My Pick for Most Interesting Blog Post

I was able to read through the blogs of almost everyone in the class, except for one I wasn't able to view. Overall I thought the blogs were well written, though I was surprised by the number of people with missing posts. I had a hard time coming up with just one favorite, but I think my pick for most interesting post would have to be Fedor Andreev's plan for a community in Detroit. It sounds like it would improve the city and encourage successful people to move into the area. I also liked all of the photos used throughout the posts. They added another layer to the blog that I appreciated. Especially the photos of what the building would look like before and after the remodel. I thought it was a great post.

My Imaginary Neighborhood

Many people would like to live in a big city, but they don't because they don't want to deal with the high levels of crime. If I designed a neighborhood within Detroit it would be a safe area with plenty of green space and a feeling of camaraderie between the residents.

The main qualities I want to have in my neighborhood are happiness and safety. So when I was coming up with a design plan for the new neighborhood I took a look at some of the happiest countries in the world. Because if I know what makes people in other countries happy hopefully I will be able to increase happiness within my community. Researchers have found that one thing known to increase happiness is strong social ties. So I would be sure to include things that would bring people together. To get the true neighborhood feel most of the town's residential area would be single family homes. There would also be two small luxury condo developments. The town would have an entertainment area with a bowling alley and skating rink as well as a pool and tennis court. These things would also help to keep people happier by improving fitness. I would try to improve overall health by providing a community garden so they can grow fruits and vegetables together. The entertainment and retail area would be located in the center of the city with the residential area surrounding it. Monthly neighborhood parties will be held there so residents can get to know new people in the neighborhood while spending time with old friends. This should help to build social ties and keep crime to a minimum. I would also have to provide some after school activities for children because kids that are kept busy have less time to get into trouble.

By providing a safe area that is somewhat seperate from the city of Detroit while being inside the city limits I hope to attract people from the suburbs to live in my neighborhood. Some suburbanites would like to live in the city, but they don't because of the crime. So I would keep the crime level low by making it a gated neighborhood with only 4 entrances. Each entry point would be guarded by police and dogs trained to detect drugs and there would be at least one officer patroling the neighborhood at all times. Anyone that wants to live in the area would need to sign a list of rules that will be monitored by the home owners association and any home sold must be occupied by the owner. I would not allow renters. There would be very low tolerance of any type of crime. The first time you violate the neighborhood rules, by committing a crime or possessing drugs, you get a warning. The second time you must leave the neighborhood.

My neighborhood would be a place where good people would like to live because everyone will feel safe and appreciated. One of the reasons Detroit is in such bad shape is because they are not willing to take a strong stance on crime. That mistake would not be made in my neighborhood.

A Tour of Detroit

If I was giving a tour of Detroit I would begin with security. I would charter a bullet proof bus and a couple of large security guards. The people I would be taking on the trip are not used to being in a city like Detroit and I would want them to feel safe.

I have never lived in Detroit so I used tripadvisor.com to help me come up with some of the places on my list. Based on their recommendation I decided to make the Detroit Institute of Arts our first stop. The institute holds over 60,000 works of art from all over the world. We would try to make the visit during a Family Sunday event. Every Sunday the museum features some kind of entertainment like singing, dancing, puppets, or some other art activity for families. I think that the kids in the group would really enjoy it.

It's about time for lunch now so we'll stop at Todoroff's for some coney dogs. They have been in business since 1914 and they are supposed to have the best coney dogs in Michigan.

After lunch we'll stop by Fox Theater for a tour and maybe a concert. The theater was built in the late 1920's and is now on the National Register of Historic Places.

Next we would take a drive through the Boston Edison neighborhood. This area has a rich history and most of the homes were built between 1905 and 1925. Some of the first residents of the neighborhood were amazing people like Henry Ford, James Couzens, and Walter Briggs. It was a lovely neighborhood with quiet streets that offered residents a little bit of nature in the middle of the city. Driving through the neighborhood today you see homes that still look nice on the outside and you might think that it was a nice area. However, many of the homes are run down on the inside and the crime rate in the area is extrememly high. This lowers the value of these once great homes to as low as $9000.

We'll end our day in Greektown. Any area like this is a nice way to learn about the people that built it. The architecture of the church is amazing, it's obvious that religion was important to the early Greek settlers. We'll have dinner at the Pegasus Taverna and then go across the street to the Astoria Pastry Shop for dessert. After a long day we'll head north to one of the safer suburbs to stay in a hotel for the night.

An Ideal City

There is a mini series called The 10th Kingdom that is set in an imaginary land of nine kingdoms. My favorite is Kissing Town. It is a small, beautiful, 18th century city in France. From a distance the green hills and trees that surround the city provide a spectacular backdrop for all of the buildings. As you get closer to the city you see a marketplace full of people shopping and having a good time. Wandering through the streets you see horse drawn carriages, sparkling fairies that tell the future, and butterflies that spread little hearts through the air as they fly. Many of the buildings are pink or white and there are balloons and flowers throughout the city. The atmosphere of the town is fun and romantic. This is the perfect setting for the point they are at in the movie. The leading lady just saved the werewolf man from being prosecuted for a crime he did not commit and she was beginning to have feelings for him.

If this city was real I would love to live in it. Good people, fairies, and beautiful scenery make city sound ideal. It's a peaceful place, but there are still things to do. If there are still cities like this in France then I think it's time to start planning my trip.