Does Detroit Belong to Suburbanites, too?

Dearborn has a confused relationship with Detroit. Sharing much of the city's border, there are both reasons to celebrate and be wary of Dearborn's closeness to the city.

But does Detroit belong to suburbanites as much as it does Detroiters?

Dearborn resident Julie Altesleban argued that it does in a recent opinion piece for the Detroit News. Altesleban, a Garden City native who has lived in Dearborn for years, has also often worked in Detroit, and has no problem professing her love for the city.

"What ticks me off ... is when the townie hipsters act like commuters like myself aren't Detroit enough for them or the city," she writes in the News, adding that those who judge subrbanites for loving Detroit are just as bad as suburbanites who judge the city itself.

Dearborn residents often point their fingers east to Detroit when discussing the city's crime rates.

Property crimes, one Patch user commented on a recent crime report, "are mostly in the north eastern neighborhoods within a few blocks or less of Detroit. If that is where the crime is occurring most, that’s where more patrols and police presence is needed."

Conversely, Dearborn hotels celebrate their convenient closeness to all the city's attractions—Comerica Park, Ford Field, the casinos, the arts.

In fact, three Dearborn hotels recently won top honors from the U.S. News & World Report for being some of the best hotels in the state. The high ratings, in part, were due to their closeness to downtown attractions.

"Guests frequently praise the hotel's prime setting, characterizing it as both safe and convenient to downtown Detroit," the magazine wrote in its description of The Henry Hotel, which was named the best hotel in Michigan for 2013.

Is Dearborn lucky to be so close to Detroit—and should suburban residents celebrate the city?

As Altesleban puts it, "Detroit is a gorgeous, amazing city. It's big enough for all of us to share."