Area north of MCS- most desolate?

**ventura67** · May-22-10, 05:16 PM

Is this one of the most desolate areas in Detroit? Looking at it on Google maps, and driving through it it seems like there is 80-90% loss of housing. So much open space seems like you could buy an entire block and live on a pretty nice spread of open land, and have a couple of rental units.

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=s...12499&t=h&z=17

Maybe because it was cut off from Michigan Ave, maybe because it was mostly made up of simple wood frame houses, as the few that are left suggest. How safe is this neighborhood now?

**Patrick** · May-22-10, 06:28 PM

I always thought it was the area between Chrysler Jefferson and Alter Road.

**R8RBOB** · May-22-10, 07:38 PM

Time for Google to update its satellite maps. The area map still have Tiger Stadium standing whole.

**313WX** · May-22-10, 07:53 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick

I always thought it was the area between Chrysler Jefferson and Alter Road.

Agreed, but I've seen some downright scary parts of SW Detroit that makes Fox Creek look like paradise...

**ventura67** · May-22-10, 08:30 PM

Originally Posted by R8RBOB

Time for Google to update its satellite maps. The area map still have Tiger Stadium standing whole.

So there may be even fewer houses standing then. And I'd imagine that huge abandoned elementary school might be gone, too.

DetroitPole · May-22-10, 08:39 PM

That is the Briggs area, or as they re-Christened it, "North Corktown".
It is an interesting area. East of Rosa Parks is fairly populated, with a mix of infill housing and the wood frame houses that are still standing.
Brother Nature Farm is on Rosa Parks.
West of Rosa Parks is very desolate. Not really extremely dangerous, though, especially by Detroit standards. There are so few people left and most of them are old timers. The Briggs area has a very large concentration of "hillbillies". Interestingly, it has far more white people than most other areas of the city. There used to be a chop shop and there is some drug activity, but really there is so little of value left that the area isn't really a target for home invasions, burglaries, etc.
Racial Situations: Class Predicaments of Whiteness in Detroit by Hartigan talks extensively about Briggs, also about Corktown and Warrendale.

Retroit · May-22-10, 08:42 PM

Here's a good site that provides maps showing vacant lots in the city: http://www.greenwaycollab.com/GWI scroll down to "CITY OF DETROIT"

**mikefmich** · May-22-10, 08:49 PM

Dear God......I used to park at MichCon lot on Nobile St. station right by Carls and walk to Lions-Tiger games. While I've been "past" Tiger Stadium recent as the demo, I really hadn't ventured into the old neighborhoods.

There is nothing there.........nothing. The homes are damn near all gone, looks as though so is Carls and Nobile St. station. Holy shit.....

Check out the area bordering Mc Nichols, French, Lynch & VanDyke.
I used to work over there, play ball at a diamond on French Rd. and drink beer at Vi's Bar.

I drove past there a couple years ago while going to visit ancestors at Forest Lawn. Yeah....it had been awhile, I crapped my drawers.

**JenniferL** · May-23-10, 12:06 AM

I don't find the North Corktown neighborhood all that desolate. I think it's because the houses that are still standing are occupied and whenever I have walked though that area, there were a lot of people [[mostly elderly) sitting on their porches or working in their yards. It kind of has a rural feel to it.

**313WX** · May-23-10, 06:50 AM

Originally Posted by JenniferL

I don't find the North Corktown neighborhood all that desolate. I think it's because the houses that are still standing are occupied and whenever I have walked though that area, there were a lot of people [[mostly elderly) sitting on their porches or working in their yards. It kind of has a rural feel to it.

I would think a rural feel in a big city like Detroit is pretty desolate, but that's just me...

**EastsideAl** · May-23-10, 11:10 AM

There are certainly neighborhoods on the eastside that are emptier than that one. There's at least one neighborhood [[south of Huber, west of St. Cyril) that has disappeared entirely, with all of its streets now closed. That area was almost empty back in the '80s when good friends of mne lived there. Surrounding neighborhoods around there, particularly the portion over by City Airport, are pretty empty.

Patrick is right that the area from Connor east to Alter south of Mack is very desolate in spots. Members of my family lived on Easlawn until the late '80s and it was getting pretty sparse then, and it has since emptied out dramatically. The area east of Chrysler, roughly from St. Jean to Montclair, has been largely empty for many years. Lemay St. there was the Robinwood of the 1970's, becoming largely abandoned as ground zero of the George Romney HUD scandals that kicked off the era of home abandonment in Detroit.

**LeannaM** · May-23-10, 01:21 PM

I noticed these picnic tables and playground equipment diagonally away from the school. I would assume they were part of the school, but would you want kids crossing the street all the time? Or is it a city park?

http://maps.google.com/maps?client=s...,108.9,,1,3.85

**ventura67** · May-23-10, 08:41 PM

Eastside Al, any Google map links for us to enjoy?

**detroitsgwenivere** · May-24-10, 06:18 PM

That section of Detroit is part of the Vacant Property Task Force that I chair. Lots of info has been collected regarding vacant lots and structures in Corktown.

The neighbors are very weary of developers, so they are becoming more involved in community groups who they trust to better represent their interests. Many are hoping to turn North Corktown into an urban village, with large and cottage style single family homes sitting on large parcels and adjacent to community gardens, orchards and urban ag projects.

The problem is that developers and outsiders seem to think that any development is good and desireable, be damned what the community thinks, so that area is being eyed for condos and the like. The only thing stalling these efforts is the sunk market. Would you guys believe that speculators have purchased empty parcels in North Corktown and have them listed through Century 21 for 80K a piece? The signs have been there for years!

**cman710** · May-24-10, 07:03 PM

detroitsgwenivere, that is very interesting. I would be curious to talk to you more some time about the Vacant Property Task Forice. I'm interested to learn more about your work. In the coming years, I am hoping to study these issues, and am very interested in the efforts currently being made to address the issues arising from Detroit's huge number of vacant properties.

**Wintersmommy** · May-24-10, 07:10 PM

Originally Posted by JenniferL

I don't find the North Corktown neighborhood all that desolate. I think it's because the houses that are still standing are occupied and whenever I have walked though that area, there were a lot of people [[mostly elderly) sitting on their porches or working in their yards. It kind of has a rural feel to it.

Agreed, the girl I mentor lived near the corner of Harrison and Pine [[ the house is visable on the map) until they had a fire at the abandonded home next door that spread to thier home. I always thought the neighborhood was friendly and yes had kind of a rural feel to it...saw my 1st phesant [[sp?) there one of the 1st times I went to her home. There is also a woman on harrison that has chicken, goats and other small farm animals on her lot [[corner of Harrison and Butternut)
I think it was Core cities that built a bunch of new homes in that area as well , closer to MLK, that are very nice and in pretty autumn shades like pumpkin and eggplant...

**detroitsgwenivere** · May-25-10, 12:25 AM

Hey Cman, I didn't forget about you.

**fryar** · May-25-10, 12:53 AM

Wow. Just wow.

For those still waiting, EastsideAl's probably talking about this location: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...22724&t=h&z=16.

Gwenivere, what does your task force do?

**detroitsgwenivere** · May-25-10, 01:11 AM

I think it was Core cities that built a bunch of new homes in that area as well , closer to MLK, that are very nice and in pretty autumn shades like pumpkin and eggplant...

It was Greater Corktown Development Corp. that had those houses built. They were the first phase in a 3 part plan to redevelop the area. The houses were called, back when they were built, "affordable housing" at 100k. Perspective buyers were told that in the coming years after they purchased one of the "GCDC" houses, the next phases would be built. Phase 2 consisted of more infill housing at a higher price range, and 3 was to be the development of a commercial strip along Temple. Those phases never came, mainly because of the fall of the market, and a few other things I won't get into [[involving community politics). Some of the homebuyers now feel, shall we say "let down," because of the stall. And because their homes are worth half of what they bought them for obviously.

I'm not a big fan of the homes because they don't fit in with the existing homes, and because they lack windows. But others seem to like them. They do have nice colors though...

**fryar** · May-25-10, 01:19 AM

As a follow up, for the uninitiated, how did it come to this? I mean, not even ruins, just a bunch of lawns. Wow.

Google Maps lists there being a school in the middle of that section EastsideAl brought up. According to this site, it was shut down in 2007. http://www.viceland.com/int/v16n2/ht...i.php?country=

Don't bother reading the comments to that article, it gets out of control really quickly.

**5speedz34** · May-25-10, 01:25 AM

What killed North Corktown, or Briggs was more than likely the building of I75 which ripped right through the center of it. I lived in Woodbridge for a year and Universal Lofts [[by HFH), last fall I spent a few hours driving through what Google Maps labels as "Briggs" and "NW Goldberg." There is alot of remnants of manufacturing in both neighborhoods and it is very vacant. North Corktown does have some infill and development but for the most part is pretty desolate. It's being eyed as mix-use probably due to it's proximity to WSU and Woodbridge. What I find most interesting is how UofD's Dental school is right in the middle of it.

As for other areas Van Dyke from I94 to McNichols has quite a bit of vacant land and as already mentioned I don't think anything takes the cake as the eastside between Alter and Chrysler. IIRC-this was ground zero for 80's drug wars?

**detroitbob** · May-25-10, 01:38 AM

After attending a service at Assumption Grotto I drove down a couple of the side streets east of the church...lucky if 5 or 6 houses albeit empty, still stood. Scary drive through and it was early afternoon.

**LeannaM** · May-25-10, 01:42 AM

Google doesn't understand what those short cement walls at the entrance to the road mean.
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,80.97,,0,7.57

I don't guess it's a problem, but they barrier-jumped at Winfield at Huber as well. Obviously they didn't get the Google car over the barrier, but it makes the barrier seem useless if anybody can find the other end of the street and drive down it. Aren't barriers supposed to close off streets? Or just one end of them?

Also, what's with the pink and purple dots?
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,20.84,,0,8.01

Yellow dot at the blocked off Concord Street
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...359.04,,2,3.87

Another red dot at Carrie at Georgia
Debris in a blocked section of Winfield
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...188.65,,1,5.16

Abandoned house, blocked off Marjorie street
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...2,84.67,,0,2.1

**5speedz34** · May-25-10, 01:47 AM

The dots are by Tyree Guyton and he's been doing them for years, to bring light to blight in neighborhoods.

FWIW: Those barriers probably weren't there when Google went through 2ish years ago. The new HD camera is at intersection and you can see the difference a year makes.

IE:http://maps.google.com/maps?client=s...3,0.01929&z=16

Move any way perpendicular to St. Antoine and you'll see what I mean. The barriers weren't there when they went through the first time.

**detroitsgwenivere** · May-25-10, 02:11 AM

Originally Posted by fryar

Wow. Just wow.

For those still waiting, EastsideAl's probably talking about this location: http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...2724&t=h&z=16.

I know that area well. The city was using it to dump road debris for years. Now it's a tax-free industrial development zone. If you ever get a chance to drive around over there, do so, it's a trip. The area was once a solid neighborhood built in the late 1800's and there are still the tell tale signs if you look closely. The remnants of short block curbs that used to run along alleyways are still there, and the grass has all but enveloped the curbs and sidewalks installed in the later years. The residential infrastructure is basically still there, it's just blocked off by barricades to stop a**holes from driving in to dump their boats and tires, which they've managed to do anyway.

What does your task force do?

Basically, we keep a database of all the vacant properties within Corktown's boundaries, MLK/ M-10/17th st./ Porter st. and their vacancy histories. I drive around checking the vacant structures for signs of illegal activity, update my records, and notify the proper departments. If the structure is in what I call "emergency status," like it's been broken into and left wide open, then I procure boards [[and strong guys) to nail them up, mainly to deter the house from being stripped and to keep kids away. We do research on all the properties so that we know who they belong to, just in case it needs to be reported or someone wants to buy them. Keeping records builds a history so that if we need to contact the police or the city, we have some standing against the property owner. We also apply for grants to help shoulder the costs, maintain the empty lots the neighbors aren't already maintaining, provide resources to the community to try and prevent foreclosures, and have some support from other community groups.

Recently, since Karla Henderson was appointed to BS&E, we've had success with getting some of the worst blight removed, even before the whole "downsize the city" thing started. But we had a huge setback when the county's NAP was defunded. That program was how we were able to take control of Spaulding Ct. [[there's a recent thread about that). The neighbors are also a great help. They can report a changed status anonymously through our google group, and call or e-mail me directly.

That's it in a nutshell.