Before & After: Detroit Neighborhoods

**rbdetsport** · April-07-13, 01:52 PM

Hello all!

I am currently in the midst of a research project at Michigan State University. It analyzes the downsizing of Detroit and how mass transit can help.

For the report, I am looking to include before and after photos of each of the 3 neighborhoods I am studying. These three neighborhoods are West Village, University District, and the area east of Eastern Market and north of Gratiot.

I figured this would be a good place to ask for this and also for other to post before and after photos from other areas of the city.

Thanks! Let's discuss

**wolverine** · April-07-13, 02:17 PM

I did something similar. I took old photos of Detroit and then went to the same exact spot, took a modern photo, made it black and white and carefully photoshopped the two exactly over one another so\ the comparison perspective was 100% identical. Part of the challenge was asking permission for some views that were from rooftops.

A great start would be whatwasthere.com...which doesn't quite cover Eastern Market, but it's a great resource for before and afters for the other areas as well as Wayne State's digital archives.

**rbdetsport** · April-07-13, 02:31 PM

Thanks Wolverine. Also, does anyone know a website that would have old satellite images [[1950, 1960, etc)?

**gnome** · April-07-13, 02:48 PM

Originally Posted by rbdetsport

Thanks Wolverine. Also, does anyone know a website that would have old satellite images [[1950, 1960, etc)?

The pix go back to the late 1940s and continue through 1997.

being on a Mac I can never get the links to work, but there is a workaround, ... I have just forgotten what it is.

http://www.clas.wayne.edu/photos/ap_index.htm

**wolverine** · April-07-13, 03:03 PM

Originally Posted by rbdetsport

Thanks Wolverine. Also, does anyone know a website that would have old satellite images [[1950, 1960, etc)?

I'm actually trying to find that. There was one I used that provided free historic satellite views every so many years. I'll report back when I find it.

**48202** · April-07-13, 03:56 PM

Originally Posted by rbdetsport

Thanks Wolverine. Also, does anyone know a website that would have old satellite images [[1950, 1960, etc)?

http://historicaerials.com

**Wheels** · April-07-13, 06:02 PM

http://www.clas.wayne.edu/photos/ap_index.htm#wayne

**milt721** · April-08-13, 12:08 PM

This is an interesting site that is fun to play around with, if nothing else. A quick scan shows that there is not much info on the neighborhoods your are referencing, though.

http://www.whatwasthere.com/browse.a...06473/zoom/16/

**EastsideAl** · April-08-13, 12:48 PM

Before and after what? I don't think the West Village or University District have changed all that much over the years. Both have remained much more intact than other city neighborhoods. I'm not sure how much difference one would see between photos from, say, the 1960s and pictures today.

The area east of the Eastern Market, however, has gone from pretty densely populated to almost completely unpopulated, which should be abundantly clear in the contrast between DTE aerials from previous years and satellite views from today. In fact, the city has recently had an active hand in clearing that neighborhood out further, as seen in the little dustup here and elsewhere in the Detroit-centric online community recently over the cornerstone of a church that was being demolished.

**mwilbert** · April-08-13, 03:35 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

Before and after what? I don't think the West Village or University District have changed all that much over the years. Both have remained much more intact than other city neighborhoods. I'm not sure how much difference one would see between photos from, say, the 1960s and pictures today.

The University District looks almost the same, except for the very significant and easily noticed lack of elms. The adjoining section of Livernois looks quite a bit different though, and McNichols too, especially with the stadium gone.

**Hamtragedy** · April-08-13, 07:04 PM

I'm stumped, which stadium wilbert?

**EastsideAl** · April-08-13, 08:21 PM

I think he probably means U of D Stadium, which stood just west of the corner of Six Mile and Fairfield from 1922 to 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univers...etroit_Stadium

Site of the 1935 NFL Championship Game - won by the Detroit Lions!

**mwilbert** · April-08-13, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

I think he probably means U of D Stadium, which stood just west of the corner of Six Mile and Fairfield from 1922 to 1971.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Univers...etroit_Stadium

Site of the 1935 NFL Championship Game - won by the Detroit Lions!

Yes, that is what I meant. It was a rather significant visual presence. There was never that much stuff on 6 Mile adjacent to the University District, because U-D runs from Livernois to Fairfield. The only things I remember going to there [[besides Gesu and U-D) were the ice cream place and Market Basket, both closed. Now there is the Gesu Community playground/garden, which is a big improvement over what was there in the 60's.