Detroit Urban Ruins

[grantboston]

Came across these photo sets of some urban ruins in Detroit. Pretty amazing stuff:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetju...7603302647339/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetju...7603305754157/

An essay description about photos:

http://www.sweet-juniper.com/2007/11...rom-ashes.html

[gc]

Wow, those are amazing.

[hamiltonpl]

Those photos of Michigan Central Station are downright sad.

Just when you think your own city can't get its act together -- there is always Detroit.

[Random Traffic Guy]

Somewhere I had a real estate page of Detroit houses. It was the old ritzy neighborhood where all the CEOs lived in the '20s. Literally dozens of grand old 4-bedroom houses >2000sf were available for less than $100k, many for less than $50k, and some as low as $10k. Most of them looked decent from the street views, although locals were saying that alternate blocks looked like Mogadishu on a bad day. It was pretty funny to see the payment calculator calculate mortgage payments well under $100. Good bones on the houses, but expensive to heat and cool.

You could get crazy returns on investing as a fixed-upper if there was an upside to the Detroit area at all, but it's hard to see. Meanwhile the city property taxes are horrendous (on the order of 2-3x here), state income tax in addition, crime rate such that you're paying $5k or so a year in home insurance, dysfunctional city and state governments, etc...

[Justin Terveen]

that second set gave me the warm-fuzzies... incredible arch/decay... nice pics to boot...


[killer]

[grantboston]

Those photos of Michigan Central Station are downright sad.

Just when you think your own city can't get its act together -- there is always Detroit.

Well if you believe RoboCop, Dallas won't be too far behind!

[LH_Newbie]

Detroit is in sad condition. The new Mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, is just a flagrant cook and is trying to tout the little bit of investment in the city as his prize - even though articles abound of "new urbanism". If it weren't for the 20+ year trend of decreasing population in Detroit, I'd say some of these potentially amazing homes were prime for the picking - but Michigan needs to stem the job loss issue before the city will rebound. It's a sad, sad thing. I have friends and family still living in Michigan...

Brian

[Random Traffic Guy]

Here's the link:
Boston-Edison Neighborhood

One of the bigger ones:
2432 Boston Blvd
I know, damn expensive at $49k or $238 per month, but it is 5000SF and 6 bedrooms.

[warlock55]

Anybody who is interested in urban ruins HAS to check out American Ruins and The New American Ghetto. Two of my all-time favorite books. It'll really make you sad for what we've lost as a country over the past 50 years.

[AeroD]

Great video series on Detroit showing a positive and hopeful side. (Yes, I know they are trying to sell a product.)

http://www.palladiumboots.com/exploration/detroit