Alter Rd - the edge of Detroit

If 8 Mile is the official border of Detroit then Alter Rd on the eastside must be the other edge. I am not sure there is any where in the city where the glaring difference between the suburbs and the city is so prevelant. I live one block off of Alter and I witness day in and day out the enormous disparity between the sides of the street. On the Detroit side you will find run down houses, empty buildings and crime. On the other side you will find rich Grosse Pointers in SUV's going to church at St. Ambrose in their green polo shirts. The difference is even more stifling when you view it from the water. As you approach Alter Rd. on the Detroit River you see two parks. The first is Angel Park on the Detroit side. An amazingly wasted piece of property that contains burnt out cars and more litter than some garbage dumps(although recently their have been some updates including a riverfront pier section). As you cross Alter via the river you come on to Windmill Pointe Park. A beautiful park with a pool, marina, recreation center, and anything else the little GP yuppies could dream up. The polarity that one views from the river is so dramatic it is typically only seen in cartoons. If the cartoon analogy doesn't work for you I have a real life description. Living on the border street our front yard is typically inhabited with playing children, ice cream trucks, and constant police presence. Our backyard has three abandoned houses that we throw rotten fruit at, an unidentified stench that only our dog can find....to roll in of course....and as far as I can tell ZERO police. I should probably close this post by explaining that I do enjoy living here. I find the duplicity amusing and education. Grosse Pointe Park is actually a decent place to live with lots of younger people and most importantly quality bars. If you are ever in the area I recommend hitting up the Tap Room and be aware of what side of the street you park on.