[scolls]

Originally Posted by Specialbuddy

Harper Woods might have the friendliest people in the world. I was just comparing rural people and city people.

I'm sorry if I implied that your old neighborhood had a drug problem or drive-bys. I guess I just wonder why you are comparing the crime of both places when It seems to be minimal. I understand that you don't like it here but complaining about crime or the rare Michaywe incident just seems like you are trying to find reasons to not like it up here.

Not complaining about crime. Just stating the FACT that Gaylord's crime rate is well above the national average and has been the entire decade. I do not feel unsafe in Gaylord at all. I'm just amused that people go to great lengths to defend northern Michigan communities like they are sacred grounds. It seems on this forum the only cities we criticize are Detroit and any city that borders Detroit. I just mentioned the burglary incident because people on this forum and in real life said I would be the one robbed because I live in Harper Woods and I find it funny that is the wonderful Gaylord the first thing my new DM told me was about the burglary. If this happened in Harper Woods, people would say its going downhill, unsafe and get out. A poster even stereotyped Harper Woods by saying the person would've got stabbed and raped when statistics show you were more likely to get raped and murdered in Gaylord. (but we can throw statistics out the window because it's Gaylord and northern Michigan).

The reason burglaries are a problem up here is because of all the summer homes. They are easy targets during hard times. I still feel safer there then in the city I live in now. Here, they just found a body in the ditch and found out it's drug related.

Excellent. Harper Woods outrageous property and car theft is about 80% contained to Eastland Mall according to city hall and the police department. Stay away from Eastland and you're good. Don't have a summer home in Gaylord and you're good. We got excuses to.

again Harper Woods is probably fine but I think you are being nit picky about crime by comparing it to Gaylord.

I don't care about the crime. I don't understand the stereotypes.

It's a different way of life in Northern Michigan. People like living in the country here and want few neighbors. Socializing is one of the things that city life has to offer. Country life is totally opposite and a lot of people like spending time with themselves/family. It's nothing against you, just the way of life up here. Chances are you haven't given people in Northern Michigan enough time for friendships to occur. It can take time for sure.

I don't care about socializing. I just prefer my neighbors not to threaten me. Is that the way of life in Gaylord? For instance my neighbor in Harper Woods was having a BBQ and asked me if I wanted a burger. My neighbor in Gaylord threatend trouble if I woke his daughter. See the difference? People walking by don't even say hello. In Harper Woods if people are out walking their dog (Yes its safe to walk the streets) they'll say hello or wave. Here, they walk by and don't even acknowledge me when I say hello. I thought Gaylord was suppose to be friendly?

I have my issues with the place too. It took forever for Gaylord to put in some sidewalks between town and some of the shopping centers. They put in a skate park way too late. I've seen some pretty po-dunk towns that have better skate parks then the one in Gaylord. Gaylord's not perfect but I would live there before the Detroit area and I think many tourists from Detroit would agree.

Originally Posted by JGatti

OK we get it you hate Gaylord. When I see posts like this comparing the crime of a rural town to that of a bigger down state city I question how anyone thinks the two compare by statistics.

Harper Woods is small. Smaller than Traverse City actually. Roughly the size of Cadillac or Alpena.

Growing up in Southfield like I did I'd be willing to bet that when you read the statistics of the two a lot of information gets left out unless you've lived in both. When I read about how many assaults Gaylord has what comes to mind is a couple drunks fighting in a bar or some teenagers fighting over some girl. When I read about assaults in a larger city I feel there are more and far greater chances of assaults from strangers. When I read about auto theft down state I wonder how many were at gun point. When I read about auto theft in Gaylord or a smaller town I wonder if they caught the kids that were taking the car for a joy ride.

So you are stereotyping? I'm sure the 6 women raped in Gaylord were relieved they were raped by a Gaylord resident. The 9 that got raped in Harper Woods probably wished it was done by a Gaylord guy. I bet the guy who got his car stolen in Harper Woods wished it was done by a punk kid joy riding instead of a black coke dealer.

Another thing the stats cannot show is why break in's and theft are higher in a rural area. Gaylord has a lot of homes that sit vacant for a good part of the year that are easy targets for break in's. Not just by local kids who are bored and want some new goodies. Ever been snowmobiling and head down trails or two trackers nobody else rides? How many empty homes did ya see? How about canoeing? I can't count how many empty homes there are along the Au Sable river. Easy targets for anyone coming down that river. No neighbors nobody around.

Ah so their easy targets it makes it ok. Harper Woods is a small city with a large mall. How many people get caught shoplifting? Easy pickings in a mall in a small city.

So when you look at stat's I'd suggest you try and look past the simple numbers in front of you and think about what kind and how severe the crimes are your reading about. Personally I'd prefer to raise my kids in Gaylord than just about any city I can think of down state. Main reason being, no matter what those stats say. Gaylord is a very safe city. Statistics just don't tell the whole story for any area. IMO

I would prefer to raise my kids in a city with better schools, better health care, friendlier neighbors and fewer predators. Yes Gaylord has more sex offenders. It literally has more total sex offenders.

Originally Posted by JimmyInGreatLakes

So do we. That would have opened up a job for someone who wanted to live/work up there. In fact, it's probably not too late!

I'm leaving in Januray. The job is yours.

[Luzette]

Wow, I'm glad I live over here on the western side of northern Michigan after reading these comments.

[scolls]

LMFAO I just talked to my neighbor on the other side. I had cable hooked up to my apartment and the cable company shut his cable off because he was tapped to it illegally and stealing cable. He literally had the nerve to ***** me out for having his cable shut off. This happened 2 freaking months ago and he just now talks to me about it.

In contrast, when I moved up here, my neighbor from Harper Woods gave me a call and said he some stranger moving things in and out of my house and wanted to know he should call the police. I let him know that was the new renter and not to worry. That's what I expected in a small town like Gaylord.

[Specialbuddy]

Originally Posted by scolls

LMFAO I just talked to my neighbor on the other side. I had cable hooked up to my apartment and the cable company shut his cable off because he was tapped to it illegally and stealing cable. He literally had the nerve to ***** me out for having his cable shut off. This happened 2 freaking months ago and he just now talks to me about it.

In contrast, when I moved up here, my neighbor from Harper Woods gave me a call and said he some stranger moving things in and out of my house and wanted to know he should call the police. I let him know that was the new renter and not to worry. That's what I expected in a small town like Gaylord.

Sounds like you live in a ****hole. Maybe you should quit your job because you are obviously not making enough that you have to live in an apartment. Houses are extremely cheap in Northern Michigan so you have no excuse for living in a crappy apartment. I'm sure I can find a crappy apartment in Harper Woods and have a bunch of weirdo neighbors.

I'm just amused that people go to great lengths to defend northern Michigan communities like they are sacred grounds.

Why do you go to great lengths to PROVE how bad it is? I don't see anyone else in the Michigan forum going to great lengths to defend Harper Woods. Why do you think that is? Probably because it's near Detroit, the most pathetic city in the U.S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g09GtnWdBjc

[Perferator]

Originally Posted by Specialbuddy

Sounds like you live in a ****hole. Maybe you should quit your job because you are obviously not making enough that you have to live in an apartment. Houses are extremely cheap in Northern Michigan so you have no excuse for living in a crappy apartment. I'm sure I can find a crappy apartment in Harper Woods and have a bunch of weirdo neighbors.



Why do you go to great lengths to PROVE how bad it is? I don't see anyone else in the Michigan forum going to great lengths to defend Harper Woods. Why do you think that is? Probably because it's near Detroit, the most pathetic city in the U.S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g09GtnWdBjc

That video clip is hilarious!

[Specialbuddy]

Originally Posted by Perferator

That video clip is hilarious!

It's from a movie called The Kentucky Fried Movie. It's from 1977 and it's pretty funny. I guess Detroit sucked back then too.

[scolls]

Originally Posted by Specialbuddy

Sounds like you live in a ****hole. Maybe you should quit your job because you are obviously not making enough that you have to live in an apartment. Houses are extremely cheap in Northern Michigan so you have no excuse for living in a crappy apartment. I'm sure I can find a crappy apartment in Harper Woods and have a bunch of weirdo neighbors.



Why do you go to great lengths to PROVE how bad it is? I don't see anyone else in the Michigan forum going to great lengths to defend Harper Woods. Why do you think that is? Probably because it's near Detroit, the most pathetic city in the U.S.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g09GtnWdBjc

Actually, I make enough to buy a house and rent an apartment. I own my house in Harper Woods. Why the hell should I buy a second home in Gaylord? Especially since it would likely get burglarized when I move back to Harper Woods?

Hardly anyone on this forum lives in Harper Woods.

I was making a comparison of the two cities which is the whole point of this forum. People will always come out of the woodwork here if a northern Michigan community is being criticized.

[Perferator]

Originally Posted by scolls

People will always come out of the woodwork here if a northern Michigan community is being criticized.

Especially if it comes from a downstater

[JGatti]

Originally Posted by scolls

Why the hell should I buy a second home in Gaylord? Especially since it would likely get burglarized when I move back to Harper Woods?
criticized.

We had a 2nd home just outside of Gaylord for 15 years. Nobody around for miles 99% of the time. There were always signs of ORV riders and snowmobile riders and our place was never touched. There are 800 homes in Michaywe alone. With 32 burglaries in 2007 I'd say the chances are slim to none of your home getting broken into. Unless someone on this forum somehow figures out what home is yours. Then I'd guess the chances for it being vandalized would increase slightly.

I can't help but wonder if you understand how they calculate the crime rate? When you have less than 4000 residents in an area the slightest bit of reported crime is calculated per 100,000 then added up to show the crime index. These numbers can be very misleading. Even more so for a smaller community. You make BIG bucks so you need to be somewhat intelligent so you have be able to understand this.

In regards to your neighbor maybe your just unlucky and the guy is an a-hole. Or maybe the guy knows your from downstate and figures your presence is taking up a job for someone else who is LOCAL. Some small town people have small town mentalities and are not that welcoming to people from downstate coming up there and taking jobs. But I'm sure they are few and far between these days.

[Specialbuddy]

I was making a comparison of the two cities which is the whole point of this forum. People will always come out of the woodwork here if a northern Michigan community is being criticized.

Flame on!!!