Detroit On The Move

[Sam]

Sad to see just how far Detroit has fallen in 44 years.

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/06/15/v...lympic-bid-re/

We often think of the 1950's as being the heyday for Detroit's fortunes, but even in the early-to-mid Sixties, it remained something of a modern marvel, thanks largely to its world-leading auto industry. This archival video was apparently commissioned as part of a failed bid for the 1968 Summer Olympics (which went to Mexico City instead). Reportedly filmed in 1965, Detroit â?? City on the Move shows the area in full bloom â?? a startling contrast to the shell of an empire that remains just 44 years later.

With the harmonies of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra as a backdrop, Mayor Jerome Cavanagh takes us through footage of downtown streets bustling with some of the city's two million residents, shots of a startlingly clean and new Cobo Hall (including scenes of the Detroit Auto Show itself), the crisp campuses of the (then) Big Three, and of the city's once-mighty cultural draws. It even has footage of the late John F. Kennedy talking up its virtues as part of the Olympic bid.

Interestingly (and perhaps tellingly), this sanitized look at Detroit all but glosses over mounting troubles with blustery talks of 'rebirth,' it utterly omits mention of the hitmakers at Motown Records, and in retrospect, it fails to adequately address growing racial tensions in the city (Detroit's infamous riots would lay siege just two years later in 1967).

Admittedly, such promotional films show a city in its best light by design, but even still, there's no getting around the fact that the World's Automotive Capitol ain't what it used to be. This video, part of the Prelinger Archives, gives us a glimpse into what Detroit used to be, and perhaps more than anything, what it sought to be. It's an amazing yet sobering look into mid-Sixties America, and it's worth a look. Take a trip back in time by clicking on the jump.

[tarsier]

Okay but the traffic is awesome; bumper-to-bumper 90mph any and all weather. I love driving through that town. Would never want to stay but I am a Buckeye AND from Cleveland

[Miho]

Retailers Head for Exits in Detroit

by Andrew Grossman
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
provided by


Shopping Becomes a Challenge as Auto-Industry Collapse Adds to City's Woes
DETROIT -- They call this the Motor City, but you have to leave town to buy a Chrysler or a Jeep.
Borders Inc. was founded 40 miles away, but the only one of the chain's bookstores here closed this month. And Starbucks Corp., famous for saturating U.S. cities with its storefronts, has only four left in this city of 900,000 after closures last summer.

There was a time early in the decade when downtown Detroit was sprouting new cafes and shops, and residents began to nurture hopes of a rebound. But lately, they are finding it increasingly tough to buy groceries or get a cup of fresh-roast coffee as the 11th largest U.S. city struggles with the recession and the auto-industry crisis.
No national grocery chain operates a store here. A lack of outlets that sell fresh produce and meat has led the United Food and Commercial Workers union and a community group to think about building a grocery store of its own.
One of the few remaining bookstores is the massive used-book outlet John K. King has operated out of an abandoned glove factory since 1983. But Mr. King is considering moving his operations to the suburbs.
Last week, Lochmoor Chrysler Jeep on Detroit's East Side stopped selling Chrysler products, one of the 789 franchises Chrysler Group LLC is dropping from its retail network. It was Detroit's last Chrysler Jeep store.
"The lack of retail is one of the biggest challenges the city faces," said James Bieri, president of Bieri Co., a Detroit-based real-estate brokerage. "Trying to understand how to get it to come back will be one of the most important keys to its resurgence -- if it ever has one."
Detroit's woes are largely rooted in the collapse of the auto industry. General Motors Corp., one of downtown's largest employers and the last of the Big Three auto makers with its headquarters here, has drastically cut white-collar workers and been offered incentives to move to the suburbs. Other local businesses that serviced the auto maker, from ad agencies and accounting firms to newsstands and shoe-shine outlets, also have been hurt.
The city's 22.8% unemployment rate is among the highest in the U.S.; 30% of residents are on food stamps.
"As the city loses so much, the tax base shrinks and the city has to cut back services," said Margaret Dewar, a professor of urban planning at the University of Michigan. That causes such hassles for retailers as longer police-response times, as well as less-frequent snow plowing and trash pickup.
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Visit the Family & Home Center While all of southeast Michigan is hurting because of the auto-industry's troubles, Detroit's problems are compounded by decades of flight to the suburbs.
Hundreds of buildings were left vacant by the nearly one million residents who have left. Thousands of businesses have closed since the city's population peaked six decades ago.
Navigating zoning rules and other red tape to develop land for big-box stores that might cater to a low-income clientele is daunting.
The lack of grocery stores is especially problematic. The last two mainstream chain groceries closed in 2007, when The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Co. sold most of the southeast Michigan stores in its Farmer Jack chain to Kroger Corp., which declined to purchase the chain's two Detroit locations, causing them to close.
A 2007 study found that more than half of Detroit residents had to travel twice as far to reach a grocery store than a fast-food outlet or convenience store.
Michelle Robinson, 42 years old, does most of her shopping at big-box stores in the suburbs. When visitors staying at the hotel near her downtown office ask where to shop, she sends them to a mall in Dearborn, 12 miles away.
A few retailers are thriving. Family Dollar Stores Inc. has opened 25 outlets since 2003. A handful of independent coffee shops and a newly opened Tim Horton's franchise cater to workers downtown.
Discount grocer Aldi Inc. opened stores in the city in 2001 and 2005. A spokeswoman said the chain is "very bullish" on Detroit. Farmer's markets draw crowds looking for fresh produce.
Olga Stella, an official at the Detroit Economic Growth Corporation, works to persuade businesses to move to the city. She says companies have underestimated Detroit's economic potential and that Aldi and Family Dollar are proof there's money to be made here.
Meanwhile, the former Lochmoor Chrysler Jeep is now Lochmoor Automotive Group, a used-car dealership and repair shop. Gina Russo, daughter of the dealer's longtime owner, is being groomed to take over the family business. She has agreed to start selling small pickup trucks made by India's Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.

[panda]

Well, I've lived in Detroit my entire life & I'm here to tell you that Detroit is not going anywhere anytime soon. Can anyone name any person or any city/state that hasn't changed in 44 years? True enough, the slump in the auto industry has taken a definite toll on Detroit, when all your eggs are in one basket, that's to be expected. But trust me when I say Detroit is not on its death bed!

[tarsier]

Well, I've lived in Detroit my entire life & I'm here to tell you that Detroit is not going anywhere anytime soon. Can anyone name any person or any city/state that hasn't changed in 44 years? True enough, the slump in the auto industry has taken a definite toll on Detroit, when all your eggs are in one basket, that's to be expected. But trust me when I say Detroit is not on its death bed!

Mt. Vernon, Ohio sort of stuck in the 50's in a creepy way.

[panda]

Mt. Vernon, Ohio sort of stuck in the 50's in a creepy way.

HA Tarsier! Too bad its a creepy way, 50's wouldn't be too bad, the furniture & appliances, IMO, were just awful, the music was evolving into something good, but it was still better than now in a lot of ways.

[ichabodius]

[Pryncis]

On the last episode of "Life After People" they showcased what would happen to Detroit and San Antonio after people are gone. It showed how in parts of the city that have been abandoned for 40+, such as the old Packard auto plant, have already begun being taken back by nature... It's a really good show and I highly recommend it.

[ichabodius]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UoLdD...eature=related

[Forever-27]

Michigan as a whole is one of the absolute worst hit states by this sour economy. Detriot has always been down and depressed since the auto industry moved the plants out of town only keeping the corporate offices in town. I see it as one of thoes great cities that had a great thing going for it and all that greatness was squandered and wasted. Michigan is a state of high taxes and mass unemployment thereby making it a very tough place to live. If Michigan isnt careful it will be like California is today. A budget gap that grows tens of thousands of dollars by the minute and and serious state run programs that will get cut. I fear for thoes people in Michigan

Once the auto industry gave up on detriot it left the city with a devestatingly crippled economy.

[ichabodius]

The world owes Detroit a huge favor for bringing us Techno.

[neilmpenny]

Shithole by the sounds of it.

[MiraculousMandarin]

My poor, battered hometown just won a sucky places to live contest. It's weird because I love going to Detroit and I'm so happy every time I'm there, but interacting with strangers there quickly reveals how hard the past decade has been for the city. I used to live in one of these zip codes for about two years.

http://detroit.cbslocal.com/2013/04/...ds-in-america/

List of top 25 most dangerous neighborhoods

I've also lived in four of these cities at some point. Two of the top ten.

List of top 100 most dangerous cities

[seurtoFW]

So - without all the economic jargon and gobbledygook (my pea brain just doesn't understand all that stuff), what has "destroyed" Detroit? Can it be fixed? How do you fix a big city like that? Was it all due to the car industry? I get that these sound like very silly questions, but being down at the other end of the country, I don't know anything about Detroit. Sounds really bad. I mean, could it just dry up and become a true ghost town/city?

[seurtoFW]

Oops, sorry. I actually did a search on Detroit and this didn't come up. Guess I didn't do it right. Thanks for fixing it.

[Bayou Queen]

Sad isn't it? I look at down town New Orleans, Canal Street, and all the nasty T shirt shops and tattoo places. It's going down too. My Mom and older sister used to dress up in gloves and pearls and to go shopping there. Now, you have to dress like you have nothing and can't wear ANY jewelry in fear of being robbed. That is the inner city for you. I don't even remember using the term INNER CITY when I was a kid. How many other cities are on the verge of becoming Detroit?

[Rydell]

Sad isn't it? I look at down town New Orleans, Canal Street, and all the nasty T shirt shops and tattoo places. It's going down too. My Mom and older sister used to dress up in gloves and pearls and to go shopping there. Now, you have to dress like you have nothing and can't wear ANY jewelry in fear of being robbed. That is the inner city for you. I don't even remember using the term INNER CITY when I was a kid. How many other cities are on the verge of becoming Detroit?

Chocolate City has always been craptown on the Mississippi. Mardis Gras, Sugar Bowl, Bourbon Street ... it's where America goes to take a dump.

[endsleigh03]

Might want to merge this thread in here, Detroit On The Move is older. http://www.findadeath.com/forum/show...eath+city+pics

[findadeathaddict]

Charlotte, NC is dangerous as hell. Even the richer sections. Drug deals everywhere. Lots of white collar drug dealing. Apparently heroin is becoming prevalent among the upper class there. Read this in an article out of Charlotte a couple years ago.

[choff]

Hampton Roads, Virginia ( Norfolk-Virginia Beach-Newport News metro area ) it seems that region is becoming more and more dangerous every day...

http://hamptonroads.com/crime

As big as it is with close to two million folks maybe that really shouldn't be a surprise but for many it actually is as in the tourists and/or those who haven't been to the area for a long time. For example many folks still believe Virginia Beach is this "tiny little seaside village" ..oh boy are they in for a HUGE shocker as Gomer Pyle would say "SURPRISE SURPRISE SURPRISE !!! Meanwhile Norfolk is hardly the sleepy little navy town either.

[TheWrath of MadelineKahn]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/happen...115500945.html

100,000 residents (averaging 3 per household) have had their water turned off. Many are unable or unwilling to pay the delinquent bills and can have a handyman illegally restore water service for $30

[Mansfield67]

The sad thing is it's happening everywhere. There are certain places here in Toronto I would not go to at night, now I won't even go during the day ! I live in a nice area, but you can feel things are changing, a different element is moving in. When that happens, it's like where do I go from here ?

[endsleigh03]

The thing is that people are showing up to pay after the city goes so far as to cut them off. So they have or get the money.

That kind of behavior isn't going to help that city.

[Skiver]

Poor Detroit.

[cindyt]

Poor Detroit.

Poor, Taggerez aka Stu Pidasso, aka multi whatszits.

[Drew]

http://www.marchandmeffre.com/detroit/index.html Amazing photos of total destruction of a former great City named Detroit..... http://www.detroityes.com/fabulous-r...troit/home.php

[Miho]

"“They do what they’ve got to do. What choice do they have?” says Roslyn Walker, a resident of northwest Detroit whose water was shut off in mid-June. Most of her neighbors have decided to risk it and go the illegal route, she says."

Um get a job and stop having kids your can't afford. Stealing isn't justified because you can't afford something.

[findadeathaddict]

"“They do what they’ve got to do. What choice do they have?” says Roslyn Walker, a resident of northwest Detroit whose water was shut off in mid-June. Most of her neighbors have decided to risk it and go the illegal route, she says."

Um get a job and stop having kids your can't afford. Stealing isn't justified because you can't afford something.

Exactly. The rest of us in the US are struggling to pay our bills too. Why are they special just because they live in Detroit? I live in a small town. My water bill is drafted monthly. If I don't pay it, I have no water. End of story.

[RiotBoots]

The entitlement is strong and the government sat back and let it happen. Now it's a complete mess.

[findadeathaddict]

The entitlement is strong and the government sat back and let it happen. Now it's a complete mess.

True. The government created this monster.

[Mcafgr]

The entitlement is strong and the government sat back and let it happen. Now it's a complete mess.

Detroit is a real life experience in what left wing and entitlement programs can do to a city.

[McMorbid]

^ Now that's some truth! Sadly it's happening all around our country.

[choff]

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/happen...115500945.html

100,000 residents (averaging 3 per household) have had their water turned off. Many are unable or unwilling to pay the delinquent bills and can have a handyman illegally restore water service for $30

The delinquent bills couldn't the state of Michigan and the city of Detroit garnish their state tax refunds and use the money to pay on the bill ?? I know tax refunds can be garnished over student loans and back taxes but apparently Michigan can go one step further in taking state refunds for charged off credit card accounts, medical bills and I assume public utilities as well. Found this on Ehow.....scroll down as it mentions how Michigan is the exception to the rule..

http://www.ehow.com/info_8115566_can...te-refund.html

[Tiffany]

with all the money Eminem & Madonna have you would think they would at least contribute something to help their hometown

[TheWrath of MadelineKahn]

When they were getting the art appraised at the museum (don't tell me that wasn't pre-planning a big art sale) someone found a check stuck in a drawer at city hall for over $1 million. They did finally cash the check but it was months after it was issued.

It wouldn't matter how much in donations they got from the famous of Detroit, the city seems completely unable to handle financial matters.

They need some ruthless money saving CEO as mayor, that would kick ass and take names, starting with the city council, unions, and special interests. The city would hate him/her but that would be the personality best suited to getting their financial house in order.

[StewartGilliganGriffin]

Detroit is a real life experience in what left wing and entitlement programs can do to a city.

If that were the case it would be happening everywhere and it's not. Why is San Fran flourishing if liberal policies are to blame? That's just something the talking heads on the right spout and people that want to believe it eat up. From Forbes no less lol http://www.forbes.com/sites/johntamn...illed-detroit/

[endsleigh03]

Now there's a campaign for donors to pay these water bills for people. It goes directly to the water company. #DetroitWater.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/detroi...110500122.html

[MiraculousMandarin]

I saw this a while back and I don't know how "On the Move" this is, but I think its really cool that the local organizations are stepping up to help out where the City of Detroit and Wayne County sort of dropped the ball.
Apparently there were about 200 unclaimed bodies at the Wayne County Morgue because they didn't have the personpower or resources to identify them (because of budget cuts), so a few non-profits and funeral homes got together to help fund their burial.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014070...bodies-funeral

[findadeathaddict]

I saw this a while back and I don't know how "On the Move" this is, but I think its really cool that the local organizations are stepping up to help out where the City of Detroit and Wayne County sort of dropped the ball.
Apparently there were about 200 unclaimed bodies at the Wayne County Morgue because they didn't have the personpower or resources to identify them (because of budget cuts), so a few non-profits and funeral homes got together to help fund their burial.

http://www.freep.com/article/2014070...bodies-funeral

That is great. Thanks for sharing.

[Maxster]

I'd move to Detroit in return for permanent residency status.

[TheWrath of MadelineKahn]

http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/10/59...ford-batteries

Around 1,700 parking meters aren't working, they could be bringing in $6 million a year. They switched from Duracell batteries to off brands which don't last as long and can't be replaced fast enough.

[Mcafgr]

I'd move to Detroit in return for permanent residency status.

Only if an M4 with sopmod was part of the deal

[StewartGilliganGriffin]

I just saw some coverage of the flooding in Detroit. Cars and buses driving through 5 feet of water, getting stuck, general stupidity. It occurred to me that it might not be the fault of democrats, or republicans, or the car industry. Perhaps the problems Detroit is going through simply boils down to the IQ's of the citizenry. Do a google search on the flooding and see what I mean. Flippin idiots. No offense to anyone here that lives in Detroit.

[theotherlondon]

This is the first American City I was ever in,
just hope all the best for them.

[Upset]

What does the future hold for Detroit? Not optimistic, but then I'm usually not.

[TheWrath of MadelineKahn]

http://online.wsj.com/articles/in-de...eal-1415384308

Wow. I had no idea how close Detroit came to losing at least some of the artwork in the city owned Detroit Institute of Art.

Kevyn Orr the emergency manager even had Christie's auction house give estimates on what the majority of the art collection would sell for.