Detroit Photo of the Day

[hudkina]

I would gladly take those parking lots over the "collection" we have now...

[wolverine]

It looks like that parking lot next to the Madison Lenox has been there forever. I always thought it was funny how the Milner Hotels point was all that occupied the street frontage and that some other building should be built next door. Its also strange to see that those tall buildings in Brush Park were demolished just recently to make way for the stadiums, I barely remember them.

[Allan]

Wolverine, the parking lot next to the Madison-Lenox was the Plaza Hotel. It was an 8(?) story structure that was demoed very early on....it was gone by 1930.

[hudkina]

God I wish we had better city leaders over the last 60 years.

[Allan]

The Plaza Hotel was outdated very early on. It was doomed with the opening of hotels like the Statler, Book-Cadillac, and Fort Shelby. It was a very classy place in its day, though.

Photo from WSU Virtual Motor City

[dtown]

cool pic, does the building still exist?

[Allan]

cool pic, does the building still exist?

Nope

[RustTown]

It looks like that parking lot next to the Madison Lenox has been there forever. I always thought it was funny how the Milner Hotels point was all that occupied the street frontage and that some other building should be built next door. Its also strange to see that those tall buildings in Brush Park were demolished just recently to make way for the stadiums, I barely remember them.

I'm pretty sure Brush Park ended at Vernor (present day Fisher Freeway). Even before the freeway Brush Park only came to where it is now. Can anyone confirm that?

[Allan]

Historically there were mansions all around Grand Circus Park, but only the area north of Vernor was known as Brush Park. It was one of the areas of land subdivided by the Brush family in the 1870s. Henry T. Brush was the architect on several of the mansions that were constructed, including the Ransom Gillis Home (205 Alfred/63 Alfred).

[Aaron]

A few from last weekend:

Looking west and east respectively down West Jefferson, one of the more fascinatingly intersting streets in the city. The "pavement" is awful, but since I trekked on foot from downtown it wasn't a problem. I would have loved to walk down while the area was still thriving with heavy industry. There are half-buried railroad spurs leading into most of the buildings on the north side of the street.

The top of Michigan Central Station peeking through at 15th Street.

Me kicking about on Newark and West Vernor, examining the vintage brick.

MCS itself. Under the railroad bridge I met a guy from Cincinnati in for the DEMF who decided to check out some of the ruins. I half-expected him to be someone from one of the many forums full of people like us, but he wasn't. I think I actually scared him by semi-following him in the tunnel. Nice guy, though; he gave me a ride back downtown to save myself from walking back in the ninety degree heat.

[wolverine]

Nice! I never really took notice of those old bricks in the road. I wonder just how many streets in Detroit were completely paved with bricks.

Missing the ole MCS though. It's been almost a year since I last did that mega 7 part photo tour of the station.

[RustTown]

The underpasses around this area are just down-right creepy, and I'm not easily scared of urban environments. lol

[Allan]

The underpasses are pretty bad. Some are worse than others...but none of them are well maintained. They are filled with trash, and sometimes there are bums living under them.

[wolverine]

A little shocked its received hardly any visible maintenance considering trains still run above it. A lot can be said about the underground parking structure next to it as well.....terrible.

[Jasoncw]

211 West Fort parking entrance?

[tapezord]

after today's lousy tiger game... tigs looked bad, city looked great!

[rbdetsport]

Amazing!!!!! I like the way you changed the color.

[dtown]

tigs looked bad, city looked great!

I agree!!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jon_o/160553597/

[Jasoncw]

Are there new window boards on the Metropolitan building or have I just not been paying attention?

It might have something to do with Blade. Supposedly they've been filming here, and that building is Blade's HQ.

Zapezord, I think that picture has a big small-town-feeling to it.

[Allan]

Jason, I don't think you've been paying attention. Those boards were put up late last year.

[Jasoncw]

oh, well that's good then, the sooner the better!

[Aaron]

[tapezord]

one of my pet peeves with downtown detroit are the overhead wires...

c'mon guys.

[Allan]

one of my pet peeves with downtown detroit are the overhead wires...

c'mon guys.

One of my pet peeves about Detroit is how they are replacing the traffic lights that are hanging on metal arms with traffic lights that are hanging on wires strung across the road. It looks so tacky...I understand it is a money issue, but still....

[tapezord]

totally agree with you on that one, Allan. Downtown signals should all be on mast arms with lighted street signs... no ifs ands or buts. Hell, there are signals in the middle of cornfields in Pittsfield Township that are on mast arms with backlit street signs.