Feb 2014

detroit eyes.

02/26/2014

I returned from Detroit on Saturday evening! I was sad to leave Greg & Maina, and even sadder to depart from the fascinatingly preserved history, decaying architecture, and as I predict, soon-to-be-rampant development and change of the Motor City. While driving around, I saw with every other building, empty lot, smiling face, urban farm, and new renovation--so much possibility.

Greg and Maina have a beautiful house, from the early 1900s that they purchased in last October’s foreclosure auction. We spent a little time cleaning, prepping and staging trash, and hauling stuff to the local recycler. I think I spent the most time taking photos of the antique piles of stuff in their home, and pouring through old documents and personal effects of the previous, and now deceased owner. Treasure hunting of a sort. Except the treasure was when I figured out her maiden name and that she was previously married!

We had other adventures which included salvaging windows and miscellany from a soon to be demolished house, purchasing bikes from an abandoned warehouse on the side of the road, pushing my rental car out of the snow on several occasions, and attending networking events with excitable Detroit entrepreneurs. Much time was also devoted to the quest for good coffee which is hard to come by with Greg’s PNW taste buds. Although the lavender latte I sampled at Great Lakes was pretty baller, I have to say.

I had the additional adventure of lunch with my never-met relatives in the slightly northern suburbs. It was a unique experience to meet people that look like you and your father and his family, and share stories of deceased relatives and all the funny things they used to say when living in Detroit, back in the day. I think my favorite part though, was when my father’s cousin boldly reassured us all that, “the youth will save Detroit!”.

I want to write more, but would rather gush about it in person, because I truly love this city. The history, controversy and social struggles of the place are so fascinating to me. On returning to Brooklyn, I see everything with changed, Detroit eyes. I wonder what my block would look like if lots were vacant and only a 1/4 of the homes were occupied. Would people smile here they way they do in Detroit if there was more open space? I used to be kind of turned off by the decaying industry of Brooklyn--finding it old, ugly, dirty and lacking beauty. But I’m looking at it with changed perspective now. It also feels way too crowded in comparison. And here I was thinking that Brooklyn was so fresh and airy compared with Manhattan. What foolishness!

Take a look at pictures, ask me questions. Detroit is in my blood, as my father and most of his family began their lives or still live there. I came across a little pin for sale at the Detroit Historical Museum that read “I am Detroit”. It felt it too soon to buy and wear it, since I’m still getting acquainted with the city, its energies, and peoples. But I dig it all the same.

263 Bethune Castle