In Detroit's distressed areas, the neighbors left, and now services disappear

The Detroit Free Press reports:

In the Davison Freeway and East McNichols area on Detroit's east side, Rosetta Newby knows the cost of living in a neighborhood marked by abandonment.

Her homeowners insurance is escalating, and no other company will insure her at an affordable rate, she said. Her bank turned her down for a loan for new windows and other improvements to her home of 44 years on Charest.

There's no grocery store near her, and few streetlights work. All that's left is a sprinkle of residents, shells of houses and vacant lots framed by crumbling sidewalks.

Living on Social Security, and at 75, Newby has few options.

"If I had the money, I'd move," Newby said.

To understand where so cities are headed: read this article.