Quaint little fixer upper

[masterblaster]

In the early 80s you could walk through any building or beach side hotel in South Beach because it was all open and abandoned to the drug addicts,you could pick up those buildings for pennies on the dollar.

If you did not get shot or stabbed when you looked at them,nobody wanted them,it was actually the TV show Miami Vice that started buying them and renovating them for filming purposes.

It was not uncommon to be eating lunch at local restaurants next to the cast members,next came the billions that the drug trade generated and the need to wash the proceeds,so it was easy to make South Beach come alive again when there are suitcases of cash laying about waiting to be spent,it did not have to make financial sense.

I think Detroit has an architectural base that is hard to find anywhere else in the country,so many examples that were lost to urban renewal in other cities.

It kinda shows how Detroit was a international city that was influenced across the world,even in NYC or California you do not see that mix of styles.

There are many many small old apartment buildings in the neighborhoods. I saw this one in person the other day. Beautiful. I would like to see them all saved. Got to get roofs on and keep water out.

13 years ago this month, I did a photo thread, on this very forum, about the abandoned apartment buildings and elegant 2-family flats of the Dexter-Davison area that were being stripped and vandalized. I am sure some of these buildings have been demolished by now. It is heart breaking what we have lost here.

https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mess...tml?1210098239

[5939DT]

13 years ago this month, I did a photo thread, on this very forum, about the abandoned apartment buildings and elegant 2-family flats of the Dexter-Davison area that were being stripped and vandalized. I am sure some of these buildings have been demolished by now. It is heart breaking what we have lost here.

https://www.atdetroit.net/forum/mess...tml?1210098239

The fourth pic in the link looks a bit like 925 Whitmore [[Palmer Park) where I delivered the News in 1965-66. Beautiful old building, loved the ancient [[even then) elevator with the metal gate so that you could see the floors going by as you went up or down.

[Cincinnati_Kid]

The fourth pic in the link looks a bit like 925 Whitmore [[Palmer Park) where I delivered the News in 1965-66. Beautiful old building, loved the ancient [[even then) elevator with the metal gate so that you could see the floors going by as you went up or down.

Damn shame they let these gorgeous buildings fall to neglect.

[Pontiac6000]

Damn shame they let these gorgeous buildings fall to neglect.

There is one more, at 1141 Holcomb. In 2007 street view the steps were part of the charm too. The building had an old elevator also, and great leaded glass windows and spanish tile floors. Some with Juliette balconies, sun rooms, and unusual configurations. It was freely open between us, the Kean, and the Hibbard apt on Jefferson.

Everyone had to leave upon renovation, it looks nice now, but no original charm.