THIS is The Biggest Reason For DETROIT'S DOWNFALL | West Side Hoods 5K. 

Detroit Playlist: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-OvB6YR_BcxM.html American Hoods Playlist: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-Dm81ynWvUsM.html Michigan Playlist: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-X5t9afbEGIc.html Lincoln Street Art Park: 0:00 - 3:45 Motown/West Grand Boulevard Corridor: 3:45 - 6:55 Detroit's 1967 Riots/Rosa Parks: 6:55 - 16:16 Detroit's Near Westside Hoods: 16:16 - 32:55 Boston-Edison Neighborhood: 32:55 - 37:59 ==================================================================== EVERYTHING THAT I USE IN THE FIELD: Main Camera: amzn.to/3iS4vvF Side Cameras: amzn.to/2WuCYIs Media Mod for Camera: amzn.to/3j7CMGF Lav Mic: amzn.to/3lsMkz9 Drone: amzn.to/3ITcKBV SD Cards: amzn.to/3C2co9O Camera Mounts: amzn.to/2UXVR6p Cables Required for Longer Recordings: amzn.to/3BYnr3Q Computer: amzn.to/3787b2j External Hard Drive: amzn.to/3lb23Tf WHAT I USE AT HOME: Computer: amzn.to/3rKIdiN Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3C15Ubx Microphone: amzn.to/2VaCjvo Microphone Accessories: amzn.to/3v7A35Z INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edit?hl=en&mid=1Lhzf04ocimPu-ROkg4cfXEYEvKMNnlI5&ll=43.06219876674538%2C-83.82163216337808&z=10 SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTACT INFO: Email: ChrisHardenYT@Gmail.com On Twitter: twitter.com/Chris_Harden55 On Instagram: instagram.com/c_harden7/?... On Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisHardenYT/ DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!

I worked in Detroit as an electronics installer of various components, stereos,vcr's.tv's,computers from 1984 until 2001. I always met the most kind and wonderful people welcoming me into their homes, by the way, most of the up kept homes, even in the most blighted area's of the city are immaculate and beautiful on the inside from my experiences. Every area you display in this video is familiar to me. I enjoyed the job and people I met during that part of my life.Thank you so much for some great memories.

Born, raised and left Detroit. We all know why it’s ruined.

I was born and raised in Detroit, experienced "busing". Busing increased white flight by an order of magnitude. My family did not move and it was horrible.

My dad's family lived on 7 mile between Woodward and John R in the 60s during the riots. Shortly after the riots happened my grandfather put the house for sale as he viewed it no longer safe to raise a family in the city with small children. Other people might down play the role the riot/riots had on people leaving but the main driving factor for my dads family and many other families that lived on the same block leaving Detroit was the riots.

When you have a mayor who stole taxpayer money for 30 + years and another mayor who thought the city coffers were his personal slush fund to pay for his gangsta lifestyle it shows after a while.

I've lived here for 56 years. Today, just about 20 minutes north of the city. Detroit originally came to be because it was America's largest trade route back when the waterways were the highways. Decades later when train commerce became the norm, Detroit and Michigan in general were a little out of the loop. And then when the interstates took over it was the final nail in the coffin. A central location with interstate commerce between the Atlantic and Pacific not to mention, warmer climates without dealing with these harsh winters, makes the southern state locations much more desirable. These are the primary reasons that Michigan in general isn't as desirable for industry today as it once was.

Wow Chris! You hit it again. I was an 8 year boy during the Detroit riots and it was horrifying. Lived on Elmhurst at the John C Lodge freeway. Everything changed after that. We then moved west to Hazelwood near Linwood where I attended Durfee and then Central High School. It’s sad to see so much empty space. It was so beautiful before. Anyway, thanks again for taking me down memory lane. Love your videos. 🙏

Flint and Detroit have a "cause" in common. Both implemented a city income tax, and viewed automobile factories as a limitless source of revenue. It's not like they could move somewhere else!

My father was a Detroit Police officer during the '67 riots. One of the situations he was involved in was when he and his fellow officers were being held down by sniper fire from a third-floor abandoned tenement apartment bldg. It was his group's responsibility to lay down tracer fire to give the TANK rolling into place a 'target'. My dad said he couldn't believe how loud the round fired from the tank's gun turret was. Even more: the destruction wrought by it. He said the whole front of the building collapsed! Needless to say, the sniper fire ceased.🤣

I’m from Detroit and I have lived in various parts of the city. I’m happy to see your videos on Detroit! I haven’t lived in Detroit in over 6 years, but to see you go thru some of the sectors/neighborhoods I have lived in brings such nostalgia! Detroit Vs. Everybody all day! Lol

Segregation practices are NOT why Detroit looks the way it does today! You know it!

Great job, Chris! Love the commentary, as usual.

The same thing is happening today. The increase of violent crime in New York City, Chicago and other north eastern cities is driving those who can leave south to the sun belt.

Beautiful homes towards the end. I'm surprised they are so close together. Just enough room for a car to drive down the driveway. Very nice video! So much I didn't know about the area! Thanks for educating us!!

From a EU perspective, we have similar places here which all share one thing in common: their downfall was due to socialism. So am I guessing correctly by assuming that democrats played a part in this ?

Born and raised in Michigan. Left in 1973 and have only been back to visit. Lived in several cities with Flint being the longest. Your video on Highland Park video came up as recommended. So I watched it, now watching this one. Plan to watch more. Good stuff. Last time back to Flint was 2013, showed my wife my old neighborhoods, wow that city has changed. We also spent time in the UP. I have family and relatives allover the state. You can't take the Michigan out of a Michigander. I live in the Philippines now, have for a number of years. Added after watching. I remember the riots they spread up to Filnt too. So glad you mentioned Sacred Heart Seminary. I have a cousin who was there during the riots. A few years later I visited the Seminary and he showed my their scrapbook of photos from that time.

Saw my house at @15:16 nice to see video showing the history of my neighborhood. I've only been here a few years myself but I absolutely love it down here.

If the graffiti artists would vector their spray paint costs toward clean-up efforts, the city would benefit immensely.

Love your vids. I live in Macomb County, Michigan. So I'm familiar with some of the roads you're on but I'm ignorant to a lot of the history that you describe. Great job!

You know the real reason, you can’t say the real reason

Who in their right mind would invest in an area ravaged by unruly criminals?

I just saw St. Paul A.M.E. Zion church on Dexter, I was a member of that church when Dr. William Ardrey was pastor, in fact, I had my trial sermon there in 1976 before I moved back to Florida in 1978. Love your video.

#6.. right field.. Al Kaline.. that's all I know about Detroit. I'm here in Brooklyn but all I got to say is he was one of the greatest ball players I ever saw play the game..

It's all about people don't taking responsibility. People who never build anything; but only know how to destroy.

I know you said you weren't going to mention all the well known athletes who went to Northwestern. But you should have mentioned Willie Horton as he played for the hometown Tigers. And went over to the riots still in his uniform to try to calm everyone down.

The '67 riots burned down businesses, homes etc. in their OWN neighborhood. Over 7,000 arrested and they now had a criminal record against them which I'm sure was helpful when they apply for employment and many people/families and remaining businesses moved away never to return.

Let's keep it real simple hard-working white people left

I lived in Windsor and saw the tanks parked at the Anbassador bridge. Smoke on the skyline. I was 14.

No mention of the fact that Japanese auto imports are what destroyed not just Detroit, but Gary (US Steel) and other manufacturing centers as well. Then the factories started moving to the South for cheaper labor and no unions and overseas for even more of the same.

Another professionally filmed, well-researched Detroit video. Keep up the good work, I really enjoy these.

What a beautiful public school. Shows what wealth we really had.

Love your videos! To play devil’s advocate, low income housing does kill the possibility for generational wealth, keeping the same families in perpetual poverty.

I just found your channel this week and subscribed. Your video tours are first class! When I look at all those once beautiful old houses and now they are left to fall to the ground, it makes me sick. What a shame but that's what happens when cities treat business like piggy banks, over tax, over regulate, and charge for services that no one wants then let crime run rampant. The only thing people can do is leave. We left Chicago in the 1960s for the same reasons.

Great music in the background, seems to go nicely with the subject matter. It is not distracting.

Detroit's biggest reason for going down hill was that all the hard working and smart people headed to safer city's.

Great video. You drove by three different locations that I lived many years ago. No matter what people say about Detroit 'coming back', personally I'll never will.

Hello from New Zealand 🇳🇿. Boston Edison is absolutely beautiful. Those homes are incredible!

Outstanding video I live out of state and I remembering riding the same route LoL when I was living there ( Go Lion's 😆 )

I don't think that's Central High School's original location. The Riots did indeed begin at 12th and Clairmont, but Linwood Avenue (the nearest major street-featured in this video,) saw a lot of "action" as well. The author showed an extensive stretch of Grand River Avenue, and that street saw rioting along about two miles of its' length. Almost from the long-gone Olympia Stadium (where the Red Wings used to play-they've moved twice) to Downtown. The Victorian Woodbridge Community lies along part of Grand River. It has been somewhat Gentrified. But-there was also rioting along Oakland Avenue on the Near North Side. Some Motown Greats grew up there, too, and there was a student strike at Northern High School there, in 1966-to protest overcrowding. The East Side has a LOT of issues, too. There was a near-riot there, on Pennsylvania, back in 1966. And, in the '67 Riots, Mack Avenue had looting and burning, and Kercheval had looting from East Grand Blvd all the way to the Grosse Point city limit. The Twelfth Street District where the riot began, was itself a nice area at one time. It was platted back in 1914, and was heavily Jewish. It changed racially in about five years, from 1947-1953, and remained nice for maybe five more years. Some of the overcrowding was due to the demolition of Black Bottom, near Downtown, and parts of Paradise Valley to the North. There were some housing projects built, (which were a Disaster, as elsewhere in America) but the displaced people needed somewhere else to live. Similarly, when the Michigan Avenue skid row was demolished, back in the Fifties, a lot of its' Denizens simply relocated to The Cass Corridor (now known as Midtown) and the latter became a hub of alcoholism, drugs and vice. There has been a lot of renewal in that area of late. The loss of automobile jobs was the Death knell for Detroit, but VHA loans, and the construction of the freeways encouraged the growth of the Suburbs. A lot of housing, of course, had to be demolished/moved to make room for said freeways, which also divided and isolated neighborhoods. There were a few Black enclaves on the West Side before World War Two, but most lived East of Woodward. Livernois/Tireman/Grand River form a right triangle, and a lot of it was built from 1910-1930. African Americans would get arrested or assaulted if they ranged outside of that triangle. Nowadays, it's Pure Black, and very dilapidated. From Livernois to the Lodge Freeway, the greater area is known as "Barton McFarland East." I worked at long-gone Kirwood Hospital for one year, back in the Eighties. It was on Davison, East of Livernois, closer to Dexter. A lot of our patients had alcoholic pancreatitis, and abcesses, or other infections, from injecting Heroin. The War on Drugs has caused a LOT of tragedy. I remember being driven to piano lessons at the music institute in the 1960s-70s. We took John R. south of Grand Blvd., to Kirby. That stretch between John R. and Brush was very Old, and a Terrible slum! We're talking wooden tenements with plastic drop cloths for windows, with a smattering of row houses. Most of it is vacant lots now.

Really enjoy the videos.

I live on the other side of the state now and when I meet someone who was in the area in 67, to this day the "where were you when the riots happened?" Is a shared experience that each one shares. It's seared in our memories.

Great video. All I see are "mudflood/tartarian" style buildings. So much hidden history

Woodbridge neighborhood please🙏🏼 Glad I fount your page as a lover of Detroit

Take this any way you want but you couldn't pay me to live in Detroit.

You have some of the best videos

Great video sir

Vacant lots Great video, and commentary. To drive the point home, you should consider mentioning that the vacant property one sees as you drive around used to have houses or commercial building on it. I can imagine that during Detroit's heyday vacant land was at a premium. My guess now is that vacant land itself is 50 to 60% of the total. I did not even consider the vacant buildings, which adds to the total. Thanks for the Detroit drive.

born and raised in Windsor and went to Detroit often. Moved to Vancouver in 1978. I was 18 at the time of the riots and remember the smoke engulfing the sky on the other side of the Detroit River. The river has improved much in the past 10 -15 years and both Windsor and Detroit look much cleaner now that so much of the industry has left all through both cities and along the river. The trees and green vegetation and the beautiful brick homes even in the poor neglected areas are truly amazing. So much potential to make this place flourish again. Weather is not so bad much like New York city. In Canada Windsor is likely the best place to live regarding weather.

About a quarter mile west of Motown is a social services agency called Crossroads. They have lightly used clothing, toys, household items, classes and counselling for people who are job hunting, and they run a soup kitchen on sundays when most of the larger soup kitchens take the day off. Stop by and check it out. A ray of hope in a very needy city.

I can see from here you have a love for your city and state...thanks

Usually when cities get labeled as bad, its Sooooo hard to shed that label but from Detroit I've seen in 2007 vs 2022, the improvements are very impressive, cause Michigan wants Detroit to stop being rated the worst city when even thats not true

Lived in Mt. Clemens back in the early 60's, I was very young at the time. Our family moved out in 64 and never returned. If a city or any part of city that wants to rejuvenate it's has to have security. When people believe it's unsafe to live, work or shop they don't come or want to live there. The people have to gain control of their government and their streets. Till that happens, Detroit will remain in the state of disrepair.

People segregate naturally. Look at any school. People are most comfortable with people who look like them. It's a survival instinct. When we walk into a room of strangers, we will gravitate toward people we look like so it's normal. Once we get to know people, we may find we have more in common with those who do not look like us. For instance, I have some close friends who are a different race than me. But overall people group themselves together.

Very Interesting. Thanks

I had a great childhood in Detroit. I went to private school and I think that made a big difference. It's crazy to think that I don't know one person that lives in Detroit. All of my family and friends live in the suburbs, but I still venture downtown for events when I'm in town. Thanks for sharing the video!

It was actually a different girl that refused to give up her seat. The movement at the time didn't think she was a good "role model" to use because she was also a teen Mother. So they recruited Rosa and had her replicate the scenario. My Mom and her family grew up in Detroit. They moved after the riots.

I did my doctoral thesis on this very subject but combined with a flavor of urban renewal. If I had the drive, I'd go down there and redo it myself.

"Affordable Housing" is exactly what Detroit doesn't need.

We don't need a video to tell us what the problem is and why Detroit is now a burned-out warzone...... and after they finished with Detroit, they moved on to Baltimore, St. Louis, South Central Los Angeles, New Orleans......

Once again we see that burning down your neighborhood's homes and businesses is one of the best ways for people to improve their lives. Education and hard work are slow, taking years to yield positive results. A quick burn job, now there's a fast solution.

My home town. We lived on Lemay...between Kercheval & Vernor. It was so scary during the 12 St riot. There was also a curfew for days. There are no words to describe the fear seeing the National Guard and tanks. Those military tanks...it, literally, looked like a war zone you'd see in was movies 💔 😢

I grew up in a small town in Ohio. in 1969, when I was 6, I was friends with the only black kid in my class, Stanley. One day after school I went to Stanley's house. We took my other friend John (5) with us. Stanley's mother asked us if our parents knew where we were. We said no. She told us to call our parents and tell them. So John called his mom and told her we were at Stanley's house. She asked, "And where is Stanley's house?" He replied, quite loudly, "Where all the black people live!" I remember Stanley's mom just sort of laughed, but it was an uncomfortable laughter. I was only 6. It had never occurred to me before, but I suddenly realized all the black people DID live in that area. And it was the area with the smallest, saddest-looking houses. My little town was totally segregated.

Dig your stuff, but I'm surprised you didn't include the Grande Ballroom (seen around 21:50) in your tour. Located at 8952 Grand River the erstwhile venue hosted many "rock" acts in the late 60's/early 70's. According to Wikipedia, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in December 2018.

Such beautiful green streets, so many classic buildings.

it is so eery to see the fields where houses used to be

I grew up on Dexter ave in the sixties! You left out almost 50 years of corrupt politicians did not help the city either!

The lack of other vehicles was astonishing to me

Strange how the hoods of Detroit seem nicer than some of the neighborhoods in the largest city near me (Rockford, IL). Maybe it just seems nicer than it really is. BTW, thanks again for your Rockford videos Chris.

Lived all my life in Detroit until '72. Saw a dramatic change from when I got drafted in September '66 to when I came home for good in '68. Sure, the riots in '67 caused a lot of folks to move out, but also city services were lousy, public school cuts, corruption, property taxes were sky high and city income tax made living in Detroit expensive and unsafe. Why put up with incompetence? I bought a house in St Clair Shores in '72 for less cost and half the property taxes of a similar home in Detroit. The popular place for Detroiters to go "party or clubbing" was Toronto that seemed like it was what the Motor city should've been. The automakers didn't help by moving out of the city.

As an Australian, I just can’t get over how lush and green the grass and other vegetation is in Detroit.

The most tear filled was when the train station on michigan ave was torn down. Made me cry.

I am amazed that you didn't do a video on Terre haute. Many other youtubers already have but didn't show everything about the city.

So many abandoned houses, it hard to watch, this city needs money investment i think and recovering of fabricating. Thanks for video bro

The REAL reason is because the auto industry Detroit celebrates in so many ways (Motown, Wings Logo, Chrysler house, GM Renaissance, etc) ABANDONED DETROITERS. I live in Saskatchewan (I know, wtf?). It's a giant prairie province in Canada and nearly 100 years ago the federal govt decided our grid-road systems (for farms) were to be paved. So they sent tons of help and money to get that done. But roads don't last forever, do they? And what has the federal government done since? Zero. So without breaking our bank accounts and our backs all of our roads look like they belong in Detroit.

Great video.

'art on buildings' used to be called graffiti......hold the hate, I grew up in a suburb of Detroit. Remember when it was still a beautiful place.

But I still enjoy your fantastic videos anyway s bro 👊 in other words keep Up The good work as always bro😮

I'll never understand idiots burning down their own neighborhoods.

Unions and Detroit. Predictable result. Companies head to southern states to escape the ruinous militant unions. And the tax base leaves too.

My grandmother managed an apartment building on Henry Street in Detroit. It was called Breton Hall and it looks as pristine today as it did 50 years ago. I have fond memories of Detroit. My dad and I use to walk down Vernon Highway to Briggs Stadium and I used to walk from Henry Street to downtown without any concerns.

The sheer amounts of empty streets is mind boggling considering they were full of big houses at one time.

Those homes in the Boston Edison are are insane. Mansions in the middle of the hood. Worked on a few homes there, always blew my mind how huge n formerly beautiful they were. 1st one I ever worked in had a straight up ballroom in the basement, insane these are all just falling apart

It's good to see a few signs of improvement for this area, but it still has a long way to go. There is a lot of great architecture, which could be an asset to the neighborhood if things can be turned around. These videos show a world that is completely different from places where I have lived. In coastal southern California, where I am now, blight is quite rare, as land values are high and property is always in demand. There are a few scattered blighted buildings in desirable areas; the only explanation I can imagine for this is incompetent property owners. If they don't want to do anything with the property, I wonder why they don't just sell it and rake in the cash. There is a restaurant building with a great view of the lagoon and the ocean which has been rotting away for at least a decade, but the surrounding area is healthy. I can't figure that one out. It's weird to see the massive areas of urban blight that feature in these videos. Downtown San Bernardino, which has suffered due to bad decisions made decades ago, has blighted areas, but they don't seem to be as expansive as Detroit's blight. An overhead view in Google Maps reveals the situation - the numerous vacant lots indicate that all is not well. Farther east, there is a lot of rural blight around the Salton Sea. It has its own unique character and history, and I think Chris would enjoy it if he ever makes it to this part of the country. Rural blight is a widespread problem throughout the country, but it doesn't tend to get as much attention as urban blight, perhaps because it is spread out and is usually less spectacular.

nice work on video

Used to live on Monica St by fenkell and livernois . Haven't been back in 55 years. Went to Clinton elementary. My sister went to Cooley high school.

At mark 21:53 is the Historic Grande Ballroom a Detroit Music Icon MC5 The Who BB king The Chamber Brothers Alice Cooper The Amboy Dukes and many more played there . You should do a Video with all the Rock and roll palaces and Jazz Clubs alot of them are still there in the neighborhoods .

My parents moved to Detroit right before the 67 riots I miss my hometown I hate the fact that people constantly put Detroit down and seeing Detroit fall on hard times and have such a hard time recovering

A riot can change a whole lot in economy.

I was born in Detroit. And live there though the 60's, 70's, 80's. Mostly in Brightmoor . On Burt & keeler . Worked during the 80's on Grinnell between city airport and 94. Seen a lot of places that were just memories. It is sad how my elimetry sc

Yep remember living through the riots. Amazed how many people never heard of them.

Interesting!

Not having grown up here and as an outsider looking in at this illuminating expertly narrated video it appears Detroit was truly a grand city in its heyday. I was unaware of this growing up in Chicagoland. As I posted in another video I think affordable vocational education that can be changed with the times can make a difference. Being a lifetime learner has become more essential and to me is right up there with safe neighborhoods, clean drinking water etc. Burning things down as a mob is truly destructive but making available training to earn a living would cut the risk of this. We need more wise artistic people like Chris too!

Shirley Cash was a famous Detroit real estate agent in the 70’s that got very wealthy pitching ’white flight’, creating a panicked herd mindset of ‘don’t get left behind! Sell now!’…..

Such a sad story of a big city. Wonder if there can be any hope for a future here ?

So, police arresting people who were commiting crime started the riots? I was 12 years old then, and really did not know what started it all. I understand why people move out of crime infested areas though.

One of my college buddys lived on Boston Blvd. One of the smaller homes but huge by any measure. That area was probably one of the least segregated neighborhoods in Detroit. Many people had a hand in promoting segregation during the last 6 decades. Not the least of which was Coleman A Young. He single-handedly ran off 25% of the tax base and a similar amount of both black and white residents. I lived for a short time in the Cass Corridor. I didn't feel my personal safety was in jeopardy but I never left ANYTHING in my car. This was in the early to mid 70's. I watched it all and totally agree that segregation and attempts to eliminate it are the root causes of Detroit's fall. Love your videos, keep it up.

When I finally get my truck running again, I'm going to do a road trip to Detroit and visit the Motown Museum (Florence Ballard❤ also attended Northwestern High School).

Having seen several videos on abandoned Detroit, curious if any where buildings/houses are ventured into?

The same thing is happening where I live, but on a smaller scale. The city was able to pass a metro law, which helped the tax issue. Crime is the problem and now drugs are becoming a big issue. Can't see people moving back to the inner city till crime is addressed. I was born in Wayne county general hospital, which I hear is no more. Left at 1 or 2 and haven't been back. Mother was 100 5 Hungarian.