Hey, guys, I just ran across this article about a young guy who became an urban pioneer in Detroit in Detroit when he was 23...check it out. It's shockingly good, because really, who expects to read something good from Buzzfeed?

Why I Bought A House in Detroit for $500 by Drew Philp

I thought the article was really fascinating- somewhere between the story of, "Look, Downtown Detroit has a Whole Foods now!" and "Ruins of Detroit." It's pretty honest- the guy came in with some very idealistic intentions, and things didn't pan out exactly how he wanted them to, but in the process Drew saw a lot of grit and kindness against a backdrop of overwhelming despair and ruin.

I also think it's really interesting that Philp, after a few years of living there, seems to have developed a bit of disdain towards the "new" people that are moving to Detroit- the ones that are rebuilding Downtown Detroit and are part of the whole artsty Detroit crowd. His comment about Whole Foods, I thought, was interesting:

These changes are making me feel a bit threatened and defensive. Instead of a lone weird white kid buying a house in Detroit, now I’m part of a movement. I shop at the Whole Foods, knowing every step into that store is a step away from a brand-new city that could be.

My interpretation of that remark is that Drew Philp identifies with his neighbors, like the friend who told him the story about the Native Americans...like he's part of the down-and-gritty fabric of the community, and while he's glad to be able to a shop at Whole Foods, the broader implications of having a Whole Foods in Detroit means he's supporting a vision of the city that he doesn't necessarily agree in. Philp doesn't seem to have much use for the Hipster Vision of Downtown Detroit. He also seemed rather disdainful of the divesting plans, as well as the "farm" idea, but doesn't really offer up any solutions.

I grew up in Suburban America...you can't get much more American Suburbia than Northern Delaware, where people have their developments listed on their licenses because there aren't that many incorporated towns, and new stripmalls pop up every year to try and lure out-of-state shoppers to take advantage of our sales-tax free status. The bulk of neighborhoods around here in my suburb were built around the 1970's to early 1990's. People don't talk to each other. There are no neighborhood schools or Mom and Pop stores. That's why I'm really fascinated by stories about "community"- because you don't really experience it that much when you're from a suburb.

I definitely would love to visit Detroit someday- there's something very visceral about the photos of Detroit that makes me want to see for myself what it's really like.