Hamtramck

I was at a party last night for a friend who is moving to Boston. It was in Royal Oak, a bunch of art kids talking about Adobe PhotoShop, or something. There was a keg, and chip dip, and cookies, so I was OK – or at least until it all ran out.

The backyard was filled with dudes sporting beards and plaid shirts and girls with bangs on their foreheads and high heels on their feet. I remember thinking to myself, "How do these girls walk on this cracked and uneven slab of concrete back here?" It was one of those backyards that has a huge cracked and uneven square slab of concrete right outside the back door, and then a whole yard of lawn.

Anyway, I found myself leaning against the house's siding, next to a window air conditioner, which was turned on for some reason. I was part of a circle of people – and I was lucky enough to be the one leaning against the house. There were about four or five of us and each one slowly migrated to another circle or into the house to refill their red plastic cup. Eventually it was a girl I sort of know and I.

"So," she says, "Hamtramck or Ferndale?"

She knew I lived in Hamtramck for a few years, she showed up to a few of my parties at the various houses I've lived in, and she knew that I had moved to Ferndale about a year ago.

"I miss Hamtramck," I replied.

She lives in Royal Oak.

"Yeah, I love Hamtramck," she says. "But, you know, I don't know if I could live there."

"Why?"

"Well, it's not the safest place and I'm a single young girl." She's 23 or 24, around there.

People always scoff at the crime in Detroit and Hamtramck. "It's not that dangerous," they say. "Come on! It's not a big deal," they also say.

Well, it is a big deal if people feel threatened by crime – regardless if it is high or low. Perception, unfortunately, is reality.

"I understand that," I say. "I mean, I generally don't feel threatened, but I wouldn't raise a family there, I wouldn't buy a house there, I wouldn't settle there."

I love Hamtramck, I do. I love it even though my bike was stolen. For me, as a young adult (semi-professional even though I have a beard and holes in my shoes), living in Hamtramck is still ideal. It's cheap, it's walkable, some of my favorite bars are scattered through out its borders, it's close to work and Detroit. But in 10 years? If I'm married and she's pregnant with (I hope) my baby, what then? Hamtramck?

It's not a knock. It's a legitimate truth. And something that should be examined. People talk about the lack of grocery stores in Detroit, for instance. How about the lack of a quality education - I'm not talking university or private schools. What about the chaos that is the public school system?

Tom Niczay, Hamtramck Public Schools superintendent, is doing his best to bring the public schools here in Hamtramck back to life. And I believe he is doing a fantastic job. I find him passionate and invested in Hamtramck and its future.

Attracting people to Hamtramck (and Detroit) might start with loft developments, cool bars and restaurants, interesting events, and grocery stores but to keep these people, to retain a population, to build a community and a sense of place, I think at least, it starts with the school bell.

When these "young professionals" start getting older and wanting to settle down what then? If the school system isn't secured here in Hamtramck, and completely retooled in Detroit, all the work to bring people back to the city will be for not, 'cause they'll just leave when it's time to send their kids to school.

Now, there are exceptions. And I'm sure there are cases disproving what I just said … but think about it. Would you send your child to a Detroit public school if you had another option? If you could afford to move, set up shop somewhere else, what would you do?

"So would you move back?" she asked me.

"Yes, I would," I say. And I finished my beer and went inside to get some of that chip dip before it was all gone.