Random Downtown Flint Scenes

[Allan]

I've been neglecting my hometown long enough, so I decided that it's time to put together a photo thread. After all, it has been a year and a half since my last Flint photo thread. I will be putting together another thread with more neighborhood scenes over the next week or so.

[VeeFan]

I don't think I've ever seen downtown lit up at night before. Could use more light, but it looks pretty nice. Genesee Towers looks eerie though...it's like a ghost staring out of the night. lol

Great pictures! I have a question about the first picture of the river. What the heck is that thing in the middle? A bench hanging off the side? I thought that maybe it was a set of stairs and it was just a trick of the picture, but then I noticed that whatever it is casts a shadow on the wall.

[Allan]

Thanks. Believe it or not, I was not the only person downtown at 11:00pm last night. Genesee Towers is much too dark. Last night even the red flashing light on the top of the roof was off. Maybe Kumar wants a plane to hit the building.....

You were right about the thing in the first river photo...it is a staircase. There weren't too many people enjoying our ugly concrete riverfront that day. In fact, the only living thing I saw was a large carp that jumped out of the water.

[RustTown]

Nice! I never knew that the Mott Foundation was lit so nicely. I didn't know that the weather ball on the Citizens Bank was lit, as well.

But, you guys MUST do something with that concrete riverfront. It seems many cities underwent "urban renewals" on their riverfronts that need to change now because they do more to hurt the riverfront than reclaim it.

I was looking forward to seeing the changes you said were done to the Genesee Towers. Maybe next time. It would look nice, as well, lit up at night. Actually, I saw a picture of Flint's skyline from the river from the 80's, I believe, when the Genesee Bank was still in the building and had a pretty interesting sign on the top. The whole skyline was pretty well lit.

[dnast]

Nice shots! You didn't happen to get a night shot of the County courthouse, did you? I didn't notice how well it was lit until a couple of weeks ago.

[Allan]

I didn't, but I am heading up that way after I change out of my urban exploration clothes, so I'll see what I can do.

[wolverine]

Great photos Allan! Although, I did see a preview in your flickr account.

[Allan]

Thanks again, everyone.

Dnast,

I didn't get a photo of the courthouse tonight because I didn't feel like standing outside in the rain with a tripod & camera.

LMich,

Is this the photo you are talking about? This was taken in the late 1960s, before the Flint P. Smith Building, the unknown building in the center, and the Kresge Building was demolished. I want to say that this was taken in 1968, but I don't have any way of proving that.

[RustTown]

Wow, I didn't realize that pic was that old. But yes, that is the pic. To figure out when it was taken take into consideration the Genesee Towers wasn't finished until 1968.

BTW, how would that view look today? I'm disoriented but I assume that the State Office Building would block most of that view, huh?

[Allan]

Yeah, the State Office Building would do a really good job of blocking most of the skyline.

[ZachariahDaMan]

Nice pictures Allan. I look forward to going to downtown Flint someday.

[VeeFan]

It almost looks like the lower half of Genesee Towers is missing in that picture...

[VeeFan]

BTW, how would that view look today?  I'm disoriented but I assume that the State Office Building would block most of that view, huh?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I think that might be the dam that's in front of the White Building. If it is, then Thompson Library would be blocking that today, and possibly MSB (Murchie Science Building).

[MrCoffee]

It would be nice to see a photo of the former Great Lakes Technology Center/Fisher Body 1 on Saginaw street. I remember that place way back, when it was a factory that built car bodies. I had a friend back then, who was a locomotive engineer. I spent a night with him back in the late '70s switching cars when the C & O Railroad serviced the plant.

MrCoffee