Sweet Juniper hits Detroit Decay

Only 24 hours to Camino, but I was listening to a Q podcast about Gordon Lightfoot that ended with an interview with Jim from Detroit. You have to visit his blog site: http://www.sweet-juniper.com/search/label/Detroit This guy is chronicling the life and death of Detroit.

Did you know that Detroit once had 2 million people living in it...Now it has 1 million....that's 1 million that just up and left! The effect on the infrastructure is unbelievable.

This guy...Jim, is a great amatuer photographer and you can click on any of his collections to see some amazing photos

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetjuniper/collections/72157600000131363/

...not all are of decay. and he obviously loves this town, but in particular check out the one on the Book Depository. Three stories of Books, sometimes 4 feet deep on the floor. Places where books have been burned and trees have sprouted out of the wreckage, and all in a beautiful gothic building,

http://www.flickr.com/photos/sweetjuniper/sets/72157603302647339/ The associated story is brilliant. Most of the books were dated from 1983, indicating just how recently this was thriving.

Hit this link http://www.sweet-juniper.com/2008/11/follow-up-jane-cooper-school.html...to see his return to the Neighbourhood around Jane Cooper School

The Pictures are absolutely startling to say the least. I never would have believed that Urban America had been reduced to this.

Partway through this link you can see two photos....an aerial photo from the 1960's showing the thriving neighbourhood. and another recent shot, showing some industrial development and mostly grass growing between an abandoned street plan.

Of course this all seems particularly relevant at this time, but this has been going on for 30 years! It's a great back-story which I encourage you to explore.

dave