detroit is on fire...

[Paper Hearts]

I'm not really native to Detroit, per se, but I do know that it has a ton of history to it.  It bites when you hear about a fire and it's near something historical, the only thing you can think of is hoping that nothing precious is damaged or lost.

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Detroit is arguably 3rd in the western hemosphere for archetecture and as an American city deffinately 3rd (behind just Chicago and New York) as Detroit houses the most important works and most works of Albert Kahn (America's second most prolific architect (after F.L.W.)) who desiegned most of the City's important structures. Beyond Albert Kahn's works in Detroit which includes some early sky-scrapers and high rises (among many other things-factories, light houses, etc), other Architects built very early examples of sky-scrapers here as well (ex: the Fischer bldg, New Centre Area, Albert Kahn). Beyond losing these things on a historic level (by whatever method) what we are facing, more appaling is a loss and disregard for culture.

Your style of thought is quite abscent and foriegn here-i could tell that you were not from here, right away...

[FarrIL]

Detroit is arguably 3rd in the western hemosphere for archetecture and as an American city deffinately 3rd (behind just Chicago and New York) as Detroit houses the most important works and most works of Albert Kahn (America's second most prolific architect (after F.L.W.)) who desiegned most of the City's important structures. Beyond Albert Kahn's works in Detroit which includes some early sky-scrapers and high rises (among many other things-factories, light houses, etc), other Architects built very early examples of sky-scrapers here as well (ex: the Fischer bldg, New Centre Area, Albert Kahn). Beyond losing these things on a historic level (by whatever method) what we are facing, more appaling is a loss and disregard for culture.

Your style of thought is quite abscent and foriegn here-i could tell that you were not from here, right away...

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My thoughts are just scattered right now...... I'm still in a daze as I didnt see any of it on the news (( out of area )).... I read the article but it didnt provide a ton of info. "Ohh, abandoned warehouse new New Center." Okay, nice vague description.

I'm not one to go into depth of Michigan history unless I go to a museum. I dont sift through much of it online.

As for passing through Detroit, I've noticed the buildings. Hell, looking at Detroit from across the river, I was in awe. Detroit is actually quite pretty from a distance. But I'm not too sure how big a gap there's going to be now, after the fire.....

[Paper Hearts]

My thoughts are just scattered right now...... I'm still in a daze as I didnt see any of it on the news (( out of area )).... I read the article but it didnt provide a ton of info.  "Ohh, abandoned warehouse new New Center."  Okay, nice vague description.

I'm not one to go into depth of Michigan history unless I go to a museum.  I dont sift through much of it online.

As for passing through Detroit, I've noticed the buildings.  Hell, looking at Detroit from across the river, I was in awe.  Detroit is actually quite pretty from a distance.  But I'm not too sure how big a gap there's going to be now, after the fire.....

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From what i read, the worse loss was a hundred year old warehouse that once housed an early automobile factory...not sure if it was an Albert Kahn building or not article didn't say but he did desiegn many of the early ones...I was simply commenting that a lot of similar things have been lost just as carelessly, lately, in Detoit the Aquarium was an Albert Kahn, for instance. New Centre, for all the great buildings it houses also has many abandoned, crap structures. I didn't read that anything other than the old warehouse was touched, of importance.

[pomba gira]

Your style of thought is quite abscent and foriegn here-i could tell that you were not from here, right away...

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It certainly is foreign to the people who actually run things & their bulldozer-happy developer buddies... BUT there are a lot of people in the city who spend mad time & energy trying to preserve the city's historic & culturally significant places. Belle Isle is still beautiful, safe and useable almost entirely because of the Friends of Belle Isle. There is beautiful restoration work being done in Brush Park... I could go on but Lowell Boileau at DetroitYes does a much better job in his awesome Fabulous Ruins of Detroit pages.

I am not denying that the powers-that-be have traditionally shown a shameful disrespect for Detroit's history & culture... I just feel it's inaccurate to imply that all or even most residents of On-The-Strait share this attitude. If that were the case, the destruction of the Hudson's building & (most of) the Heidelberg Project would not have been controversial events... they would have simply been razed without anyone paying the slightest attention.

And BTW, that was not just an "abandoned warehouse"- there were thriving businesses in at least one of those buildings, including the Piquette Meat Market which I mentioned in my last post, and which had major history in its own right.

[Paper Hearts]

i know of that website, thanks.

I was being a bit facetious, sorry to both of you if it didn't translate so well into what i wrote.

Just the majority of voters and the people who don't vote in Detroit have that careless attitude.

Oh, and I did read your last post and besides know New Center and Detroit well.

I know

[paradox]

saw this on the news last night on the way to bed.

crazy.

was anybody else recalling the opening scene to The Crow when they saw the shots from the helicopter?

[Paper Hearts]

saw this on the news last  night on the way to bed.

crazy.

was anybody else recalling the opening scene to The Crow when they saw the shots from the helicopter?

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Did not see video footage, but i think i know what you're saying.

[pixiefae]

Yeah. Saw the video. Also got an administrative email today from work. Apparently, my corporation rents space in a bldg next door and some files were damaged from fire sprinklers that were set off by the heat generated.

[pomba gira]

i know of that website, thanks.

I was being a bit facetious, sorry to both of you if it didn't translate so well into what i wrote.

Just the majority of voters and the people who don't vote in Detroit have that careless attitude.

Oh, and I did read your last post and besides know New Center and Detroit well.

I know

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hey it's all good... I kind ov have a weird love/hate thing going for my birthplace & I just get tired of hearing it slagged off all the time... I know too many people who are out there fighting for the city & have been for years. So I tend to get rather insufferably pedantic over these issues. I think we're basically both thinking the same way tho... I had a feeling you were prolly familiar w/Lowell's awesome site.

[Scary Guy]

I saw it crusing down I-94 with 3 friends (boss, coworker, and another friend) on the way to Necto at about 23:30 and it was lit up like a christmas tree (I mean like the one in NYC). I called Ma cause I knew it would be on the news.

[Paper Hearts]

hey it's all good... I kind ov have a weird love/hate thing going for my birthplace & I just get tired of hearing it slagged off all the time... I know too many people who are out there fighting for the city & have been for years.  So I tend to get rather insufferably pedantic over these issues.  I think we're basically both thinking the same way tho... I had a feeling you were prolly familiar w/Lowell's awesome site.

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Like wise, I was also born in Detroit city. Thus, I'm going to be a native Detroiter for life, no matter where I run, there's nothing i can do about it. -No, I wouldn't critisize it if i didn't want things to be better and of course i have every right to...Detroit is not getting things done on it's own and of course without money from the oustside Detroit would have a real tough time...so it's not as if a "Detroiter" is an exclusive thing suddenly. My congressional district is split between part of Grosse Pointe Park and part of Detroit so i have a bit of a say in things anyway. For someone to infer that the Detroit City Council or the Mayor's office have been good stewards of local culture is quite an insult to level against those who actually have been-The Detroit CC and the Mayor are the responsibility of the voters-no it's not everybody but it is about 82% of the population (those who vote with the majority and those who do not vote): so to look at us on a level of culture, we're a pretty worthless people.

I shop in Detroit, work in Detroit, etc. I'd like to live in Detroit again if Detroit could ever provide the proper fascilities...but as it stands the local govt cannot even run such a basic function of their appointed roles as a simple public school district. It's been a ridiculous attempt as far as i can recall. Meanwhile most people in the city believe that it's fine if someone they've elected (and a millionaire anyway) takes funds that he isn't supposed to, funds that were there to help one of the porrest major urban areas in the country, buys items for his personal use and then closes public institutions or lays off works on the basis that there is not enough funding. -People think it's fine because he is mayor, he's to quote a co-worker and paraphrase what another friend shared "the man of the house". In my house i don't eat unless I know those more helpless than myself have something, and that's what a man does, a man doesn't take from those who don't have it to give, those who he's been sworn to protect.

*I believe that the Burroughs Adding Machine Factory was on Piquette (the building is still there but it's long out of production). Of course the invetor of the Adding machine was the father of writer William S. Burroughs. The factory is an Albert Kahn Desiegn...

[Brenda Starrr]

The place is burning because Detroit knows I'm coming....

[Paper Hearts]

just make sure and say something when you leave...

[Brenda Starrr]

What should I say?

"Thanks for the ride, lady!"

[Paper Hearts]

No, I mean just so that we know to put out the blaze. -in case you ever fel like coming back...

[pomba gira]

*I believe that the Burroughs Adding Machine Factory was on Piquette (the building is still there but it's long out of production). Of course the invetor of the Adding machine was the father of writer William S. Burroughs. The factory is an Albert Kahn Desiegn...

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I never knew that about Burroughs... fascinating!

& I get the feeling Kwame is trying to emulate Coleman, who was certainly no angel & milked his mayoral perks for all they were worth. My aunt (politician thru the 70s-80s) has some hilarious stories about Coleman & his satchel of cash that he always carried around (or rather some flunky carried around). BUT- those were different times... and it was still wrong even if people were more accepting ov that sort ov thing back then.

speaking ov Coleman, have you ever seen his tomb @ Elmwood Cemetery? I'ts hilarious- looks like a giant black shoebox.

[ZhukovCodeslinger]

I dont think enough of Detroit burned down... I feel let down ever since they put a stop to Detroits only urban renewal program (Devil's Night).... <Sigh> this fire could have taken out lots of crappy buildings and they could have rebuilt the whole area... if not for those do-gooding kids and their talking dog....

[Paper Hearts]

I never knew that about Burroughs... fascinating!

& I get the feeling Kwame is trying to emulate Coleman, who was certainly no angel & milked his mayoral perks for all they were worth. My aunt (politician thru the 70s-80s) has some hilarious stories about Coleman & his satchel of cash that he always carried around (or rather some flunky carried around).  BUT- those were different times... and it was still wrong  even if people were more accepting ov that sort ov thing back then.

speaking ov Coleman, have you ever seen his tomb @ Elmwood Cemetery? I'ts hilarious- looks like a giant black shoebox.

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Oh yes, Burroughs came from a very wealthy family-that's how he achived a doctoral from Harvard durring the great depression...of course there was little he could do with a doctoral in literature at that time. He also suffered from severe insomnia and had been introduced to opium through a house keeper his parents hired as a child. Opium helped him sleep. Being that the best he could do with his Harvard doctoral degree durring the depression was become a roach exterminator (beyond writing), eventually he got into heroin-he knew a few other destitute characters who used it and being that it is an opiad, he tried it, and of course, morphine, or heroin is quite nice at proper dosage level, respectively...before his death he said he never regretted doing it (for 35 years) because without it he'd have never written anything important.

Never seen Coleman Young's tomb. Elmwood...is that on the cool one on Mt. Elliot?

Anyway, I think that our problem is that our standards are to low here. Detroit can have a govt that is honest and capable, it just takes people to stand up for themselves.

[Black Sunday9]

I never knew that about Burroughs... fascinating!

& I get the feeling Kwame is trying to emulate Coleman, who was certainly no angel & milked his mayoral perks for all they were worth. My aunt (politician thru the 70s-80s) has some hilarious stories about Coleman & his satchel of cash that he always carried around (or rather some flunky carried around).  BUT- those were different times... and it was still wrong  even if people were more accepting ov that sort ov thing back then.

speaking ov Coleman, have you ever seen his tomb @ Elmwood Cemetery? I'ts hilarious- looks like a giant black shoebox.

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I actually interned for Dennis Archer. Coleman Young was a disgusting human being but Kwame might be worse. TIME magazine recently said he was the worst mayor in America. I miss Archer. No he wasn't perfect but he was 10X better than the criminal in office now. I do not live in Detroit so I can not vote sadly.

I miss Kay Everatt too, ok I know she wasn't perfect either but she at least cared about the city. Kwame just cares about partying and paying his homies to be on his security staff.

[pomba gira]

Never seen Coleman Young's tomb. Elmwood...is that on the cool one on Mt. Elliot?

Anyway, I think that our problem is that our standards are to low here. Detroit can have a govt that is honest and capable, it just takes people to stand up for themselves.

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The one on Mt. Elliott is Mt. Elliott Cemetery. Elmwood is right next to it (directly west)- the gate is behind that godawful bright orange church across from King High.

And I agree totally about the low standards. I think a lot of Detroiters don't believe a city govt. CAN be honest & capable. I also think the churches have too much influence over who gets elected.

I miss Kay Everatt too, ok I know she wasn't perfect either but she at least cared about the city.  Kwame just cares about partying and paying his homies to be on his security staff.

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I lost all respect for Kay Everett after her extremely ignorant comments about the Heidelberg Project. That just epitomized the city govt's attitude toward culture & history.

[Hellion]

:devil I saw this on the news and it reminded me of an incident that happed in 1987 Where a warehouse of about the same size burned down. Three firemen were killed Nd I found out one of them was one of my dads best friends.

[Daevion]

I dont think enough of Detroit burned down... I feel let down ever since they put a stop to Detroits only urban renewal program (Devil's Night).... <Sigh> this fire could have taken out lots of crappy buildings and they could have rebuilt the whole area... if not for those do-gooding kids and their talking dog....

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