Monroe - What is it like now? (Ann Arbor, Jackson: middle-class, crime)

[West9Virus]

From what I remember, Monroe was nice but definitely working class. Is that still the case? What is the outlook for the city? Is there an active downtown? Is Monroe more comparable to Ann Arbor or Jackson?

[highlanderfil]

Originally Posted by West9Virus

From what I remember, Monroe was nice but definitely working class. Is that still the case? What is the outlook for the city? Is there an active downtown? Is Monroe more comparable to Ann Arbor or Jackson?

Ann Arbor is just about the last city you should be comparing Monroe with...

[Ddrizzle]

This has to be one of the weirdest questions I've seen on here.

No one in their right mind would question this if they knew both areas.

[Coldjensens]

Monroe is still pretty much working class. It has a decent downtown with some awesome homes. Schools are average. Crime is average. There is still the remains of a big opioid addiction crises caused by a single doctor (now in prison I think), but still an unusually high percentage of addicts for the size of the city. Monroe is pretty conservative socially and politically, but mostly "I don't care" while Ann Arbor is extreme left and politically obsessed. Monroe is quiet, lots of outdoorsy folks who like fishing and boating, some farmers, not much like Ann Arbor at all.



Some of the outskirts of Ann Arbor might be a tiny bit comparable to Monroe, but comparing downtowns is like comparing San Francisco to Colorado Springs.

[slowdawg]

I was there last year. The downtown area is aesthetically nice, but absolutely dead on Sundays. Everything was close. Nice architecture, some notable historical sites, mostly middle class. There is one area, off E. front, that is very run down and poor. Monroe supposedly also had one of the worst heroin epidemics in the state. But there are also some very nice historical neighborhoods and new subdivisions. Not overwhelmingly poor, not widespread wealth. Very middle-class with a few areas on both ends of the spectrum.

[Coldjensens]

Originally Posted by slowdawg

I was there last year. The downtown area is aesthetically nice, but absolutely dead on Sundays. Everything was close. Nice architecture, some notable historical sites, mostly middle class. There is one area, off E. front, that is very run down and poor. Monroe supposedly also had one of the worst heroin epidemics in the state. But there are also some very nice historical neighborhoods and new subdivisions. Not overwhelmingly poor, not widespread wealth. Very middle-class with a few areas on both ends of the spectrum.

I do not think it was heroine (maybe that too) there was a doctor there who was wildly prescribing opiates to anyone with a few dollars in their pocket. He eventually went to jail but thousands of addicts were created. Monroe is still recovering.