Detroit Google Street View oddities

**Detroitnerd** · April-23-10, 09:51 AM

Originally Posted by One Shot

I think its comical that at some of these bombed out deserted intersections they have brand new cement sidewalk approaches with the little traction pad. I know theres a lawyer out there that would love a slip and fall case but really? Who puts out a contract to replace these in such areas and who is loving the pay? This to me is a big waste of money.

Ah, unfunded mandates, the great sucker of resources. I recall before they totally stomped out the near west side of downtown for the new MGM Casino, they had gone through Plum, Plaza, Third, etc., and poured new curbs and sidewalks for the whole neighborhood to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act. In other words, before the whole neighborhood was about to have all its sidewalks and ramps and curbs totally ripped out for good, they repoured them all. And there were only about nine or 10 buildings left over all those blocks, thanks to DTE buying them all up through its real estate subsidiary. What a joke. The city couldn't afford to maintain the small park in the neighborhood, but all sidewalks were brand-spanking-new. The intention of the law that mandates it is pure enough, I guess: To make all environments handicap accessible, but you know somebody got mucho payola to pour all that stuff that nobody used.

**EastsideAl** · April-23-10, 09:58 AM

Originally Posted by Jimaz

The mystery of the abandoned boats is compelling. How did they come to be? They're too far from water to have landed there naturally. So they must have become separated from their trailers somehow. Yet they're abandoned without their trailers. Were their trailers deemed more valuable than their trailers' cargo? What madness is this?

There are an increasing number of abandoned boats around the city. Many sitting in fields or left in abandoned buildings, and more and more just dumped on lonely streets. Some of these have been stolen and stripped out as Gwenivere describes. Some have been just plain abandoned by owners who no longer want them or who can no longer afford to use them or who are moving out of the area to someplace far from the water. Some were stranded in boat yards by people who stopped paying for their storage, and the yards pay someone a little money just to haul them off their property.

Part of the problem is that there is no real way at present to dispose of fiberglass boat hulls. No one will take a whole boat carcass. And even if you cut one up [[a messy and potentially dangerous process), and find someone who will allow you to dump it, you will still have to pay them to take the pieces off your hands.

**Jimaz** · April-23-10, 11:26 PM

Originally Posted by detroitsgwenivere

I knew some guys in the hood [[not my friends) who would steal boats from people's yards, trailer and all, then strip out the motors and dump them. I've also heard about people who's boat motors blow up, they strip them, and then dump the boats. I'm told that this is because the disposal of the boat carcass is expensive. I've never owned a boat so I wouldn't know personally.

The funny thing is, I've actually SEEN 3 guys pull up at the corner of Exeter and Remington [[by State Fair and JohnR) at around 1am, pull their 18 footer off of their trailer, dump it right at the corner, and drive away like nothing happened. When I followed them to get their license plate #, they hopped on I-75 north. Within 2 days the boat was stripped and set on fire.

Thank you so much for that response, detroitsgwenivere. That explains a lot. That's a great story about dumping the boat at Exeter and Remington too. Thanks for that too.

**Goose** · April-23-10, 11:53 PM

hi, insurance guy, my boat is missing from my driveway in suburbia!!! dammit, i was so looking forward to taking biffy and buffy out to the yacht club but alas, its gone..... send me a check for the insured value, yours truly, richy rich.....

**Jimaz** · May-02-10, 05:23 PM

An accident at 7 Mile and Dresden

**Jimaz** · May-02-10, 05:38 PM

Colorful paint job on an unusual building

Before

After

**Gannon** · May-02-10, 06:38 PM

Goose,

I KNOW the fellow who had the 50-foot [[+/- 2) boat that always anchored the longest party line in Crystal Bay for years...whose tag on the boat WAS "Richie Rich"!

Cheers

**mikefmich** · May-02-10, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Someone is face down on the sidewalk.
5806 dubois, detroit

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...05.23,,0,12.32

Naw....I see a guy with a can of suds, trying to read the newspaper. lol

**M CD M** · May-02-10, 09:53 PM

While I was plotting fallout shelters on my google map. There has been a few times when streetview is all green or blue and you can only see the street and cars.

**Django** · May-03-10, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by gnome

Someone is face down on the sidewalk.
5806 dubois, detroit

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...05.23,,0,12.32

Gnome, I cant believe you found that street view as you know thats my block. I pretty sure thats Eric, a regular in our house. I cant wait to show it to him. He will no doubt deny its himself though.

LMAO

**Django** · May-03-10, 04:01 AM

Oh wait, maybe thats me.

Not lmao.

**Django** · May-03-10, 04:02 AM

Could be Snowbank.

**EastsideAl** · May-03-10, 10:35 AM

Originally Posted by M CD M

While I was plotting fallout shelters on my google map. There has been a few times when streetview is all green or blue and you can only see the street and cars.

You have fallen into the southwest side vortex:

Originally Posted by EastsideAl

There is a section of the southwest side that seems to have completely disappeared into a nasty green-purple haze...
http://maps.google.com/maps?client=f...=12,34.29,,0,5

**gnome** · May-03-10, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by Django

Gnome, I cant believe you found that street view as you know thats my block. I pretty sure thats Eric, a regular in our house. I cant wait to show it to him. He will no doubt deny its himself though.

LMAO

Yes, I knew it was your block, but didn't want to give away the secret location to the Django Batcave. To me, your friend Eric looks like a salmon swimming upstream to spawn.

**detroitsgwenivere** · May-03-10, 08:25 PM

Originally Posted by gnome

Yes, I knew it was your block, but didn't want to give away the secret location to the Django Batcave. To me, your friend Eric looks like a salmon swimming upstream to spawn.

This is the best thread Ive ever read or posted on, I SWEAR!!

**Jimaz** · May-28-10, 12:53 PM

Some folks entering a boarded-up building at 12489 Conant St.: Smile! You're on Candid Camera.

**Just Amazed** · May-28-10, 03:43 PM

Fun Thread, I had not seen it before, and am intrigued. When i first saw the boat in the middle of a street expected them to be somewhere that had had a hurricane then see that the are in Detroit. Keep posting your rare finds guys, it is interesting.

**Jimaz** · May-28-10, 06:14 PM

Here's another timewarp of a collapsed building. Take one step in any direction to see it in all of its premortem glory [[albeit sans siding).

**Jimaz** · May-28-10, 06:24 PM

House goes UMPH!

Well, I would too after taking a beating like that. I wonder if they used that sign deliberately. That's some real art right there.

**Ragtoplover59** · May-28-10, 07:08 PM

My old block, move one step toward the cars on the service drive, and see the house with "new" siding from 40 yrs ago.
Whats it take, like 45 minutes to strip an entire house?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,0.003964&z=18

**Johnnny5** · May-28-10, 07:20 PM

Originally Posted by Ragtoplover59

My old block, move one step toward the cars on the service drive, and see the house with "new" siding from 40 yrs ago.
Whats it take, like 45 minutes to strip an entire house?

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sour...,0.003964&z=18

That's really crazy!

There are actually 3 different views there if you follow the service drive. One with siding and a fence, one without siding and a fence, and one without siding and without the fence.

**Ragtoplover59** · May-28-10, 07:40 PM

I don't want to encourage anyone to go into this house looking for cool leftovers, But when Grace lived there 40 yrs ago, Her grandson had one of the best HO train layouts set up in the basement, that I ever remember seeing!
The house directly across the street was where one of my best friends lived., this time of the year I always think about climbing out on the roof above the front porch, and watching the 4th of July fireworks at the river.
Looking across the freeway was the location of the Fleetwood Body plant. it was the corner of Fort & West End. come across the bridge and you are on Springwells, heading toward the still thriving SW Detroit neighborhoods off of Vernor.

**Jimaz** · May-28-10, 08:01 PM

Originally Posted by Johnnny5

That's really crazy!

There are actually 3 different views there if you follow the service drive. One with siding and a fence, one without siding and a fence, and one without siding and without the fence.

In the view without siding and a fence, the fence looks [[mostly) new. Despite the graffiti, it looks like someone is resuming to care for it.

**Eastside** · May-28-10, 08:40 PM

OK, this is interesting, take one step in any direction and watch the seasons change.

http://bit.ly/9ywADH

**Eastside** · May-28-10, 08:45 PM

OK, this is interesting, take one step in any direction and watch the seasons change.

http://bit.ly/9ywADH

Sorry, be sure to move the little orange guy to the intersection of Kensington and Rosewood.