The Great Mistake Lurking in "Don’t Stop Believin’’

There's a South Detroit, just like there's a South [insert any city in the world]. It may not be a specific neighborhood that locals commonly refer to, but there's a "south" part of EVERY city. So I don't see what the big deal is.

I grew up in the city of Windsor, Ontario. I love that the article describes it as a hamlet. Since when did hamlets have populations in excess of 200,000?

Juxtaposeur,
Precisely, South Detroit is either Windsor, or it's in the river. I grew up in Southwest Detroit, which used to be Springwells long ago.

I try not to hear Journey lyrics, as a rule.

No Craig, there's a river there followed by a different country.

Where else can you go south from the US and arrive in Canada?

@Dug- looks like parts of Washington, near Buffalo, and possibly parts of Maine.

"Daddy was a cop, on the East Side of Chicago..."

Dug.. what? There is no different country south of Detroit.

Also, "south Detroit" doesn't mean "south of Detroit", it means "The southern part of Detroit". There's a southern part of any city.

If it has a north then it has a south. If it has a east then it has a west. If it can have a southwest it can have a northeast. I agree with Craig. Not sure what Dug is talking about.

Personally, I've stopped believing a long time ago. So this song is all kinds of nonsense.

Are any of you from Detroit? We need to hear from someone who lives there.

I don't see why we need to hear from someone who lives there. The southernmost area of Detroit IS, for all intents and purposes, "South Detroit", even if the locals don't refer to it as such.

Also see Kim Barnes' "Kids of America" which features youth from er, "East California"!

More importantly, I'd like to hear about these midnight trains going "anywhere." Has NASA heard of this technology? Is there a flat rate or is the fare adjusted for distance traveled? Do we get to pick the destination or is it somehow randomized? Does it depart from any stations other than "small town" and "South Detroit?"

One ticket to Kepler 22-B, please. And I'd like some headphones for the movie that never ends.

@smarts - Yes, there IS a different country south of Detroit. The juxtoposition of the city is such that Windsor, Ontario is directly south of Detroit. If I'm not mistaken, that would be Canada...a different country.

I work for a global company that is headquartered in downtown Detroit. The downtown area is geographically the southern part of the city. So the only way someone could be born and raised in south Detroit would be if they lived in a hotel like the Renaissance Center. Otherwise, there aren't any residential areas in the downtown section.

Indeed concept of "south Detroit" has always been illogical to anyone who lives in the area. It's a great song but a cringe worthy line to the ears of a Detroiter.

I think there are two reasons for this. One: the southern most part of the city is mostly industrial and commercial buildings and not a very popular place to live. Two: all the main "north/south" streets converge downtown at angles from the northwest or northeast. From there if you want to go further south but stay in the U.S. you have to go southwest along the river which leads you out of city, so you never really feel like you are in the sourthern most part of Detroit as it is oriented at an angle along the river.

cute article! but to you commentors:

itsjustafackingsong!

thank you...

Detroit: the linear city... or perhaps, "RowTown" has a nice ring to it. Quick perusal with Google street view shows residences, cars, people, lots of room for kids to play ball in vacant lots in south(western) part of Detroit.

I always thought the local term "Down River" was basically south Detroit: Allen Park and Lincoln Park, mainly (both are suburbs).

@Natey - I think I love you. LOL.

@smarts -- there are *lots* of different countries south of Detroit -- parts of Central America are directly south of Detroit and all of South America and Mexico are south of Detroit.

Not to mention that little part of Canada.

Um, so Detroit has no south? It just has an imaginary line running east and west from downtown, and nothing exists below that?

Nevermind, I looked at a map. There is no south Detroit.

Miss Cellania,

Even when you made your comment, there were several Detroiters who'd made comments.

To the rest of you,

Everyone who does not live there and insists that there must be a South to Detroit, logically, is being willfully ignorant, and there is no reply to that kind of irrational stubbornness. Go to Detroit, book a hotel in South Detroit, and have a wonderful time. Underwater, or in Windsor. Preferably in November. With an endless loop of Journey on your ipod.

@mrclam I think the song you are referring to would be Kids IN America by Kim WILDE. If you're going to refer to mistakes then it would be a good idea if you didn't make quite so many yourself.

Oh and are you trying to claim that there is no east to California?

I was thinking, how is it possible that a place doesn't have a south side? Then I remembered, Craggy Island doesn't have a west, it got washed away in a particularly bad storm

Thanks for bursting the bubble. Next you're going to tell me that Egyptians don't walk any differently than anybody else...?

I grew up in what the article calls 'Downriver' or what would be south of Detroit. (Wyandotte in da hizz-ouse)

Ahem, anyway..

The reason Detroit doesn't really have an area commonly referred to as south is that most of what is geographically the south section of Detroit is very much industrial...steel mills, shipping ports, and an area lovingly referred to as Zugg Island, stuff like that. It does sort of exist, but it's not a place to really be 'born and raised in'. And it's certainly not a place other detroit area people EVER refer to the way people did use the term 'east side', etc.

Now, I would say though, if said person *was* raised in South Detroit...say around Zugg Island...I would definitely think he *really* would be looking forward to taking the midnight train going an-e-where. So, well played there Journey.