Detroit has Died, but it hasn't fallen over yet

Hugh R · 07-19-2010, 03:21 PM

Sad, I'm here in Detroit for one of my TV shows. You've probably seen pictures of how far Detroit has fallen. It's true. According to my local Location Manager for the show (I didn't verify this, but it seems true; in 1980 the City had over 3 million residents, now it has about 750K. There are blocks of empty houses that have been stripped of their plumbing and wiring, rendering them worthless. Many houses have been bulldozed down leaving 3 or 4 houses on a block that used to have 30 houses. Driving down Grand River Ave, which apparently used to be a very busy business I swear I drove by a few miles of abandoned storefronts. Henry Ford would be very sad.

In the picture below the "field" that you see is where houses used to be.

Every house in the picture above is abandoned.

I think the last one below sums up Detroit.

pwd72s · 03:32 PM

Of the 750,000 who remain...I wonder what %age is living on the dole? Pretty sad...

Have you cruised Woodward yet?

wcc · 07-19-2010, 03:30 PM

No burning cars? LOL! Seriously last time I was in Detroit (Downtown) I saw one. Well, maybe two but I couldn't tell if the other one was a dumpster or not. To many people and trucks around to get close. Yup, pretty sad. Won't be long and people will be farming it and the roads will be gravel.

Other than that did you enjoy your trip here? I thought about driving down one night but a weekday is a little hard with all the kids activities and stuff going on. Maybe I'll catch ya next time.

McLovin · 07-19-2010, 03:31 PM

I think someone should put together a tour package of "abandoned Detroit." I find it fascinating, a huge modern day ghost town.

If you youtube "abandoned detroit" or similar phrases, there are some incredible videos. I didn't think things like that exist, or even could exist, in modern America.

There are rows and rows of completely abandoned downtown skyscrapers shown. Huge buildings. All the windows on the lower floor blown out so you can see right through. What's weird is that it looks like a bomb hit the city and everyone ran out, leaving everything behind. Tons of papers, turned over desks and other furniture, people's pictures that used to be on their desks, calendars, even an old broken down piano in one (I guess no one could carry it down 30 floors).

Very eerie and sad.

McLovin · 07-19-2010, 03:35 PM

Here's just one quick example, there are lots others.

McLovin · 07-19-2010, 03:37 PM

Another. It's like a war zone.

Racerbvd · Racerbvd's Garage

Very sad, but this is what you get from a certain style of politics

And not being happy destroying their own cities & states, they now have their eyes on doing this to the rest of the country

McLovin · 07-19-2010, 03:42 PM

If someone does put together tours, may want to not hire these security guards!

m21sniper · 07-19-2010, 03:55 PM

Parts of Philly are like that, tons or torn down and boarded up rowhouses, leaving just 3-4 standing buildings per block, but it's nowhere near as ghostlike as detroit, based on all that i've read.

The whole idea of an abandoned skyscraper is amazing to me. Maybe i should move there and claim one for myself. That would be just a little cooler then living in an old firehouse, lol.

BRPORSCHE · 07-19-2010, 03:56 PM

Reminds me of Camden and New Orleans 9th ward.

URY914 · URY914's Garage

Looks the the movie, "The Omega Man".

Tim Hancock · 07-19-2010, 04:31 PM

Several us us from near cities in the midwest posted about how bad it is yet several westcoasters seemed to disagree. Thanks for posting the pics Hugh as proof.

Hugh R · 05:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wcc

Other than that did you enjoy your trip here? I thought about driving down one night but a weekday is a little hard with all the kids activities and stuff going on. Maybe I'll catch ya next time.

Actually I have enjoyed it, not too hot, not very muggy. Went out to Ann Arbor to have lunch with John70T and Kachi and they gave me a tour of the city. Very nice, very clean. About 45 miles East of Detroit.

In Detroit, now that you mention it, I didn't see any abandoned or burned cars, but I haven't driven the whole city. The streets are actually pretty litter free, which is surprising.

Can you imagine starting with GM 30 years ago, taking out a mortgage and when you're ready to retire your home is worth nothing cause it's surrounded by burned out houses? All that principal and interest for 30 years and now you've got nothing to show for it.

flatbutt · 07-19-2010, 04:57 PM

maybe the silver lining would be to buy everything you can with TARP money, bulldoze it, then build some small manufacturing ops like filling ,secondary packaging and re-packaging.

Tim Hancock · 07-19-2010, 04:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Actually I have enjoyed it, not too hot, not very muggy. Went out to Ann Arbor to have lunch with John70T and Kachi and they gave me a tour of the city. Very nice, very clean. About 45 miles East of Detroit.

In Detroit, now that you mention it, I didn't see any abandoned or burned cars, but I haven't driven the whole city. The streets are actually pretty litter free, which is surprising.

Can you imagine starting with GM 30 years ago, taking out a mortgage and when you're ready to retire your home is worth nothing cause it's surrounded by burned out houses? All that principle and interest for 30 years and now you've got nothing to show for it.

Ann Arbor is west of Detroit

I would tell you to keep driving and you will find all the trash and potholed roads, but I don't want to you to find yourself in a bad spot so don't.

Hugh R · 07-19-2010, 05:08 PM

Uh, yeah, West. When you live in LA, everything is East of you.

Cdnone1 · 07-19-2010, 05:24 PM

I have a Artist/welder friend that the city of Detroit is giving a 4000 sq. ft. warehouse to for a dollar a year if he will live and work out of it full time. He is actually paying no rent, the dollar is for property taxes.
If he lives in the building full time for ten years it is his, free of cost and property taxes will be $100 a year.
The city is trying desperately to keep some building occupied and some people in the area.
He doesn't have kids, can take care of himself and is a really weird dude so I guess it's working for him. From the stories he tells me I'm not even going to visit him.

Steve

McLovin · 07-19-2010, 05:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hugh R

Actually I have enjoyed it, not too hot, not very muggy. .

Looks like after dark it can get quite muggy there. A little stabby too.

kach22i · kach22i's Garage

Hugh, a drive down Woodward Ave. would not be so bad (as Grand River). Lots of new buildings, old buildings all freshened up.

That's just the main drag, but the same blight exists right behind the facade.

Talk of a new street trolley from Downtown Detroit up to Royal Oak, similar to what existed 60 years ago was cause for genuine hope until the Wall Street and the banks failed.

EDIT: and I think it was 2 million people in the late 1950's. Roger and Me (the movie) has even worse numbers mentioned for Flint, and that movie is how old now?

Hugh R · 06:17 PM

I asked the Concierge if it was safe to go out for a walk. He suggested that I walk around inside the hotel, after all, it's air conditioned, he pointed out.