist.
On the news, someone you know is beaten by a brick. 7 broken bones. One of your brother’s few friends was pushed into the street by her mom while it was raining and a semi was coming. Killed on impact. The weird collector down the street was shot. Turns out your cousin actually knew the collector. You look out the window as you’re driving by in your car, and a block from your house, there is a yard filled with angry looking screaming people, wielding guns and other various weapons. You just pray shots don’t fire into your home, and call the police.
Where I am, we actually have decent police and EMS response. However, in Detroit, they are overwhelmed. Cops won’t go to some of the dangerous areas. You’ll be lucky to get an ambulance within an hour if you’ve been shot and you’re bleeding to death. There’s a fire next door? That house is abandoned anyways. The firefighters are busy putting out 3 other fires where there are people still in them. No one cares if that abandoned house burns down.
No cop, no stop. If you’re in a sketchy area, you flatout, do not stop. You barely slow down. Doesn’t matter if it’s a stop sign or a red light. If you’re alone, or only by one or two other cars, make sure it’s safe for you to blow that light. The cops are busy with a gunfire situation anyways, how fast do you think they’ll get to you when you’ve been car jacked? Noope. If it’s nighttime? You just don’t stop, period. No cop, no stop. If you get pulled over, you can throw me under the bus. Tell them you didn’t feel safe stopping.
You drive with your windows up, doors locked, something nearby to use as self defense, keep a club in your car, and keep a huge eye out for trouble ahead or behind you. Don’t let yourself get trapped by cars who might highjack you. Always have a way around the cars.
If you drive down the abandoned city blocks, it’s like a ghost town. Maybe the occasional squatter is walking by. You fly through those streets, 35+mph. Don’t go slow, it’s too risky.
One of my old classmates just had her first baby in February or so. 2 weeks ago, her and her boyfriend were shot at in a driveby. They’re lucky no one was hurt, the house was all shot up though. I’ve been shot by plastic bullets in a practice driveby, if they were real bullets, I wouldn’t be here today.
EVeryone comes from a broken home. Everyone has a story. Whether it’s the parents of the 8 year old boy, killed in a hit and run last month because the babysitter wasn’t watching him, or if it’s the survivors of a drive by shooting, an alcoholic, a drug addict, everyone has been through some sort of tragedy.
The homeless population is huge. Some people set up tent cities near the NSA. They are on the streets, under bridges. The mayor pays for hotels on the coldest days of the winter so they aren’t picking up bodies of the people who freeze to death because they couldn’t get somewhere to stay. People beg on street corners, but there’s so many people that the faces blur and they mean nothing.
Mexican town has the best food, but don’t get caught off guard. Also, watch out for places with roaches.
Stay in highly visible, high traffic areas, like downtown. If you wanna come visit Detroit, don’t get a hotel *in* Detroit. Stay in Troy, Sterling Heights, Roseville, Grossepointe, Warren, or Centerline. Other you’ll be bringing home bedbugs, roaches, quite possibly missing a credit card or two.
Yes, Eminem lived in Detroit. I've seen where the 8 mile movie was filmed. I went to his school.
#MACNBREWZ FOR LIFE!!
There are good parts of the city, but those parts are the parts you'll find on google. Like the skyline and the Resistance Center. Downtown is okayish. Just be careful. Do your research before you travel.
Here are some pictures I've taken of the city.
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