Nature Reclaiming Detroit

[Devildoubt]

Nature is taking Detroit back, one abandoned house at a time.

Overlord, this is for you....

[Princess Kate]

Did anyone read that RS article a few months back on Detroit? It's depressing as christ, it reminds me of all those Russian towns and cities that got abandoned once communism collapsed. Except here it's the economy collapsing that's responsible

[Brendan]

Detroit has been collapsing for years. It's not just this recent recession that's responsible.

That said these pictures are both really neat and depressing.

[Princess Kate]

Originally Posted by Brendan

Detroit has been collapsing for years. It's not just this recent recession that's responsible.

That said these pictures are both really neat and depressing.

I was not trying to suggest that the downfall of Detroit started in September of last year. The US Economy has been in trouble for years, and areas of this country have been in a depression for years, it just took till last year for it to touch the rich. That's why the first we're hearing of our nations financial woes coincides with this most recent upheaval

[LisaNY]

Those houses have "The Lonesome Death of Jordy Verrill" written all over them.

[IggytheBorg]

They do look like they'd make great settings for ghost/haunted house stories don't they? I'll bet the neighborhood kids dare each other to go into many of them at night (assuming, of course, there's a neighborhood left to produce said kids).

[MoonBaseNick]

I find these images to be both haunting and beautiful..

[Death Surge]

Originally Posted by IggytheBorg

They do look like they'd make great settings for ghost/haunted house stories don't they? I'll bet the neighborhood kids dare each other to go into many of them at night (assuming, of course, there's a neighborhood left to produce said kids).

This is Detroit Iggy. Kids have enough real life horrors to deal with so ghost stories aren't a priority. And most of the dares involve shooting other kids to gain drug territory.


And as loathe as I am to respond to something the Princess posted, Detroit's deterioration began with racially charged riot of 67 and decades of corrupt city government. The down spiraling manufacturing economy simply exacerbated that decline.

[Chris Miller]

This one kind of makes me even more sad, because damn, you can tell that house used to be gorgeous. Seriously, Detriot (the city, not the "industry") should be taken over by the federal government as the next revitilization city. Take a big chunk of people who are having hard times, help them revitilize some of the more savable houses and the city, and start over. I've seen it work wonders in neighborhoods in Baltimore, imagine it on a grand scale in Detriot.

[Eyeball Kid]

An interesting perspective on photos like this and lazy journalism about Detroit:
http://www.viceland.com/int/v16n8/ht...etroit-994.php

[Phil]

Thanks for that. Killjoy.

[Trevor]

So I'm genuinely curious: whatever happened to harbortown market, Death Surge? I remember there being a fire, but I just assumed it was a little kitchen flare-up or something. www.harbortownmarket.com remains ominously defunct.

[ryoken]

Well, there goes my dream of getting a small army together and become the Marquis of New Detroit.
I wanted to be A-number one!

[Eyeball Kid]

Originally Posted by Phil

Thanks for that. Killjoy.

Always happy to help crush dreams! It's what I do.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by Eyeball Kid

An interesting perspective on photos like this and lazy journalism about Detroit:
http://www.viceland.com/int/v16n8/ht...etroit-994.php

The problem with that article is that it does nothing to disprove the plight of Detroit. There's no defense of the city or its citizens. It's a journalistically questionable shame piece aimed at the journalistically questionable.

[Eyeball Kid]

I never got the sense the article was trying to say there's no blight or decay in Detroit, but to try and get at a more balanced view of the situation and to point out some of the opportunism, distortion, and exploitation going on. I mean, he ends the piece with a guy describing the end of American Empire; that doesn't sound like an attempt to refute Detroit's death.

Also, it's just a three page blog entry. The guy would probably need to write a 400 page book to really dig into the real situation in Detroit and the way its decay is reported and fetishized.

[Ryan S~]

Originally Posted by Eyeball Kid

I never got the sense the article was trying to say there's no blight or decay in Detroit, but to try and get at a more balanced view of the situation and to point out some of the opportunism, distortion, and exploitation going on. I mean, he ends the piece with a guy describing the end of American Empire; that doesn't sound like an attempt to refute Detroit's death.

Also, it's just a three page blog entry. The guy would probably need to write a 400 page book to really dig into the real situation in Detroit and the way its decay is reported and fetishized.

Agreed but the whole thing just kinda came off as a whiny, petulant piece with no intent other than shame. I realize that's kind of the point of blogging but something about the tone just irked me.

[Brad Millette]

Look, I'm not gonna believe this thread until I see photographic evidence of RoboCop fighting a giant fern.

[ryoken]

Originally Posted by Brad Millette

Look, I'm not gonna believe this thread until I see photographic evidence of RoboCop fighting a giant fern.

Directive 6: Landscaping Enforcement should be carried with extreme prejudice.

[Eyeball Kid]

"Your move, creeper vine."

[ryoken]

Originally Posted by Eyeball Kid

"Your move, creeper vine."

"Madame, you have suffered an emotional shock. I will notify a ficus crisis center"

[IggytheBorg]

I refuse to believe there isn't anyone out there talented enough with photoshop to make Millette's request a reality.

[IggytheBorg]

Originally Posted by Death Surge

This is Detroit Iggy. Kids have enough real life horrors to deal with so ghost stories aren't a priority. And most of the dares involve shooting other kids to gain drug territory.

Apparently SOMEONE never saw "Tales from the Hood".

[Troy Nixey]

Originally Posted by MoonBaseNick

I find these images to be both haunting and beautiful..

Agree 100%!

It makes turning one into a crack house pretty difficult when there's a giant tree growing out of it.

[IggytheBorg]

I dunno about that. . . crackheads can be pretty determined.

[Death Surge]

Originally Posted by Trevor

So I'm genuinely curious: whatever happened to harbortown market, Death Surge? I remember there being a fire, but I just assumed it was a little kitchen flare-up or something. www.harbortownmarket.com remains ominously defunct.

It was a more serious fire, and then there was also a water main flood shortly thereafter. The rumor mill has mentioned some gambling debts coupled with the bad economy had both incidents under investigation for some time. And yet they keep posting updates on their web site on work progressing, so it's a wait and see situation.

[Death Surge]

Originally Posted by IggytheBorg

Apparently SOMEONE never saw "Tales from the Hood".

See that was New York. Detroit's more in the "Hostel"/"Hills Have Eyes" arena than "Bones"/"Leprechaun in the Hood".