America's Collapse: The Slums Of Michigan

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  • Опубліковано 7 тра 2024
  • I don't think I've ever been as scared as I was that day in Benton Harbor.
    You might think Detroit is the worst place to live in Michigan. But it's little Benton Harbor. In this video, I explored another rust belt tragedy.
    #michigan
    Email me: NickJohnsonNC18@gmail.com
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    This channel is about America!
    The best video on this topic!

КОМЕНТАРІ • 3 тис.

  • @NickJohnson
    @NickJohnson  14 днів тому +42

    Here's my entire Great Lakes Road Trip playlist: ua-cam.com/play/PLq-_cmf3H6ypYq3snF04oSnlx1Nz_paCO.html&si=qFOJWC5lwy95Pu7b

    • @bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477
      @bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477 13 днів тому +3

      Why do you ignore segregation?

    • @CBPunisher1900
      @CBPunisher1900 13 днів тому +5

      @@bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477 cuz it was 75 years ago lol

    • @Fatdog-Dakind
      @Fatdog-Dakind 13 днів тому

      Check any MAGA-NUT, gang member, policeman, prison guard in any city and you will find 30 to 200 weapons of various types with thousands of rounds of ammo waiting for the moment to go crazy! Our USA has been lost to these gun-nuts and will never be the same again. OMG!
      Military weapons in a city is not fair to the unarmed everyday citizen going to work or school. England, Australia, Japan and Canada made them illegal. You can still have a real hunting rifle and or shotgun in these countries but no high capacity rapid firing military weapons! Common Sense!

    • @bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477
      @bayersbluebayoubioweapon8477 13 днів тому +2

      @@CBPunisher1900 yet it’s still America’s most segregated city next to Detroit. 60 years, not 75. I have plenty of neighbors who remember segregation. You don’t, in your trailer park

    • @homertalk
      @homertalk 13 днів тому +1

      Great series Nick, I hope you make it to the southwest deserts soon.

  • @Lilcurious1
    @Lilcurious1 14 днів тому +682

    Oh and by the way, they weren't up early my friend... they just hadn't gone to bed yet.

    • @turtleanton6539
      @turtleanton6539 14 днів тому +8

      Yeh😅😅

    • @pauloconnor2980
      @pauloconnor2980 14 днів тому +13

      Most of 'em had nowhere to go!!!!!

    • @Lilcurious1
      @Lilcurious1 14 днів тому +40

      @@pauloconnor2980 Unfortunately, they're just comfortable remaining in their situation, whereby they resist any change and will threaten anyone who comes in from outside as well. Therefore, the ignorance that persist in that community recycles over and over each year/decade with no hope for a brighter future. In short, they're waiting for someone to do something for them, because they lack the initiative on any level to do that for themselves... and that is a total shame. At some point, human beings have to take accountability for their own actions if they want things to get better.

    • @brynnmorriganpollard8757
      @brynnmorriganpollard8757 14 днів тому +9

      And in the case of The Speed-Freaks, both states are true...

    • @geod3589
      @geod3589 14 днів тому +26

      I was literally going to make the exact same post. They've been up all night, jacked up on drugs, hanging out. No need to go to bed, they don't need to get up to go to work.

  • @ver2cal2010
    @ver2cal2010 13 днів тому +175

    You never come to a complete stop in a hood like that and certainly never ever get out the car. Holy hell man be safer.

    • @edlee2336
      @edlee2336 11 днів тому +13

      Right. Like it’s an abandoned house we’ve seen them before keep going 😂

    • @ishastrega6851
      @ishastrega6851 10 днів тому +8

      Windows up. Doors locked. Certain neighborhoods never even enter.

    • @metalmike570
      @metalmike570 6 днів тому +1

      Meth fire houses! Yeah stay in the vehicle minimum.

    • @suckitgoogle7756
      @suckitgoogle7756 4 дні тому

      He should stop and ask for directions to Popeye's Chicken

    • @davidjanson7982
      @davidjanson7982 2 дні тому +1

      @@metalmike570 LoL

  • @chucknv5482
    @chucknv5482 7 днів тому +18

    Something I have noticed over my years is that there are two areas where people are outside: the projects/ghettos/poor areas and then strangely enough, the wealthy high end neighborhoods. The wealthy run in sports bras, walk their boujee dogs on super nice walking paths, and lots of people outside. Then in poor areas (personal experience lol)it’s mostly people hustling, getting into something, and just waiting for something to happen.
    There’s a huge in between those where people aren’t outside as much.

  • @thebigguy5590
    @thebigguy5590 13 днів тому +135

    A while back, my wife and I went to a wedding in St. Joes and decided to stay in Benton Harbor to save money. We thought: how bad can it be? Well, a lot worse than we thought. We were supposed to stick around and do things the next day, but we left at 4am and got as far away as possible.

    • @johnokumu9069
      @johnokumu9069 12 днів тому +5

      🤣🤣day made imagining you convincing your wife people like to exagerrate🤣🤣 What exactly happened and how much more expensive was the next place you stayed at? sounds like you were waiting for 4am than waking up at that time.

    • @thebigguy5590
      @thebigguy5590 12 днів тому +24

      @@johnokumu9069 we skipped the events next day and just went home. We were both up at 4am because we didn’t sleep very good and said: “you want to get outta here?” We left because we heard non stop police sirens, people were just hanging around the hotel and parking lot, the elevator smelled like urine, and we didn’t feel safe.

    • @quincyrawls2841
      @quincyrawls2841 12 днів тому

      Wasn't nothing going to happen to u trust me we only harm our own here blk on blk crime that's the way it is and always have been sad to say 😢

    • @samndisya1922
      @samndisya1922 9 днів тому

      ​@@thebigguy5590Which hotel, I'm curious?

    • @dirkcook1912
      @dirkcook1912 9 днів тому +3

      Bro it ain’t that bad. I’ve lived in BH/StJoe my whole life other than the 15 years I was active duty. It’s not as bad as you are making it. Especially all the hotels in BH. They are all brand new over by the theater.

  • @TheDann65
    @TheDann65 13 днів тому +54

    I grew up in The Harbor!, Graduated HS went to the Army and never went back! Horrible place to live and grow up in!

    • @uk-martin4905
      @uk-martin4905 13 днів тому +6

      Glad to hear you've done well for yourself.For whatever reason, some of the people here lack that kind of determination. It must be difficult to feel incentivised in a community like that; it would probably be frowned upon by others anyway.

  • @TriggerTravels
    @TriggerTravels 14 днів тому +574

    No work boots were harmed during the making of this video

    • @ricksmith4736
      @ricksmith4736 14 днів тому +53

      And no Job Applications were filled out..

    • @TriggerTravels
      @TriggerTravels 14 днів тому +17

      @@ricksmith4736 that too

    • @blacksilverchair3315
      @blacksilverchair3315 14 днів тому +30

      But a lot of Jordans were harmed though 😂😂😂

    • @alexg9727
      @alexg9727 14 днів тому +9

      @@ricksmith4736 there are no jobs now

    • @blacksilverchair3315
      @blacksilverchair3315 14 днів тому

      ​@@alexg9727there were jobs. Nick showed us a plant that was in that town. They don't want to work. We need more Venezuelans in this country to work. Americans have become lazy and decadent.

  • @saltyran
    @saltyran 12 днів тому +28

    19:30. Casually runs stop sign in a low key panic. 😂

    • @mommag3600
      @mommag3600 5 днів тому +3

      I noticed rolling through a red light too - just keeeep movin

  • @Chris.P-rd6bf
    @Chris.P-rd6bf 13 днів тому +25

    So much wonderful architecture just falling apart. That stained glass window in that church. What a shame.

  • @jjackson4754
    @jjackson4754 14 днів тому +376

    I just sent this video to Benton Harbor city council.

    • @damonmelendez856
      @damonmelendez856 14 днів тому +70

      Lmao hope they read the comments

    • @facediaper09
      @facediaper09 14 днів тому

      They can't read😂​@@damonmelendez856

    • @reubenj.cogburn8546
      @reubenj.cogburn8546 14 днів тому +70

      I am all but certain a place like this has nothing but top-notch administrators and several plausible plans of action.
      I am just a sure that your actions were not only warranted but will certainly have a measurable positive effect...
      Oh wait, never mind.

    • @damonmelendez856
      @damonmelendez856 14 днів тому

      @@reubenj.cogburn8546 lmao

    • @WildManActual
      @WildManActual 14 днів тому

      @@reubenj.cogburn8546 Top notch *democrat administrators

  • @aBasicBro
    @aBasicBro 14 днів тому +249

    Thank you for being our disaster tour guide, Nick

    • @tomquinn607
      @tomquinn607 12 днів тому +1

      Not a disaster tour guide. You don't understand America.

    • @metalmike570
      @metalmike570 6 днів тому

      He should have said, look here, this is a meth fire house.

  • @tomnohmy1273
    @tomnohmy1273 13 днів тому +11

    I think Nick, in my opinion has the best YT channel of this genre

  • @Gracekgs2002
    @Gracekgs2002 12 днів тому +24

    Hi Nick! I absolutely love Hawaii. Just a few blocks away from Waikiki beach there is poverty. Poverty is everywhere.

    • @SAMOTUBER
      @SAMOTUBER 9 днів тому

      I've traveled quite a bit and out of my own bubble and yes, you can find the bad part of almost every mid sized American city. Bottom feeders like this guy know they can get hits by pointing out "ruin porn". I can tell he also supports politicians who vote a certain way, and create these conditions because they don't really serve voters, they serve the monied interests that fund their campaigns.

  • @kristinamikkelsoncasanova6287
    @kristinamikkelsoncasanova6287 14 днів тому +130

    You can tell that this town was a nice place to live once upon a time

    • @ES-mc3cc
      @ES-mc3cc 12 днів тому +4

      The shopping mall (Orchards Mall) opened in 1979, the first year I lived in St. Joe. It was a nice mall and provided decent shopping for the area. It's been closed for a few years now.

    • @kristinamikkelsoncasanova6287
      @kristinamikkelsoncasanova6287 12 днів тому +2

      @@ES-mc3cc So sad...makes my heart break...but St. Joe is beautiful

    • @malwads1836
      @malwads1836 11 днів тому +2

      A lot of places in 🇺🇸 are like that now😮‍💨.

  • @robinmiller7958
    @robinmiller7958 14 днів тому +204

    Man you are crazy driving around solo without a police escort. Even more hilarious commentary than usual. I was very depressed after seeing how destroyed my former hometowns in Illinois and Pennsylvania had become and that was ten years ago. Your videos make it clear that much of America is in a death spiral.

    • @sexyandiknowit45
      @sexyandiknowit45 14 днів тому

      Cops just don't give escorts to every random joe , who do you think you are ?

    • @crazychase98
      @crazychase98 14 днів тому +4

      All of america is

    • @USA-CANADA1480
      @USA-CANADA1480 14 днів тому +2

      lol. Police escort? Funded by who???

    • @foodforthots29
      @foodforthots29 14 днів тому +3

      I always think the same thing when I see these. Blows my mind to creep so slow like that. I thought it was universally known you don't do that.
      It's asking for it.

    • @Macattack11639
      @Macattack11639 13 днів тому +3

      ⁠@@foodforthots29exactly. You dont do that. It it was a crowded street on the West side of Detroit hed be carjacked in 30 seconds

  • @who7056
    @who7056 13 днів тому +21

    Nick, I know you want to give UA-cam viewers what they want, but what we want most of all is for you to be safe.
    I was hoping you’d get the heck out of there.
    Be safe first, Nick.
    We want you around more than your content, so if it means risking your life, forget it! Get out!

  • @pallbearer1212
    @pallbearer1212 13 днів тому +15

    Sad to see every town and every city falling apart☹R.I.P.

  • @kristinasativa
    @kristinasativa 14 днів тому +95

    Even the trees are depressed...

  • @davidboaz5600
    @davidboaz5600 14 днів тому +426

    Nothing is built, nothing is back, nothing is better.

  • @bdleo300
    @bdleo300 12 днів тому +38

    Perfect setting for a horror movie

    • @stlawstlaw7585
      @stlawstlaw7585 12 днів тому +6

      Post-apocalyptic zombie movie...

    • @bdleo300
      @bdleo300 12 днів тому +2

      @@stlawstlaw7585 Fallout 5: Michigan

    • @user-hn4iw5pf5r
      @user-hn4iw5pf5r 9 днів тому +1

      it already is one, if you have to spend your life watching it.

    • @alexdavidson7785
      @alexdavidson7785 8 днів тому

      Called AFRICA

  • @rickphillips5099
    @rickphillips5099 13 днів тому +8

    Started school in Benton Harbor. Through the 5th grade at North Shore. Family bailed in 1971 as we could see where it was going! Moved to St. Joe from then on!

  • @vernonrtodd1322
    @vernonrtodd1322 14 днів тому +490

    It’s a Shame to say but this is the future of America…

    • @damonmelendez856
      @damonmelendez856 14 днів тому +64

      A dark future indeed

    • @michaelbrinks8089
      @michaelbrinks8089 14 днів тому

      More & more of USA will look like this. Especially if Biden gets his way. Who literally said on video that he wants an unrelenting stream of mass migration.

    • @user-ie1tz5rm8x
      @user-ie1tz5rm8x 14 днів тому +14

      This is late to flourish , heavy industry's..fancy stuff , flexible fabricating , now rust belt , many areas are fine , lean ...some are too remote and often too specialized , ..nothings replaced manufacturing , ...jobs , housing foodstamps ,beer stamps , medical....it's ripe for socialism ..like Sweden perhaps...you found a .. pirate s camp ..lawless ...hopeless ...ready for risk. Double or nuttin

    • @HenrikFredriksson-oi4lz
      @HenrikFredriksson-oi4lz 14 днів тому +20

      I'm very sad to say yes, but it all depends on Wwho you wote for. Stay Strong - Hello from Sweden👍

    • @postintheocean
      @postintheocean 14 днів тому +24

      The future ??
      More like reality, the now !
      The future is gunna be a whole lot worse . These towns are gunna be bypassed eventually... well imho

  • @williambush7971
    @williambush7971 14 днів тому +204

    I'm getting old but I remember when the black side of town had families with a mom and dad and kids. They always went to church on Sunday and looked after themselves and their neighborhood. Dad worked and mom took care of the kids. Look at what we have today.

    • @paul06660
      @paul06660 14 днів тому

      In the 80s Reagan got most those black parents addicted to crack and sent away to prisons. The CIA contra affair along with the proliferation of private prisons and penal harm ideology was similar in nature to the Holocaust. But without the gas chamber of course. They just let men murder each other in overcrowded prisons instead.

    • @mcmanwich
      @mcmanwich 14 днів тому +59

      Seems like all these towns have the same story. Some company becomes the city's dominant employer, then eventually decides to move out in search of cheaper labor or bigger tax breaks. Jobs disappear, tax base dwindles, services diminish and it's tough to stop the rot. Long ago, this country decided corporations should be allowed to chase profits with no consideration given to community or societal well-being.

    • @AlvinBoreo
      @AlvinBoreo 14 днів тому

      Not anymore they are spreading like crazy they are all ghetto with no respect

    • @olafharoldsonnii4713
      @olafharoldsonnii4713 14 днів тому

      @@mcmanwichLBJ WELFARE

    • @9852323
      @9852323 14 днів тому

      Black neighborhoods are dangerous now.

  • @lindatonkin3802
    @lindatonkin3802 12 днів тому +13

    I live about 20 miles from Benton harbor and all that you said is very true. About 50 years ago it wasn't to bad but I never go over there. St. Joe is a really nice place to go. The Mall was really nice and we used to shopping there. Yes Benton harbor they call little Detroit. You're lucky you made it out alive.

    • @NickJohnson
      @NickJohnson  12 днів тому +6

      Not lucky it's skill

    • @googleuser868
      @googleuser868 8 днів тому

      All this upbeat news is making me think even St Joseph might not be our usual sunset stop on the return trip to Indiana after Lake Michigan beach hoping.

  • @liamlynch2115
    @liamlynch2115 12 днів тому +62

    I’m a middle class white guy at the edge of Philly. We have two incomes, and both of us work an extra PT job. It’s hard to maintain a mortgage, utilities, repairs, upgrades, kids, vehicles etc. I get it. I can only imagine the reality of a person who grows up with an unstable family, bad education, lack of support and role models etc.

    • @malwads1836
      @malwads1836 11 днів тому +7

      What's spooky is a lot more young people are growing up like that nowadays even in the 🤍 community, it's no longer just a "🤎/🖤 thing".I'm a young 🤍 person in my early 30's & I was raised by a loving homemaker from birth to 18...So I 👀 a lot more social issues in our gen vs the older gens through my own lense, it makes it kinda hard to find healthy folks to know from my own gen😮‍💨.

    • @checkmaify
      @checkmaify 9 днів тому +4

      two incomes, both
      work, and both have extra PT job?? You are not middle-class, you are an exploited wage laborer. And this is the problem of Americans, they are hopelessly blinded by the American dream while they toil day and night

    • @liamlynch2115
      @liamlynch2115 9 днів тому

      @@checkmaify Well I don’t disagree. We have to work a lot to maintain a good life for our kids (live in a good neighborhood, have good vehicles, pay for good school, clothes, pay for expensive groceries, pay for all the sports the kids do, pay for anything we do for fun, trips etc). Inflation/prices have been high the last few years because of all the “free” money the federal government sent out during Covid. Middle class compared to all the people we know in our lives, but if you really base it on the richest people in America vs the guy living on the street, we are not in the middle. No one is exploiting us though. We both have good jobs that we chose, where we work from home. The PT shifts are at a family pizzeria business.

    • @liamlynch2115
      @liamlynch2115 8 днів тому +3

      @@checkmaify It takes a lot to keep up with a good life for 3 kids. Inflation/prices are high the last few years thanks to the “free” money sent out during Covid. We aren’t exploited though. We were intentional in choosing our current employers, like what we do, and both work from home. The PT shifts are at our family’s pizzeria business. We choose to do a lot of extra stuff like pay for sports, preschool, new SUV lease every 3 years, memberships at gyms/zoo/Sesame Place/swim club, renovate our house etc. Edit: wife taking 3 kids to trampoline park today is $48 plus any games and drinks/snacks. Everything is expensive.

    • @liamlynch2115
      @liamlynch2115 8 днів тому

      @@checkmaify I don’t disagree with your sentiment though. How do the non-Americans who are doing it better live?

  • @tinamartinez1940
    @tinamartinez1940 14 днів тому +73

    For me, watching this type of content, helps me not envy those that post their perfect life on social media, it helps put in perspective and to appreciate what I have since there are others that are less fortunate or have nothing.

    • @tam6148
      @tam6148 14 днів тому

      This is America. The minority’s are provided all the opportunities and help that they need to be successful… Much more so than the the tax payers who support them. They chose to live in squalor. Historically ruining every place they live

    • @peterbelanger4094
      @peterbelanger4094 14 днів тому +4

      Stuff like this just feels more real, more familiar.
      It's also interesting to see how nature reclaims what we abandon.

    • @yellowstoneloyal8186
      @yellowstoneloyal8186 13 днів тому +6

      If a person is in that poor situation, it’s sheer will and determination to get away from that, yes, it can be done

  • @georgemallory797
    @georgemallory797 14 днів тому +117

    This city's been crap for decades. 40 years ago, when I was a teen, my dad and uncles called it "Benton Harlem."

    • @danielowen5889
      @danielowen5889 13 днів тому +4

      Yes I remember it being called that as well.. must be a great source of pride for them..

    • @NegativeYoutube
      @NegativeYoutube 13 днів тому +19

      Benton Harbor has been given multi-millions in support to grow and succeed over the years. I'm not allowed to tell you why nothing has changed on youtube, but you can figure it out.

    • @brianv1981
      @brianv1981 13 днів тому

      @@NegativeUA-cam Pre-welfare, black families were intact, and black communities, as opposed to ghettos, were a thing...

    • @9chilidog
      @9chilidog 12 днів тому

      @@NegativeUA-camsame reason they dump billions over the years into Cleveland, Detroit, Milwaukee...

    • @SBCBears
      @SBCBears 12 днів тому +8

      Yup. Sixty years ago, when I was a teen, it was common knowledge that Benton Harbor was demographically-challenged.

  • @Growthsyndicate
    @Growthsyndicate 12 днів тому +6

    Here's the travesty with Benton Harbor...it is really close to South Haven, which is an AMAZING and lively city. So nice, so clean, a great atmosphere. And then you have Benton Harbor. It's crazy.

  • @ilirlluka6789
    @ilirlluka6789 9 днів тому +9

    Even the trees are in full depression mode.

  • @goodson77784
    @goodson77784 14 днів тому +186

    If there's time to lean there's time to clean.

    • @soarornor
      @soarornor 14 днів тому +14

      That should be a rally cry.

    • @vadermasktruth
      @vadermasktruth 14 днів тому +23

      I learned this when I was 13 year old working in my first restaurant at $3.35 an hour. I'm almost 53 now and it was a small, but important lesson I learned early on.

    • @facediaper09
      @facediaper09 14 днів тому +3

      Phoenix avatar ❤

    • @CyberAndy_
      @CyberAndy_ 14 днів тому +4

      @@vadermasktruth in 1983 $3.35 had the purchasing power of $10.51 in 2024.

    • @loboblue5441
      @loboblue5441 14 днів тому

      You are, or were once, a waitress. I was too

  • @damonmelendez856
    @damonmelendez856 14 днів тому +131

    Stay strapped Nick! And make sure your life insurance premiums are paid up.

    • @daniel-nw5iq
      @daniel-nw5iq 14 днів тому

      Yessir little dicky I mean little Nicky stay strapped.also please put me on your life insurance 😂

    • @truthteller4442
      @truthteller4442 12 днів тому +5

      And health insurance.

    • @ashaliyahaguilar3875
      @ashaliyahaguilar3875 11 днів тому

      So be a part of the problem lol and BH is “ghetto” 🤣

  • @jakerirenef7034
    @jakerirenef7034 12 днів тому +13

    I live in MI. I know Benton Harbor. Ranks up there with Detroit and Flint.

    • @BastardX13
      @BastardX13 День тому +1

      Benton Harbor is as dangerous as anywhere here in Michigan.

    • @tedkiser6860
      @tedkiser6860 9 годин тому

      And muskegon heights

  • @ES-mc3cc
    @ES-mc3cc 12 днів тому +7

    Benton Harbor has been a mess for decades. I lived in St. Joseph (across the bridge) for about four years. St. Joe is beautiful. Then you cross the bridge.

  • @larrybuckner8619
    @larrybuckner8619 14 днів тому +96

    People get things confused. It’s not that we like watching these videos it’s that we can’t believe how many different places in the United States are like this. It’s really unbelievable how bad America really is but people want to put a good spin on it because there’s one or two places that are OK.

    • @Emmy-J
      @Emmy-J 14 днів тому +27

      But we have billions to send to other countries every frickin year while so many of us here live in squalor

    • @navyvet05
      @navyvet05 14 днів тому

      Not every place in the US is like this. I would say most of the US is doing just fine, but like everywhere else, its got its underdeveloped places. You’re just seeing all the bad and none of the good so it seems like most of the US is trash.

    • @larrybuckner8619
      @larrybuckner8619 14 днів тому +9

      @@Emmy-J EXACTLY!!!!

    • @loboblue5441
      @loboblue5441 14 днів тому +6

      Yes, you're right. It's shocking

    • @survivingthetimes
      @survivingthetimes 14 днів тому +4

      Yep. Even the once prosperous small city that I live in is slowly crumbling to the ground.

  • @gregryder9605
    @gregryder9605 14 днів тому +58

    We used to travel there to play football when I was in high school. Their fans vandalized our bus, threw rocks at our cheerleaders, and started a fire in the stands.

    • @damonmelendez856
      @damonmelendez856 14 днів тому +14

      Lmao good grief. At least you learned a lesson early in life.

    • @Truth_Spoken
      @Truth_Spoken 8 днів тому +2

      We had the same thing happen when we played in Beecher, which is just outside of Flint.

    • @gregryder9605
      @gregryder9605 8 днів тому +1

      @@Truth_Spoken yeah Flint ugh. I live near Muskegon Heights now. Another dumpster fire.

  • @stevenetram
    @stevenetram 13 днів тому +7

    Nick absolutely love your shows and something I've noticed in almost all of the places you've been, is that somewhere in the sky somewhere in one of your clips of every one of your trips that I've watched show chemtrails. I guess they're everywhere they're poisoning the s*** out of us like bugs.
    I'm 54 years old and I remember the sky is being much Bluer and clearer and clouds looking very different

  • @X-hoshaq-X
    @X-hoshaq-X 13 днів тому +6

    It was nice in the 40’s,and 50’s…wonder what changed

  • @decacards5250
    @decacards5250 14 днів тому +61

    One of my favorite comedians Sinbad is from Benton Harbor, he is recovering from a stroke, prayers for him.

    • @nancymead2879
      @nancymead2879 12 днів тому +4

      Say Lot's Prayers for our Friend Sinbad he's in a bad way right now🥰💙🙏🏻🙏🏻🫶

    • @funnyface2727
      @funnyface2727 11 днів тому +2

      Earnie Hudson is also from Benton Harbor.

    • @rjf.49047
      @rjf.49047 11 днів тому

      Met him once at the old Walgreens on Napier and pipestone late one Christmas morning.

    • @savvyroca
      @savvyroca 7 днів тому +1

      Both Earnie and Sinbad made it out! Also both served in the military.

  • @KendraAndTheLaw
    @KendraAndTheLaw 14 днів тому +18

    They're not up early. They're up late.

  • @sheridowsett9929
    @sheridowsett9929 13 днів тому +6

    So many beautiful houses left to waste. So sad. 😢

  • @Hoss351
    @Hoss351 День тому +4

    I live near Benton Harbor. It's actually 2 cities that touch Benton Harbor and Saint Joseph. The browns have destroyed Benton Harbor and the the whites have built St. Joe into a wonderful town.

    • @j50wells
      @j50wells 19 годин тому

      I know. You'd think people would learn. Okay, so blacks are the best athletes. Asians are the best at math. Whites are the best at building economies. Nothing wrong with admitting the truth.

  • @delwhylie4748
    @delwhylie4748 14 днів тому +34

    Can you imagine if all of our soldiers that died for this Country. Could only see us now!

  • @bobowrathsovine.
    @bobowrathsovine. 14 днів тому +108

    How can a kid make it past elementary school without knowing how to read? Let alone nearly every kid in the town

    • @damonmelendez856
      @damonmelendez856 14 днів тому +10

      A ‘keeeeed’ or a kid

    • @reubenj.cogburn8546
      @reubenj.cogburn8546 14 днів тому +1

      Because you can't get 15-year-old black males to go back to second grade.
      And second grade wouldn't want them either.

    • @TheBizziniss
      @TheBizziniss 14 днів тому +13

      You actually have to work at not learning to read in this country.

    • @Mel-ce2ry
      @Mel-ce2ry 14 днів тому

      Teachers, schools get reprimanded for failure so everything is falsified

    • @slee2819
      @slee2819 14 днів тому

      Reading is ray-cist, according to democrats.

  • @patriciatimmons2736
    @patriciatimmons2736 8 годин тому

    I enjoyed watching your segment on Benton Harbor MI. I live in Michigan but not anywhere near this town and was shocked at how bad it is. You're a good narrator and made it much more interesting. It really made me sad that there's towns like that not far away from where I live. Thanks again

  • @gregmoyers7757
    @gregmoyers7757 13 днів тому +10

    This makes me feel sad for Americans and America. Seeing what was once great in total ruins. And the contrast of the play ground for the elite.
    I am old. I started my young adult life when manufacturing was still done in America. If you didn't have a good paying job it is because you refuse every job offered you. Households had a working father and a mother that worked at home keeping the home a home, and of course the 2.8 kids which was the average. I think that kid that was the .8 grew up and became politicians.

    • @kaydod3190
      @kaydod3190 12 днів тому

      Don’t feel sad. This place doesn’t look that bad

    • @theboyisnotright6312
      @theboyisnotright6312 6 днів тому +2

      I'm 54 yo Air Force veteran. It breaks my heart 😢. Thank you rich and powerful people for shipping all those jobs over seas😡.

    • @rebeccadavis794
      @rebeccadavis794 5 днів тому

      ​@@theboyisnotright6312you know that they werent making enough.

  • @kybruce1
    @kybruce1 14 днів тому +50

    A few years ago on vacation we were driving to South Haven and took a wrong turn so thought we would check out BH. After driving a ways into town and past the abandoned schools and hospital. Was too scary so left right away. We grew up in Battle Creek and moved away from there in the mid 70's. We thought BC was bad, but today BC is so much better off than BH. You're pretty brave

    • @SwiftyMcVeigh851
      @SwiftyMcVeigh851 11 днів тому

      I'm still here, went to pennfield HS I don't run on the north side or anywhere around Battle Creek Central . I haven't looked up crime statistics, but the homeless population is growing. The City police and the County Sheriff's are not playing around here.

  • @KaramelKissez37
    @KaramelKissez37 14 днів тому +71

    At least one guy waved hello lol

    • @damonmelendez856
      @damonmelendez856 14 днів тому +17

      He’s the dealer

    • @NewHaven203
      @NewHaven203 14 днів тому

      He was trying to flag down Nick to sell him some crack

    • @hutlazzz
      @hutlazzz 14 днів тому +4

      @@damonmelendez856 😂😂😂

  • @squarewheel142
    @squarewheel142 День тому

    I was an (office bound) auto extended warranty contract adjuster from 1991 to around 2019 and we had a lot of customers in Michigan with our warranties on their cars. We often had to send field adjusters out to inspect our covered vehicles and heard all kinds of stories from the inspectors, there were even situations where angry stray dog's sometimes attacked inspectors cars when they were out in the field around the "great recession" years. Never a dull moment. There may have a lot of folks out because it was only 70 Deg. outside in March.

  • @1776mikew
    @1776mikew 12 днів тому +51

    Your driving around in a Grand Wagoner in the hood and your wondering while people are looking at you? You might as well be driving a Lamborghini. Those Jeeps are expensive .

    • @1776mikew
      @1776mikew 12 днів тому +4

      Grand Wagoneer L, it will set you back $94,445. At the top of the Grand Wagoneer's six trim levels is the Grand Wagoneer L Series III Obsidian at $115,640

    • @kirbyourenthusiasm
      @kirbyourenthusiasm 9 днів тому +7

      That is EXACTLY what I said. You don’t drive a $90,000+ car as a white man in a majority black neighborhood in one of the poorest places in the state. That’s just foolish.
      I live on the East side of Flint so I know bad neighborhoods.

    • @alexdavidson7785
      @alexdavidson7785 8 днів тому +4

      Jeeps SUCK

    • @AMoneyVideo
      @AMoneyVideo 7 днів тому

      This stellantis fiat is nowhere close to a Lambo lol. Unless you mean they are now both not American 😂

    • @snickersberet4792
      @snickersberet4792 7 днів тому

      Hell take a closer look they live like sewer rats but they b driving 300s and land rovers...

  • @jrlove1815
    @jrlove1815 14 днів тому +87

    This is the saddest thing I've seen in a while. We the people have been destroyed by the very people that we put in office to make things good for the entire country. Half, or near half is cool with it, because they believe that "The Party" cares.

    • @helloimclaudio
      @helloimclaudio 14 днів тому +23

      Agreed, it’s even more troublesome when the people elected to be president aren’t the ones truly running things. Who knows what goes on behind closed doors.

    • @313barrygmail
      @313barrygmail 14 днів тому

      No, these people do it to themselves

    • @jrlove1815
      @jrlove1815 14 днів тому +2

      @@helloimclaudio You are right

    • @bigscores7237
      @bigscores7237 14 днів тому +1

      This is the kind of confusion that results from near total ignorance of "genetic ancestry groups".

    • @bigscores7237
      @bigscores7237 14 днів тому

      Zhutube censorship is on full steam. Yes, you're right. Except all of these Benton Harlem residents seem to share common traits that seem to correlate strongly with poor outcomes.

  • @haweater1555
    @haweater1555 14 днів тому +21

    To me, from the magazines i read in the 70s 80s, Benton Harbor was synomous with Heathkit, maker of electronics hobbyist kits for HAM radio, computers, etc. They shut down in the 90s but the revived company is now based in North Dakota.

    • @jerrymiller8313
      @jerrymiller8313 14 днів тому +3

      main Heathkit factory was in St Joe

    • @haweater1555
      @haweater1555 13 днів тому +1

      @@jerrymiller8313 Since the location of Heath was the only thing I knew about BH, this video was shockingly different from what I had in mind. No talented engineer would want to live here.

    • @PeterRabbit70
      @PeterRabbit70 12 днів тому +2

      I built two stereos from Heathkit in 1967-69. Great products. Quality sound. The manuals taught you all you needed. I'm in TN. I still have the catalogs.

  • @alansewell7810
    @alansewell7810 12 днів тому +5

    Those 70 degree days in early spring are still ugly with the leaves off the trees. The landscape is barren in the southern part of the lake as well. You don't start to see an attractive landscape in Western Michigan until you get about 100 miles north of the Indiana line in Michigan, around Ludington. The land is beautiful from there northward. You get free of the urban blight area after you pass north of Muskegon. Also, the first 70-degree days in late March give you a false sense of security in Michigan. You think spring has arrived, but it doesn't arrive in force until middle of May. I experienced a blizzard on Mother's Day in 2012 near Traverse City and have seen snow coating the ground in the first week of October.

  • @planojag595
    @planojag595 16 годин тому

    Glad you made it out unscathed Nick. Keep yourself safe Bro!

  • @golfinghuntingtonbeach4493
    @golfinghuntingtonbeach4493 14 днів тому +18

    Your awesome / We love these videos and your comment "don't pretend this isn't the crap you people like to look at for 30 minutes" Was spot on exactly the reason we watch , we can't believe that these places exist.
    TY Great Job!

  • @casualwater698
    @casualwater698 13 днів тому +11

    Another example of American corporations closing up factories. This was the home of Whirlpool.

    • @NickJohnson
      @NickJohnson  13 днів тому

      Still is

    • @casualwater698
      @casualwater698 13 днів тому +2

      @@NickJohnson The factory closed.

    • @googleuser868
      @googleuser868 8 днів тому

      Wasn't Jean Klock park and gulf course upgraded for whirlpool elites?

    • @dirkcook1912
      @dirkcook1912 7 днів тому

      It still is!! There’s Whirlpool buildings and factories all over St. Joe and BH! They just built a huge building in St. Joe! Everytime I turn around Whirlpool is putting up another building.

    • @casualwater698
      @casualwater698 7 днів тому

      @@dirkcook1912 Their website doesn't actually list any manufacturing plants in St. Joe or Benton Harbor. Good to know they're building them again.

  • @philipwalker8045
    @philipwalker8045 13 днів тому +12

    Nick, BH has gone to hell in a hand basket! 20 years from now this place will probably become a Chinese military base…

  • @centuriahartfield8267
    @centuriahartfield8267 13 днів тому +9

    People live here, they grow up here, we graduated from Benton harbor high school, we have friends & family and memories here. It is nasty that you would go through this community and scold our homes, our neighborhood, the only thing we have. You don’t understand us, or our city. So stay away if you’re going to belittle before help.

    • @sandradavis9422
      @sandradavis9422 6 днів тому +1

      I agree, I don't live there but michigan is a beautiful state in spite of our economic downfalls. Going around talking shit is bs. Michigan is doing things to remedy our problems, it all takes time. ❤

  • @damerochelle4014
    @damerochelle4014 13 днів тому +7

    Greetings Nick, Amazing raw footage! Your journeys give me insight into the real America that we live in. It makes me appreciate where I live. I just hope that the states have a plan for urban renewal and future plans to rebuild and revitalize the bad areas that we see. Thank you for doing these vlogs, stay safe and have fun too.

  • @mellowmoods8393
    @mellowmoods8393 13 днів тому +71

    Dude, Nick. The danger you put yourself in to bring us first class content cannot be overstated!

    • @MrDevinp74
      @MrDevinp74 12 днів тому +8

      He didn’t put hisself in danger he just scary as hell stop falling for his agenda to make city look bad with showing the whole city it’s good and parts to every city

    • @Knarkfist
      @Knarkfist 11 днів тому +3

      Hisself 😂😂😂

    • @mellowmoods8393
      @mellowmoods8393 11 днів тому +9

      @@MrDevinp74 Yeah, I'm sure Benton Harbor and all those black dudes throwing gang signs and riding around on bikes staring at him driving by are REALLY just misunderstood, and that it's really a beautiful town. ;)

    • @dirkcook1912
      @dirkcook1912 7 днів тому

      First class content? You gotta be joking. More like the crappiest video ever of a dude with nothing better to do than be a POS and sh$$ talk a city he’s been to once.

    • @AMoneyVideo
      @AMoneyVideo 7 днів тому +2

      ​@@mellowmoods8393What planet are you on that people minding their business riding bicycles are dangerous lol 😂😂😂

  • @RichardAddison
    @RichardAddison 5 днів тому

    Thank you, Nick. Well done.

  • @Elska2
    @Elska2 13 днів тому +5

    Driving a fancy White Jeep Grand Wagoneer through a place where people make 10k a year and prone to violence is a great way to get attention! 😂

  • @danadowning2065
    @danadowning2065 14 днів тому +35

    I've watched A LOT of NJ's videos. I don't think I've ever heard Nick sound this concerned for his safety..
    Wow...

    • @ressljs
      @ressljs 14 днів тому +4

      I've never seen any of his videos where he was somewhere so awful. I couldn't believe how bad this place is!

    • @noneyabeeswax3200
      @noneyabeeswax3200 14 днів тому +3

      I saw him wander into a homeless camp that was sketchy ah and he had no safety concerns BH must be real bad

    • @alexkirchoff621
      @alexkirchoff621 13 днів тому +1

      He is just spreading ignorance. I live here and it's not that bad and the people don't bother anyone.

    • @twizzy585ful
      @twizzy585ful 11 днів тому

      ​@@alexkirchoff621agreed he plays into his audience....just read the comment section it tells all

  • @artlife6210
    @artlife6210 14 днів тому +141

    once they figure out the cops dont patrol in the morning they come out like gnats from a sweat soaked towel

    • @user-ie1tz5rm8x
      @user-ie1tz5rm8x 14 днів тому +2

      Perhaps no heat...warm in the sun...walk round all night ,sleep in the warm daze

    • @artlife6210
      @artlife6210 14 днів тому

      @@user-ie1tz5rm8x could be

    • @petergrewe6923
      @petergrewe6923 14 днів тому +1

      Sounds about right actually

    • @user-ob3kn6lk6b
      @user-ob3kn6lk6b 14 днів тому +1

      Uggh!

    • @richardalvarez2390
      @richardalvarez2390 14 днів тому +4

      Forbes just called Omaha as the best city to move to in 2024, Omaha got #1 with a perfect 100 score. The second city is Raleigh ,NC with a distant score Of 83. Omaha is run by a MAGA Mayor Jean Stothert since 2013 and the Nebraska Gov is MAGA too. Our mayor backs the blue and has increased the pay of police. Trust me, we are not moved in the wrong people to move into Omaha, Omaha has plenty of filters to only let family oriented people in.

  • @azdrifter3968
    @azdrifter3968 3 дні тому +1

    I live in one of the fastest growing areas of one of the fastest growing cities in America here in far north Phoenix. It's a trip to see these places. Empty, falling apart, everything gone job wise. Everything I see is brand new, whole neighborhoods and plazas popping up everywhere, people everywhere, with every place around hiring. I don't care if all I had was a mountain bike, a big backpack full of supplies, and a foodstamp card, I would be riding to the next town or city with jobs and opportunities, regardless how far it is. I left a small town with high poverty and little opportunities at 19 to come here with just my car and some clothes and a few hundred bucks. I'm 42 now.

  • @user-dd7ws9op9l
    @user-dd7ws9op9l 12 днів тому +1

    Much respect for your honest opinions, truth hurts only those that do not live by it 💯

  • @christianc6941
    @christianc6941 14 днів тому +37

    They probably think you're an undercover cop patrolling their neighborhood LOL!!

  • @hotstankygarbage788
    @hotstankygarbage788 14 днів тому +30

    Benton Harbor I can't describe unless you've been there. One street could be on par with Gary and the next could be a quiet suburb, and another in the country. Downtown is a mix of ghetto and places bought by people from Chicago who turned it into a boomers paradise. Downtown also has the PGA golf course which is crazy to see when the tour comes through. Also, when you cross the bridge into St Joe it's night and day. St Joe is mostly white and wealthy beach loving boomers.
    Benton Harbor is spaced out like a checkerboard. You'll get a block of projects, then multi million dollar houses, then a few more blocks middle of nowhere country roads.
    Definitely bad, but not as bad as Gary or Chicago. To all who are ever in SW Michigan, just go to St Joe, they've got Silver Beach. You're not missing out on much.

  • @JuaneDosesII-wj6dd
    @JuaneDosesII-wj6dd 12 днів тому +3

    Awesome job!!! Be safe!!

  • @Jeannified
    @Jeannified 13 днів тому +5

    Great video, Nick! Glad you got to take this trip. Even though there are a lot of problem areas, there are nice ones too. Glad you show us both. Looking forward to your Hawaii videos!

  • @LovelyBreakingWaves-gu2cv
    @LovelyBreakingWaves-gu2cv 14 днів тому +36

    Nick Johnson is my favorite ! He cracks me up !😃

  • @Jasonronsteinberger
    @Jasonronsteinberger 14 днів тому +4

    You bring me content I love thank you!

  • @occamsrazor4370
    @occamsrazor4370 12 днів тому +5

    You should have stopped in Muskegon Heights. It’s 90 minutes north of Benton Harbor. I would take the” Pepsi Challenge” that the Heights is way worse then Benton Harbor. You could have seen Grand Haven too where I live. Celebrities live here, it’s a tourist trap.

  • @kathleenmetcalf6767
    @kathleenmetcalf6767 3 дні тому

    I like watching your videos because it gives me an HONEST look at our cities and towns - not all bad - but a lot is - the politicians like to sugar coat the bad things that are happening in our own backyard - you don’t - and I appreciate that.

  • @caseybray4321
    @caseybray4321 14 днів тому +6

    Absolutely amazing video Great job, glad you're safe.

  • @AlexJacksonTempleSounds
    @AlexJacksonTempleSounds 14 днів тому +26

    It's gone beyond politics. I didn't realise literacy levels could be so low in a 1st world country. This town looks post apocalyptic.

  • @atcdiddly
    @atcdiddly 12 днів тому +14

    The legacy of Lyndon Johnson.

  • @knightclassic1
    @knightclassic1 2 дні тому

    I'm a Rideshare Driver from Chicago and occasionally around Midwest. And been driving around Chicago for last 6 years, never gotten physical assaulted from riders until I got one incident at Benton Harbor at 2021 where I got followed and threatened, feared for my life that I had to get Berrien County Sheriff involved and filed police report, DO NOT Drive Rideshare or do deliveries at Benton Harbor.

  • @bryanalbrecht4195
    @bryanalbrecht4195 13 днів тому +6

    Wow! Great video Nick! I had to get gas in Benton Harbor once and never again! Just a bit too sketchy for my taste. I was heading to St.Josephs. Was like a a different world all together! Glad you’re safe and ready for new adventures! Thanks again for the great content!

  • @WildManActual
    @WildManActual 14 днів тому +71

    That hood is ACTIVE.

  • @boomr334
    @boomr334 16 годин тому

    I live in Africa. Your channel reminds me that everything passes

  • @lauraduffy6177
    @lauraduffy6177 13 днів тому

    I watch all your videos Nick positive or negative info. ❤

  • @daniel385
    @daniel385 14 днів тому +20

    I'm crossing this off my list of potential retirement places.

  • @MrJPackerFan
    @MrJPackerFan 14 днів тому +9

    A buddy and I drove through there on a whim over 30 years ago, and it was like driving through a war zone then. Looks like it's a lot worse now.

  • @forestlawrencegrading9154
    @forestlawrencegrading9154 13 днів тому +1

    I grew up in Michigan as a kid it was a wonderful place back then in the 70s then the wonderful era of Jimmy Carter

  • @conniewieck6158
    @conniewieck6158 12 днів тому +1

    I don't like watching these kinds of videos, nope not me. I like things peaceful, filled with good people, no violence, etc. Yes I finally get to go to Hawaii. That's the only way I'll get there, is to watch it thru you. I hope you find good peaceful areas there with loving people. I'm glad you came out of that town in one piece, I was scared for you. Places like that scare me, I want peace and people that are good and loving. I'm 69 live in Mintgomery IA. Wish use yo be that way now its going the other way and it scares me. We just had a shooting here the beginning if the week, we now have homeless living in junkyard, stealing things out of a building, but someone seen them and called law so now they are in jail. So my nice peaceful town I have lived in for 46 years raised my 2 wonderful sons here with no problems, I knew where they were and knew who they played with. Take care and have a safe trip.

  • @DoomieGruntVentures
    @DoomieGruntVentures 14 днів тому +66

    I did a video on that mall, and I got a long winded textwall about how I was a horrible person for calling Benton Harbor grim, how there are great people in Benton Harbor, and how I should do better.
    If there are great people there, they got a lot of work to do. Benton Harbor looks like the set of Hobo With a Shotgun.

  • @bonesandbells
    @bonesandbells 14 днів тому +19

    Don't think I've seen proficiencies under 5% even in the bad schools in Texas. The local Pflugerville ISD middle school is terrible and has really high property taxes, but it's at 14%. Leander and Round Rock have schools with 70%+.

  • @TheGuitologist
    @TheGuitologist 13 днів тому +13

    Hahaha…sanctuary city. Brilliant idea. That’ll turn things around.

  • @reneenelsen7416
    @reneenelsen7416 12 днів тому

    Thank you for sharing your content, much appreciated 👍 Sending virtual Granny hug's and prayers to everyone ☺️💕

  • @btetschner
    @btetschner 14 днів тому +8

    A+ video!
    Awesome tour and overview of Benton Harbor, very thought-provoking!

  • @bluesingincat
    @bluesingincat 13 днів тому +4

    We like seeing these videos because you are very entertaining.
    For the same reason we like true crime docs.
    Because until these places are exposed, most of us are clueless about places where people are actually suffering.

  • @munsters2
    @munsters2 12 днів тому +4

    Thanks for risking your life to bring us this video. People like seeing the bad side because it is so foreign, so strange and so unusual for most people that it is similar to seeing a one of a kind tourist attraction.

  • @StarvedForTruth
    @StarvedForTruth 9 днів тому +2

    My old hood in Detroit is probably worse than that, but yeah thats pretty bad. Herman Gardens, Brightmore, Little Saigon in Inkster, and Southwest Detroit are pretty ruff. Peace.

  • @12wingwfetech
    @12wingwfetech 14 днів тому +38

    Mercedes sitting in the driveway of a dump

    • @spencercorby4571
      @spencercorby4571 12 днів тому +3

      Probably the dealer

    • @twizzy585ful
      @twizzy585ful 11 днів тому +6

      No different than hellcats in trash mobile parks

    • @spencercorby4571
      @spencercorby4571 11 днів тому +5

      @@twizzy585ful and the only thing higher than the drug user is the APR on the hellcat lol

    • @kirbyourenthusiasm
      @kirbyourenthusiasm 9 днів тому +1

      That’s super common. They drive a really expensive car and live in a $2000 house. Bet they wash their car every Saturday night too.

    • @andyvega5584
      @andyvega5584 9 днів тому +2

      Priorities 😂😂 are the rims spinning

  • @chunt4694
    @chunt4694 13 днів тому +5

    Must be pretty scary, when you run stop signs and red lights to avoid being a victim!!

  • @southernpolock
    @southernpolock 13 днів тому

    Grew up close to Benton Harbor in Dowagiac Michigan. My mom told me one time Benton Harbor was a beautiful city then said, "Stay away from there, lol. My wife was born in Mercy Hospital there in 75. Afrer growing up and becoming a big boy i lived in Stevensville MI 10 minutes from St Joe loved going over there would cross the bridge over to Benton Harbor to eat at Larks BBQ and jet back over the bridge. Thank you for making a stop in Benton Harbor it sure is an eye opener glade iv moved south!!!! They can keep the snow

  • @scotthayes9751
    @scotthayes9751 12 днів тому +1

    This worries me. It's very sad to see when people lose hope.

  • @btetschner
    @btetschner 14 днів тому +15

    x 0:01 Be careful of group of people that try to stand in the middle of the street to stop you!
    x 5:45 Madonna was raised in the Detriot suburbs of Pontiac and Avon Township.
    x 16:08 That is one wild-looking tree in front of that house!
    x 24:11 That's a cool building.
    Neat that Whirlpool headquarters is there!

  • @hughjhardon8080
    @hughjhardon8080 14 днів тому +27

    Benton Harlem. Been that way for years.

  • @timmys10againtoysandmore
    @timmys10againtoysandmore 4 дні тому

    i grew up in Lynn, Mass. and hung out in abandoned buildings and went through burnt out houses as a teen and thought it was bad out there. it is not compared to what i have seen on your channel. i watch the ghetto videos because it reminds me how grateful i should be where i live now.