See more of what Ecorse (and River Rouge) looks like here: ua-cam.com/video/hkjd15pPMfo/v-deo.html Michigan Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLkAKbwTlGHeJoyujmAhEMOusr2cLGm_jK.html Detroit Suburbs Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLkAKbwTlGHeIe9OSmlhG2TK3Q207cHb2v.html American Hoods Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLkAKbwTlGHeLYlKLyBm1dGc7MRpNhCBZX.html ==================================================================== Help me grow my other channels! Chris Harden's Travel Archives: / @chrishardenarchives Nostalgia Tours Radio: / @nostalgiatoursradio ==================================================================== In order to make good UA-cam videos, it helps to have good equipment. I started out on a budget and have expanded overtime. Links to everything that I use are down below. WHAT I USE AT HOME: Home PC for video editing: amzn.to/4aDWtze Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3TFkHCo Microphone: amzn.to/4ahTBbs Other things: amzn.to/3TzvUnG WHAT I USE ON THE ROAD: Camara: amzn.to/3TGtUKG Other Camera: amzn.to/3TGu44K Drone: amzn.to/3vADq9Z Other things: amzn.to/3J3FxXe ==================================================================== I keep virtual map that shows every place that I've made a video on here: INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edi... ==================================================================== I have other social media that you can follow me on as well. Through a DM or Email, you contact me for collaborations, video ideas or for basic fan mail: SOCIAL MEDIA & CONTACT INFO: Email: ChrisHardenYT@Gmail.com On Twitter: twitter.com/Chris_Harden55 On Instagram: instagram.com/c_harden7 On Facebook: facebook.com/ChrisHardenYT DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!
55 years ago i lived on High st. after my dad got back from Vt. Nam. move out when I was 2. I am actually surprised at how nice some of the homes are compared to your Benton Harbor video. Pretty much the whole original Downriver has gone to **** as many moved to the further south suburbs that I personally refuse to call downriver. Just like decades earlier when people moved out of Detroit to Downriver, the Downriver folks move out to better places.
Great mix of facts, video and humor. The humor keeps the "Ah -- this is boring" from setting in like many other videos. High property taxes is really a city killer. ????? Myspace ????? Chris, Thanks for your time, work and posting.
Yeah, I used to live in Wyandotte for about 6mos; at Biddle/Jefferson But, worked in escorse. No one would wanted to take me home. They didnt want 2 drive thru Wyandotte 😂😂
@@tim6366 If Kamala Harris gets elected our auto industry is completely done.
Місяць тому
@@JackReacheroundwell the UAW has already been told multiple times EV production will not take nearly as many people. Why do you think Shawn Fain has been trying so hard to get the imports organized??? Gotta shore up that membership. Then of course the leadership is gonna endorse the party that will be making that happen.
Great video! I grew up in Ecorse & River Rouge and finally left the area in 2017 due to getting a job in another state. I thank God every day that I got far away from that place. I knew the property taxes were high, but I never knew that they were the highest in Michigan.
You barely get anything for the taxes you pay. My basement had flooded with raw sewage, and the city only gave us $300. I spent over $4000 dollars to clean it up. That & my car being stolen from in front of my house was my last straw with Ecorse. This happened on one of the nicer blocks in the city too. @ChrisHarden
My Dad worked at the Great Lakes Steel Plant in the 60's - 70's. Ecorse was actually not bad at all then. Thriving with restaurants and retail. However from the 80's and upward Ecorse has been the victim of loss of businesses,loss of proper police,fire and municipal leadership and loss of residents. The laundry list of failings is lengthy and well documented. The neighbor city of Rouge with almost all the same basic parameters as Ecorse somehow has remained viable and much more solvent for residents. The city has been in a Emergency receivership for more than 20 years because city elects and fire and police persons were involved in heavy fraud and illegal activities that cause a State and Federal investigations. Many very well built and spacious homes were built there but they were jammed too closely together on many blocks. It's a sad story as Ecorse pre 1980 was actually a nice place. Now its a den for squatting addicts and street gang activity.
I'm from ecorse still live in ecorse and living here is terrible , city council old and stuck in they ways and want so we get nothing new no shopping centers no grocery stores but sky high Obriens who sells rotten shit terrible call in the army
What an informative video . Thank you for sharing this ! I was unfortunately one of the persons whose car was “held under investigation “ and got stuck with a hefty bill from my finance company because they wouldn’t release my vehicle nor let me report it stolen! Now it all makes sense!
"Damn!" That stolen money could've been put back into the community instead of in the corrupt officials slimey pockets. Do better town leaders! I appreciate all the funny add ons in the video Chris!👍
"High" street was always funny to the high school stoners in the 90s cause you used to be able to pull up over there and get whatever you wanted. It was kinda intense. Nice to see they got rid of all the old HUD housing units just West of High, and have replaced them with newer buildings. Not sure how much has changed since then, but it seemed to be nicer. Love your work!
@@jeremiahd2417 my grandparents, aunts and cousins have lived in Ecorse most of their lives. same address since the 60s. Obviously if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit but this IS a community where neighbors do try to look out for each other. Not gonna deny there is crime here or there either though. It’s a quiet community.
This was fun! I worked at the Rouge in the early seventies & used to take the 'Back way' home to Belleville. My grandparents lived on the corner of Northline & Huron River Drive until the Airport stole their house of 60 years & 5 acres. ( they both died shortly after ) And the house just sat for years after. Glad I left in 75. Things were just as corrupt when I lived there & before that my dad always had 'Purple Gang' stories. Sure is quiet here in the Ozarks.......
I owned a home there from 1997-2007, in that neighborhood that is the only 3 good blocks of Ecorse. That park has changed a bit but I could see the water from my home down the street.
I lived right across Jefferson ave in an upper flat that had a great view of that island you show at the 9:20 mark of this video in 1980. Ecorse at that time was pretty safe and had a few good restaurants and pubs although you could feel the city slipping away. The island was full of cats and rats, probably been there for decades. I live in Wyandotte now which is not much different than the 80’s except back then it had some rougher bars and so did most of Downriver at the time. Wyandotte has maintained if not improved life with a nice downtown area and park on the river. Wyandotte has lost app 9000 people since 1980 34K down to 25K presently. Lincoln Park has only lost 5K since 1980 but the demographic change is extraordinary.
My city of Melvindale has gone through a similar demographic change. Many people moved out and now we are a lot closer to Dearborn (a large portion of our population is now Middle Eastern). Only problem now is that due to our city's mismanagement many businesses left and or dissolved and now we have minimal new investment outside of our local Middle Eastern population (why you see a market on almost every corner). For some odd reason, weve also become a hotspot for people from East Side Detroit to come here to commit crime. Probably because we also have a huge shortag of officers, now short of 7 officers after one of our hometown officers (he had only started a year ago) was shot and killed by somebody from outside our city.
I used to live there on Jefferson down the street from US. I walked to work every day but I got let go in 2018 when they closed the caster side. I’m a nurse now and live closer to Toledo in Monroe. Ecorse was a shit hole 😂
The ultra-high property tax removes this city altogether from any prospective real estate or business ventures. The thing is, it seems modestly nice aesthetically otherwise. Furthermore, it doesn't seem like a war zone when compared to other areas in greater Detroit. Ironic! Once again, great job on the stats.
What a presentation! A real head spinning discussion of a long complex culture of corruption so endlessly convoluted I don't know how he kept it straight in his head. Hey well at least there was no age discrimination in that culture. Dramatic drone and old photos interspersed with the main video really told the story of Ecorse. The eye for detail is so dramatic with the pretty riverfront park seen in the middle of it all. An excellent essential point is made about America's history and prosperity was and still is linked to industry.
Welcome to Downriver but for some reason they are so proud to be from. Local huge hero is Kid Rock…”I ain’t straight out of Compton, I’m straight out the trailer”
@@Ellersbeewhat are you talking about 😂. Did you forget Wyandotte and Trenton? (which are considered downriver btw) same with Allen Park and Taylor. My home town of Melvindale used to be nice but, well, the recent news should explain things.
I love the “brahhh” it’s hilarious. Ecourse unfortunately is the joke of metro Detroit maybe rivaling Inkster? It’s really a shame ship building failed. That’s a lucrative union job, that still thrives in many other states.
Ship building died in almost all states after World War II and the Steel slump was the final nail in the coffin. Currently, only a handful of ship building capable shipyards are still in existence. Almost all of them are owned by or contractors of the US Navy.
Lou sold everything, including the ice rink. He got rid of the dpw, etc. he put the nail in the coffin. There's a lot going on that remains hidden. May God reveal everything.
At least it’s clean and free from liter. St. Louis is dirty. Trash and overgrown trees with dilapidated buildings everywhere. I guess it’s the end for us for that part of the woods. Especially in North County. I have even noticed a few homeless ppl with grocery carts moving in. Sad times.
I hung out there back in the late 80s I see the clubhouse used to be the Stonehenge bar, across the street was Gordon's bar. Bringing back memories.👍 You guys from there know what I'm talking about 😎
Hey Chris! My comment is actually about something a little bit further down the road from Ecorse/Rouge. i know youve extensively covered Detroit, and with your attention to detail plus all the homework you've done on the city, i thought you might be the perfect person to ask. Took my son through Detroi a few weeks ago to show him some of the different areas and how drastically everything changes North of 8 mile. But he noticed those green lights flashing on SOME of the businesses, not others. I thougt he was joking when he said its probably to give preferential treatment by the police. I laughed thinking yeah right.. Well, he looked into it and sure enough thats exactly what it sounds like. Are you aware, or have you ever looked into this? Would love to hear your input on this. Appreciate your work..
I go to Ecorse almost every week doing doordash and it is nothing like it was in the 80's when at night Visger was like a block party in cracks heyday.
Many communities rely on a few major employers and when they shut down or relocate the community is toast. Alway best to diversify the business and industrial base for community sustainability. Ecorse will eventually be no longer.
I could see Ecorse and River Rouge merging eventually as they both relied heavily on Industry. They both also have many financial problems within and much of the area is run down now sadly.
@ChrisHarden it is. I drive down there once a week on my way to Belanger Park. Theres basically nothing. Probably the nicest place there is Ecorse High School.
@@smithdawn1 interesting, never knew that but of history. Nice to see him being immortalized. Back during a time when Steel and Auto were prospering in the Motor City. Not only that but a very nice park by the water as well 😀.
@@jeremiahd2417 That park is also basically where the Edmund Fitzgerald was built and launched. Technically next door at what used to be the shipyard for Great Lakes Engineering Works which built the EF
I noticed Bike Lanes installed on one of the corridors you drove on. What a waste of taxpayer money for a City in this state of mismangement. Recreational bike riding in Ecorse has to be close to zero.
How many people in the area would actually take bicycling laws seriously enough to demand bicycling lanes? And even if they employ the bike lanes you think they use reflective vests and lights and helmets and hand signals?
Well I will say that I have wondered for a decade now what is it with even some of the smallest towns having a hard on for bike lanes? I live in central Ohio down here in Lincoln county and I can say that it's ridiculous especially given the most people on bicycles don't follow any of the traffic laws it's becoming quite nerve-wracking to drive around because they write all over the place and they do not drive these bicycles in a straight line they wobble all over the place is if a nine-year-old is driving the bike. Of course I have traveled around Ohio for work and leisure and I've noticed that even the smallest of towns have bike lanes and by the way in some of the stupidest of places. But then of course a lot of the so-called nonprofit organization somewhere in the past 18 to 20 years has had a hard on for putting in bike paths and they want to do so by taking people's land and unfortunately a lot of the local courts allow it to happen. What the hell is it with all the emphasis on the bike lanes and the bike paths bike path I can say that's in my town where a lot of the homeless people seem to live and or commute especially the ones that 98% of the time stay pretty much on the edge of society no I don't think that they're all on drugs it's the ones you never really see very much of the tend to camp out some of the remote areas where the bike paths go it's like they only come into town when they really have to the ones that are the obvious tweakers yeah they're already in the middle of the Town tweaking. They're not exactly representative of the majority of the homeless population like the government and of course the police would have us believe. So I just wonder are the bike paths being secretly used as a means of shuffling it homeless people and then of course shuffling them out? I wonder that simply because at any point in time of the year you'll see an influx of them gathered specifically around the salvation army which is near the bike path in fact directly beside the bike path but then periodically it's like they all disappear and then you just see a few stragglers around town and or if you're up late at night and you go out for smoke you'll see them basically coming from the direction of the bike path going wherever it is they're going elsewhere it's very strange and I just wonder is this happening everywhere has anyone else noticed it?
..been waiting on this one for a minute. I appreciate the royalty-free loops more than the adlibs. there's a very thin line between cheeky and tryHard bruv.
Right now US Steel has Zug Island up for sale as a bulk terminal for coal, iron ore, limestone, etc. Not only that likely DTE will keep the coke ovens running because of the nearby Dearborn Works which still has an operating BOF.
The lawns are ALL neatly cut...there is no grafitii no trash on the streets beautiful tree lines streets...The whole city looks well cared fir....WITH NO PEOPLE
There are lessons here for every other metropolitan area in the country that bases the local economy on a single industry. If that industry becomes obsolete, or just becomes cheaper to operate overseas, this is the result. People in other parts of the country that are still doing well like to blame the workers in various now-obsolete or outsourced industries for their misfortune. But it isn't the fault of the employees of that industry, who work just as hard as anybody else. And the same thing could happen to people in your neck of the woods.
I moved to Ecorse for 5 years because I needed to save money and improve my credit to qualify for a mortgage. I bought my first house in Westland and haven’t looked back. But the imprint that community made on my son is crazy. Ecorse is forever his hood 😂 It was a learning experience fore sure. Would not recommend though
I saw two houses my grandma lived in, the Hurryback bar I grew up in/lived in (apartments), the corner store called Migets I went to 10 times a day, and my old street Woodward … but my best friend’s house is torn down 😢 It looks so much worse now than it did when I was a kid. How disrespectful people are is beyond my comprehension. Best memories of my life in that shitty city.
Actually (I live here) and THIS IS A GREAT UTILIZATION OF TAX PAYERS MONEY! We do have bike riders because people still use public transportation (buses) because we’re just (15) minutes from downtown/Canada border and these bike lanes have actually made traffic safer (even though people should probably use these large sidewalks to ride instead 😂) We live just blocks away from where they were filming for “BMF” (starz) and got to enjoy a meet and greet with the actors from the show. Also, the town is LITERALLY 3.4 square miles and is surrounded by suburbs but Southwest Detroit is literally across the yellow line of Visger Road that separates it from ecorse. And just like any city in America there are nice areas and a small section of a bad neighborhood. Due to red zoning and gentrification left this once thriving blue collar community disenfranchised, and once that happens (“white flight”) in rolls the poverty and crime. So instead of being judgmental first you need to know history of America and how neighborhoods like this come to end up as is…
I wasn’t surprised about the population decline from 1970 to 1980. In 1975 Ecorse began Desegregation and students from “white” schools were bussed into “black” schools and vice versa. For kids like myself, instead of walking 5 mins to school, this meant a 30 min bus ride. I loved it, but my parents didn’t. We moved in 1976
I have lived in Michigan all my life and I can testify that Michigan has it's issues all over it. I am on disability and rent prices are 90% of my income. Homelessness has gone way up and is still rising. 900 dollars for a 1 bedroom apartment. and that's very small and not wheelchair friendly. The places that are chair friendly (high-rises) are like living in prison. Monthly inspections and all the rules are crazy. been there. Michigan sucks to live here
Not glossing over your reality I’m sure it’s not easy but 900 bucks a month for rent is a dream most places in this country. Prices are lower in Michigan because people aren’t moving here.
Had the misfortune of residing there twice in my life for various reasons, namely to try to save up money, and if I can avoid it, NEVER again. Both times occurred during the early to late 2000's, so the whole city was YEARS into its decline. I would make the mistake of going for walks sometimes, and I'm pretty sure I narrowly escaped being sexually assaulted, raped, or worse( female, was in my twenties at the time), and relatively attractive, and men had no shame in pulling up alongside and wanting to talk to me. One guy offered me a ride on a picture perfect clear day, which I found odd, and another guy was way more bold and outright invited me to his house for sex, gave me his address, etc, which I less than politely declined. There were more incidents, but those 2 come to mind. That put an end to those walks. Dont be a good looking woman and go for walks around Ecorse. Plus, the whole place stunk like rotten eggs, pretty much all the time bc of the steel mill. It's a bit of a hellish town, trust that
Please stop with the soundbites. They're distracting, unnecessary, and annoying. The hard work you put into these videos is much harder to appreciate when you hear "damn" every other sentence. You're an excellent narrator -- no need to fill every pause with an overdub.
Hey Chris Jim here. It's been awhile since i commented but I am a member. Yes I'm in Melvindale and yes the air is terrible. I've also worked at Ussteel and I hated every minute of it. That stairway you see just before you make a left turn is called the green mile. We had to walk up a series of stairs to be able to get over the train tracks then down another set of a series of stairs just to get to work. It was a workout to say the least.
Compared to your Detroit vids, Ecorse seems a lot cleaner - not a lot of illegal dumping was seen, most of the housing still standing seems to be fairly well maintained and very few burned out collapsing houses and commercial buildings were seen. Many of these small cities grew up around industry that employed many of the residents. When industry leaves or closes it's devestating to the local economy and municpal tax base. Pretty much a death blow to them.
I have lived in Ecorse since 1959. I love it and always have. When our parents raised us they wanted us to want more. So when the majority of us Boomers grew up we moved out and up or to another state. ❤😊
I live in downriver and grew up out there Ecorse aint no damn danger zone yea stuff happens but the whole downriver is dangerous as a whole especially between the years of 2014-2021
Would not eat no fish out of that nasty water have seen toilet stuff going in river at the river west grand Blvd and Jefferson had a restaurant their never fish there anymore
See more of what Ecorse (and River Rouge) looks like here: ua-cam.com/video/hkjd15pPMfo/v-deo.html
Michigan Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLkAKbwTlGHeJoyujmAhEMOusr2cLGm_jK.html
Detroit Suburbs Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLkAKbwTlGHeIe9OSmlhG2TK3Q207cHb2v.html
American Hoods Playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLkAKbwTlGHeLYlKLyBm1dGc7MRpNhCBZX.html
====================================================================
Help me grow my other channels!
Chris Harden's Travel Archives: / @chrishardenarchives
Nostalgia Tours Radio: / @nostalgiatoursradio
====================================================================
In order to make good UA-cam videos, it helps to have good equipment. I started out on a budget and have expanded overtime. Links to everything that I use are down below.
WHAT I USE AT HOME:
Home PC for video editing: amzn.to/4aDWtze
Sound Mixer: amzn.to/3TFkHCo
Microphone: amzn.to/4ahTBbs
Other things: amzn.to/3TzvUnG
WHAT I USE ON THE ROAD:
Camara: amzn.to/3TGtUKG
Other Camera: amzn.to/3TGu44K
Drone: amzn.to/3vADq9Z
Other things: amzn.to/3J3FxXe
====================================================================
I keep virtual map that shows every place that I've made a video on here:
INTERACTIVE MAP that shows you all of the places that I've made videos on: (Doesn't always work on mobile devices. Will always work on PC.) www.google.com/maps/d/u/2/edi...
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DISCLAIMER: Links included in this description might be affiliate links. If you purchase a product or service with the links that I provide I may receive a small commission. There is no additional charge to you. As an Amazon Associate I do earn a small commission on qualifying purchases. As always, thank you for supporting my channel!
I left there 50 yrs ago and never looked back
You watching this video suggest you do indeed look back
😂@@davidkruse4030
55 years ago i lived on High st. after my dad got back from Vt. Nam. move out when I was 2. I am actually surprised at how nice some of the homes are compared to your Benton Harbor video. Pretty much the whole original Downriver has gone to **** as many moved to the further south suburbs that I personally refuse to call downriver. Just like decades earlier when people moved out of Detroit to Downriver, the Downriver folks move out to better places.
Great mix of facts, video and humor. The humor keeps the "Ah -- this is boring" from setting in like many other videos. High property taxes is really a city killer.
????? Myspace ?????
Chris, Thanks for your time, work and posting.
the further south you go the nicer the houses get .Wyandotte is next and has some beautiful homes along Jefferson/Biddle
Yeah, I used to live in Wyandotte for about 6mos; at Biddle/Jefferson
But, worked in escorse.
No one would wanted to take me home. They didnt want 2 drive thru Wyandotte 😂😂
@missygeno4391 that doesn't make sense. Wyandotte is such a nice city. Why did they not want to drive through it?
Cuz the cops are all over Jefferson and Goddard
@@Aly9315
The loss of industry is a bad thing. Some people don't get that.
Wait for evs to completely take over.. auto will be even more gone from MI
Truth sir!
@@tim6366 How so?
@@tim6366 If Kamala Harris gets elected our auto industry is completely done.
@@JackReacheroundwell the UAW has already been told multiple times EV production will not take nearly as many people. Why do you think Shawn Fain has been trying so hard to get the imports organized??? Gotta shore up that membership. Then of course the leadership is gonna endorse the party that will be making that happen.
Great video! I grew up in Ecorse & River Rouge and finally left the area in 2017 due to getting a job in another state. I thank God every day that I got far away from that place. I knew the property taxes were high, but I never knew that they were the highest in Michigan.
Probably hard to realize that with Ecorse I’d imagine since the home values are so low
You barely get anything for the taxes you pay. My basement had flooded with raw sewage, and the city only gave us $300. I spent over $4000 dollars to clean it up. That & my car being stolen from in front of my house was my last straw with Ecorse. This happened on one of the nicer blocks in the city too. @ChrisHarden
My Dad worked at the Great Lakes Steel Plant in the 60's - 70's. Ecorse was actually not bad at all then. Thriving with restaurants and retail. However from the 80's and upward Ecorse has been the victim of loss of businesses,loss of proper police,fire and municipal leadership and loss of residents. The laundry list of failings is lengthy and well documented. The neighbor city of Rouge with almost all the same basic parameters as Ecorse somehow has remained viable and much more solvent for residents. The city has been in a Emergency receivership for more than 20 years because city elects and fire and police persons were involved in heavy fraud and illegal activities that cause a State and Federal investigations. Many very well built and spacious homes were built there but they were jammed too closely together on many blocks. It's a sad story as Ecorse pre 1980 was actually a nice place. Now its a den for squatting addicts and street gang activity.
I love the river front. I enjoyed this video. Too bad for the corruption. 😊❤
This Year I Went To The River Front Fair @ The River Front Park
I'm from ecorse still live in ecorse and living here is terrible , city council old and stuck in they ways and want so we get nothing new no shopping centers no grocery stores but sky high Obriens who sells rotten shit terrible call in the army
What an informative video . Thank you for sharing this ! I was unfortunately one of the persons whose car was “held under investigation “ and got stuck with a hefty bill from my finance company because they wouldn’t release my vehicle nor let me report it stolen! Now it all makes sense!
That must’ve been stressful. Sorry that happened to you!
"Damn!" That stolen money could've been put back into the community instead of in the corrupt officials slimey pockets. Do better town leaders! I appreciate all the funny add ons in the video Chris!👍
I appreciate you watching as always, Shelby!
Have you been watching what shady thing’s are going on in Dalton Illinois recently ??
"High" street was always funny to the high school stoners in the 90s cause you used to be able to pull up over there and get whatever you wanted. It was kinda intense. Nice to see they got rid of all the old HUD housing units just West of High, and have replaced them with newer buildings. Not sure how much has changed since then, but it seemed to be nicer. Love your work!
It’s still the same. I lived on High and Ridge for 5 years
This is my hometown. It is not a ‘danger zone’ it’s just a rough, poor area.
Exactly! East Side has a higher crime rate than Ecorse, River Rouge, and Melvindale combined 😂.
@@jeremiahd2417 my grandparents, aunts and cousins have lived in Ecorse most of their lives.
same address since the 60s. Obviously if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t go out of my way to visit but this IS a community where neighbors do try to look out for each other. Not gonna deny there is crime here or there either though. It’s a quiet community.
@@material___This as my hometown until 1976. Many fond memories of growing up in Ecorse
This was fun! I worked at the Rouge in the early seventies & used to take the 'Back way' home to Belleville. My grandparents lived on the corner of Northline & Huron River Drive until the Airport stole their house of 60 years & 5 acres. ( they both died shortly after ) And the house just sat for years after.
Glad I left in 75.
Things were just as corrupt when I lived there & before that my dad always had 'Purple Gang' stories.
Sure is quiet here in the Ozarks.......
I grew up in the area from 1963 to 1982. That was when Ecorse was jumping.
Frankie’s Pizza, LoveLand Drugs and A & W
I owned a home there from 1997-2007, in that neighborhood that is the only 3 good blocks of Ecorse. That park has changed a bit but I could see the water from my home down the street.
The “Damn!” voice thing has got to go. Sorry but it’s annoying.
Damn
😂
😂
@@ChrisHardenI personally enjoyed the "damns".
My comment about that got taken for saying something.
I lived right across Jefferson ave in an upper flat that had a great view of that island you show at the 9:20 mark of this video in 1980. Ecorse at that time was pretty safe and had a few good restaurants and pubs although you could feel the city slipping away. The island was full of cats and rats, probably been there for decades. I live in Wyandotte now which is not much different than the 80’s except back then it had some rougher bars and so did most of Downriver at the time. Wyandotte has maintained if not improved life with a nice downtown area and park on the river. Wyandotte has lost app 9000 people since 1980 34K down to 25K presently. Lincoln Park has only lost 5K since 1980 but the demographic change is extraordinary.
My city of Melvindale has gone through a similar demographic change. Many people moved out and now we are a lot closer to Dearborn (a large portion of our population is now Middle Eastern). Only problem now is that due to our city's mismanagement many businesses left and or dissolved and now we have minimal new investment outside of our local Middle Eastern population (why you see a market on almost every corner). For some odd reason, weve also become a hotspot for people from East Side Detroit to come here to commit crime. Probably because we also have a huge shortag of officers, now short of 7 officers after one of our hometown officers (he had only started a year ago) was shot and killed by somebody from outside our city.
The added soundbites are really getting to be overdone and annoying.
You’re a great commentator, but get rid of the “Dam”
Sounds like crap
The homes and neighborhoods looked tidy and mostly well-kept.
I lived in Ecorse back in 1999. We heard the drive bys and decided to move. 😬
No jobs no people
I used to live there on Jefferson down the street from US. I walked to work every day but I got let go in 2018 when they closed the caster side. I’m a nurse now and live closer to Toledo in Monroe. Ecorse was a shit hole 😂
The ultra-high property tax removes this city altogether from any prospective real estate or business ventures. The thing is, it seems modestly nice aesthetically otherwise. Furthermore, it doesn't seem like a war zone when compared to other areas in greater Detroit. Ironic! Once again, great job on the stats.
Cant even compare it to Detroit's East side. Probably higher than River Rouge, Ecorse, and Melvindale combined 😂.
I grew up on 18th St. Great work on this video.
What a presentation! A real head spinning discussion of a long complex culture of corruption so endlessly convoluted I don't know how he kept it straight in his head. Hey well at least there was no age discrimination in that culture. Dramatic drone and old photos interspersed with the main video really told the story of Ecorse. The eye for detail is so dramatic with the pretty riverfront park seen in the middle of it all. An excellent essential point is made about America's history and prosperity was and still is linked to industry.
Welcome to Downriver but for some reason they are so proud to be from. Local huge hero is Kid Rock…”I ain’t straight out of Compton, I’m straight out the trailer”
Hahaha river rats. Downriver has some nice communities though!
@@ChrisHarden unfortunately I live down here and I cannot name you one.
@@Ellersbeewhat are you talking about 😂. Did you forget Wyandotte and Trenton? (which are considered downriver btw) same with Allen Park and Taylor. My home town of Melvindale used to be nice but, well, the recent news should explain things.
@@jeremiahd2417 I live in Taylor you are kidding me right?
@@EllersbeeTaylorTucky. Lol
I love the “brahhh” it’s hilarious. Ecourse unfortunately is the joke of metro Detroit maybe rivaling Inkster? It’s really a shame ship building failed. That’s a lucrative union job, that still thrives in many other states.
Ship building died in almost all states after World War II and the Steel slump was the final nail in the coffin. Currently, only a handful of ship building capable shipyards are still in existence. Almost all of them are owned by or contractors of the US Navy.
Lou sold everything, including the ice rink. He got rid of the dpw, etc. he put the nail in the coffin. There's a lot going on that remains hidden. May God reveal everything.
Thank you for getting the word out! Nice work….
At least it’s clean and free from liter. St. Louis is dirty. Trash and overgrown trees with dilapidated buildings everywhere. I guess it’s the end for us for that part of the woods. Especially in North County. I have even noticed a few homeless ppl with grocery carts moving in. Sad times.
lol it’s not. It’s just harder to notice on camera
Look at Ecorse in person and you will think again!
I hung out there back in the late 80s
I see the clubhouse used to be the Stonehenge bar, across the street was Gordon's bar.
Bringing back memories.👍
You guys from there know what I'm talking about 😎
Hey Chris! My comment is actually about something a little bit further down the road from Ecorse/Rouge. i know youve extensively covered Detroit, and with your attention to detail plus all the homework you've done on the city, i thought you might be the perfect person to ask.
Took my son through Detroi a few weeks ago to show him some of the different areas and how drastically everything changes North of 8 mile. But he noticed those green lights flashing on SOME of the businesses, not others. I thougt he was joking when he said its probably to give preferential treatment by the police. I laughed thinking yeah right.. Well, he looked into it and sure enough thats exactly what it sounds like. Are you aware, or have you ever looked into this? Would love to hear your input on this. Appreciate your work..
I go to Ecorse almost every week doing doordash and it is nothing like it was in the 80's when at night Visger was like a block party in cracks heyday.
The background dropped in commets are just STUPID. makes the video unwatchable. DAMN
I'm from there , believe it or not my grandma's house a block away from the high school sold for 110k
So she paid $5,500 or so in property taxes a year?
@@ChrisHarden from what I remember they were up there. I moved away three years ago and don't even visit the area anymore.
Many communities rely on a few major employers and when they shut down or relocate the community is toast. Alway best to diversify the business and industrial base for community sustainability. Ecorse will eventually be no longer.
And reign in tax-cheating corporations
I could see Ecorse and River Rouge merging eventually as they both relied heavily on Industry. They both also have many financial problems within and much of the area is run down now sadly.
@@bixbysnyder-00 and local government’s as well.
Ecorse has a wonderful jazz concert series. Great music great food.
I grew up in ecorse😊
I always enjoy your videos
Ecorse used to be a great city before
In the 90's, I had 'friends' that I would visit in Ecorse. It wasn't fun going down there back in those days. I can't imagine what it's like now.
I can imagine that crime today isn’t as bad as it was then. Today it’s probably just empty compared to back then.
@ChrisHarden it is. I drive down there once a week on my way to Belanger Park. Theres basically nothing. Probably the nicest place there is Ecorse High School.
@@jeremiahd2417Belanger park is named after Dr Belanger. He delivered both of my grandmothers in 1916/1917. He was well respected
@@smithdawn1 interesting, never knew that but of history. Nice to see him being immortalized. Back during a time when Steel and Auto were prospering in the Motor City. Not only that but a very nice park by the water as well 😀.
@@jeremiahd2417 That park is also basically where the Edmund Fitzgerald was built and launched. Technically next door at what used to be the shipyard for Great Lakes Engineering Works which built the EF
I noticed Bike Lanes installed on one of the corridors you drove on. What a waste of taxpayer money for a City in this state of mismangement. Recreational bike riding in Ecorse has to be close to zero.
How many people in the area would actually take bicycling laws seriously enough to demand bicycling lanes? And even if they employ the bike lanes you think they use reflective vests and lights and helmets and hand signals?
I live in ecorse alot of people ride bikes here. Not everyone can afford the expense of a car. We also need to encourage healthy pursuits like this .
Right, there's plenty of cyclists in the city @@isaabaker963
My thoughts exactly.
Who's going to be out biking when it's 10 degrees and snowing sideways? This is Michigan, not Florida.
Well I will say that I have wondered for a decade now what is it with even some of the smallest towns having a hard on for bike lanes?
I live in central Ohio down here in Lincoln county and I can say that it's ridiculous especially given the most people on bicycles don't follow any of the traffic laws it's becoming quite nerve-wracking to drive around because they write all over the place and they do not drive these bicycles in a straight line they wobble all over the place is if a nine-year-old is driving the bike.
Of course I have traveled around Ohio for work and leisure and I've noticed that even the smallest of towns have bike lanes and by the way in some of the stupidest of places.
But then of course a lot of the so-called nonprofit organization somewhere in the past 18 to 20 years has had a hard on for putting in bike paths and they want to do so by taking people's land and unfortunately a lot of the local courts allow it to happen.
What the hell is it with all the emphasis on the bike lanes and the bike paths bike path I can say that's in my town where a lot of the homeless people seem to live and or commute especially the ones that 98% of the time stay pretty much on the edge of society no I don't think that they're all on drugs it's the ones you never really see very much of the tend to camp out some of the remote areas where the bike paths go it's like they only come into town when they really have to the ones that are the obvious tweakers yeah they're already in the middle of the Town tweaking.
They're not exactly representative of the majority of the homeless population like the government and of course the police would have us believe.
So I just wonder are the bike paths being secretly used as a means of shuffling it homeless people and then of course shuffling them out?
I wonder that simply because at any point in time of the year you'll see an influx of them gathered specifically around the salvation army which is near the bike path in fact directly beside the bike path but then periodically it's like they all disappear and then you just see a few stragglers around town and or if you're up late at night and you go out for smoke you'll see them basically coming from the direction of the bike path going wherever it is they're going elsewhere it's very strange and I just wonder is this happening everywhere has anyone else noticed it?
Pollution and crime and poverty. Equal Democratic party
That explains why Red cities and States specifically take up the most food stamps and welfare.
It's America😊
Ever been to Louisiana?
@@caperucito5 No but would like to Visit New Orleans one day.
The main word being VISIT.🙂
..been waiting on this one for a minute. I appreciate the royalty-free loops more than the adlibs. there's a very thin line between cheeky and tryHard bruv.
Former steel plant properties all have environmental issues that need to be cleaned up after purchase. Now you have learned something
Right now US Steel has Zug Island up for sale as a bulk terminal for coal, iron ore, limestone, etc. Not only that likely DTE will keep the coke ovens running because of the nearby Dearborn Works which still has an operating BOF.
Auburn Cafe. The best food ever.
Lemon pan fried potatoes 🥔 The tastiest
I hear that new bridge they’re building from detroit to Canada is going to bring a lot more traffic to the area, wonder if that’ll help, probably not.
The lawns are ALL neatly cut...there is no grafitii no trash on the streets beautiful tree lines streets...The whole city looks well cared fir....WITH NO PEOPLE
There are lessons here for every other metropolitan area in the country that bases the local economy on a single industry. If that industry becomes obsolete, or just becomes cheaper to operate overseas, this is the result.
People in other parts of the country that are still doing well like to blame the workers in various now-obsolete or outsourced industries for their misfortune. But it isn't the fault of the employees of that industry, who work just as hard as anybody else. And the same thing could happen to people in your neck of the woods.
Great vedio..Just shared.👍🏻👍🏻
I can't hear one more day'em! Where are my headphones, otherwise I know you've worked hard at this and I appreciate your effort.
I moved to Ecorse for 5 years because I needed to save money and improve my credit to qualify for a mortgage. I bought my first house in Westland and haven’t looked back. But the imprint that community made on my son is crazy. Ecorse is forever his hood 😂
It was a learning experience fore sure. Would not recommend though
Thought you already did Ecorse. The Corse as it used to be called in the day.
Made videos on River Rouge and a few on Delray but not Ecorse until now.
I saw two houses my grandma lived in, the Hurryback bar I grew up in/lived in (apartments), the corner store called Migets I went to 10 times a day, and my old street Woodward … but my best friend’s house is torn down 😢
It looks so much worse now than it did when I was a kid. How disrespectful people are is beyond my comprehension. Best memories of my life in that shitty city.
Actually (I live here) and THIS IS A GREAT UTILIZATION OF TAX PAYERS MONEY! We do have bike riders because people still use public transportation (buses) because we’re just (15) minutes from downtown/Canada border and these bike lanes have actually made traffic safer (even though people should probably use these large sidewalks to ride instead 😂)
We live just blocks away from where they were filming for “BMF” (starz) and got to enjoy a meet and greet with the actors from the show. Also, the town is LITERALLY 3.4 square miles and is surrounded by suburbs but Southwest Detroit is literally across the yellow line of Visger Road that separates it from ecorse. And just like any city in America there are nice areas and a small section of a bad neighborhood. Due to red zoning and gentrification left this once thriving blue collar community disenfranchised, and once that happens (“white flight”) in rolls the poverty and crime.
So instead of being judgmental first you need to know history of America and how neighborhoods like this come to end up as is…
I wasn’t surprised about the population decline from 1970 to 1980. In 1975 Ecorse began Desegregation and students from “white” schools were bussed into “black” schools and vice versa. For kids like myself, instead of walking 5 mins to school, this meant a 30 min bus ride. I loved it, but my parents didn’t. We moved in 1976
Have you ever compared Mt.Clemens to Clinton Twp. and Harrison Twp. ? (which they all used to be connected way back in the day)
I have lived in Michigan all my life and I can testify that Michigan has it's issues all over it. I am on disability and rent prices are 90% of my income. Homelessness has gone way up and is still rising. 900 dollars for a 1 bedroom apartment. and that's very small and not wheelchair friendly. The places that are chair friendly (high-rises) are like living in prison. Monthly inspections and all the rules are crazy. been there. Michigan sucks to live here
Not glossing over your reality I’m sure it’s not easy but 900 bucks a month for rent is a dream most places in this country. Prices are lower in Michigan because people aren’t moving here.
I frequently complain about my Illinois property taxes but at least I get something decent in return. These people pay a lot and get hardly anything.
I bet there is some good metal detecting for older silver coins in that area. Wonder if it is safe enough to just walk around?
Had the misfortune of residing there twice in my life for various reasons, namely to try to save up money, and if I can avoid it, NEVER again. Both times occurred during the early to late 2000's, so the whole city was YEARS into its decline. I would make the mistake of going for walks sometimes, and I'm pretty sure I narrowly escaped being sexually assaulted, raped, or worse( female, was in my twenties at the time), and relatively attractive, and men had no shame in pulling up alongside and wanting to talk to me. One guy offered me a ride on a picture perfect clear day, which I found odd, and another guy was way more bold and outright invited me to his house for sex, gave me his address, etc, which I less than politely declined. There were more incidents, but those 2 come to mind. That put an end to those walks. Dont be a good looking woman and go for walks around Ecorse. Plus, the whole place stunk like rotten eggs, pretty much all the time bc of the steel mill. It's a bit of a hellish town, trust that
You said Wonderful, a word that does not describe Ecorse, Lol!
I don't know who decided Ecorse should be like it is, but they sure did a thorough job.
Please stop with the soundbites. They're distracting, unnecessary, and annoying. The hard work you put into these videos is much harder to appreciate when you hear "damn" every other sentence. You're an excellent narrator -- no need to fill every pause with an overdub.
Well done
Good job calling these bums out.
That's the whole Detroit system where are the is that related to Kim worthy season another no good judge prosecutor
I lived at 30 West Charlotte for about 15 minutes back in the early 80s.
as a proud Romuloid , we always felt superior to those people in Ecorse.
Detoilet Heights the high school was tore down in the 90's was a huge building and they got a new football field.
One does not plea 'innocent' they plea not guilty in court.
Nobody ever does Kalamazoo MI. It's horrible lots of murders, poverty and drugs. And a growing homeless problem
Stay tuned I’ll get to Kalamazoo eventually
Majority of this video was spot on , my only gripe was the taxes are nowhere near high. At most it's 2000 a year.
That’s because most homes in Ecorse are valued lower than $100,000 for the example that I gave.
Good job. Your story sounds like part of an Elmore Leonard novel.
Ecorse means bark, as in tree bark. Never drove through there as a frequency border crosser.
You should do Pontiac, MI if you haven’t yet!
Pontiac was one of my first videos ever. I plan on making a new one soon though
Dude you cut out my house and orange VW bus it was just up the road a block😂
Hey Chris Jim here. It's been awhile since i commented but I am a member. Yes I'm in Melvindale and yes the air is terrible. I've also worked at Ussteel and I hated every minute of it. That stairway you see just before you make a left turn is called the green mile. We had to walk up a series of stairs to be able to get over the train tracks then down another set of a series of stairs just to get to work. It was a workout to say the least.
Hopefully they paid well. Doesn’t sound fun at all. Video on Melvindale is coming in a few weeks
Compared to your Detroit vids, Ecorse seems a lot cleaner - not a lot of illegal dumping was seen, most of the housing still standing seems to be fairly well maintained and very few burned out collapsing houses and commercial buildings were seen.
Many of these small cities grew up around industry that employed many of the residents. When industry leaves or closes it's devestating to the local economy and municpal tax base. Pretty much a death blow to them.
Looks can be deceiving go near River Rouge and Detroit borders which all on Visger St and think about it.
Grew up here and thank God I found God
I have lived in Ecorse since 1959. I love it and always have. When our parents raised us they wanted us to want more. So when the majority of us Boomers grew up we moved out and up or to another state. ❤😊
The nicest, cleanest, profitable place is the funeral home
I live in downriver and grew up out there Ecorse aint no damn danger zone yea stuff happens but the whole downriver is dangerous as a whole especially between the years of 2014-2021
And WE GOT THE BEST AND MOST HIGHEST PROFIT GROSSING MARIJUANA DISPENSARIES IN MICHIGAN!
Cheapest prices, so I hear
No shortage of bars!
Why do we have so many cities within cities in michigan...
"Mount Rushmore on Zug Island"!!!! lol
Great content and love the drops. 😂
Ecorse and rouge are not bad cities . Just blue collar . I never had any issues. I might go hit taco E
So many..no flat tire zones. Around DET. And used to be in many areas. Best to have your $$ out ready to give. ...1 of 3 ya ran into.
That was great.
Never did like ecorse Michigan my church is on salliote Street and Charles Miles Drive
Driving around it looks like a nice place. Hmmmm. Overuse of the Damn! Effect.
Would not eat no fish out of that nasty water have seen toilet stuff going in river at the river west grand Blvd and Jefferson had a restaurant their never fish there anymore
TRANSFORMATION...IT IS SO for ECORSE, MI!!
DAMN
Welcome to the ecourse zone of America 🇺🇸 Chris harden 😊
Great video, but you misspelled receiver.
Damn
@@ChrisHarden 😄
Isnt there only one fast food restaraunt there now too?
You need to investigate city of romulus officials