Christmas in DETROIT - Page 2

xzmattzx · #21 Posted **Dec 31, 2010, 4:40 AM**

Great pictures! If I remember correctly, this is your first Detroit thread. Detroit has a ton of great older highrises; it's not a place that I'd like to live, but I'd like to walk around and see it some time.

Chef · #22 Posted **Dec 31, 2010, 4:55 AM**

Sometimes I have this urge to move to Detroit. It would probably be a terrible decision in most respects but it is a fantastic muse. It reminds me of home.

LMich · #23 Posted **Dec 31, 2010, 7:43 AM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evergrey

a haunting tour of Downtown Detroit's beautiful silent buildings

Little know fact, the building in the foreground is home to one of the last (and ever much active) existing Jewish congregations in the city proper: The Isaac Agree Downtown Synagogue. I think they are a Conservative congregation, but I'm not 100% sure.

Here's a recent article on the place, in fact.

Quote:

Cantor Roger Skully, left, Courtney Smith, Harry Reisig and president Martin Herman, 81, all of Detroit, were instrumental in the synagogue's revitalization.

The synagogue was established in 1921 and has been on Griswold since 1962.

Paradox21 · #24 Posted **Dec 31, 2010, 7:45 AM**

Excellent work! This might be the best downtown Detroit series I've ever seen on this forum.

Sekkle · #25 Posted **Dec 31, 2010, 6:20 PM**

Awesome set flar! Made my morning

ls1z28chris · #26 Posted **Dec 31, 2010, 7:55 PM**

Detroit is a beautiful city, much more so than it gets credit for. Great work.

jowens · #27 Posted **Jan 1, 2011, 12:34 AM**

As long as the buildings continue to stand, I have hope!

What an urban treasure chest!

flar · #28 Posted **Jan 1, 2011, 3:17 PM**

Thanks for the informative comments Hayward and LMich.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steely Dan

and as others have mentioned, detroit's prewar sksyscraper stock really is amazing. in fact, after the the two biggies (NYC & chicago), i'm guesing that detroit might be no. 3 globally in terms of prewar highrises, both quantity & quality.

I kept thinking that while I was walking around.

Quote:

Originally Posted by jfre81

Great stuff. A Detroit thread that doesn't set out to be a grit/ruins fest but it shows it for what it is. Downtown Detroit is an amazing display of architecture.

That's what I was trying for, to show the great architectural heritage of Downtown Detroit.

Quote:

Originally Posted by harryc

Any thread that starts with Gil Scott Heron is going to be good - this one lived up to it.

The song's about the Fermi nuclear accident, but the chorus applies and it was running through my head as I took the photos.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kingofthehill

As real and as hard as they come. No pics of Corktown, though?

I can't bear to go over there since Tiger Stadium is gone...No, I stayed within the downtown area, which is boxed in by freeways. I didn't get a good shot from the Ren Cen either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by xzmattzx

Great pictures! If I remember correctly, this is your first Detroit thread. Detroit has a ton of great older highrises; it's not a place that I'd like to live, but I'd like to walk around and see it some time.

I've posted Detroit skyline photos before, but no tours. I used to go to Detroit quite a bit as a kid, but I've only been there a couple times since I moved away from the area in 1994.

Detroit is an extremely fascinating city and I'd love to explore more of it. It's really hard to believe how far Detroit has fallen, but it is (was) such a big city it still has a lot left. It's so sad to see the abandonment and empty lots, particularly in the residential neighbourhoods, to think of all the people whose old neighbourhoods are gone. I'd give almost anything to see Detroit in the 50's before the freeways were built. The number of homes and buildings demolished is simply staggering, and not confined to a few streets. It's literally hundreds and hundreds of blocks. Yet, there is still a city struggling to better itself despite the myriad problems that have intersected to put it in the situation it's in.

TinChelseaNYC · #29 Posted **Jan 1, 2011, 4:58 PM**

Damn fine thread! What's happening with the Book Tower? Anything? What a beautiful city.

marcus · #30 Posted **Jan 1, 2011, 7:14 PM**

What an incredible environment, full of such solid structures and elegance.

Rizzo · #31 Posted **Jan 1, 2011, 7:59 PM**

Quote:

Originally Posted by TinChelseaNYC

Damn fine thread! What's happening with the Book Tower? Anything? What a beautiful city.

Conversion to apartment rentals

Photo of the original plans for Book Tower...the great depression only gave us the short tower instead of the 100 story one

Source: Allposters.com

Expat · #32 Posted **Jan 2, 2011, 2:18 AM**

Fascinating. They used to say "What is good for GM is good for America". It makes me think of how great it would be for our entire nation to see this great city brought back to prominence. The decline is such a visible wound & the rebirth would an example to all of our struggling cities. "What is good for Detroit would be good for America".

Dr Awesomesauce · #33 Posted **Jan 2, 2011, 8:07 AM**

In its day it must have been one hell of a city. I've only been once - to see a Tigers game - and I was both unnerved and impressed with what I saw.

tallboy66 · #34 Posted **Jan 2, 2011, 5:55 PM**

Fantastic and depressing at the same time.

subterranean · #35 Posted **Jan 3, 2011, 8:12 PM**

That made me dizzy. Hope you took a car.

LSyd · #36 Posted **Jan 4, 2011, 2:34 AM**

oh hell yeah. makes me want to seriously go visit.

the observation deck shots especially give me a boner.

-

STLgasm · #37 Posted **Jan 4, 2011, 2:48 AM**

Amazing. Detroit is incredible.

entheosfog · #38 Posted **Jan 4, 2011, 3:40 AM**

Holy crap, amazing set!

BnaBreaker · #39 Posted **Jan 4, 2011, 4:32 AM**

Look at all those abandoned swimming pools!

Seriously...great stuff.

philvia · #40 Posted **Jan 4, 2011, 4:50 AM**

wow, i never knew downtown detroit was so beautiful! even in it's currently poor condition, i'm totally impressed. it would be amazing if this city could turn around.