Comments on: Open City: Square Feet http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/ Thu, 21 May 2009 21:13:41 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: max http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/comment-page-1/#comment-3659 max Wed, 20 Feb 2008 21:24:30 +0000 http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/#comment-3659 i'm not speaking solely from my experiences. just last night a local news station was discussing that issue and the first person they interviewed was a Detroit city resident and he implied that "us" suberbanites should stay out of "your" business but then almost everyone else (non-residents) expressed feeling of unity and spoke about how goings on in a large city can directly affect the surrounding areas. i honestly don't care if "you city folk" want me there or not and don't care that i no longer live in the limits...i have always and will continue to hope for the best for Detroit. and i apologize for generalizing...obviously not EVERYONE is accepting of the city services the way they are but after voting for change for ten years and always being in the minority it was apparent to me that most of the city had other things in mind. i guess my way is the wrong way and i'm cool with it. again, very sorry for generalizing. but it's funny that you have told me that i have fallen into the "suburban trap" thus generalizing that all suburbanites think Detroiters don't know how to do things. haha. whatever, it's all just opinions and words. if any of you regular followers of this blog are unhappy with having a former resident posting here please make it aparent, it would be a little embaressing to be let go from a volunteer position but i'd get over it. and my skin is plenty thick or i would have given up singing the praises of the city a long time ago. i’m not speaking solely from my experiences. just last night a local news station was discussing that issue and the first person they interviewed was a Detroit city resident and he implied that "us" suberbanites should stay out of "your" business but then almost everyone else (non-residents) expressed feeling of unity and spoke about how goings on in a large city can directly affect the surrounding areas. i honestly don’t care if "you city folk" want me there or not and don’t care that i no longer live in the limits…i have always and will continue to hope for the best for Detroit. and i apologize for generalizing…obviously not EVERYONE is accepting of the city services the way they are but after voting for change for ten years and always being in the minority it was apparent to me that most of the city had other things in mind. i guess my way is the wrong way and i’m cool with it. again, very sorry for generalizing. but it’s funny that you have told me that i have fallen into the "suburban trap" thus generalizing that all suburbanites think Detroiters don’t know how to do things. haha. whatever, it’s all just opinions and words. if any of you regular followers of this blog are unhappy with having a former resident posting here please make it aparent, it would be a little embaressing to be let go from a volunteer position but i’d get over it. and my skin is plenty thick or i would have given up singing the praises of the city a long time ago.

]]> By: Matt http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/comment-page-1/#comment-3658 Matt Wed, 20 Feb 2008 20:59:10 +0000 http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/#comment-3658 Max - what are you talking about ^^^? Nowhere in any of the comments/post above did anyone raise the "us vs them" stuff. Are you still bitter over the comments previously posted about you not having a voice in our politics due to you moving out? If so, wow, what a thin skin you have... And, way to fall into the surburban trap of generalizing that all Detroiters don't care about education, safety, and sub-par city services. Simple folk, we Detroiters are... Thank God we simple folk have our surburban friends to set our priorities straight through their plentiful opinions and deep & profound perspectives. Max – what are you talking about ^^^? Nowhere in any of the comments/post above did anyone raise the "us vs them" stuff.

Are you still bitter over the comments previously posted about you not having a voice in our politics due to you moving out? If so, wow, what a thin skin you have…

And, way to fall into the surburban trap of generalizing that all Detroiters don’t care about education, safety, and sub-par city services. Simple folk, we Detroiters are… Thank God we simple folk have our surburban friends to set our priorities straight through their plentiful opinions and deep & profound perspectives.

]]> By: max http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/comment-page-1/#comment-3657 max Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:16:22 +0000 http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/#comment-3657 i think this is why the city residents need to let go of the whole "us vs. them" attitude (especially as it applies to the current mayoral problems). maybe right now, as i type this there is someone sitting in their Shelby Township house thinking about starting or expanding a retail business...think they're going to want to move to a city with the types of problems they're hearing about every day? slim chance. and it seems that the residents are more than happy to tell those people, "good, we don't need you anyway" but guess what...the city does need them. the city needs lots of people with higher standards to come in. then maybe they'll decide to move there...and demand that the schools get better...and that the police show up if they call them and not just accept the sub-par city services simply because they've become acustomed to it. again, my opinion but i'm a former "us" and a current "them" partially because i wasn't able to settle for less when i knew something better was just down the road. i gave it a decade, though. okay, now you can all tell me you're glad i'm gone and to stay out of your business. i think this is why the city residents need to let go of the whole "us vs. them" attitude (especially as it applies to the current mayoral problems). maybe right now, as i type this there is someone sitting in their Shelby Township house thinking about starting or expanding a retail business…think they’re going to want to move to a city with the types of problems they’re hearing about every day? slim chance. and it seems that the residents are more than happy to tell those people, "good, we don’t need you anyway" but guess what…the city does need them. the city needs lots of people with higher standards to come in. then maybe they’ll decide to move there…and demand that the schools get better…and that the police show up if they call them and not just accept the sub-par city services simply because they’ve become acustomed to it. again, my opinion but i’m a former "us" and a current "them" partially because i wasn’t able to settle for less when i knew something better was just down the road. i gave it a decade, though. okay, now you can all tell me you’re glad i’m gone and to stay out of your business.

]]> By: April http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/comment-page-1/#comment-3656 April Wed, 20 Feb 2008 19:05:05 +0000 http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/#comment-3656 I'm really bummed, because I was planning to attend yesterday. Both The Boy and I spent the evening saying we felt like there was someplace we were supposed to be... I’m really bummed, because I was planning to attend yesterday. Both The Boy and I spent the evening saying we felt like there was someplace we were supposed to be…

]]> By: Matt http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/comment-page-1/#comment-3655 Matt Wed, 20 Feb 2008 16:01:18 +0000 http://detroit.metblogs.com/2008/02/20/open-city-square-feet/#comment-3655 Unfortunately, the problem with many of these spaces is the sheer size/magnitude of them. Couple this size with the lack of consistent, after hours business and it creates a major impediment for many small business owners. No entreprenuer/small business has the resources to set up shop in a 30,000 square foot former Woolworth or Kresge's storefront. Ferndale, Harmonie Park, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Corktown, Royal Oak, even Greektown - they're success in attracting small, local and unique businesses, in my opinion, is directly related to the amount of relatively small spaces available to small business owners. Break up the large spaces along Woodward and Washington Blvd; create small, unique spaces and watch business locate, grow and thrive along those corridors. Unfortunately, the problem with many of these spaces is the sheer size/magnitude of them. Couple this size with the lack of consistent, after hours business and it creates a major impediment for many small business owners. No entreprenuer/small business has the resources to set up shop in a 30,000 square foot former Woolworth or Kresge’s storefront.

Ferndale, Harmonie Park, Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Corktown, Royal Oak, even Greektown – they’re success in attracting small, local and unique businesses, in my opinion, is directly related to the amount of relatively small spaces available to small business owners.

Break up the large spaces along Woodward and Washington Blvd; create small, unique spaces and watch business locate, grow and thrive along those corridors.

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