Poletown East

It's a shame that an area known for the settling of many Polish immigrants has turned into such an undesirable spot within Detroit. Though it is close enough to Hamtramck it doesn't offer any of the same appeal of that neighborhood. Though there are still some original homeowners there they are few as the area has really gone downhill over time.

This is an area that used to hold such appeal and promise. The homes were once beautiful but now they are either overrun, abandoned, or in need of some major help. It's an area that happens to be close to some great spots of town such as Eastern Market and the Medical Center, but even that can't save it from being one of the most undesirable parts of town.

This area has become taken over with crime and it ranks up there as one of the most unsafe areas that you will find within the city of Detroit. Unfortunately it is a vision of this type of neighborhood that many outside of Detroit have for the city overall. Hopefully at some point in time revitalization efforts will take over and people will once again feel safe and drawn to here again. For now though it is just not a good area to visit much less live within.

If you want to live in the middle of things there are other communities nearby that are much more desirable. It's a shame what this area has turned into and hopefully it won't stay this way for long.

Named after the Polish immigrants that for so long inhabited the neighborhood, Poletown East in Detroit is not among the most pleasant communities in the city. Quite the opposite, the neighborhood is home to the auto assembly plant constructed in 1981 and borders Hamtramck. Today, it is largely abandoned due to the moving of residents because of the assembly of the auto-plant. The community has become the poor little sister of the neighboring Hamtramck, and features very little desirable aspects for people in the surrounding neighborhoods or communities.

Poletown East is just off of I-94 and I-75, not far from the Medical Center or Island View, and just northwest of Gratiot. It is in the heart of the broken down and abandoned areas of the city, and has come to represent one of the areas that has given the entire city a negative connotation around the country. While there is still a strong Polish presence in the area, mostly older inhabitants, this is dwindling and the area has long been overrun by crime, drugs, noise and debris.

I lived downtown with a roommate who knew people who lived everywhere, so I have seen just about every neighborhood within 10 miles of Lafayette. I heard that this neighborhood got its name from all of the Polish immigrants who wound up settling here.

Half of the neighborhood is plants and manufacturing buildings. The GM Hamtramck assembly plant is over here as well. The rest of the place is sparse older homes in various states of disrepair. And there are also a bunch of streets with overran vacant lots.

One plus of living here is that if you take Russell St south a bit, you will eventually run into Eastern Market and Bert's Marketplace. I love these places, but they are not technically a part of this neighborhood. Wayne State University is close by also, which is a plus for college students and people who work at the university.

This neighborhood is bordered on both sides by both I-75 and I-94. DOT buses run down Chene, Warren and Russell St for the local who rely on public transportation. Although you are very close to all of downtown's amenities, the neighborhood is really not an ideal one. There are just too many vacant, open, neglected spaces for my liking.