Seeing the World in My Own Backyard

The University of Michigan had fall break this week, on Monday and Tuesday, and even though Washtenaw does not have fall break, which meant I still taught both days, I did have a little extra time and so I was able to justify taking off on Tuesday afternoon and joining a group of friends for a driving tour of Detroit, led by Jonathan. When I first started thinking about moving to Michigan, I had very few positive associations with the state. I knew the winters were cold and windy, and I knew that its only major city was Detroit. The first time I took a trip out here, I flew into the Smith Terminal, which thanks to the brand new North Terminal no one who visits me will ever have to experience. The Smith terminal seemed sad and run-down, and I remember thinking that it felt like exactly what I thought Detroit must feel like.

What you probably already know about Detroit is that it was once a booming area, but in more recent years there has been a shift in population from the city to the suburbs, and a downturn in the manufacturing economy that historically drove much of the Midwest. Today when you think of Detroit you very likely think of poverty, crime, rundown buildings, corrupt government (e.g., our friend Kwame), white flight, and a depressed auto industry. And unfortunately you are probably justified in thinking about all of those things.

But Detroit is still a fascinating city, with some very interesting history, and while it may be a long way from becoming what it could be, it still has a lot to offer. So far I have explored northern MIchigan, the Ann Arbor area, and parts of the Detroit suburbs, and I've even made it into Detroit for a few brief excursions (the opera, dinner in Mexican Town, a Tigers game), but this weekend was my first time really seeing Detroit, and it was an eye-opening experience.

I actually had a preview of the trip the Friday before when I visited the Motown Museum with my friend Leslie, who was in town visiting family that week. The museum was small for the $10 admission price, but worth it almost just for the music that was piped through the speakers throughout the entire building. It piqued my interest a bit, and our Tuesday tour just added to that. I thought I'd post some pictures here, mostly for my readers who are not in the area.

Like many large cities, there are some beautiful churches in Detroit. I got to dust off my taking-pictures-looking-up-at-cathedrals skills that I acquired over the course of two months in Spain, but I think I need a little more practice.




This is the "sketchy" park where Jonathan almost didn't let us stop. It wasn't quite as sketchy as he made it out to be, other than the goose droppings we had to pick our way over to get to the river. The second picture is by the river, with the bridge to Canada in the background.



Belle Isle, and the Detroit skyline.




This was my favorite part of the trip. The Heidelberg Project is basically an inner-city neighborhood turned outdoor art project.







So there you have a little glimpse of Detroit, which will maybe entice some of you to come visit (Eric, I'm looking your way). We saw a lot more than this, but I was only sporadically trigger-happy with my camera so I didn't manage to capture all of it. I do still have the notes and driving directions from the tour, though, and I'm looking forward to being able to take my parents or anyone else who might make their way out here on the tour myself.