Detroit in ruins

[kaiser]

I lived in the Detroit area up until the early 1990's and could already see the decline in the city. I still have contact to people in the Detroit area, so I have been following this situation for some time now.

A combination of factors are certainly the cause of this decay, but the biggest one I think is simply the lack of good paying jobs in the area. If you are in the Automobile Industry then you are well paid, but do not live in Detroit. Good pay means that you have the ability to aford a house in one of the outer areas like Oakland County.

There may be green shoots in some parts of Detroit, but they will only be on vacant lots, and due only to very local efforts by local people or groups. Small local efforts may be a start, but they will not be a complete solution to the general problem of urban decay that many American cities are going through right now. The financial crisis of 2008 / 2009 has only accelared a problem that has been around for a good 30 years or so. If good fair paying work is not available to the population as a whole things will fall apart at some point in time. The preservation of old buildings and their contents requires for one thing money, and also the will and desire to do it. If you are worried about where your next meal is going to come from, you are not going to be thinking about saving an old Hotel. Do not forget 42 million people are on food stamps in America today, with the numbers increasing daily.

 

[W-D Forties]

What I find bizarre is the waste. Buildings will always become obsolete or unused and delapidated, but the fact that people and the state simply walked away without clearing them first or at least stripping the useful, valuable or confidential items is just awful. Never mind the beautiful fixtures and fittings, to leave a whole library of books to rot is a crime, especially in this age of austerity. Couldn't they have been redistributed or donated?
And speaking of the criminal, what about the police station? Leaving all that confidential information would just never happen here, it's crazy.
The whole thing looks post-apocalyptic.
I know that pictures never tell the whole story and that most of Detroit will not be like this, but the fact that ANY of it is, is shocking.

 

[Miss Golightly]

What I find bizarre is the waste. Buildings will always become obsolete or unused and delapidated, but the fact that people and the state simply walked away without clearing them first or at least stripping the useful, valuable or confidential items is just awful. Never mind the beautiful fixtures and fittings, to leave a whole library of books to rot is a crime, especially in this age of austerity. Couldn't they have been redistributed or donated?
And speaking of the criminal, what about the police station? Leaving all that confidential information would just never happen here, it's crazy.
The whole thing looks post-apocalyptic.
I know that pictures never tell the whole story and that most of Detroit will not be like this, but the fact that ANY of it is, is shocking.

My thoughts exactly - why were the books not removed and redistributed and other valuables not salvaged? The police station is a disgrace - all the confidential documentation should have been either destroyed or boxed up and stored elsewhere.

These photos are just so sad and haunting.....

Off Topic - I hate to see beautiful buildings torn down and replaced with usually hideous boxy modern architecture - case in point the ESB buildings here in Dublin that saw the demolishing of Georgian houses which formed part of the longest terrace of Georgian houses in any city - a complete travesty:

However there is talk of the facade of this monstrosity being replaced by a Georgian one....here's hoping....

 

[Foofoogal]

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111709/us-cities-running-out-of-people
This is a link to other cities where people are moving out. Same scenario I am assuming.
----------------------
America is a very, very large area and lots of space for people to go. I understand the economy plays a huge role but for generations people move to different areas for different reasons.
I just found a postcard that showed the Homestead Act of 1862 that drew millions of settlers to the Great Plains. During the Dust Bowl times droves moved out. Just a reality.
I do though cannot understand why things were not removed first but I am sure funds played a huge role. Who would pay for this?
------------------------
On a public relations note some places in the USA are thriving lest some see this and think we are all falling apart over here across the pond. (necessity is the Mother of Invention)
--------------
The BBC shows limited news IMHO so for clarification purposes only.

 

[azhiker]

I too live near Detroit. Not in Detroit, for NO ONE who is smart lives IN Detroit! It is nothing but one large garish GHETTO! The responsibilty lies with it's citizens, for they are the ones who keep electing the corrupt government officials who line their pockets with the taxes. I am not proud when I tell people where I live, and I'm working on getting out for good right now!

 

[Tango Yankee]

There have been recent articles about Detroit looking at Turin, Italy, for inspiration. Turin was regarded as the Detroit of Italy. Like Detroit, they lost a lot of their auto manufacturing but have figured out a way to turn that decline around. I hope that some day Detroit will be regarded as the Turin of the US in that respect.

In our county seat of Portsmouth there are some beautiful old buildings--the library, the post office, to name a couple They have been lovingly maintained. The city building, on the other hand, has been suffering from willful neglect for many years as the city leadership (such as it is) has been trying for years to force a move to another building. It's shameful.

Regards,
Tom

 

[Doublegun]

What I find bizarre is the waste. Buildings will always become obsolete or unused and delapidated, but the fact that people and the state simply walked away without clearing them first or at least stripping the useful, valuable or confidential items is just awful. Never mind the beautiful fixtures and fittings, to leave a whole library of books to rot is a crime, especially in this age of austerity. Couldn't they have been redistributed or donated?
And speaking of the criminal, what about the police station? Leaving all that confidential information would just never happen here, it's crazy.
The whole thing looks post-apocalyptic.
I know that pictures never tell the whole story and that most of Detroit will not be like this, but the fact that ANY of it is, is shocking.

Sorry to say, you don't have to look hard to find abandoned buildings. Sadly the residential areas are worse. MUCH worse. There are pockets of homes that have been saved and/or restored (Palmer Woods, the Edison District, Indian Village) but most of the city is in complete decay. As I posted earlier, over 1/3 of the homes in Detroit have been abandoned (not for sale, ABANDONED).

Regarding the items that have been left behind, you are assuming there is someone there who actually cares. Detroit has had countless people serving as Chief of Police over the past 10-years. The previous mayor is in prison; 20-30 members of his administration and/ or family have been indicted on federal charges, the president of the City Counsel is in prison. Most of this is due to bribes and kickbacks. For the past 10-years the city has been run by criminals. And you want to know why no one wants to come to the city and invest? Throw in the fact that this is still a union town and the tax enviroment provides dis-incentives for companies to do business let alone move to Detroit (or Michigan for that matter). Unless you live around here it is virtually impossible to imagine the challanges the city faces. Ironically, the "post-apocalyptic" land scape is becoming a tourist attraction, itself.

 

[kaiser]

I too live near Detroit. Not in Detroit, for NO ONE who is smart lives IN Detroit! It is nothing but one large garish GHETTO! The responsibilty lies with it's citizens, for they are the ones who keep electing the corrupt government officials who line their pockets with the taxes. I am not proud when I tell people where I live, and I'm working on getting out for good right now!

When I lived in the Detroit area one of the main expressways, the John Lodge Freeway. was renovated. Nothing special in itself, what came out after the renovation was finished is that the crime rate in the Northwestern Suburbs, like Farmington Hills, Southfield ect.. fell by a significant amount. After the Freeway project was finished, bang, the crime rate went right back up. Detroit has had a bad reputation in this regards for years now. When I first moved there I was told to stay away from just about any part of the City south of 8 mile Road.

Just a side note, a little off of the topic, but I think that you have to haved lived in either Detroit, or in the area to understand that the decay, and lack of appreciation for what the City once was is indemic to the City now. We here in Europe are not used to seeing this type of decay, or the lack of respect for the old buildings and such. Times are changing here I fear though. I travel on business more or less all around Europe today, and some of the things I see today are beginning to look like Detroit did in 1986 when I first moved there. Take a look at parts of Birmingham England and you will see what I mean. I am sure that if they close a Police Station in Birmingham they will remove the records first, but they will still close it and board up the windows just as in Detroit.

 

[azhiker]

I also blame another item that you have to come to Detroit to see. If you drive all over, you see these giant, glittering CASINOS, almost on every corner. Well, I wonder what gambling brings? Drugs, illegal gambling, prostitution? Corruption in the city? All these things are a norm here. The news has had not one, not two, but at least three stories recently of people arrested for driving with out a licence...20-30 times in 3 years. How does that happen? How do you keep getting arrested, then get out, and do it again? Police? We have NO police in Detroit. As for going downtown to shop, not if you value your life! It is a cesspool. But there is one bright side.

A very large deposit of salt lies just under the surface. Reportedly one of the worlds largest! I for one suggest a complete demolition of the entire city, and I do mean everything. Then mine the salt. At least it will have a reason to be an eyesore. BTW, I'm not kidding, I'm serious, dead serious. The citizens of Detroit should be ashamed.

 

[David Conwill]

A very large deposit of salt lies just under the surface. Reportedly one of the worlds largest! I for one suggest a complete demolition of the entire city, and I do mean everything. Then mine the salt. At least it will have a reason to be an eyesore. BTW, I'm not kidding, I'm serious, dead serious. The citizens of Detroit should be ashamed.

Of course, attitudes like this, held and loudly promoted by people who moved out of the city in 1967 and never looked back, have nothing to do with the current situation in Detroit.

-Dave

 

[Hap Hapablap]

I have been stuck here for almost 3 years, and it is the worst place I have ever been in my life. And I think it affects me so much because there is nothing I would enjoy more than to experience Detroit in its heyday. There is no major city quite like it; to have fallen so far from grace. It literally brings tears to one's eyes. I imagine that everyone in Detroit in the 1920's thought the city would be even BETTER by the year 2000. I feel bad for everyone who got to live through its golden age, and also saw it fall to such a despicably horrid wasteland.

 

[sheeplady]

Detroit has been dying a slow death for 50 years. It has nothing to do with the current economic situation BUT there is much to be learned from the demise of Detroit. Until we focus on bringing industry back to the US and balance production and profits this is what every industrial city will look like...
It's hard to imagine why any industry would move here. Neat old architecture isn't a reason.

Much of upstate New York (which is north and west of the Catskills- not just outside NYC- most stuff below Albany is a totally different world) is suffering the same fate since the 1970s, although on a smaller scale because our cities are smaller. We have more abandoned buildings than partially filled in our downtown, with the majority of those that are occupied holding governmental offices (no private business). Most of our educated young people leave for better places- places that have jobs and lower taxes. Many of the houses can be bought for under $7,000 in the city. We loose thousands of jobs every time a business leaves, and then a new employer comes in with 80 jobs and over 1,000 people turn out to interview. Our city schools boast a 45% graduation rate.

As a person who has debated escaping Upstate, I am not sure if I stayed if I would be sentimental or stupid. I'd like to think that I am trying to stick it out- make it better for those that stay- pay my taxes and try to get this place back on the right track. But the reality is that as sentimental as I am, it's starting to all scare me.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Detroit has had countless people serving as Chief of Police over the past 10-years. The previous mayor is in prison; 20-30 members of his administration and/ or family have been indicted on federal charges, the president of the City Counsel is in prison. Most of this is due to bribes and kickbacks. For the past 10-years the city has been run by criminals. And you want to know why no one wants to come to the city and invest? Throw in the fact that this is still a union town and the tax enviroment provides dis-incentives for companies to do business let alone move to Detroit (or Michigan for that matter).

Sounds a lot like California. Detroit is just one city, In my opinion the entire state is well on its way to becoming one BIG Detroit. The major difference is that at least many of your corrupt officials ARE in prison. It's highly doubtful if any of ours will ever get caught.

 

[Doublegun]

Like I said earlier, IF we in the US don't find a way to bring manufacturing back to the country Detroit's landscape is going to look very familier to most of the US.

 

[V.C. Brunswick]

Like I said earlier, IF we in the US don't find a way to bring manufacturing back to the country Detroit's landscape is going to look very familier to most of the US.

My sentiments exactly. Unfortunately one of the big problems of bringing back manufacturing is the dwindling pool of skilled workers. Many high schools no longer offer shop courses anymore and now the average age of an American factory worker or skilled worker is 55. Nowadays There's no difficulty finding a good doctor or lawyer but try finding a good carpenter, mechanic or electrician that's American-born and under 40!

 

[Lincsong]

Wasn't the movie Gran Torino filmed in Highland Park MI? What craphole.

 

[Doublegun]

Wasn't the movie Gran Torino filmed in Highland Park MI? What craphole.

Yes it was and yes, it it. The only real "win" for Detroit has been Hollywood's interest in Detroit as a base of operation over the last 4-5 years due to tax incentives offered by the former Governor. Unfortunately the new Governor, who took office Saturday, feels the film industry has not generated any real benefit and will pull the plug on the incentives and Hollywood will probably leave. So much for progress.

This past summer several big name stars were living in the area while filming on location so you can expect to see Detroit in some upcoming movies.

 

[LizzieMaine]

My sentiments exactly. Unfortunately one of the big problems of bringing back manufacturing is the dwindling pool of skilled workers. Many high schools no longer offer shop courses anymore and now the average age of an American factory worker or skilled worker is 55. Nowadays There's no difficulty finding a good doctor or lawyer but try finding a good carpenter, mechanic or electrician that's American-born and under 40!

The reason why? Parents, teachers, and counselors insisting to their kids "YOU aren't going to work in any factory! YOU are going to college!" Even though when they actually come out of college there's a pretty good chance they aren't going to work in the field they trained for. The result is a workforce that's overeducated and underemployed, stuck increasingly in the service industry -- but unwilling to reach "beneath itself" to take up a blue-collar trade. Even if the alternative is making Orange Juliuses at the mall. Modern culture is that poisoned against the idea of people who work with their hands -- unless they're dilettante "artisans." If you wear overalls to work and punch a clock, you're pretty much considered the scum of the earth by the suburban wine-and-cheesers.

If I had kids -- and I'm thankful every day that I don't -- I'd have strongly encouraged them to consider going into a trade. The world has all the social-science majors it will ever need and then some, but try and get a decent electrician when you need one.

 

[rue]

I have to say I'm ashamed of our country as far as this is concerned, because they are letting our historic buildings fall into this kind of decay. "Tear down, Build Build Build, New New New"... ugh. Here in Ohio it's everywhere too, but it's also other places. Driving from Ohio to North Carolina you will see old historic homes falling down with a 'fancy' trailer parked next to them. If they would have taken the money that they spent on the trailer they would have been able to save the home. Old towns are falling wayside to big malls and the mom and pop stores are almost gone. I shop at all the ones I can find and it's worth it to me to buy something from here rather than another country with sweat shops, but I'm only one person. The whole thing makes me so mad I have actually cried in front of buildings and homes that are no longer salvagable. It's one of my biggest pet peeves if not THE biggest.

I don't normally say anything about my blog and I had taken it down until this past Christmas and it will be private again in another week, but here are two posts I put on it that explain where I'm coming from:
http://ruespeanutbutterandjellylife.blogspot.com/2009/03/can-house-die.html
http://ruespeanutbutterandjellylife.blogspot.com/2009/03/cute-town-with-few-responses-to.html

 

[Wesley Milton Dagwell III]

I find it interesting that in a city as infamous as Detroit there can be buildings like this that appear to be virtually untouched. Is there just so many of them that even a vast criminal element can't loot, vandalise and burn them all down?