Detroit photos from Auto Show weekend

[wyliepoon]

Greetings from Warren, MI!

I am spending the weekend with a few forumers here in Detroit during the North American International Auto Show. We came here not for the cars, but of course more for checking out the famous skyline, the transportation, and of course, the notorious urban decay and ongoing urban renewal.

Here are the photos from Friday and Saturday. Lots of photos... so please be patient with loading them.

Base of the atrium of the International Center, which houses the world's tallest indoor waterfall (114 ft)

Another view of the atrium

Banner honouring Steve Yzerman, whose number 19 was recently retired by the Detroit Red Wings

Whale mural gone?

Comerica Park, home of MLB's reigning American League champions Detroit Tigers

Fox Theatre

Looking down Woodward Avenue

Buildings at Grand Circus Park

Book Tower

Washington Blvd

Book-Cadillac Hotel, now undergoing restoration by Westin

Looking up Washington Blvd

Downtown signposts

David Stott Building

Guardian Building

Penobscot Tower clock

Comerica Tower

Guardian Building foyer... a true Art Deco gem...

Skybridge

Eastern Market

Renaissance Centre (aka Ren Cen)... now the GM World Headquarters

GM Wintergarden

Views from the top of the Ren Cen Marriott, at the Coach Insignia Restaurant

Home of the Auto Show

Lafayette Park modernist towers

Campus Martius... still complete with all its Christmas lights

Joe Louis' Fist... probably more controversial than any sculpture we have on University Avenue

Underground Railroad memorial sculpture. There is a matching artwork across the Detroit River in Windsor. How appropriate to see a southern-style paddlesteamer right next to the memorial.

Windsor, Ontario, Canada

Map of the world in the pavement between the Ren Cen and the Detroit River

More photos coming soon!

 

[ganjavih]

Thanks for the tour, wylie. Looking at these pics, you'd think that Detroit was a decent city. Your Opera House pics are impressive too.

I wonder if Detroit will ever see prosperity again. It's certainly getting better and it has the built form of a great city. I just love early 20th century American architecture. We were so much more tame up here.

 

[bizorky]

^I agree. Downtown Detroit has such great bones. It is a shame that so much of it is in such bad shape, but good to see the gradual improvements as well.

 

[wyliepoon]

Detroit photos part 2...

A drive down Gratiot Avenue, one of Detroit's famous avenues radiating out from the downtown. You can see the level of urban decay increase as you get closer to the downtown and into the inner city.

A notorious Michigan Left

Crossing famous 8 Mile Road into the City of Detroit

A sidetrip into a burned-out and abandoned neighbourhood near Gratiot and Chene. (Satellite view from Google Maps)

Fisher Freeway

The former Cass Technical High School building... Collegiate Gothic at its best. The new Cass Tech building is located north of this building.

Detroit Masonic Temple, the largest Masonic Temple in the world. Sort of lends credibility to the conspiracy theory that the Freemasons are running the world, doesn't it?

The Brush Park neighbourhood was once famous for its ruined homes and buildings. It seems like its worst days are finally over... the streets have been repaved, new lawns have been put in, and new townhouses and apartments are sprouting up everywhere. However, you can still see some of the ruined buildings still standing, some awaiting restoration.

Another view down Woodward Avenue downtown

Off to see Michigan Central Station, Detroit's abandoned grand railway station...

Tiger Stadium, which until Comerica Park opened, was tied with Fenway Park in Boston as the oldest ballpark in MLB. Currently awaiting some sort of redevelopment and/or demolition.

Lafayette Park and its Mies van der Rohe townhouses...

Belle Isle, Detroit's island park in the middle of the Detroit River...

Scott Fountain

New Center, developed as a new commercial centre for Detroit in the 1920s. I've seen some old photos of it when it was a truly bustling city centre, but was somewhat disappointed to see that today's New Center is only about two blocks long. Still, the former GM headquarters (now Cadillac Place) is impressive, and the Fisher Building skyscraper is nothing less than magnificent.

Heading back to downtown's Greektown neighbourhood, a small but quite vibrant part of the downtown.

 

[ganjavih]

Mmm, Pizza Papali (4th last pic). Best Chicago-style deep dish pizza I ever had (although I've never been to Chicago).

 

[spmarshall]

That Chicago-style pizza is at least as good as anything in Chicago.

Here's some of my earlier summertime photos of Detroit I took during my Chicago road trip:

Detroit Update

 

[alklay]

Detroit is a fascinating city and it certainly had a lot of money when money bought you early 20th century architectural masterpieces. The city could have been a closer Chicago if they were able to keep up but sadly race issues sadly divided and ultimately conquered the city.

Thanks for the photos.

 

[Long Island Mike]

Wylie: Good tour of Detroit! It is amazing how decent a downtown and central area DET has even though it has that bad image-your pics did look at some of that ruin. it amazes me that DET totally runs the gamut from buildings like the Renaissance Center and older classic downtown buildings to ruins like the old Michigan Central Railroad station. I feel that there is alot if interesting things to discover about DET despite that rough image that many have-including people I know. LI MIKE