Detroit's All-Star Downtown

[hudkina]

These pics were taken about a week right before the giant media blitz surrounding the All-Star Game started up. Hope you enjoy:

See, we get new buildings all the time!

Granted, they're only 10 stories...

The view from GM's front porch:

Hey! It's All-Star Week!

They're new:

Opa!

Greektown Casino is in Trapper's Alley:

Yup, this used to be a dirty, stinky Alley...

Who says the stroller-set hasn't invaded Detroit?

Yes, we were the last city on the face of the earth to get one.

Yes, we're still in Detroit.

How and how not to build a skyscraper:

No, this came before the Empire State Building!

Downstairs:

Not to be confused with the car manufacturer...

Chicago sans people:

Comerica! Comerica! God shed his grace on thee!

Yes, that's all one building.

Stupid sun...

Detroit's version of mass transit:

Baby WTC:

Financial District:

Fortress Renaissance:

PoMo:

Just one of 10 billion of those little car sculptures:

Someone's got Comerica in a pincer!

The thing over this fountain is ugly...

Seagull with 14-foot wingspan discovered in Detroit:

Coast Guard guarding the coast...

[hudkina]

Part II:

You can't have a tour of Downtown Detroit without a quick shot of Windsor's skyline!

Another view from Hart Plaza:

It's actually pretty cool in person:

It's easier than going to Belle Isle:

I think this was a church group...

The Winter Garden!

The Riverfront Promenade:

Glassy!

Try 'em, they're good.

Their neighbor is the biggest conglomeration in the world...

Heading back to Greektown:

Getting closer!

Fooled you! cut through to Cadillac Square:

and on to Campus Martius:

She was telling an African folktale:

Water + Dime Building

Water + Compuware Building

He'll destroy anything that looks like mass transit!

Who actually uses the downtown branch of the library?

Gratiot -- Waiting for Starbucks:

Broderick and friends:

Book and friends:

Let's hope that transformer doesn't see this:

okay...

This was actually taken through the window of the People Mover:

He's in the hospital now...

Get on the bus!

I don't know how this one ended up being last...

[Wordsmith]

Hey I visit that library. It just needs more housing nearby...

Anyhow, wonderful shots. I'm glad to see some new pics of downtown, and as always. Where the heck is that brownstone? I can never find any downtown but I know they exist... It's like I'm everywhere but where I want to be.

WS

[rbdetsport]

Awesome pictures. Man, Detroit was awesome when I was down there for the All Star Fanfest. There were so many people. Detroit looks so much better on a sunny day.

[okinawatyphoon]

Wow hudkina, you did exactly what I did! I went to a Tigers game and went to Canada (Windsor) a few days ago. I put all my Detroit photos I took 4 days ago in the Detroit photo-of-the-day thread and my Windsor pics in the Canada thread. Your pics are great though!

[NCB]

Great Pics hudkina! Ive never been Detroit, but from the looks of those pictures it is a beautiful city, especially on a sunny day.

[davidb]

Great pictures, thank you.

Detroit looks so much better on a sunny day.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I couldn't agree more. All of Michigan is completely different on a sunny day.

[Spartan]

Nice pictures. This may be one of the few times I've seen so many photos of streetlevel Detroit. I enjoyed this picture becuase it good, but also because of the unusual sinage....

You can walk all you want, just dont stop

[RustTown]

What's strange about the signage? And why shouldn't they stop?

[hood]

It says no standing, that would usually be for cars but it's facing the wrong way. Any ideas why their worried about people standing on the sidewalk? I think they meant to put up a no loitering sign instead.

[hudkina]

It's directed at traffic.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Awesome pictures! This should be moved to the Metro Detroit forum.

[Southernyank]

Great pics! I love the mini cars.

[KCMOlover]

I'll have to say those pictures slightly alter my view of Detroit. Up to this point all the pictures I've seen before showed colapsing builings and streets littered with broken down cars. The impression I've had from the media is that Detroit was run-down with a waste-land for a dowtown except for that self-contained 5 tower complex and bankrupt. Those pictures certainly seem otherwise. (athough I think the reports of the city being bankrupt is still accurate.) I saw some buildings I liked, mostly the older ones, but most of the newer buildings looked like Soviet East Block architecture to me. I had an aunt and her family who moved to Detroit from Denver and moved back to Denver after one year. My aunt told me she wouldn't drive to downtown if her life depended on it which gave me an impression that thier was nothing down there and it was extremely dangerous. Can someone give me a first hand and unbiased impression on what the Detroit community is like.

[hudkina]

Detroit's CBD is just as safe as any other CBD. Anybody who feels unsafe going downtown is just ignorant. I'm sorry you're aunt felt that way, as if she had actually visited downtown once, she would have seen it is actually quite nice.

[hudkina]

Here are some more pictures:

[Southernyank]

Man, Those are gorgeous homes! thanks for the pics

[tamias6]

Nice pics of Motown. It looks like the DT is slowly getting some life back.

[egrguy]

first off, excellent collection of photos!

does anyone have a finished or update shot of the building that was being built in the very first picture?

[hudkina]

It's not mine, but this picture was taken in March of this year:

Basically everything was done except the spire.

[egrguy]

thanks, it looks pretty sharp, too bad it wasn't three times the height.

[Michi]

Well, maybe it IS a good thing. The building is still 100% vacant despite the 2 or 3 security guards you will see sitting at the front lobby desk waiting for businesses to come in that they can secure.

[hudkina]

I thought that Ernst & Young is moving in. Why else would they put their name on it?

[Michi]

That's a good question. They have yet to arrive.