Posted 10/09/2011 01:26:00 PM by Douglas

Here's some more pictures of Detroit, rotting from within. Interesting how quickly the buildings decay and the vegetation reclaims the land.

Labels: Detroit Decay

Posted 7/20/2009 05:50:00 PM by Douglas

Frightening, yet compelling pictures of the end of an empire in Detroit. Also, there's this. and these pictures that just make you want to burn it down and move to California. California, Michiganders, Texas is already full-up of you funny-talkin' pastey goobers.

Labels: Detroit Decay

Posted 4/22/2009 02:56:00 PM by Douglas

Here is an interesting if not unique solution to dealing with the urban blight of the rust belt: Tear it down.

Instead of waiting for houses to become abandoned and then pulling them down, local leaders are talking about demolishing entire blocks and even whole neighborhoods.

The population would be condensed into a few viable areas. So would stores and services. A city built to manufacture cars would be returned in large measure to the forest primeval.

“Decline in Flint is like gravity, a fact of life,” said Dan Kildee, the Genesee County treasurer and chief spokesman for the movement to shrink Flint. “We need to control it instead of letting it control us.”

It's gotta be depressing to see your entire town to crumble in around you, but wishing for the glory days of 1950s expansion isn't going to make it happen. Take a look at these pictures. Doesn't look like the fire department even tries anymore. Shit, why would they?

Labels: Detroit Decay

Posted 10/30/2008 09:42:00 PM by Douglas

For any Michigander that thinks their state doesn't suck, read this and rejoice in the glory of your state: every year burning down some of it.

The city that used to burn on the night before Halloween as mischief-makers torched abandoned buildings has largely doused its Devil's Night by mobilizing tens of thousands of citizens and law-enforcement personnel each year to patrol city neighborhoods.

Ah, the joys of community activism. Helping homeless? Feeding the hungry? Giving a kid his first bike? Nope, keeping some thug from burning down part of it. How quaint.

"It's unfortunate of course that we have to do this, but this is the hand we're dealt," said Luther Keith, executive director of ARISE Detroit!, a coalition of community groups hoping to keep Detroit safe from fires and vandalism around Halloween.

At its peak in 1984, 810 fires were reported in Detroit from Oct. 29 to 31, fueled by, among other things, Devil's Night's growing notoriety and the city's large number of abandoned buildings.

But the number of blazes has dropped — 147 fires were reported last year for the three days ending Oct. 31, up from the 113 reported in 2006 and 121 in 2005.

Shit, why try to stop them? MOVE and let the animals have what's left.

Labels: Detroit Decay