# Detroit: A decaying, murderous, abandoned city



## hudkina (Oct 28, 2003)

I thought it would be fun to go through Flickr and find some interesting photos of Detroit, America's most underappreciated major metropolis.
All images are credited to their photographer. You can click on any of their names to find more images of the city.

Downtown Detroit from above:








© ifmuth

Scott Fountain on Bell Isle:








© DetroitDerek

The Penobscot Building in the setting sun:








© Conlawprof

The Spirit of Detroit:








© Maia C

Urban "art" in the Dequindre Cut:








© radiospike photography

A view of the New Center/North End area:








© pverdonk

A foggy day in the city:








© kudzuplanet

Downtown Density from Comerica Park:








© incendiarymind

The Fox Theatre is often among the top-grossing live theatres in the nation:








© The Javelina

Suburban Zombies in Royal Oak:








© Wigwam Jones

Home-Grown produce in Eastern Market:








© ellievanhoutte

A World Famous Mural in the DIA:








© Maia C

Lover's of industrial ruins despair, these will soon be condos:








© The Toad

A world-class airport terminal:








© mmartimo

A view to a foreign nation:








© Girl.in.the.D

Historic building in Fort Wayne:








© Maia C

A view through 15 miles worth of haze:








© mandj98

Tunnel connecting the two concourses of Detroit's McNamara Terminal:








© Laughing Squid

Detroit has one of the largest collections of theatres in the U.S. outside of New York:








© kelliekp

The Golden Ga-- er... Ambassador Bridge sticks out in the distance:








© kudzuplanet

The decline of the American Industrial Complex:








© Tom Roche

A view towards Brush Park with the Detroit Medical Center in the background:








© ifmuth

Eastern Market is one of the largest farmer's markets in the U.S.:








© brian cors

Southfield Town Center:








© MikeWasFractal

Winter in the city:








© Girl.in.the.D

Campus Martius Park at night:








© Conlawprof

A view of the skyline from within Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers:








© Ben+Sam

Ice skating at Campus Martius during the winter:








© andre3002

The Dequindre Cut:








© Tom Roche

A festival in New Center:








© ifmuth

The Somerset Collection in Troy:








© worldmegan

Apartment Buildings in Detroit's Gold Coast neighborhood:








© Monika & Tim

The Detroit Public Library has a large historical collection:








© valkyrieh116

A view of the Financial District with the Detroit River and Windsor in the background:








© Krhn313

A peek at the Belle Isle Conservatory:








© Maia C

Indian Village is a neighborhood on the East Side:








© Girl.in.the.D

A close-up of the Ambassador Bridge from Windsor:








© Spacing Magazine

Greektown is a small downtown enclave of shops and restaurants:








© mrbula

New housing in Midtown:








© Girl.in.the.D

The Fisher Building:








© polskiedetroit

Crankbrook House:








© xray10


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## Coral Builder (May 25, 2007)

Really Nice, and Surprising. I drive through all the time on business. Maybe I should stop somewhere for a bit...


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## MDguy (Dec 16, 2006)

Great photos! shows both sides of detroit! nice collection


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## teddybear (Sep 12, 2002)

I did not see decay and run down buildings. In fact, photos show Detroit is fine.


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## hudkina (Oct 28, 2003)

I'm being ironic. It seems most people tend to focus on all of the negative aspects of the city and either don't care or don't want to know that there are other "normal" aspects to the city.


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## Taller Better (Aug 27, 2005)

I love the Fisher Building!


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## zzibit (Apr 17, 2006)

beautiful Detroit


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## FM 2258 (Jan 24, 2004)

I have to see this place for myself. I see beautiful, lively pictures like this but I hear it's a run down, dangerous shithole of a place to be.


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## Bond James Bond (Aug 23, 2002)

That fog picture is awesome.


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## Jarvijarv (Oct 29, 2007)

*ALWAYS THE OPTIMIST*

NICE JOB Hudkina! i like the sarcasm..made me look at this thread and SUPRISE!!, haha....not bad, Detroit! :lol:


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## hudkina (Oct 28, 2003)

It always seems that the "bad" threads always get a bigger response than the "good" threads.


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## alejoaoa (May 11, 2006)

Well, looks really nice for me.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

Detroit has so much potential. It reminds me of Chicago and Milwaukee had they gone to shit financially. Detroit deserves to be born again. The first thing it needs is a diverse downtown population that is not segregated. Manhattan, Chicago and Philadelphia were able to draw in millionaires from the suburbs to live amidst their charmfully gritty downtown streets even in their darkest days. I don't see why Detroit can't. Those wimps from Bloomfield Hills and Grosse Pointe should be fueling the downtown residential boom. I see a city just begging to thrive again. I would love to buy there as an experiment. 

If I were mayor of Detroit....

I would start building a light rail that goes down Woodward Avenue and that goes along the waterfront forming a T. I would focus on getting Woodward Avenue completely densified all the way to Birmingham.

I would try to salvage every old building. 

Change the names of the "mile" roads as it provides a psychological stigma.

Tax the rich towns in the metro area to pay for the central city since they are the ones that abandoned it. Those damn suburbanites.

Legalize marijuana and have Detroit be the only city in the US where marijuana is legal.
Let it be our Amsterdam and watch tourism go nuts.


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## hudkina (Oct 28, 2003)

Some More:

A stylized look at downtown density:








© Conlawprof

The night skyline from Windsor:








© Cobby17

The fountain in Hart Plaza:








© canuckr

The exterior of MOCAD, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit:








© DetroitDerek

Cathedral of the Most Blessed Sacrament:








© pinehurst19475

Interior of the Main Branch Library:








© Fir Dawg

The Detroit Yacht Club:








© pinehurst19475

A little bit of New York in the Midwest:








© Erik Twight

Broadway after dark:








© B0nes

Old townhouses in the city core:








© DecoJim

Close-up detail of the Wayne County building:








© DetroitDerek

Rivertown/Lafayette Park in the Winter:








© palsule_mahendra

Middle-class homes in the city:








© ifmuth

The David Stott Building from Capitol Park:








© swpj73

The skyline from the new Tricentennial State Park in Rivertown:








© DecoJim

The Belle Isle Bridge in Winter:








© lovegreenkitty

A crowded Comerica Park:








© Steve G.


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## Brisbaner21 (Jul 17, 2007)

Best art deco skyline in the world. Give Detroit some credit.


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## philadweller (Oct 30, 2003)

I am falling in love with detroit....


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## christos-greece (Feb 19, 2008)

Great pics! Detroit its a nice city :cheers:
Why you called it "abandoned"?  The old factory and the graffiti pic perhaps, but the rest is wonderful!


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## hudkina (Oct 28, 2003)

The city is notorious for having a few neighborhoods that were abandoned over the years due to various reasons.


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## Saigoneseguy (Mar 6, 2005)

Wow Never thought there're some Edwardian flair in Detroit!


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## LAsam (Mar 12, 2007)

Wow, you've succesfully made Detroit look fabulous!


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## Köbtke (Jun 29, 2005)

guiltyspark343 said:


> I have lived in Metro Detroit my entire life. I was born in Pontiac, grew up in Royal Oak and Troy. Went to highschool in Auburn hills while living in Orion Township. Moved to Rochester when I first moved out and now live in Auburn hills where I addend Oakland University (sorry, long introduction, but that is where I am coming from).
> 
> As a lifetime resident of the area, a traveler, and someone who spends a lot of time studying architecture and politics I am going to list what I think are the good and the bad aspects of my home town.
> First the bad...
> ...


Very much appreciate this post. Still trying to wrap my head around Detroit with all the bad things you hear and now pictures like the ones in this thread.

If we focus on the bad things you point out... why has it come to that? I know it's probably not easy to sum up here but is it simply just poor management of the city and it's resources a long with declining industrial power? Seems like such a huge waste and that something should have been done sooner to help what many view as one of America's great cities.


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## aquablue (Mar 18, 2006)

Detroit needs to reinvent itself into a creative hub or something like that. It doesn't help that the center of business in the US has been shifting South to warmer climes. I'm wondering where the jobs will come from?


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## aquablue (Mar 18, 2006)

Köbtke said:


> Very much appreciate this post. Still trying to wrap my head around Detroit with all the bad things you hear and now pictures like the ones in this thread.
> 
> If we focus on the bad things you point out... why has it come to that? I know it's probably not easy to sum up here but is it simply just poor management of the city and it's resources a long with declining industrial power? Seems like such a huge waste and that something should have been done sooner to help what many view as one of America's great cities.


How? Jobs of course, they are no longer there anymore. The shift to warmer climes of Texas, etc. Would you like Detroit winters or Dallas winters? Detroit is not like other cities that people mention here like Joburg. Detroit is not the major economic center of a country, it won't be easy to reverse that trend unless it reinvents itself.

The major population center is moving South. I'm sorry to say, but Detroit's future to become a major economic hub again (i.e, a Chicago, NY, LA, Boston, etc) are probably over. Its future will be a smaller hopefully more prosperous and creative city like a bigger Pittsburgh. 

I hope it becomes a center for artists or creative companies seeking cheap space.


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## guiltyspark343 (Jan 22, 2012)

aquablue said:


> How? Jobs of course, they are no longer there anymore. The shift to warmer climes of Texas, etc. Would you like Detroit winters or Dallas winters? Detroit is not like other cities that people mention here like Joburg. Detroit is not the major economic center of a country, it won't be easy to reverse that trend unless it reinvents itself.
> 
> The major population center is moving South. I'm sorry to say, but Detroit's future to become a major economic hub again (i.e, a Chicago, NY, LA, Boston, etc) are probably over. Its future will be a smaller hopefully more prosperous and creative city like a bigger Pittsburgh.
> 
> I hope it becomes a center for artists or creative companies seeking cheap space.


I think the one hope for Detroit is if water shortages in the south force population and industry to move back to the midwest where freshwater is plentiful. And don't forget, even though the city is in decline, the region is still massive (over 5 million people in a 40-50 mile area) and is still a major economic hub. If only because the auto industry still provides us with plenty of mid and high level executives and all the businesses they support.


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## guiltyspark343 (Jan 22, 2012)

Köbtke said:


> Very much appreciate this post. Still trying to wrap my head around Detroit with all the bad things you hear and now pictures like the ones in this thread.
> 
> If we focus on the bad things you point out... why has it come to that? I know it's probably not easy to sum up here but is it simply just poor management of the city and it's resources a long with declining industrial power? Seems like such a huge waste and that something should have been done sooner to help what many view as one of America's great cities.


The short answer is two fold. White flight did hurt the city, but the riots and the management of the city since then basically put the last nail in the coffin. For my entire life it seems like the people in charge of the city are more concerned with clawing for power and fighting with themselves than actually accomplishing anything (like making sure the street lights work or the trash gets picked up, forget about police and fire coverage.) Also, the city has a 3rd world level of corruption. Members of the city council and mayors office are constantly under investigation by the feds and massive ammounts of money often go missing, or are misappropriated to bloated contracts that line politicians pockets. Basically, the mentality of the leadership has been to steal everything of value off the Titanic before it goes down. I think Mayor Bing is trying to change how things are done, but it is too little too late. A city manager who can act unilaterally and make the hard decisions without political or union pressure is likely the only hope.


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## sky-eye (Jan 2, 2003)

Detroit looks nice!


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

Detroit architecture is truly powerhouse.





I wish I knew what building's featured in this video ...
All those photos and instruments left behind by (broke?) tenants leaves me *incredulous* :eek2:​


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## trainrover (May 6, 2006)

Even loads of library books left behind! Plus are those police-file photos strewn about as well? :?​


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## Linguine (Aug 10, 2009)




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## nick.english.dept (Jul 13, 2012)

Great photos of a great city. Unfortunately, due to Hollywood and the media, opinions about places are formed in accordance to how one meets the cities and/or country in question. Detroit is no exception and most people's view is probably that there is still a riot going on a half a century later. Yes, there are several undesirable areas in the city, yet they should not mar a city that grew to grand proportions built by a very hard working population. The Mid-West has this common characteristic and is a phenomenon which many cities in the "Rust Belt" carry. 

Having said this... got anymore pics of Detroit/Windsor? 



hudkina said:


> I thought it would be fun to go through Flickr and find some interesting photos of Detroit, America's most underappreciated major metropolis.
> All images are credited to their photographer. You can click on any of their names to find more images of the city.
> 
> Downtown Detroit from above:
> ...


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## opusdei (Apr 14, 2013)

Detroit looks like Johannesburg or Johannesburg looks like Detroit?


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## skyline4life (Aug 17, 2012)

The skyline should add the twin 2 Detroit center for depth and a few more 50 story casinos/hotels and a subway system and metro buses for the metro area. Clear people out of the ghettos and lure tourism, so give ghetto people jobs. Legalize pot and build some cheap condos for the casino and tourist and ex ghetto workers. Hire more police after the city has a better name. Then, the population should grow (with the skyline) and then BOOM. Reinforce a music industry and be like Chicago.


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## LeeighIam (Oct 7, 2008)

Thank you for all the awesome pics of Detroit!!!!


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## opusdei (Apr 14, 2013)

skyline4life said:


> The skyline should add the twin 2 Detroit center for depth and a few more 50 story casinos/hotels and a subway system and metro buses for the metro area. Clear people out of the ghettos and lure tourism, so give ghetto people jobs. Legalize pot and build some cheap condos for the casino and tourist and ex ghetto workers. Hire more police after the city has a better name. Then, the population should grow (with the skyline) and then BOOM. Reinforce a music industry and be like Chicago.


Real world is not like Sim City.


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## skyline4life (Aug 17, 2012)

opusdei said:


> Real world is not like Sim City.


I know but if Detroit goes farther deep in debt to take a risk, they may have a 50-50 shot


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## opusdei (Apr 14, 2013)

skyline4life said:


> I know but if Detroit goes farther deep in debt to take a risk, they may have a 50-50 shot


Yep, maybe.


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## hybridy (Dec 14, 2007)

https://vimeo.com/140651533


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## SpiderBHZ (Feb 11, 2015)

Now that's a city that fights and it will win, no doubt!


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## diddyD (May 12, 2014)

An intriguing thread.


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