Some of the comments are grossly exaggerated and don't really apply to the epicenter of Detroit where alot of the innovation/change is occurring. I grew up and lived around the Detroit area for 20+ years and I wholeheartedly agree with the article discussing the growing tech community in downtown Detroit. I now live in the Bay Area and the two definitely can't compare, but to make widely exaggerated statements about the living situation there just goes to show how different perception is from reality.

Over the past few years, private investors have begun trying to make big changes in Detroit. These are big name guys like Dan Gilbert (Detroit Venture Partners) and Bill Ford (Fontinalis). Each have started VCs that have made heavy investments to help Detroit's tech community grow. The Madison building as discussed in the article only popped up in the recent years, supported by DVP.

To be clear, I'm not talking about the entire Detroit metro/city area. The area that is on the up and coming is the area from Grand Circus Park up through Woodward right up to the Quicken Loans building. In the recent few years, Dan Gilbert along with other private investors has been buying up properties and renovating buildings. Practically every building in this 1 mile stretch is now owned by Dan Gilbert and is in the processed of being renovated and used by companies. For example, right next to the Madison Building, Detroit Labs has moved in.

You can see some of the vision for the future of Detroit right here:

http://blog.thedetroithub.com/2013/03/28/look-dan-gilbert-la...

Not only that but there is a stronger young professional population in this area. In the past 2 years, huge buildings like the Broderick Tower (http://brodericktower.com/) have been completely redone and turned into apartment buildings. These buildings are FULLY booked and are filled with young professionals.

From a security and safety perspective, Detroit isn't the safest city but isn't as bad as some people may suggest. The stretch down Woodward is actually VERY safe. In the past two years, there has been outdoor security cameras installed EVERY single block all the way up to Quicken Loans building. Dan Gilbert has hired private security contractors who monitor these cameras 24/7. In fact, I'd argue that strip of downtown is safer then MANY cities. As a whole, the outskirts and further away from Downtown is a different story (near Wayne State, etc.). This article is focused on the change happening downtown, not the entire city. It's going to be a many years coming to but for someone having grown up close to Detroit, it's crazy to see the level of change happening in the past 2-3 years compared to the previous 10 years...and it's all starting in this 4-6 block section in Downtown.

While Detroit isn't going to be the next SV or even NYC tech scene, to deny that there's change happening would just be ignorant. Even though Detroit as a city is going bankrupt, I cheer on the people who are there and working hard to make it a city they would be proud to call home. I encourage you guys just to check it out if you have the time. If you go to that section between Woodward and Grand Circus Park, you'll see that that lunch hours are PACKED with people and over the weekends when events are happening the city is bustling with life and energy.

Don't like the FUD get to you and get out to see the real picture!