A trip through Detroit's east side

[JOE BIO]

Cool story and pictures . I have driven through Grosse Point Farms and then into Detroit many times myself but never on a bike . I actually discovered the area by accident , after being detoured off I 94 by Selfridge Airforce Base.I was always amazed at the contrast between wealth and poverty so close together .I have never taken my GS1000 but maybe I will this summer. I live in Corunna Ontario and take the Ferry over to Marine City Michigan.Maybe you can take me on a tour sometime . Joe

[beergood]

Let me know when you are riding by.

I always wondered what goes through people's minds when they get detoured of the freeway (Michigan has two seasons, winter and road construction) and find themselves in the ghetto without warning. If your not prepared and familiar with the area it can be quite a shocker.

[SteveN]

Wow, cool pics of Detroit! My wife and i went there for vacation last summer, and had a blast! Our friends live about 40 min south, and hadn't been into Detroit proper in a long time. They said it's a lot cleaner now than it was a year ago. A big highlight for us was The Heidelberg Project, a guy who turns abandoned houses into art (http://www.heidelberg.org/)., And of course Greektown, and Flaming Cheese!
Can't wait to go back

[beergood]

Wow, cool pics of Detroit! My wife and i went there for vacation last summer, and had a blast! Our friends live about 40 min south, and hadn't been into Detroit proper in a long time. They said it's a lot cleaner now than it was a year ago. A big highlight for us was The Heidelberg Project, a guy who turns abandoned houses into art (http://www.heidelberg.org/)., And of course Greektown, and Flaming Cheese!
Can't wait to go back

Vacationing in Detroit, I like your style.

I first found the original Heidelberg Project when I was in high school. A friend and I went there for an assignment for his photography class. At the time, it was still mostly unheard of. I think that one got demolished a little while later, then he started another.

The stuff is kind of interesting, if you like junk art (not meaning that the art is junk, just the medium). Tyree Guyton is kind of a controversial figure in the Detroit community. Like a lot of artists, he is also a shameless self-promoter, and he has actually stirred and created much of the controversy that surrounds his projects. Some of his stuff I like a lot, and I think other stuff is crap.

However, he did start the trend of painting colorful circles on abandoned, decrepit structures (of which there is no shortage), and it has pervaded all corners of the city. Few artists can claim to start a movement like that within their lifetime.

There are actually tons of 'art houses' around the city. In an urban area where you can buy land and a house for less than $35,000 it is easy for a couple of creative people to purchase a house and make it over into their own playground. I found an interesting one while I was driving through the west side last week. I was bummed to not have my camera, or time to explore it.

side note: I truly appreciate your avatar, truth is stranger than fiction. In light of recent events, I think Boston might need a new nickname.

Opah!

[rustybronco]

I have never taken my GS1000 but maybe I will this summer. I live in Corunna Ontario and take the Ferry over to Marine City Michigan.Maybe you can take me on a tour sometime . Joe

Let me know when you are riding by.

let me know if and when, sounds like a ride... can we stop for perogi in hamtramick?
as long as you don't mind riding with an antique...

[78550Detroit]

Great post

I live on the southwest side of detroit in what is a decent neighborhood but is steadily decaying due to gang activity increasing in the neighborhood. I sort of grew up on the eastside when I was in gradeschool right by the city airport. My Dad worked nights, and since my parents were divorced, I stayed at my grandma's house during the week after school. Not even a month after my grandma sold that house there was like 5 crack houses on that block. Yes Detroit has a lot of problems but I still like it here and there are a lot of good things about it too. If you look at any major city in the US there are going to be the same type of neighborhoods and problems with crime. Detroit just happens to make it into the media more often then others hence the bad reputation we have gained.

[Mazeppa]

Love the photo journal Beergood. The pictures of your bike motivates me to start looking for that 1100E project bike.

I grew up in Northville in Oakland county. I too haven't seen the 8 mile movie. Matter of fact though, the house I lived on was between the new 8 Mile Road bypass and the old 8 Mile Road which was called Baseline Road because it was on the Oakland/Wayne County boundary.

Some of the pictures are somewhat sad, because I remember a Detroit that was vibrant and full of cool things to do. Like shop in the J.L. Hudson Department Store or watch a ball game at Tigers Stadium with Ernie Harwell calling the plays.

But in my teens I was fortunate to have experienced the waning days of that great pastime of American youth. That 12 mile strip from the Premier Drive-In at the north end, near Pontiac, to the Dari Burger at the south near the Detroit City Limits in Royal Oak. (I Think) Cruisin' the Strip, Woodward Avenue. What a great time it was. All manner of muscle car could be seen. Super Bee, GTO, SS Malibu and my own 409, Dual-Quad powered 56 Chevy. Oh ya, I was the nut doing burnouts in front of the Big Boy Drive-In in preparation to do battle with the mid-engined 327 Corvair. Yep, carried the left front wheel all the way across 12 Mile and raised the ire of the local constabulary. [-X
Unfortunately, the Cruisn' scene was shifting down to Telegraph Road, from I-94 down to south limits of Taylor where a new crop of Drive-Ins were built. God, that was great fun while it lasted. \\/

Thanks again for the memory jogger Beergood, keep em' comin'.

[78550Detroit]

Mezzapa you should come back for the cruise

You should come back for the Woodward Cruise held annually every year in August it is a great time. Over a million people show up every year and it goes from downtown Pontiac all the way to the State Fairgrounds. Lots of media coverage,family activities, I will say it would not be like you rember since it is very well policed cause of the large number of people, if you get caught doing a burnout they will heavily fine you and possibly impound your ride. But, all in all a great time.

[beergood]

I spent a couple years working on Woodward. In the beginning the dream cruise was cool. It took place on a Sunday, and you would see a lot of cool cars. Then it slowly started to bleed into the rest of the week. People start cruising their cars up and down Woodward the Sunday before it officially starts and spectators camp out on shoulder of the road in lawn chairs and blankets.

Seems kinda cool, unless you work there. Then it is a huge pain. I can appreciate a nicely restored car, but sitting behind a partially 'restored' 78 Firebird crammed with 5 dudes for 20 minutes so that I can get the last two blocks to my office is quite irritating.

A friend of mine used to own a tattoo shop right in the heart of the cruise area (he has since moved). He and his crew are, for lack of a better description, rocker hot rodders. Lots of people in this circle own old cars, but the aesthetic is a little different. Anyway, he would host a BBQ party at his shop the Sunday before the actual dream cruise. It was dubbed the Broken Dream Cruise. We still have it, but it has been moved to his home. And it is a very good time.

All that aside, I would recommend the dream cruise to any classic car lover, just please limit it to the weekend.

Rustybronco: My cousin just bought a house in Marysville. I am trying to find a time to head up there on the bike and check it out.

As for perogi, my friend's family owns the Polish Village Cafe, and I never need much of an excuse to go there for dinner.

http://www.motorcityhotrod.com/BDC2004.html

[78550Detroit]

I think I know what tatt shop your talking about

I spent a couple years working on Woodward. In the beginning the dream cruise was cool. It took place on a Sunday, and you would see a lot of cool cars. Then it slowly started to bleed into the rest of the week. People start cruising their cars up and down Woodward the Sunday before it officially starts and spectators camp out on shoulder of the road in lawn chairs and blankets.

Seems kinda cool, unless you work there. Then it is a huge pain. I can appreciate a nicely restored car, but sitting behind a partially 'restored' 78 Firebird crammed with 5 dudes for 20 minutes so that I can get the last two blocks to my office is quite irritating.

A friend of mine used to own a tattoo shop right in the heart of the cruise area (he has since moved). He and his crew are, for lack of a better description, rocker hot rodders. Lots of people in this circle own old cars, but the aesthetic is a little different. Anyway, he would host a BBQ party at his shop the Sunday before the actual dream cruise. It was dubbed the Broken Dream Cruise. We still have it, but it has been moved to his home. And it is a very good time.

All that aside, I would recommend the dream cruise to any classic car lover, just please limit it to the weekend.

Rustybronco: My cousin just bought a house in Marysville. I am trying to find a time to head up there on the bike and check it out.

As for perogi, my friend's family owns the Polish Village Cafe, and I never need much of an excuse to go there for dinner.

http://www.motorcityhotrod.com/BDC2004.html

Was it down by I wanna say somewhere between 12 & 13. Did he use to have a lot of the old 50's style cars there in the flat black primer with like the saucer rims? If its the shop I am thinking of a friend of my use to help him do some posters for like band shows and stuff on the side.

[beergood]

Was it down by I wanna say somewhere between 12 & 13. Did he use to have a lot of the old 50's style cars there in the flat black primer with like the saucer rims? If its the shop I am thinking of a friend of my use to help him do some posters for like band shows and stuff on the side.

We are talking about the same place. which makes me think that we probably know some of the same people. Jeff still does a lot of concert posters.

[78550Detroit]

We are talking about the same place. which makes me think that we probably know some of the same people. Jeff still does a lot of concert posters.

Thats cool , yeah shows you how small the world really is. Yeah my friends name was Mark I think Jeff did the Rat fink type characters (accept they where frankenstein and the bride of franenstein but in hot rods like ratt fink)tatts on his legs. Been years since I have seen or talked to him though. I would like to get in touch with him again we use to jam in a band together.But that is cool small world ain't it.

[Pyloff]

Ahhh, Detroit. The only city where I've sat at a traffic light when both red and green lights were lit. Of course I'm a metro person and I learn to live with that. I believe we noticed something strange once the light went from green to red green.

I wouldn't really classify myself as a Detroiter though. I've driven 8 mile many times, watched the movie thought it was cheese. I've worked downtown a bit but I still get horribly lost, my only metric is the sun.

[Joe Nardy]

Here is a house that intrigued me, so I had to snap a couple pics of it. I later found out that it belongs to a friend of a friend, and the entire house is covered in metal. Including the roof, which has metal tiles (I didn’t get a good pic of that). Supposedly the theme is included inside. It is now my goal to get in there.

I can shed some light on the steel home. They are called 'Lustron Homes' The tiny houses, a post-World War II effort to provide affordable homes, were prefabricated of porcelain-enamel coated steel from 1948 through 1950 by Lustron Corp. of Ohio. The company built about 2,500 of the houses, which are scattered around the country. The houses were never a commercial success, but a cult grew up around them. There are quite a few of them in Lombard, Illinois where I live. I believe they were constructed of steel inside and out. Here's a link to a Washington Post article about the homes: Lustron Article
I did a Google search for "Lustron Home" and got 120,000 hits so you will easily be able to find info on these homes.

Thanks,
Joe

[beergood]

Ahhh, Detroit. The only city where I've sat at a traffic light when both red and green lights were lit. Of course I'm a metro person and I learn to live with that. I believe we noticed something strange once the light went from green to red green.

I wouldn't really classify myself as a Detroiter though. I've driven 8 mile many times, watched the movie thought it was cheese. I've worked downtown a bit but I still get horribly lost, my only metric is the sun.

Back when I was learning to get around the city I used the river as my touchstone. Look for the RenCen (now GM) and you can follow the river back to my hometown.

Joe, thanks for the info on the metal house. It made for fascinating (as well as an excellent time wasting) read. I don't know how I've never heard of these before.