# Detroit - Tell me about it



## zenie (Nov 22, 2006)

I'm getting fuckin aroused looking at pictures so we'll have to stop that I think as I'm at work....... 

Ermm, who's been? What did you think? Things to do/not do? 

Costly etc?

Cheers 

*Looks at pics again*

*Faints*


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 22, 2006)

There's lots of pitbulls there


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## Wolveryeti (Nov 22, 2006)

Detroit is Grim. Lots of poverty, architecturally not very pretty. Does have a good music scene tho. I'd recommend crossing the canadian border- it's much nicer on the other side and it has black squirrels!


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## Kanda (Nov 22, 2006)

*Put your hands up for Detroit*


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## snorbury (Nov 22, 2006)

DapperDonDamaja said:
			
		

> Detroit is Grim. Lots of poverty, architecturally not very pretty. Does have a good music scene tho. I'd recommend crossing the canadian border- it's much nicer on the other side and it has black squirrels!


black squirrels


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## zenie (Nov 22, 2006)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> There's lots of pitbulls there


 




			
				DapperDonDamaja said:
			
		

> Detroit is Grim. Lots of poverty, architecturally not very pretty. Does have a good music scene tho. I'd recommend crossing the canadian border- it's much nicer on the other side and it has black squirrels!



Well the grimness is one of the reasons I'd like to go 

The architecture I've seen is good?  

Black squirrels sound evil


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## Orang Utan (Nov 22, 2006)

Techno


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## irishshapes (Nov 22, 2006)

Kanda said:
			
		

> *Put your hands up for Detroit*




"a lovely city"


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## zenie (Nov 22, 2006)

Orang Utan said:
			
		

> Techno



Yes 

and MoTown


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## Wolveryeti (Nov 22, 2006)

zenie said:
			
		

> Black squirrels sound evil



Racist


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## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 22, 2006)

zenie said:
			
		

> I'm serious.  I know someone on the internet who has 6 of them.  Here's an article I found
> 
> "In the darkest and perhaps bloodiest corners of the Detroit gambling world, death and dollars trade hands like cards on the poker table — but this is no card game. The only chips at play in this gamble are those taken out of flesh and when the stakes get raised it is often a matter of life and death. This is the disturbing, cruel, insane world of dog-fighting. This underground racket exists around the world in places so foreign and exotic that it seems somewhat detached from your immediate reality but these horrific events are also taking place in your backyard, your neighbor’s basement and at the end of your grandma’s street, every single day.
> 
> ...


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## Groucho (Nov 22, 2006)

_"Detroit, I do mind dying"_

Detroit was home to a revolutionary union movement in the sixties inspired by the Black Panthers (not to be confused with the Black Squirrels).


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## electroplated (Nov 22, 2006)

crack squirrels?


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## zenie (Nov 22, 2006)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> zenie said:
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## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 22, 2006)

zenie said:
			
		

> Minnie_the_Minx said:
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## Minnie_the_Minx (Nov 22, 2006)

zenie said:
			
		

> Minnie_the_Minx said:
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## oneflewover (Nov 22, 2006)

The Henry Ford museum is well worth a look. That is if you like industrial type places.  At one point you go through a small door and immeadiately in front of you is a Garratt articulated. Quite a shock.


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## rutabowa (Nov 22, 2006)

Minnie_the_Minx said:
			
		

> Because you said "Detroit, Tell me about it"


yeh but london has its dancing bears so it's no better really


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## zenie (Nov 22, 2006)

oneflewover said:
			
		

> The Henry Ford museum is well worth a look. That is if you like industrial type places.  At one point you go through a small door and immeadiately in front of you is a Garratt articulated. Quite a shock.


 

I *really* wanna go


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## D (Nov 26, 2006)

I think a trip to Detroit is a great idea if you're interested in urban decay/revitalization initiatives in America.  It's not exactly a holiday destination, but like anywhere you can find interesting things to do.  It's a very historically rich place, but as others have said, it can be pretty grim.

Detroit Institute of Art is fine.  African American Heritage Museum (I think that's what it's called) is good.  Heidelberg (I think there are some photos on u75 taken years ago by eme) is cool.


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## alsoknownas (Aug 7, 2013)

Haz been in the detroits today.  Was very worthwhile.  Town is of interest.  Reminds me a lot of 80's New York in terms of the edgy vibe.  Easy to get around fairly safely though. People very friendly, proud, eager to dispel hell-hole reputation, etc.  Motown records museum great fun (you're kind of forced to sing and dance along, but in a very fun way).  Plenty to see and do.  Wouldn't want to stay too long though.


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## skyscraper101 (Aug 7, 2013)

Are any of those $100 homes still for sale? Be nice to be a 'homeowner'.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Aug 7, 2013)

This documentary pretty much covers it.

http://www.detropiathefilm.com/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detropia


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## alsoknownas (Aug 7, 2013)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> This documentary pretty much covers it.
> 
> http://www.detropiathefilm.com/
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detropia


Am in your homeland now.  You can probably guess where.


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Aug 7, 2013)

Niagara Falls.


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## alsoknownas (Aug 7, 2013)

Johnny Canuck3 said:


> Niagara Falls.


Try again.

eta:  clue: I travelled south to get here from the U.S.


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## alsoknownas (Aug 7, 2013)

Johnny Canuck3

I'm in...




*Windsor, Ontario*, which, surprisingly, is to the direct south of Detroit. As far as I can tell it is the only part of Canada that is placed to the south of the US.

You can kind of see how it works here:







The top part is the U.S., and the bottom part is Canada, which makes it confusing as hell as I have to travel north to go to the U.S, and south towards Canada!


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Aug 7, 2013)

Right. The geography out there confuses me too.

Victoria BC is south of the 49th parallel


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## gabi (Aug 7, 2013)

have a few friends from across the border. winsdsor, canada. sin city. (the drinking age is 18, not 20).


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## skyscraper101 (Aug 7, 2013)

The crossing between BC and Washington is weird. BC is quite pleasant all the way to the border, then once you cross you're in the arse end of America like the land time forgot. Basically only good for cheap gas (if you're Canadian).


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## golightly (Aug 7, 2013)

alsoknownas said:


> Johnny Canuck3
> 
> I'm in...
> 
> ...


 
Doesn't Alaska mean that most of Canada is placed south of the U.S? I know that's not quite but you mean, but...


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## alsoknownas (Aug 7, 2013)

golightly said:


> Doesn't Alaska mean that most of Canada is placed south of the U.S? I know that's not quite but you mean, but...


Not really the same thing.  Plenty of Canada is southerly compared to locations in the States (for example Toronto is further south than Seattle).  But Windsor is _due south _of Detroit - i.e. - it's directly underneath it.  That's pretty unique (and a bit hard to get used to).


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## artyfarty (Aug 7, 2013)

Got the book of this, you may have seen it. Fascinating stuff and right up my boulevard

http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1882089_1850973,00.html


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## Vintage Paw (Aug 7, 2013)

I like Detroit and its environs a lot. Spent a month there last year, 2 weeks the year before. Hoping to go again next year, maybe for a month again if I can (I know people there that I stay with so just pay for the flights and help with groceries and stuff).

Everyone is really friendly, but then I expect most Americans are when encountering someone with an English accent (went with one of my hosts to the place at the end of the road to get a milkshake, and a couple of girls were waiting for their order and asked where I was from, and my host thought they meant him and said "just down the street"  ).

Echo the Henry Ford Museum recommendation above. The Rosa Parks bus is there.







As is the car Kennedy was killed in. The Titanic exhibition was there when I was there last year as well. The DIA (Detroit Institute of Art) is great (and has just become free to residents, I believe) and has some wonderful stuff. Takes fucking ages to walk round. The public library opposite has some wonderful architecture inside, beautiful murals, massive cold stone staircases and the like. Big plaque about Carnegie in the foyer.






Midtown










The black squirrels aren't just in Canada. They are in Detroit too. I used to breakfast with one called Pedro each morning.






Detroit's right by Lake St Clair, and the shore is quite lovely. Really expensive houses there, just a 2 minute drive from the desolation in neighbouring streets. Fucked up.


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## Stanley Edwards (Aug 8, 2013)

Old thread, and I am sure this has been posted many times, but...

David Byrne's blog is brilliant for anyone interested in American culture and travel. Well worth keeping an eye on.

http://journal.davidbyrne.com/

Old Detroit essay:  http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2010/09/092310-dont-forget-the-motor-city.html


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## Johnny Canuck3 (Aug 8, 2013)

skyscraper101 said:


> The crossing between BC and Washington is weird. BC is quite pleasant all the way to the border, then once you cross you're in the arse end of America like the land time forgot. Basically only good for cheap gas (if you're Canadian).


 
It's very noticeable. Vancouver is one of Canada's major cities, but just across the border, it's like trailer park and rusted car heaven. The Pacific Northwest is one of those places Americans move when they want to get away from something.

It turns normal from Seattle south, though.


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## Vintage Paw (Aug 8, 2013)

Stanley Edwards said:


> Old thread, and I am sure this has been posted many times, but...
> 
> David Byrne's blog is brilliant for anyone interested in American culture and travel. Well worth keeping an eye on.
> 
> ...


 
Thanks for that. Great essay.


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## skyscraper101 (Aug 8, 2013)

Vintage Paw said:


> Detroit's right by Lake St Clair, and the shore is quite lovely. Really expensive houses there, just a 2 minute drive from the desolation in neighbouring streets. Fucked up.


 
Cool photos !


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## alsoknownas (Aug 11, 2013)

Did another Detroit daytrip. The People Mover is cool (kind of monorail-type thing, but not actually a monorail). It flies over the city in a cool way, and some of the stops open up into buildings including the casino. They are filming Transformers 4 in a massive downtown set, and the People Mover flies you directly over it . Didn't have a camera, but here's an online pic:






That's just a tiny part of the set, and that's the People Mover track running right through it. Film seems to be set in Hong Kong I think. Surely Detroit is the only major western city that can just shut off a huge part of its downtown area without it causing too much disruption? Plenty of jokes about people not realising it is a film set, etc.

Still of the opinion that it is an exciting, underexplored place. The DIA for example is a world-class gallery with a spectacular centre-piece (Rivera's Detroit Industry Murals detailed below) :






But one thing about it is that, because of the population vacuum, you can wander around the galleries in an uncrowded, unhurried manner. Where else can you get a Van Gogh or a Picasso to yourself for half an hour or so?

Comerica Park is a wonderful piece of modern Americana. Studded with huge weird Tigers and giant baseball bats. The panoramic below is pretty much useless for illustrative purposes, but captures the vibe well:


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