I've been obsessed with Detroit lately. Okay, I wouldn't say "obsessed", maybe, interested in the fact that Detroit exists. Yes, thanks to my old pal, Dennis, I've been interested in finding out more about the changes that Detroit is experiencing, if at all. Before him, all I had to connect with Detroit was murder, mo-town and The Virgin Suicides (book or movie).
Detroit, once a mecca of industry and innovation, is now a near ghost town. Hundreds and hundreds of abandoned properties line the streets, permitting weeds and vice to take over.
A great book to check out is Ruins Of Detroit, which is a fantastic documentation of several years of Detroit's demise.
http://www.marchandmeffre.com/detroit/index.html
Dennis shared with me the stunning documentary Requiem For Detroit, a brief history and acknowledgment of the Detroit-then and Detroit-now. It includes commentary from lifelong Detroit-area residents, who've watched it all unfold. Watch it here:
http://rutube.ru/tracks/3971045.html?v=b291fb1f625e36b9863c25366e7bbda8
Even David Byrne's fascinated with the Motor City. He blogged about his experiences touring the city and its happenings. http://journal.davidbyrne.com/2010/09/092310-dont-forget-the-motor-city.html
Some Detroit citizens have taken to farming in response to the surplus of vacant lots. This is a stunning twist to the life of a once-industrial-center-of-the-world. It's astounding to think that what's next for Detroit's future is one of farmland. If you were to meet a Detroit citizen back in 1920 and tell them of what would happen to Detroit, surely, they would not believe you. I mean, would anyone really believe you?
So, if you've ever had a dream to be an organic farmer and have a gun, I know some land up north that's going for cheap.
