Metro

ON

COVER

Fran and Tom Hildebrandt of Farmington Hills

Pho tos by Bre tt Mo u

and Sandy & Sue Birnholtz of Sylvan Lake talk

live via the Internet with family members in

Singapore.

How Far
Will They

As children move away from Metro
Detroit, parents are frustrated, resigned.

Shelli Liebman Dorfman
Senior Writer

said Jason's mom, Helen Garden of West
Bloomfield.
"After two years, he realized New York
ime was, kids grew up, got mar-
was not the right fit for him so he started
ried, moved around the corner,
to interview in other cities, including
had kids of their own.
Detroit, where he was offered a position.
Time now: kids grow up, get married
But he was offered a better one in Chicago,
(or not) and move to Chicago, the East or
and a year-and-a-half-ago he took it."
West coasts or even around the world.
Jason works as a wealth management
The frustration of not having their
associate at Goldman-Sachs. "It's a great job
children nearby repeatedly seeps into the
opportunity with a great company in an
conversations of parents of young adults.
economically growing city" his mom said.
Here, some local parents whose children
Garden's husband, Jeffrey, also under-
have moved from Metro Detroit
stands their son's choice.
weigh in on what took their kids
"He may be able to get a similar
away, how they feel about it, how
type job in Detroit, but the poten-
they cope and what it might take
tial for growth isn't here yet like it
to bring that next generation
is in Chicago," he said.
back home.
Jason's mom thinks his move is
the best one for him, both socially
Hire Me
and professionally. "But I wish he
Bradley G arden
At 25, Jason Garden has already
could have those things here," she
been in two of the major cities
said.
that lure Detroiters away.
"If he were in health care, there
"Right after graduating from
would be so many opportunities,
the University of Michigan
and I would have no qualms about
he had a job offer in Detroit,
him coming back here," Jeffrey
but didn't take it when he
Garden said.
was offered an opportunity in
That's good news for Jason's
Jason G arden
New York to work for a great
brother Bradley, a 23-year-old
firm that rarely hires new graduates,"
student at the Albert Einstein College of

How Far Will They Go? on page 10

March 31 . 2011

9

