Detroit isn't just abandoned industry and crime statistics. While many view Detroit as an "urban explorer tourist destination," I had been wanting to see and capture Detroit for myself, showing not only it's fading history, but it's other vibrant aspects and areas where the city is far from being lost. For years Detroit's plight has been covered by trendy, armchair journalists while photographers have been making pilgrimages to the Motor City to see it's abundance of abandoned buildings. Thus, Detroit is laced with block upon block of abandoned and crumbling structures ranging from entire neighborhoods to train stations to skyscrapers. Although Detroit's fall from grace can be attributed to many factors, the rapid collapse and outsourcing of it's main economic industry certainly didn't help. Some, like the Provost of Cincinnati, say that Detroit "quite literally, drove itself to death." The city's economic reliance on the automotive industry allowed itself to prosper in the past, yet as the auto industry declined, so did Detroit. It can't be ignored though that Detroit is a shell of it's former self. We saw examples of redevelopment and hints that eventually the city may come back around. As we explored the city we met many friendly people and saw some of Detroit's greatest urban assets and attractions. I want to make it clear to those reading that this article isn't intended to be an attack on Detroit. The Lions victory at Ford Field in downtown Detroit would be a sign of hope that maybe the fledgling NFL franchise was beginning to improve, but what about the city and it's vast amounts of poverty, crime and abandoned buildings surrounding the domed stadium? When is Detroit itself going to recover? Perhaps it's nothing more than a weird coincidence that as I finally sat down to write this article, the Detroit Lions had just beaten the Minnesota Vikings, ending their 20 game losing streak. When you like exploring abandoned buildings, Detroit is your Disneyland.
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