http://kev.elbowroomdesign.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/detroit.jpg‘ title=’detroit abandoned housing – by Flickr user tEdGuY49®’>
Ladies and gentleman, Detroit is on sale. We’re not talking some kind of 10%-off promotion, or a scratch-‘n-save discount. No, this is a fire-sale, bargain-bin, 90% off, everything-must-go, bankruptcy, grand-closing, limited-quantities sale. Detroit is going out of business, and everything is for sale, right down to the shelving.
As a modern Canadian, it is hard for me understand this kind of extreme depression. I first heard about it in March, and couldn’t believe what I was reading: houses are cheaper than cars? Families leaving in mass exodus? Entire portions of the city abandoned? At first I thought it was an urban myth, a huge exaggeration, a gross miscalculation. But it’s true: crime, population loss and decay are reshaping Detroit into a ghost town.
“The housing boom that swept much of the country in recent years has missed out on the city. Detroit, which has lost more than half its population in the past 30 years and struggled with rising crime, failing schools and other social problems. Prices have gained less than 2 percent per year in the five years since 2001, when the auto industry entered a renewed slump.” – (Jron Magcale)
Still not understanding the depth of this decay? (It took me a while)
Read Detroit Blog, a site maintained by an avid Detroit resident who is documenting the abandonment and celebrating the legacy of a once-vibrant city. The site includes great photos.
Browse these realty listings for homes in Detroit.
Check out this posting from Craigslist Detroit, where the homeowner is self-listing their home, built in 1971, for $4000, using photos from the family album to show the interior.
Read the market estimation from Zillow, which puts houses in this neighbourhood at an average of $11,000 per home:
View a Flickr photo set of urban decay & exploration in Detroit.
View these heartbreaking photos of abandoned churches, apartments and homes all across Detroit.
Join in on this Metafilter discussion about Detroit’s slow death. It’s the post that taught me what was happening in old Motown.
Personally, I find the case of Detroit to be completely heartbreaking, exhilarating, depressing and inspiring. This city is wide open. It’s dirt cheap. The buildings are empty. Should artists be flocking to the city to document and exploit its decay? Should those of us with cash be snapping up properties as fast as we can? Should corporations be trying to rescue and restore the town like Edward Bloom in the movie Big Fish? Or do we just let it go, step back, walk away, and let it die?
One last article that helps point the way forward: What Detroit Can Learn from Bangalore. Maybe there is hope. As Sufjan Stevens said, “Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)”
If you enjoyed this post, you might enjoy subscribing to my RSS feed. If you don’t know what that means, you can click here to find out.
MORE POSTS FROM KEVAN GILBERT
- Blogging by numbers
- A Digest of Recently Occurring Incidents
- Venezuela is breaking down
- Dream: The Twin Stories of the Pellegrino Professionals
- Long weekend blitz
Kevan Gilbert is a life-size replica of a 5'8" tall human being, and comes with several interchangeable outfits and a realistic haircut. In the daytime hours, Kevan works as a Project Manager at Vancouver’s Union Gospel Mission. When he’s not spending time with his beautiful wife Kendra in their hometown of Burnaby, BC, Kevan is available to meet, chat and collaborate.
Actually the real estate downtown is gaining momentum on the market, the city is finding a new niche this time in the form of sports entertainment. Multiple venues and bars have opened in the last few years, not to mention the Detroit Electronic Movement Festival (held in Hart Plaza) brings in millions and is argueably one of the biggest of its kind, right in the motor city. WWE hosted Wrestlemania in Detroit just 2 weeks ago, and 2 years ago it saw the Super Bowl, World Series, and NBA Finals. There is still lots to see in the city, the problem in my opinion is the neglectful black population which invaded the city in the 80’s.
So let me see if I’ve got this right:
1) The business folks downtown are doing fine.
2) Yearly sports expositions that only visit the city for a few days at a time will somehow save the city’s economy.
3) If there’s any poverty, it’s the black folks’ fault.
Lovely.
Struggling Economy sure, a lot of cities face the same types of issues. There is still much to see in the city; a lot has changed just in the past 5 years. Maybe its a detroiter thing -this type of post hits home. Those of us who live near the city have a great understanding of where it stands and the city is indefinatley on the turnaround. Interesting read, and I really like your website.
Steve…thanks a lot for the response. It’s clear you have a lot of attachment to your home city. I can see why…Detroit has an amazing legacy, and it must be tough to watch an old friend struggle through hard times.
That’s really great to hear that things are on the upswing, though. News is a little slow up here in Calgary, so it’s really interesting to hear the perspective of a native Detroiter.
And I’m glad you like my site! Thanks for saying so.
Hey Steve: I’m curious what you mean about “the neglectful black population.” What, specifically, are they doing?
This is an incredibly sad situation. Thank you for bringing it to light.
I wouldn’t be surprised if a few wealthy people or corporations do move into the town and buy up a lot of the cheap property, in order to sell it when things pick up. I don’t think a city of this size or importance could just disappear. I think the people who live there – and are proud of it – will work to see it renewed.
My question is – where to start? How do you reinvigorate a city whose economy is experiencing such a downward spiral?
It’s the particular ‘quality’ of Black culture found only in Detroit. They don’t care about rebuilding the city and unfortunately make up 96% of the population. Detroit will never recover. Ever. Sorry, but it’s true.
I grew up here by the way. Born and raised….
I find everything about this very sad. Detroit doesnt have to be the way it is in most areas. There are still beautiful areas. The problem is not the “black population” there either. Its because Michigan has pretty much just turned away from it. Hoping maybe it will just restore itself? Who knows. How can the people of Detroit do anything when the state doesnt even want to put money into the public schools there. Its also people that think the probelm is the “black population’ that are the problem. Even people from Michigan that live outside of the city in places such as Novi or South Lyon (just as examples), they dont care. They would rather just see the city fall because it doesnt effect them directly. I hope one day I am able to see at least a partialy restored Detroit.
Detroit has failed when other cities have survived. You have to ask yourself why that is. Until you can answer that question, there can be no turnaround.
The first thing you need to do is answer this question: “Why would a business decide to move to Detroit rather than some other American city?” If Detroit is failing, the government is anti-business and anti-white (it has been for a long time, don’t freak out on me for saying so), why move there? The place is coming apart at the seams. What American business is going to choose Detroit over another place and why?
i feel the city has gone down as well. But like all things that go down or sink they must eventually come back up. The city has too much history and has allowed others to come up. to totally say it is gone forever is simply not true. I left but with honest intensions of returning to help it get back where it lives in my heart. There will never be another place like detroit. The place i live now can’t compare with all the wisdom you can get from a place like detroit. The rich history and landmarks alone are so important. The cultural activities that go on. The success stories that came from what you all think is so horrible. Yes it looks bad now but with love and help from its true citizens who will forever love detroit. it will be back. Better than before it will be and with much more to offer. Its just time to weed out the bad seeds.