The Ruins of Detroit

[Iceaxe]

This is pretty cool... I visit a lot of Anasazi ruins and always wonder what people like me will be visiting in anther 1000 years.....






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Michigan Central Station



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Woodward Avenue



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Atrium, Farwell Building



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18th floor dentist cabinet, David Broderick Tower



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Donovan Building



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David Whitney Building



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Bagley-Clifford Office of the National Bank of Detroit



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United Artists Theater



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Fort Shelby Hotel


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Ballroom, American Hotel


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William Livingstone House


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Melted clock, Cass Technical High School



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First Unitarian Church


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Piano, Saint Albertus School


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East Methodist Church


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Luben Apartments


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Rich-Dex Apartments


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Classroom, St Margaret Mary School


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Biology classroom, Wilbur Wright High School


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St Christopher House, ex-Public Library


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Packard Motors Plant


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Fisher Body 21 Plant


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Room 1504, Lee Plaza Hotel


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Ballroom, Lee Plaza Hotel


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Packard Motors Plant

[asdf]

looks awesome and sad at the same time.
sure would be awesome to check all those places out.

I am a frequent visitor of the industrial decay network - http://industrialdecay.blogspot.com/

[TreeHugger]

It is sad. Detroit was once such a beautiful city. I think the photography here is awesome - I find it interesting that it looks like there was some kind of sudden catastrophic event where people just up and left things - books, magazines, jars on tables.... I would love to pick through some of those places.

I'm from MI and have visited Detroit a lot, seen some of these places. The architecture is gorgeous. Detroit is experiencing a bit of a renaissance these days - hopefully, some of these remarkable places, or places like them, can be spared.

[americanhero]

It's sad to see this. But it's exactly the impression I got of Detroit when I stopped there last year for a couple of hours.
By the way, awesome shots and beautifully captured

[ibenick]

This must be where they filmed a lot of the those earth after people shows on Discovery. Crazy stuff.

[Iceaxe]

I find it interesting that it looks like there was some kind of sudden catastrophic event where people just up and left things - books, magazines, jars on tables....

Sounds like you are describing the Anasazi ruins of the Colorado Plateau....

But in the case of Detroit we know what the catastrophic event was... economic depression...

[accadacca]

Nice find. :popcorn:

[blueeyes]

Modern day ghost town.

Summit thanks for the website link. I have a fascination with this urban decay. I have been to ruins in Mexico and China. Those civilizations once flourished like we are now, eventually declined and left behind skeletal impressions of who they were.

How does a house like the William Livingstone Home that was once grand become so neglected and uncared for? Sad and intriguing.

[DiscGo]

That really is amazing to see the demise of such a once prominent city. I hope that the rest of our country never goes the way of Detroit. You have to know that the people who built those building were expecting them to last forever (or much longer than they have).

[Glockguy]

This is what liberalism leaves behind in it's wake.

Check this hobby out. Think of it as "Urban Canyoneering".

http://urbanexplorers.net/

[mhambi]

Awesome pics - sad to see. Reminds me of a blog I used to frequent about the decline/demise of downtown Johannesburg... I just checked though and he hasn't posted since 08.

http://deathofjohannesburg.blogspot.com/

Spent a lot of crazy nights in Hillbrow... sad to see it's state now. (the author of that blog links to some Detroit related stuff too)



That being said, I can't be to hard on Detroit because Moe said so...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyvN7QV50GA

[Don]

Beautiful and sad at the same time. Someone should really film a post-apocalyptic (zombie!) movie in Detroit!

[Glockguy]

Beautiful and sad at the same time. Someone should really film a post-apocalyptic (zombie!) movie in Detroit!

Check out the show 'Apocalypse Man'. It was filmed in this area.

[Don]

Check out the show 'Apocalypse Man'. It was filmed in this area.

Meh, I saw the trailer; History Channel meets former soldier/marine/outdoorsman and does something, somewhere. I've seen that show already. :roll:

[tmartenst]

I'm from Detroit and have been to many of these places. I still get back there a few times a year. Detroit is an amazing city and still has way more 'character' than most. I miss the grittiness of it compared to SLC. I've had some crazy experiences (self imposed) there but never felt like it was more dangerous than I wanted to experience. The first photo is very oft photographed and filmed and is an amazing building. My brother and I were there last year poking around. Very creepy environment.

Different Vantage of Michigan Central Station:
40570

See here for amazing 360 images: http://photo.photojpl.com/tour/michigan-central-station/michigan-central-waiting.html

[asdf]

cool flickr set of abandoned buildings around Detroit
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[canyonphile]

Between vandalism and the fact that nothing in Detroit was built to last (not the least of which were their crappy autos :haha:), I'd be surprised if there is anything but unidentifiable piles of rubble in 1000 years. Sheetrock, brick and concrete don't seem to hold up so well to the elements like the local materials the Anasazi used :wink:.

These photos are great, and remind me of Tom Kirch's amazing site that you can literally spend hours browsing through: Urban Ruins (http://www.opacity.us/). He specializes in old hospitals and insane asylums, and there are apparently a lot of them in the eastern part of the US and in Europe. He never discloses the locations and I'm sure he is trespassing on many occasions to obtain the photos. His images are hauntingly beautiful but disconcerting at the same time.

[blueeyes]

Great site Sonya! He explores old cemeteries I love those as well. The asylum's are haunting.

[Scott P]

But in the case of Detroit we know what the catastrophic event was... economic depression...


Detroit itself has been declining longer than the recent economic problems.

Population of Detroit:

1930 1,568,662
1950 1,849,568
1960 1,670,144
1970 1,511,482
1980 1,203,339
1990 1,027,974
2000 951,270
2010 ~910,000

Detroit has been consided a "rough city" for a long time now. Riots, poverty, crime, etc. While the earlier population decline was due to the move to the suburbs, now even the suburbs have declined and are being abandoned.

Friends in Michigan say that you can "buy" a house for free in Detroit. Supposedly the city figures that it is more benificial to give a house away for free and have it kept up rather than have it abandoned and decay.

[tmartenst]

I feel like I have to defend the city a little. There are many cities that are as troubled as Detroit in some ways (Washington DC is a mess, Buffalo is hurting). Flint, MI is really hurting.


Between vandalism and the fact that nothing in Detroit was built to last

Most of the ruins you see are from very well built structures. Many of them have been abandoned for 30 years or more so they are battling time, vandalism and the elements. Any structure in an city would decay the same or worse.


Detroit itself has been declining longer than the recent economic problems.

The main decline was the suburban sprawl which affects most cities but probably Detroit even more. Suburban Detroit is huge so the numbers are definitely deceiving. I moved away to be a ski bum but most are moving now because of the economy. Most of this was triggered because all of the eggs were in the auto basket. The politicians did a pretty poor job of bringing in other industries, the unions had the companies by the balls and yes, the quality from the Big 3 wasn't great. When they fell, so did all the jobbers and component makers in the area.

Ford is killing it now and GM & Chrysler are making a decent shot at comebacks too. Quality has improved drastically (although I own a Toyota!)


you can "buy" a house for free in Detroit

True, the city has great incentives but you have to stick it out for a period of time and put certain dollars into improving the house you buy.

[Don]

Sonja, wow, thanks for sharing that site. I'm infatuated. I've only looked through one album and I can't wait to spend more time in this site!

40643

40641



Seriously though, this place is just BEGGING for someone to film a zombie movie here:
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[blueeyes]

just so ya know that is not a real blood bag... i researched that after looking through the same set of pics last night and could find nothing on it...

[Don]

just so ya know that is not a real blood bag... i researched that after looking through the same set of pics last night and could find nothing on it...

Yeah, I think it's candy (http://www.amazon.com/World-Confection-Inc-Candy-Blood/dp/B0042F1BPM) still creepy placement and a nice post apocalyptic set...

[canyonphile]

Sonja, wow, thanks for sharing that site. I'm infatuated. I've only looked through one album and I can't wait to spend more time in this site!

Isn't it amazing? I'm glad you and Chere found it as compelling as I did. I can't recall how much time I spent going through the albums and reading the background on the places. His eye for composition and skill as a photographer is astounding.

Not photography, but artist Stephen Magsig does a great job of depicting Detroit in his art blog Postcards from Detroit (http://myartspage.blogspot.com/). I've never been to Detroit, and have absolutely zero desire to ever go, but I'd love to own some of his paintings. Many of them capture the urban decay that has been discussed. He paints, I believe, from life (known as "plein air" painting). That's one reason the paintings are so fresh and emotive.

[ststephen]

I have some investor friends who believe Detroit is in shape to rebound faster than most places in the US, partly because it got hit earlier by the auto industry collapse and so it reached its bottom quicker. In fact, the son of my friend moved there because of the investment opportunities and cheap cost of living.

[awesomeguy]

I'm sad to see it but it is beautifully captured. What happened to those buildings. How i wish to visit those places to witness the situation.

[moabfool]

Sounds like you are describing the Anasazi ruins of the Colorado Plateau....

But in the case of Detroit we know what the catastrophic event was... economic depression...

Yah, they're so poor that the homies can't even afford gas and matches. In NYC any building like this probably would've been burned out years ago for the entertainment of some teenagers. I did go into one abandoned building during my time there (Brooklyn). It was freaky like the building its self was dead.