I was actually in Detroit over the summer visiting some extended family, and was awestruck. It's really quite remarkable... within maybe ten blocks of the (surprisingly nice) Renaissance Center and re-developed waterfront area, there were entire city blocks that were completely overgrown with ivy and other such plants. It felt like I was inside the pages of "The World Without Us". I can totally see the urban agriculture thing working out in Detroit, except for the industrial contamination problem.
Of course, what really struck me was the abrupt transition we saw driving to the north and east along Jefferson Ave. For block after block, it's nothing but abandoned factories, vacant lots, and eerily empty and overgrown neighborhoods, with the only operational (i.e., not boarded up) businesses being convenience stores and the occasional bait shop. Then, all of a sudden, without any transition, the scenery changes to a ritzy suburb. I swear, it was a sharp enough contrast that my mind was reeling from psychic whiplash for the rest of the day.
It was like the NYC good-block/bad-block phenomenon, only on a massive geographic scale and with the volume turned up to 11.
Comments
I was actually in Detroit over the summer visiting some extended family, and was awestruck. It's really quite remarkable... within maybe ten blocks of the (surprisingly nice) Renaissance Center and re-developed waterfront area, there were entire city blocks that were completely overgrown with ivy and other such plants. It felt like I was inside the pages of "The World Without Us". I can totally see the urban agriculture thing working out in Detroit, except for the industrial contamination problem.
Of course, what really struck me was the abrupt transition we saw driving to the north and east along Jefferson Ave. For block after block, it's nothing but abandoned factories, vacant lots, and eerily empty and overgrown neighborhoods, with the only operational (i.e., not boarded up) businesses being convenience stores and the occasional bait shop. Then, all of a sudden, without any transition, the scenery changes to a ritzy suburb. I swear, it was a sharp enough contrast that my mind was reeling from psychic whiplash for the rest of the day.
It was like the NYC good-block/bad-block phenomenon, only on a massive geographic scale and with the volume turned up to 11.
Yeah, the transition to Grosse Pointe is dramatic. You can see it clearly on gmaps: http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=42.390833,-82.911389&#... As you go down jefferson ave to the northeast it goes from vacant lots to a couple blocks of small homes to one of the wealthiest areas in the midwest. Along the river is even more dramatic: http://maps.google.com/maps?t=h&q=42.390833,-82.911389&#...