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Detroit; her crubling past

Some of those pictures are pretty sad. Those buildings would have looked great in their glory. The Highland Park Police Station is very intriguing though. It's as if they just left and forgot to take their stuff with them.

This has been the most depressing week for the American automotive history.

Quote:

Originally Posted by HeilSvenska (Post 863820)

This has been the most depressing week for the American automotive history.

Ahem. the last 53 years of Automotive history.

Well. Yes. But as of this week, the chance of Detroit's revival seems impossible.

These are just so sad to see. What's the story on the police station that still has writing on a white board?

I also miss the old Willy's plant, even if that wasn't in Detroit.

and I take it you had to have a connection or two to get into some of these places.

^I did a quick Google search. The whiteboard relates to the investigation of a string of rape/murders of prostitutes by Benjamin Thomas Atkins. He killed 11 prostitutes.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 79TA (Post 863837)

Directly to the Packard plants; and indirectly to a few other buildings. One I ~think~ I posted earlier that my great-great grandfather built lettoss from Belle Isle, right next to what would later be Uniroyal's first production location. That building is in surprisingly "good" condition, and has been converted to Lofts. It used to be Iron and Brass fittings originally primarily for indoor plumbing pieces. As the Auto Industry boomed, he converted to becoming a parts supplier for the OEM's... I have letters personally signed by Henry Ford and the like celebrating my great great grandfather's birthday, and time in the industry...

(different side of the family than the Packards)

http://www.photolocker.net/images/Nt...thisview1s.jpg
http://www.photolocker.net/images/Nt...thisview2s.jpg
http://www.photolocker.net/images/Nt...thisview4s.jpg
http://www.photolocker.net/thumbs/Nt...thisview5s.jpg
http://www.photolocker.net/images/Nt...thisview6s.jpg
http://www.photolocker.net/images/Nt...thisview7s.jpg

Uniroyal Tire
http://www.photolocker.net/images/Nt...thisview3s.jpg
http://www.photolocker.net/images/Nt...thisview8s.jpg

Beautiful yet sad pics.
And yes about the RE comment, those places look like the perfect setting for 28 days later. Which only reinforces my belief that americans should keep on moving towards the entertainment industry.

That's pretty unbelievable, I am guessing organizations like the UAW are intricately linked to these outcomes?

amazing places they make for great motives!

also someone should lern2hold his camera straight...

really amazing.
leaving the sad aspects for the city beside, these buildings offer a very impressive scenery.
over here in Germany you only find st like this very rarely.

Is it legal to enter these buildings for taking some privat shots or are there people whith an eye on that? Since there is so much stuff left in some buildings, not many people seem to be interested in them?!

How do you go from zero to glory and back to zero inside 100 years, just how disposable can a culture be?

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitfield (Post 869478)

How do you go from zero to glory and back to zero inside 100 years, just how disposable can a culture be?

Endless land, virtually endless opportunities. Detroit was a powerhouse of manufacturing prior to the auto industry; but that really defined "boom" times... People don't stay when they can go elsewhere.

Once the highways were created; the great White Flight happened which created a massive urban sprawl. People crave land, and land is what they got by leaving the city. Over a period of 5 years, the city's population dropped from 2.2 million (in the city limits) to 1 million without the state losing people. These days, we are losing people by the tens of thousands each month. The expertise found here is both aging, dwindling, and departing our universities in unbelievable numbers. As a state, we are looking at over 20% unemployment right now.

There is a lot of rich heritage here; but its almost forgotten.

^^ Jesus christ, that's terrible.

Now I can see how houses selling for a 1000 bucks in Detroit.

And the "legacy" of Deroit and Kalifornia is what the rest of the country will be looking like within 5 years if we dont make a RADICAL change in government.

This is a visual representation of what happens when liberals runa city/state. Corrpution, infighting and finally self-destruction.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC45 (Post 869487)

Are you sure? Looks like what happens when the conservatives rule here, not to quite such a frightening extent but there's an every man for himself thing going on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitfield (Post 869492)

Are you sure? Looks like what happens when the conservatives rule here, not to quite such a frightening extent but there's an every man for himself thing going on.

Tax incentives, lower property values brought the businesses out of Detroit long ago. There isn't any incentive to rebuild on vacant lots... vandlism is rampant; as are unsafe crack-heads, gangs etc. In the city with the lowest graduation (from High School) in the entire country... crime is VERY bad. Why on earth would a business want to move back? By accepting some new tax incentive offered by the City council (usually a currupt deal {like between Kwame Kilpatric, and Mr. Karmanos } ... those are "granted" on individual terms. The In city taxes of what is left prevents any other new ventures to want to start up or set up in the City. So much has been attempted to be donated/ given to help Detroit over the years... so much of it refused. Why?

Don't even get me started on the "real" murder rate we have... much of it the Police have admited to not even reporting as it would be too much of an additional work load. WTF?

Not allowed to demolish homes? The city wont let the state, and the state wont let the city... those are drug havens.

There is a lot wrong with Detroit... but if there was a non-liberal education system, with graduates... a lot of the crime would dry up. If there were across the board tax cuts, businesses would move in. If one statist would move out of the way of another statist, something could get done (for better or worse). It's been 30 years since there was a conservative in the City council even.

On top of local liberal policies, federal liberal policies have destroyed many companies too who were unable to spend enough to meet federal restrictions, some new federal license etc.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitfield (Post 869492)

Are you sure? Looks like what happens when the conservatives rule here, not to quite such a frightening extent but there's an every man for himself thing going on.

Not to get into a political discussion, but 100% incorrect.

There is a reason conservative states and cities run surpluses and are not broke, while liberal states and cities are falling into bankruptcy by the day.

because that's where the richer people want to live? In a rich city? Maybe in the good old (young) U.S. of A.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitfield (Post 869498)

because that's where the richer people want to live? In a rich city? Maybe in the good old (young) U.S. of A.

Richer?

No sir, because when you allow market forces to work then you create wealth and prosperity - continually redividing tax income does not create anything, it simply redivides a shrinking pie over and over again until eventually you run out of money.

You reduce taxes, you create jobs. Create jobs you improve an economy.

Again, there is a reason California is broke - they tried to "fix" things - economics doesnt work that way, neither do economies.

Quote:

Originally Posted by RC45 (Post 869500)

Maybe it's different there? I'm not an expert on these matters, it's an alarmingly different place, in terms of New York state at least, that's the only part I have ever checked out. Fairly extensively though, but maybe not reflective of America as a whole.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitfield (Post 869501)

Detroit used to be the place to live. As times changed... buildings went vacant, skyscrapers went vacant, homes went vacant... There are still nice places in Detroit if one would like to live there. But the quantity of them have dwindled. Its amazing that you can pick up a 4000+ sq. foot home in a nice neighborhood (considering) for under 200k ... 5+ bedrooms, 4 bathrooms... My car was stolen in front of a friends 36,000 sq. foot home in Detroit in one of those nice neighborhoods. The home was built in the late 1910's by an industrial magnate. Secret passages, a carriage house, and 3/4+ acre of land beside the home. I'd not mind living there.

Upkeep is near impossible, as the City requires you pull a permit to repair anything more than a light bulb. These places are slowly rotting away, and its incredibly sad. The home sold 3 years ago for a measly 600,000$.

Quote:

Originally Posted by pitfield (Post 869501)

Maybe not relective of America as a whole? Ya think?

And the idea that Republicans or conservatives (not equivalent terms by any means) represent a richer upper class is completely unfounded.