Saginaw, MI (Part III)

[wolverine]

WELCOME TO SAGINAW'S WEST SIDE!

If you haven't seen the other Saginaw tours, go to PART I

& PART II

This area is normally called Old Town. It is located less than a mile up river from the downtown area, as posted in previous parts. The West Side is in a lot better condition than the East side because of lower crime rates and the close proximity of governmental offices and hospitals near the business districts. The word "Old Town" obviously indicates that there will be some photos of historical buildings, so I wll primarly focus on them instead of newer structures.

Let's Get It started!

The bean company. I still don't know why there is a rabbit in the sign. But it looks cool at night. The sign is now a city landmark.

Many blocks Southward, is the Saginaw Art Museum

Fancy clinic

Fancy church

Near the river is Oldtown's club scene. It's a very intersting atmosphere during the later hours on Friday and Saturday nights.

Looking up a narrow alley.

You don't see too many authentic looking warehouses anymore. I think the whole 303 Adams and faded signage really added to the building.

The warehouse look goes bye bye when I sighted this mural on the side. okay.

Oldtown store frontage.

Oldtown did so well in avoiding the wrecking ball, but couldn't avert disaster. This empty lot was the former site of a large 4 story corner pharmacy, a seven story hotel, and numerous other buildings. All were destroyed by recent fires. I remember watching the hotel burn down on TV. A large 7 story brick wall tipped and fell onto the neighboring buildings. It was a sad day for Saginaw

More stores on Court St.

There is hope for the empty lot. It appears that the Saginaw Spirit own the parcel and there will be construction of an office building on the site. To right you can see the last few remaining buildings on the block. Nearly all the buildings in the area have poor fire protection. When I was young, I explored some of the attic spaces. Saginaw buildings did not seem to understand the concept of the party wall, which is normally a large brick wall separating two structures. All the attics were joined, so if a fire raged in one building, it could easily spread to another. Many of the attics were messy, and had a lot of wood to hold up such a lightweight roof. No wonder this block burned in such a hurry.

Across the street (Michigan Ave) is the courthouse clock, and the courthouse behind it. No need to take any other pictures of it. Bland architecture.

The last remaining buildings on the Michigan Ave block.

No caption necessary.

Situated near the riverfront on Niagara street is this row of shops. The Stable is a store that sells ski, snowboarding, and biking equipment. It has been many years since I've been inside, but has always been one of my favorite buildings in the city. The building has had so many additions and remodeling throughout the century, that there are windows on the inside, and closed off rooms and hallways. It was originally a stable, and then a funeral home. The orginal storage closets for caskets remain on the second floor and are used today as a showcase for skis. My dad knew the owner real well, and he would let me explore the building. I discovered many hidden rooms, and a closed off full third floor near the back of the building. Not even the employees knew of it since it was all sealed off. Most thought it was just attic up there with a few windows. I remember walking through the bike repair shop on the second level and crawling through an access panel into an interior room with painted windows (was likely a light well at one time). There was a ladder in the corner going up, and this was probably the first time someone has ever been up there in years since the stairways to the attic were all boarded up. To make a long story short, the attic was really awesome. Toward the back, there was a door that opened up into a third floor section that was not an attic. It looked like apartments that were part of another building. The doorway at the end of the hallway was bricked up so I'm not sure. On with the tour...

Closeup

A comic book store across the street

Old Brick Road

Cool Signage

An old office building that is for sale.

The riverfront hangout is located near many bars and cafes.

Ojibiwa (mispelled) Island is basically a large park where the once displaced Ojibiwa tribe was. I had to stand up high on a wall because there was a guy sleeping on the ground in front of where I was standing. With all the bars nearby, who would've thunk that he was drunk.

The Samurai. The food may have taste, but the color scheme doesn't. If I couldn't complain more, I accientally hit "make as desktop background" instead of "open." Just my luck.

Local tattoo parlor and the Redeye cafe, both longtime Old town establishments.

Cool building.

Uniting a divided city.

More stores.

I think these businesses need to do a bit of fixing up.

Random. 'nuff said.

Richie Rich's

The building to the left is filled with a bunch of businesses. Many windows on the second and third floors feature neon signs of the stores inside. I've never been inside, so I'm not exactly sure how they are all set up. It appears the landlord is selling the building.

Good call on the outdoor seating! It is a step in the right direction.

A small neighborhood business district on Court Street.

Longtime establishment

Viewing the small strip from across the street.

Residences near Oakley St.

A beautfiul church and 19th century home.

This mall is located in Buena Vista, a suburb of Saginaw. The mall was the first to open in Saginaw and the first to close in the state of Michigan. The indoor section closed long before anyone could remember, but a Kmart remained faithful to the complex for many years to follow before it finally closed its doors a few months ago. Good riddance.

A bonus shot! Grain to beer in this photo taken in downtown Frankenmuth. Frankenmuth is located about 20 miles SE of Saginaw. The city is Michigan's most visited attraction. Shown to the left is Silo 1 of Star of the West Milling Company. The building to the right is Frankenmuth Brewing Co.

I hope you all enjoyed the Saginaw Tour! Stay tuned for the Ann Arbor Tour. Ann Arbor will definitely be more exciting!

[Ivory Tower]

The bean company. I still don't know why there is a rabbit in the sign. But it looks cool at night. The sign is now a city landmark.

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Well, it could be because one might have to be as fast as a rabbit to get away from someone who just ate beans lol

Or the one who ate the the beans might need to be that fast to get to the bathroom lmao

Any ways, really cool pics of an interesting city.

[Brickcity]

Nice pics.

[KCghettoboi]

I want to visit!...

[ColinSuperCool]

If you come up via 75 don't forget to stop by Halo Burger.

[Allan]

I did pass that Halo Burger the other day. It is open, right? It didn't look very open. But then again, who wants a hamburger at 8 AM?