Can Technology Redefine Detroit? • Hacker News Board

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#21

Post by smurph » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 3:39 PM UTC

MSM wrote: post #16

growdetroit wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, but you're missing an important point. An influx of workers who move into the community will ultimately yield an increase in grocery stores and amenities. Companies like Quicken (mentioned in the article) provide significant incentives to get their 4k+ employees to relocate downtown. And it's working...

I also have worked for QL, and there are actually very few of the workers that live downtown. Most commute from the 'burbs. I considered it and did a lot of research and here were my thoughts: -The income tax needs to go. 2.5% to live in a city with pretty bad crime and no amenities? No thanks. -Car insurance is through the roof. If you park on the street it's assumed your car will get broken into occasionally. -I do…

All good points. I sometimes think it would make more sense for companies to skip Detroit and just open an office in Royal Oak or Ferndale. I would work there in a heartbeat.

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#22

Post by lrs » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 3:40 PM UTC

What's the idea behind that "Submit a Story" uncollapsible floating tab on the left side of the page? Seems like you're obstructing a pretty important, content-dense part of the screen with something unimportant and obnoxious that doesn't even generate revenue. Please reconsider this design.

EDIT: It's come to my attention that this only appears to be an issue at 1024x768, which I'm currently using because I'm at work and my employer's computer hardware is ancient. This is probably not a problem for the typical user.

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#23

Post by growdetroit » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 3:42 PM UTC

lrs wrote: post #22

What's the idea behind that "Submit a Story" uncollapsible floating tab on the left side of the page? Seems like you're obstructing a pretty important, content-dense part of the screen with something unimportant and obnoxious that doesn't even generate revenue. Please reconsider this design. EDIT: It's come to my attention that this only appears to be an issue at 1024x768, which I'm currently using because I'm at wor…

Reconsidered.

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#24

Post by growdetroit » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 3:44 PM UTC

klous wrote: post #20

mgkimsal wrote: post #8

Earlier quoted context omitted.

what will make more difference is grocery stores and other amenities people need to live in an area. tech campuses that bring people to work, then drive back to the suburbs... not enough to build sustainable changes. everything will be at the whim of the people deciding to place businesses there (for charitable reasons, or other), instead of any locals having any say or needs to fulfill.

There is a "grocery store" myth related to Detroit, and it is just that, a myth. There a numerous markets and stores in Midtown and Downtown that supply fresh food to residents. Edit: I lived downtown for nearly a year and a number of grocery stores opened in the downtown business district while I lived there, with plans for more. According to this article [1] from 5 days ago, there are 80 grocery stores in Detroit.…

Would love to have you build on this...do you live in the area?

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#25

Post by rwhitman » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 3:53 PM UTC

smurph wrote: post #4

I think one or two big time tech company campuses would make a world of difference in downtown Detroit. Open a big dev shop, recruit underpaid people from local companies and best and brightest from Big 10 schools. Just please, don't feel obligated to focus on automotive customers just because you're in Detroit.

I'd be surprised if Google doesn't have at least a data center in Detroit. Considering how much Google has been investing in urban real estate lately (NYC, Chicago) you'd think they'd want to snap up one of the big old factories and put a mini campus in there.

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#26

Post by freehunter » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 3:59 PM UTC

jerf wrote: post #7

freehunter wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I've been trying to get Detroit recognized as a start-up success story [1] for a few months here on HN. For those living in Detroit, the turn-around might be hard to see. I live in West Michigan, and in the past decade I've noticed a huge change in the Detroit area. I only visit Detroit a couple times per year, but every time I come by there's something new that surprises me. In the last few years, I've even taken to…

"Mitt Romney might have famously called to let Detroit go bankrupt, but all it really needed was some investors who cared enough to force a paradigm shift." Those two things are unrelated. Bankruptcy doesn't mean the city physically disappears or anything. The reason one declares bankruptcy is to clear debts (in a fairly drastic way), which opens capital up to do things other than service debt. It may yet be a necess…

You're right, Detroit hasn't avoided bankruptcy yet. Like you said, though, bankruptcy is drastic and has consequences. It could be possible to rebuild without suffering that blow and without a bailout.

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#27

Post by numo16 » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 4:01 PM UTC

mgkimsal wrote: post #11

growdetroit wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, but you're missing an important point. An influx of workers who move into the community will ultimately yield an increase in grocery stores and amenities. Companies like Quicken (mentioned in the article) provide significant incentives to get their 4k+ employees to relocate downtown. And it's working...

i've worked at quickenloans, have lived in the metro detroit area, and have worked in downtown detroit. It needs more lifestyle infrastructure than one or two companies can provide incentives for. The state needs to take over the city, incent multiple neighborhood businesses (grocery stores, shopping malls, etc) to be relocating within a moderate radius of the downtown area, and incent families to move there (tax bre…

How is the dev life over at QL? They keep calling and trying to get me to come in for an interview, but I haven't had the time to really consider it having just gotten in at ciber in Southfield a few months back.

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#28

Post by smalter » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 4:02 PM UTC

growdetroit wrote: post #24

klous wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

There is a "grocery store" myth related to Detroit, and it is just that, a myth. There a numerous markets and stores in Midtown and Downtown that supply fresh food to residents. Edit: I lived downtown for nearly a year and a number of grocery stores opened in the downtown business district while I lived there, with plans for more. According to this article [1] from 5 days ago, there are 80 grocery stores in Detroit.…

Would love to have you build on this...do you live in the area?

I used to live in Eastern Market in Downtown and could get fresh food there all the time.

Edit: You can buy fresh everything in Eastern Market every day of the week, not just during the market on Sundays.

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#29

Post by freehunter » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 4:07 PM UTC

rwhitman wrote: post #25

smurph wrote: post #4

I think one or two big time tech company campuses would make a world of difference in downtown Detroit. Open a big dev shop, recruit underpaid people from local companies and best and brightest from Big 10 schools. Just please, don't feel obligated to focus on automotive customers just because you're in Detroit.

I'd be surprised if Google doesn't have at least a data center in Detroit. Considering how much Google has been investing in urban real estate lately (NYC, Chicago) you'd think they'd want to snap up one of the big old factories and put a mini campus in there.

Google does have a campus close to Detroit (Ann Arbor). This is practically on campus for University of Michigan, which is where they do the scanning for Google Books. They employ ~300 people there right now.

http://www.google.com/about/locations/ann-arbor/

There is also a campus they call Google Detroit (it's actually in the suburb of Birmingham). I'm not sure what they do there.

http://www.google.com/about/jobs/locations/detroit/

Re: Can Technology Redefine Detroit?

#30

Post by astrodust » Tue, Aug 28, 2012, 4:20 PM UTC

MSM wrote: post #16

growdetroit wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed, but you're missing an important point. An influx of workers who move into the community will ultimately yield an increase in grocery stores and amenities. Companies like Quicken (mentioned in the article) provide significant incentives to get their 4k+ employees to relocate downtown. And it's working...

I also have worked for QL, and there are actually very few of the workers that live downtown. Most commute from the 'burbs. I considered it and did a lot of research and here were my thoughts: -The income tax needs to go. 2.5% to live in a city with pretty bad crime and no amenities? No thanks. -Car insurance is through the roof. If you park on the street it's assumed your car will get broken into occasionally. -I do…

Municipal income taxes is one of those things I've never understood about the United States. If the city is highly desirable, like NYC, or even San Francisco, then sure, it might make sense. It does seem like quite an absurd premium for a city like Detroit.