My wife and I are traveling to the US around Christmas, first staying a couple of nights at Sonder Gabriel Richard in Downtown Detroit before heading on to NYC. We were initially unbothered by what we considered overblown and outdated stereotypes about the area.
Now my wife is hearing from coworkers and family, including family who live in Detroit, about the grave danger she’s in if she stays in downtown.I’m irritated by the anxiety these people have spawned out of nothing. Maybe I’m naive but my gut still says that they’re blowing things out of proportion, and at worst it’s a little seedy around there.
Would any locals like to comment on how poor a choice we made staying in downtown Detroit as first time travellers to the US? We’re Australian if that matters somehow.
Canton is a distant suburb cursed with no shortage of terrified whiners who would sooner call the police on a frostbitten vagrant than bring them a blanket. Detroiters, on the other hand, despite the rampant inequality and not infrequent crime, tend to look out for eachother and are often quite friendly to strangers.
(incidentally though, Canton has some pretty good indian and korean food, which you might try if forced to call on your wife’s family.)