I read recently that the city of Detroit has been named "The Most Dangerous City in America."
It's going to take me a little while to work up some shock.
I was born there. At a young age, just after the riots of '67, my father moved us north of 8 Mile into the suburbs, where we remained to this day. And we weren't the only ones. Through the seventies, the people with the jobs and the money moved out of the city and into the 'burbs, and the people left behind....simply.....fell upon each other like jackyls.
The last time I was down there, was back in September. I took the family to a baseball game. The stadium is really beautiful, and the surrounding area has been completely refurbished as looks great. But, as you look out over the right field wall, and see what could be a beautiful skyline, you realize that all those buildings have been abandoned. As the sun goes down, no lights go on.
And just when I thought that the place was a total loss....I noticed something.
Just down the road from Comerica Park, where the Tigers presently reside, is the old ballpark; Tiger Stadium. Also known as Briggs Stadium. Also known as the Palace at Michigan and Trumbull. It's still there, even though a game hasn't been played there since 1999. Apparently, it's been declared a historical structure.
And there is not one smear of graffiti or spraypaint; no tag of any kind.
So, there's hope.
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Do you ever read a blog called Sweet Juniper? The family was raised, I think, near Detroit, moved away and they're back there. The dad is a photographer and loves to immerse himself in the decay of the city. You should check out his flickr.
Thanks for going to Tiger Stadium with me in that last season. It was awesome.
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