  Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 527 Registered: 11-2006 |
I know about the lower east side in the early part of the last century, and several oldtimers have mentioned that there were tough gangs in the Harper-Gratiot area in the 40's and 50's, where else were the rough and tumble white sections of Detroit? Was Briggs pretty tough? | ||
Detroitplanner Member Username: Detroitplanner Post Number: 1414 Registered: 04-2006 |
Briggs while poor is not particularly rough. Brightmoor is terrible, but I don't know if you can even call it a neighborhood anymore. SW Detroit has some pretty bad/white neighborhoods. Warrendale its getting bad, but its not really a white neighborhood anymore either. I suppose the roughest white neighborhoods now would be Livonia and Brighton... maybe Milford. | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 161 Registered: 06-2007 |
The south side of Warren (though not in Detroit, it borders D-town)has always been known as a rough white area. But with many blacks moving in, its not so much a white neighborhood anymore.Not lilly-white at least. But the areas around Ryan from 8 mile to Stephens and Van Dyke up to about Centerline have been notorious for rowdiness and even gangs. Also, any older trailer park. Ive encountered very few non-whites who live in Trailer Parks,and some of the old, cheaper ones can be really rough.Some of the more modern, mostly double-wide parks attract a lot of retirees. But I know the former "Chateau" parks-i think theyre called "Hometown" now-can be rough. One is in Macomb, where the mother killed her kids. The one in Novi has had a lot of maintenance problems. Shadylane in warren is one of the most notorious.And Blue Skies on Jefferson (Harrison Twp) is just awful.On my scanner Ive heard a LOT of activity in Sterling Estates, too (Van Dyke/Utica rd). | ||
Granmontrules Member Username: Granmontrules Post Number: 162 Registered: 01-2007 |
I would say Sterling Whites errr Heights is pretty rough. One of my trashy neighbors moved there a few weeks ago and she was no loss to the neighborhood. Or Livonia. All that Mall hair - they can hide a knife or gun in that mess! | ||
Fordaspiregv Member Username: Fordaspiregv Post Number: 9 Registered: 07-2007 |
There is nothing rough about Livonia. Sorry. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 1737 Registered: 12-2005 |
Section 36 in Farmington W/T to the extreme | ||
Karl_jr Member Username: Karl_jr Post Number: 78 Registered: 06-2007 |
If you are talking about the 50's: Vernor/Bagley area was kinda rough, the Bagley Boys, the Stillettos' etc. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6502 Registered: 02-2004 |
The Only tough white ghettohoods in Detroit are Oakwood Heights, Hubbard Farms, Springwells Village and Del-Ray. But a long time ago. Detroit did have a lot of tough white neighborhoods. Little Italy, Polonia, Paradise Valley(Jewish section), Skid Row, of course Oakwood Heights, Hubbard Farms, Springwells Village and Del-Ray and Cass Corridor. | ||
Kslice Member Username: Kslice Post Number: 151 Registered: 04-2007 |
Certain parts of Livonia (north of Plymouth and south of 96) can seem tough to out of towners but they're really nothing compared to anywhere in Detroit. fugedaboutit. | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6504 Registered: 02-2004 |
You all discussing about tough white neighborhoods in the suburbs, not Detroit. Most of you all forum members may have some experiences when you lived in tough Detroit white neighborhoods. I know the jjaba have went through his experiences when he grew up that Jewish Detroit west side neighborhoods. | ||
Miss_cleo Member Username: Miss_cleo Post Number: 882 Registered: 05-2005 |
Anyone remember Young Boys Inc? | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6508 Registered: 02-2004 |
Yes, There were the most ruthless, killing gang that ruled the Dexter Bvld. from Davison to Joy Rd. They sell drugs and weed for a living, wipe out snitchers and fuel the crack epidemic in the 1980s. The YBI's were not a white gang. They were an all black thug gang, living in the ghettos of Detroit, driving the low-riding old school cars pimping themselves with bling and riding dirty in the streets. They didn't into tough white neighborhoods in Detroit but they did sell some drugs in the white suburbs, but very carefully. | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 726 Registered: 05-2007 |
YBI was a large criminal enterprise. | ||
Detroithabitater Member Username: Detroithabitater Post Number: 33 Registered: 10-2006 |
from what I remember, YBI was an organization that used underage boys to sell drugs because they couldn't be fully prosecuted as adults. smart but very sinister and sad | ||
Vetalalumni Member Username: Vetalalumni Post Number: 728 Registered: 05-2007 |
Tough is a relative term. During the 60s and 70s, portions of Brightmoor were rough. And the Klan had a presence in Brightmoor earlier in the 20th century. (Message edited by vetalalumni on September 13, 2007) | ||
Sailor_rick Member Username: Sailor_rick Post Number: 194 Registered: 02-2004 |
Check out the Detroit "'hoods". http://www.stonegreasers.com/g reaser/ Geezer greasers, let's raise a Pabst to those that have passed to the final 20 weight-50 in the sky. | ||
Novine Member Username: Novine Post Number: 131 Registered: 07-2007 |
Novi has the second largest number of mobile home units in SE Michigan. | ||
Corktownmark Member Username: Corktownmark Post Number: 341 Registered: 12-2004 |
I think almost any unfamiliar ground back then or now tends to feel tough. The same place for some one who lives there is completely OK. I always thought of the area between Fenkell and mcnichols west of greenlawn was tough. I bet some one who lived there then thought is was comfortable. | ||
Charlottepaul Member Username: Charlottepaul Post Number: 1666 Registered: 10-2006 |
SE Livonia is sorta 'rough' and/or white trash. Depends on what your background is though that you use to form your opinions. | ||
Dbc Member Username: Dbc Post Number: 74 Registered: 09-2006 |
I agree with Corktownmark. I will drive through neighborhoods of Detroit that are probably "unsafe," but because I'm familiar with the area or know how to drive out of it, I feel comfortable. But, if I drive through a similar, or even statistically safer, neighborhood in another town, I often don't feel comfortable because I'm not familiar with the area or - but I'll never admit it to my wife - lost. | ||
Trainman Member Username: Trainman Post Number: 524 Registered: 04-2006 |
Livonia is getting worse with the new Wal-Mart as their is now too many cars. Too many cars makes Livonia a bad white area because it is bad to pollute our air with lots of cars just sitting in traffic. We should bring back SMART and continue to fill them up because then there will be less cars and cleaner air for all of us.f Good quality public bus service is a benefit to everyone. | ||
Detroitnerd Member Username: Detroitnerd Post Number: 1382 Registered: 07-2004 |
White Warrendale was what I think you'd call a "defended" neighborhood, especially on the Dearborn side, in the early 1970s. The white kids were working-class, lots of single parents and even some bikers. I was there. I had a knife pulled on me when I was in kindergarten at Maples, and the crossing guards would extort money from hapless kids, schoolyard bullies would pummel you for looking at them wrong. Though there were plenty of Middle-Eastern kids, they were actually nicer, I thought, than the white kids. And woe unto any Detroit kids who we caught stealing our bikes! | ||
Frumoasa Member Username: Frumoasa Post Number: 58 Registered: 03-2007 |
Detroit west of Telegraph bordering Redford esp. around 5 mile has a pretty rough population, including a biker faction that gathered in front of a friend's apartment complex every evening. She didn't bother going outside after work because she wasn't in the mood to be heckled by them. The area south of Warren and west of Livernois is dirt poor and has many white residents, my best friend lives down there and we have frequently seen stolen and stripped cars dumped at the end of her street so there is a lot of theft (presumably stolen in nearby Dearborn) and dumped at the first street at the border in Detroit. But one thing I have learned is that if you keep your nose clean, most people don't bother you. They may say you're stuck up or something, but keeping to your own business and being careful about who you associate with (good neighbors have your back, bad neighbors steal things when they know you're at work) make a great difference, even in a tougher neighborhood. | ||
Gary Member Username: Gary Post Number: 253 Registered: 02-2004 |
There are some sections of Redford near the Detroit border that are pretty rough. I know they aren't in the city proper, but Hazel Park and South Warren have always had pretty tough reputations, too. Does Taylor count? | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 528 Registered: 11-2006 |
On a photo outing in Delray I stopped in Kovacs bar to get a 7-up around one in the after noon and there was an older white man sitting at the bar who kind of swiveled around and and gave me a funny surprised look and I inquired if the place was open at which point he sarcastically stated "couldnt you get in" which rubbed me the wrong way. We stared at each other with angry expressions for a moment as he sat there with his arms folded bobbing his head side to side (body language for whats up!? whachya gonna saY) I turned around and walked out feeling annoyed but let it go considering the nature of the area. I seen a lot of grungy-shady looking middle aged white guys riding bikes. Another time I was talking to guy in a bar in the Briggs neighborhood and he told me I didnt look like I fit in. He had grown up in that neighborhood and moved to Taylor.I was disapointed that he made that statement as my background is just as workingclass -blue collar as his own background. I see the marked class differences and in the white suburbs and neighborhoods of Detroit. The body language and speech gives me a clue as to the overall nature of the neighborhood. Whites have their ghetto element in trailer parks-outlaw motorcycle gangs etc. | ||
Jiscodazz Member Username: Jiscodazz Post Number: 54 Registered: 02-2007 |
"Yes, as through this world I've wandered I've seen lots of funny men; Some will rob you with a six-gun, And some with a fountain pen." - Woodie Guthrie | ||
Tponetom Member Username: Tponetom Post Number: 134 Registered: 06-2007 |
Circa 1944. The Moran Street gang. St. Stanislaus Parish. About 20 guys descended upon four of us, just as the Baker street car arrived. We clamored aboard and my pal Danny, who was 6'4", with a size 13 shoe managed to kick the most ambitious attacker in the face and we got safely away. No, there were no serious gangs in the Gratiot-Harper area. Our Murray gang never went looking for trouble and no one ever came into our neighborhood because they knew they would get their asses kicked if they were looking for trouble. | ||
Terryh Member Username: Terryh Post Number: 530 Registered: 11-2006 |
Great reply Tponetom. St.Stanislaus is in the Chene neighborhood? Did you see any action in the '43 riot? | ||
Danny Member Username: Danny Post Number: 6514 Registered: 02-2004 |
Trainman, This thread is about White neighborhoods of Detroit not the SMART/Nazi-Livonia debacle. | ||
Hpgrmln Member Username: Hpgrmln Post Number: 165 Registered: 06-2007 |
"Novi has the second largest number of mobile home units in SE Michigan." Whats #1? Where did you find this interesting bit of Trivia? |
