Things That Make Detroit, Special

[Hellion]

1.The Mayor is a joke

2.You can get away running a red light,cops don't care

3.Several good venues to see a show

4.you can get away with being a little drunk behind the wheel.

5.Gun shots ring on through the night

6. parking is always an issue

7.The Grand Prix is back.

8.A lot of good restaurants.

9.a few good festivals

10.Casino's

11.The People mover,was a big waste of money.

12.Topless bars

13.Thunder Fest hydroplane races on the river,always a good time.

14.Finally a Hard Rock Cafe was built.

That makes Detroit special?

[Msterbeau]

My children are here. My friends are here.

[Fierce Critter]

City Club

Greektown

DetroitGothic

The Detroit Institute of Arts

Wayne State University

The Detroit Public Library

The State Theater

The Fox

...I'd like to say St. Andrew's Hall, but I'm missing the days when groups like The Cult played there.

[pomba gira]

• Detroit is a beautiful city in terms of having way more grass, trees, & single-family homes than most cities its size.
• A lot of gorgeous old architecture if you know where to look, even though much of it is crumbling into oblivion.
• The Heidelberg Project
• Elmwood Cemetery
• A river that isn't really a river, easy way to win bar bets!
• People have much more entrepreneurial spirit than many other cities
• Belle Isle... and the Friends of Belle Isle who are almost solely responsible for it being as nice & safe as it is nowadays.
• 10-bedroom mansions for a million bucks!
• 5-bedroom art deco palaces for $200k!
• Women can go legally topless in the actual civilized country right across the river
• Giant-ass spooky salt mines underground
• the Nain Rouge
• World fucking class medical teaching/research center
• The first major modern shopping mall in the US (well, OK, it's actually in Southfield but I'm allowed one cheat entry)

I have this weird love/hate thing going with my natal city... never want to live there again but it does have many fine points and much that is unique!

[Sybil]

Its not New Orleans but I like it alright.

Its loud sometimes..

The air smells funny sometimes...

People almost run me off the road sometimes...

VNV Nation comes to town sometimes... (BIG GRIN)

City Club is a staple hangout/"escape" from my WorkHome.. no one messes with me up there anymore..

Paul is here..

Detroit has the best wigs I have ever worn..

I love Fishbones!

I love Mongolian BBQ.. (we have one on Eureka!)

:>

I am cool with Detroit, and Detroit seems cool with me...

[n0Mad]

It's the only place in the contiguous US where you have to go south to get to Canada.

[Dubh Aingeal]

The first major modern shopping mall in the US (well, OK, it's actually in Southfield but I'm allowed one cheat entry)

Which one?

[Hellion]

Which one?

Sounds like Northland Center to me

[Destroit]

Sounds like Northland Center to me

Yeap yeap, has been abandoned for awhile if I'm not mistaken. Or maybe not ALL of it is, kinda like Universal Mall? I dunno I can't remember.

Uhmmm two words: Train Station

Oh right and speaking of abandoned, I love Detroit because it is one big ghetto.

Conversation between Raven and I that was slightly relavent to this (is paraphrased, not quoted):

Raven: We should move someplace else eventually, just for a little bit, I don't wanna stay here in Michigan my whole life, you know?

Me: Errmmm...no sorry I don't know. As a matter of fact the thought of ever leaving state for more than a vacation makes me crap myself in fear. I really really don't ever wanna live anywhere else.

Raven: What does Detroit have that makes it so special? I mean look at Florida, look at places where you can get JOBS and the houses are nice and the people are nice and everything is actually worth something.

Me: Nope, I'm good, I'll stay here. I've not no trouble being employed, never have, so why should I move?

Raven: 'Cause there's SO much out there! You just don't even know, you don't know what you're missing.

Me: Well where the hell would you wanna move?

Raven: Well I haven't quite decided yet, that's for the future.

Me: Well...how 'bout Buffalo, NY? I hear that's one big abandoned ghetto just like here and they have some really old sexy churches, and omigawd you inspired me! There's SO many hoods I haven't seen yet, we can hit NYC, go to Washington DC, LA, New Orleans...just think of the possibilities or lack thereof!

Raven: *sigh*

Oh right also Detroit rocked when I was a teen because I could pull up to ANY RANDOM PERSON in the ghetto on the northwest side (doesn't work so well on the eastside, those motherfuckers are scrambled in the head nine times outta ten) and make the little puff puff symbol and they not only knew what I was talking about but also would run and get it for me. So the service here is great.

Oh and Faygo. I loves me some Faygo with muh White Castle. Althogether we just make food better here and at about 500 more calories a pop than the same item in another state .

[pomba gira]

Which one?

Northland.

I'm actually old enough to remember when they turned it into an enclosed mall... it was originally open, like a giant convoluted strip mall.

and just for the record, I take major offense to the "one big ghetto" statement, which is really insulting to everyone who has worked so hard to bring the city back from its low point in the '80s. There are beautiful neighborhoods in the city which have been maintained throughout. I'm really not trying to start anything & of course errone is entitled to voice their opinion... but... I get really sick of people judging the entire city and everyone in it by its worst parts.

but anyway... yeah, the train station is awesome... I can remember when it was still functional and it was an amazing building.

[Destroit]

Northland.

I'm actually old enough to remember when they turned it into an enclosed mall... it was originally open, like a giant convoluted strip mall.

and just for the record, I take major offense to the "one big ghetto" statement, which is really insulting to everyone who has worked so hard to bring the city back from its low point in the '80s. There are beautiful neighborhoods in the city which have been maintained throughout. I'm really not trying to start anything & of course errone is entitled to voice their opinion... but... I get really sick of people judging the entire city and everyone in it by its worst parts.

but anyway... yeah, the train station is awesome... I can remember when it was still functional and it was an amazing building.

Well no no you don't get me though, I only GO to the ghetto parts To me it's a good thing, I don't wanna see renovation or nice buildings that still have the people living in 'em. I also realize I'm the one whose weird (trust me it took me a long time to work through how much I don't fit in anywhere and I still hate that no one will ever see eye to eye with me on anything, probably for as long as I live). One reason I haven't been down there in awhile is because they're renovating and rebuilding and making it "nice" as to what they think is nice, and I just plain don't like it. Like everytime I see that something bad happened down there or something burnt down or a building project had a backslide I'm like "yess...." in the back of my head because that's a sign that the city won't change, which is what I'm aiming for. The only reason I kinda like the renovation because bet me any money it'll be abandoned shortly too...it almost always happens. So basically when I called it "one big ghetto" I wasn't trying to insult the city, just the opposite actually.

Soooo...now that everyone probably thinks I'm a whackjob or alien (I'm not claiming that you didn't in the first place either )

But I do owe an apology, because you're right Pomba, there's some little pockets on both the east and westside that have fancy ritzy crap in it with rich kinda neighborhoods. I remember like a year or two ago coming home from CC a little buzzed Raven and I (and this was before we were dating) were going crazy doing donuts in the streets and driving all over for fun and all of a sudden we were like "Errrmm....?" 'cause one second we were surrounded by darkness and ghetto then all of a sudden we were thrown into mansion-hell and I was all "omfg, cops actually probably go here, let's leave" It was like the Twilight Zone 'cause we stumbled on it and I'm like "Wait a MINUTE...I thought we were in Detroit..."

[Onyx]

Detroit's abandoned buildings and the general feel of the more run-down parts of the city have always attracted me. I almost felt a bit guilty for it because I realize it represents a great city struggling in the wake of the car industry's problems, but still...

There's something exquisitely beautiful about them. It's a beautiful sadness, something almost palpable you can hear and feel in the air. I'm torn because I'd love to see the city thriving again, but I'd miss the post-apocalyptic ambience of the place.

[Destroit]

Detroit's abandoned buildings and the general feel of the more run-down parts of the city have always attracted me. I almost felt a bit guilty for it because I realize it represents a great city struggling in the wake of the car industry's problems, but still...

There's something exquisitely beautiful about them. It's a beautiful sadness, something almost palpable you can hear and feel in the air. I'm torn because I'd love to see the city thriving again, but I'd miss the post-apocalyptic ambience of the place.

Wow...someone...has the same opinion that I do...

I don't even know what to do now this is a first for me.

<3 <3 <3 <3 <----(Little hearts)

People are always "oh well we want this to change and get better blah blah and fancier buildings blah blah big new houses down there blah" and they don't even live in the city borders nor do they know what goes on down there. They know pseudo "let's go downtown and see a game" Detroit, not the REAL Detroit, then when they're done they go to their new construction cookie-cutter crap houses out in Washington Twp and Auburn Hills and shit. I don't want my city to be all "modern" like that, no siree. I'm one of those people who wants the city to stay post-apocalyptic and people who in real life are like "well I have a problem with that" and I always say "well if you want ritzy shmitzy fancy pants crap, Chicago is over that way *points* and Toronto is roughly that way *points*, don't let the door hitcha where the Lord splitcha." Also a lot of the time they're not even natives of Detroit or the Metro area.

I guess the only people I feel for are like the people who lived here before the 1967 riots and grew up here with Detroit as a "nice" city and always wanted it to stay a "nice" city, but then it turned to crap but they didn't wanna move because all of their friends and family are here. But those are the only people I feel for when it comes to the city being in the state that it's in.

Oh right, and personally I like the Grand Order of Moose building which has been abandoned since god knows when. Not that it's particularily nice, I just like the word "moose" and when I see it etched in big letters along the top of a building, it gets me all warm and fuzzy inside.

[pomba gira]

I do understand b/cos I also have a very different sense of aesthetics from most people around me... For the record I love industrial-decay-scapes and echoes of faded grandeur myself. I shoot a lot of grafitti art on the abandoned railroad line by the Eastern Market... and that Boileau dude is just godlike... and errone here knows how I feel about the Leland... BUT...

for the people who actually have to live there it is not a matter of aesthetics... the reality of the whole urban decay thing is poverty, hopelessness, inadequate city services, abysmal schools... and these things affect everyone regardless of income level. None of my relatives live in any area that could be called a "ghetto" but they still live with the threat of being shot at a gas station some night by someone who does. It is possible to have a thriving city with gritty urban ambiance, without having a big chunk of the population living in despair and fear. That's what the people who truy love Detroit want for our city. Some of us would even prefer to see the beautiful older buildings restored rather than have a bunch of glizty new generic stuff thrown up... I still think razing the old Hudson's was a crime. But I doubt you'll find anyone living in the city who actually thinks unrelieved urban blight is conducive to a good quality of life.

[Lillylu29]

The old Train Station is my favorite building of all time......... What i wouldent give to have that place rebuilt..... Im so inlove with that place.....

and i dont think its so much of whats in detroit that intreagues us as it is the history of it all.....

[sass_in_the_pants]

My children are here. My friends are here.

My family's here. My friends are here.

No amount of sunshine, aesthetics, employment opportunities, or whatever, can top that.

How have we gotten this far in the conversation and no one mentioned coney dogs? Sheesh...slackers!

[Hellion]

Crackhouses

[nilhil_glory]

personally i love the water... i love going up and down the channels and around zug island.. on the river is my fav hang out other than that i really love detroit becouse of downtown.. like its not like packed with people but its not bad.. i cant stand walkiing around chicago mleh...i also love the dirty d for smelling like worms on a muggy day... and the decrepitness of a lot of teh city

my fav architecture however has got to be the building thats by fox 2 station with all the robot parts in the walls its like empty and look slike r2d2 exploded all over the place

and i also dig how you can drive from 75 to 375 under cobo and back to 75 in a complete circle and no matter where you get lost .. you can almost find a highway always going down on of the many a main road

[pomba gira]

How have we gotten this far in the conversation and no one mentioned coney dogs? Sheesh...slackers!

'cos they're disgusting slop, that's why. Altho coney joints are unbeatable for late night drunken mongery... and they are indeed a Detroit institution worthy of recognition. But I can't imagine actually ever eating one of those revolting things.

[Scary Guy]

No one mentioned the steam from the manhole covers. Come on that's so awesome especially with heavy fog. "OH SHIT, CAR!"

[sass_in_the_pants]

'cos they're disgusting slop, that's why. Altho coney joints are unbeatable for late night drunken mongery... and they are indeed a Detroit institution worthy of recognition. But I can't imagine actually ever eating one of those revolting things.

My favorite is Lafayette, with the bathroom that looks like it came out of a submarine, and creepy horrible deadly submarine.

And chilli cheese fries...oh, the pain I feel the next morning. the term 'world of hurt' comes to mind, but as they're sliding down, it's SO good...

And the manhole cover steam! What the hell is that all about anyway?

[Scary Guy]

And the manhole cover steam! What the hell is that all about anyway?

It has to do with the heating system for the old buildings. From what I've heard the heat seeps out underground. It's also used to power some old buildings. There are quite a few reasons.

http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mstreetsteam.html as far as NYC goes anyway.

[Nienna]

Detroit's abandoned buildings and the general feel of the more run-down parts of the city have always attracted me. I almost felt a bit guilty for it because I realize it represents a great city struggling in the wake of the car industry's problems, but still...

There's something exquisitely beautiful about them. It's a beautiful sadness, something almost palpable you can hear and feel in the air. I'm torn because I'd love to see the city thriving again, but I'd miss the post-apocalyptic ambience of the place.

I couldn't have put it better myself. This city feeds my soul so much I moved here just to be closer.

[Medea]

My family's here. My friends are here.

No amount of sunshine, aesthetics, employment opportunities, or whatever, can top that.

How have we gotten this far in the conversation and no one mentioned coney dogs? Sheesh...slackers!

Honestly, Coney Islands are indeed a distinctly Southeastern Michigan/Detroit phenomenon. My sister would try to talk about hanging out with her friends up here when she was in school in New Orleans, and when she mentioned Coneys, they'd just look at her in confusion, or think she was talking about New York.

It was rather funny, actually.

Even my friends on the west coast of the state don't know what coneys are.

[creatureofthenyte]

I know what they are, only cuz Ive been there before.