golightly
Actively uneconomic
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...
Detroit - Tell me about it
- Thread starter zenie
- Start date
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...
alsoknownas
some bloke
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).
artyfarty
A shed on a ditch.
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
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1882089_1850973,00.html
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
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.
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.
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
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
Johnny Canuck3
Well-Known Member
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.
Vintage Paw
dead stare and computer glare
Thanks for that. Great essay.
skyscraper101
0891 50 50 50
Cool photos !
alsoknownas
some bloke
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:
. 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:
