tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post6249205458054066504..comments2024-01-28T22:16:50.852-06:00Comments on Mr. Dilettante’s Neighborhood: Goodbye, Dayton'sMr. Dhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13920907647566015611noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-88688737307893842842017-01-06T16:12:17.232-06:002017-01-06T16:12:17.232-06:00I'm sure holding out hope that they can turn i...I'm sure holding out hope that they can turn it around--for the neighborhoods and city center shopping alike. There are a lot of good things you can get online, but I still hesitate to buy things like clothes that way. Far nicer to have the salesman take a quick look at you, ask what you need, and have three or four good choices from the right rack within a minute. <br /><br />And quite frankly, when I take a look at a Google Maps for Detroit, one interesting thing is that Hamtramck is a nice "hole" in their "dead zone." They hardly have any vacant lots or burned out houses. Fix policing, families, and schools, and all those vacant lots in Motor City start looking like opportunities for larger, more modern homes and vibrant communities. Same thing with Chicago, Milwaukee, and the like. Kinda like the brownstones in Gotham, no?Bike Bubbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193546045614393425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-59888708802148547112017-01-06T12:11:20.118-06:002017-01-06T12:11:20.118-06:00Plus, when you argue--rightly--that the cities rea...<i>Plus, when you argue--rightly--that the cities really didn't have affordable housing for families, you simultaneously point out that cities have built their political structure around single people and the poor. And we wonder why the schools are awful with that going on? It's a cycle of spiraling down the drain, really.</i><br /><br />Except that wasn't the argument I was making. All I was saying is that, for me, it made more sense to be in the northern suburbs. There are good schools and bad schools in Minneapolis; things aren't as bad here as they are in Chicago or Milwaukee. The long-term trendline isn't great, but things aren't so far gone that a turnaround is impossible. It's possible, even likely, that school choice will be even more readily available going forward as well. And the option of home schooling is still there. I'm choosing to be optimistic for the moment.Mr. Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920907647566015611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-77088378651919118182017-01-06T10:58:20.535-06:002017-01-06T10:58:20.535-06:00cities have built their political structure around...<i>cities have built their political structure around single people and the poor. And we wonder why the schools are awful with that going on? It's a cycle of spiraling down the drain, really.</i><br /><br />Which is why the cities are trying so desperately to force people into high-density (but expensive) developments and turning automobile driving into the new "stop smoking" campaign to bring "diversity" back to the cities. 3john2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05359114327414576258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-20965318000731494992017-01-06T10:49:12.764-06:002017-01-06T10:49:12.764-06:00I'd argue it's a problem--you have a "...I'd argue it's a problem--you have a "dead zone" or "no man's land" of miles between jobs and livable communities. Roads like 394 and 35W aren't free, no? Plus, when you argue--rightly--that the cities really didn't have affordable housing for families, you simultaneously point out that cities have built their political structure around single people and the poor. And we wonder why the schools are awful with that going on? It's a cycle of spiraling down the drain, really. Bike Bubbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193546045614393425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-86218492875889506852017-01-05T15:52:02.556-06:002017-01-05T15:52:02.556-06:00I don’t know that it’s even a problem, Bubba. We c...I don’t know that it’s even a problem, Bubba. We chose our community because it was affordable and the schools are good. When my wife and I first came to Minnesota, we lived in St. Paul, in Mac/Groveland, which is a very nice area. We had an opportunity to buy a house in that area, but we passed because we weren’t sure the house would suit our needs long-term. I’m sure someone else is living there now and is happy to be there. We looked around most of the metro and looked at a number of different areas, including some places in south Minneapolis that we liked rather a lot, but in the end, we chose the northern burbs; it’s worked out well for us.Mr. Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920907647566015611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-75153247571265443752017-01-05T13:18:37.346-06:002017-01-05T13:18:37.346-06:00Agreed, but part of that cost is the simple fact t...Agreed, but part of that cost is the simple fact that none of us seriously considered Minneapolis as a home, no? You either had super high prices in South or super high crime in North. So we went to the 'burbs and then it was cheaper to shop there.<br /><br />I guess it's an old phenomenon, though. My grandparents left Chicago for Brookfield in 1940 because my aunt was coming along and they couldn't find suitable housing at a reasonable price back then, either. Lot of fixing before that problem reverses itself...Bike Bubbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193546045614393425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-2589299879672051242017-01-05T12:13:06.714-06:002017-01-05T12:13:06.714-06:00Yeah, I think policing is a factor, but cost is th...Yeah, I think policing is a factor, but cost is the larger driver (so to speak). I don't have to pay to park at Rosedale, and it's closer to my house as well. All other things being equal, there would be no reason to go to downtown Minneapolis for my shopping. I will be interested to see what happens to the building once the new developer takes over.Mr. Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13920907647566015611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-71666985090597991482017-01-05T11:41:58.623-06:002017-01-05T11:41:58.623-06:00I work in downtown Minneapolis for most of my care...I work in downtown Minneapolis for most of my career in this state. I passed through Dayton's regularly on my way to lunch or on other errands. Occasionally the shirt or sportcoat might catch my eye and be purchased, but most necessities were found more affordably elsewhere. Nevertheless I always liked the buzz and fragrance of the place and all the attractive merchandise. It's part of what made being downtown feel like downtown. It smelled like "success"! The last couple of times I've been through there though the atmosphere has seemed to be more surly. And there is no way I would make a trip downtown just to shop; the parking is prohibitive and the cities' ongoing efforts to be "pedestrian friendly"are not well-suited to this particular pedestrian.3john2https://www.blogger.com/profile/05359114327414576258noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19838051.post-80851995495255217592017-01-05T11:27:51.708-06:002017-01-05T11:27:51.708-06:00Paging City Hall....this is what happens when you ...Paging City Hall....this is what happens when you let policing go and make it tough to get to downtown shopping. What used to be downtown is now found at the Galleria in Edina, at Arbor Lakes in Maple Grove, and at the MOA....and unless City Hall wraps its mind around transportation and public safety, it ain't coming back. <br /><br />Bike Bubbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08193546045614393425noreply@blogger.com