The "quick fix" mentality should have died with the 1980s. By now, Detroit should have realized that it doesn't have a lot going for it, except for what it has left. And the city should capitalize on whatever is left that still makes it unique. That is largely its current standing architecture. When I lived in the city for 5 years recently, I would spend my down time just driving around, looking at buildings. When my time was better spent, it was usually spent inside those buildings [[the inhabitable ones, at least) in some social or business capacity. I knew then and still maintain now that that what stands impressively is not just impressive to me, but to the rest of the world, at least on some level. And indeed the world does not care for parking lots, and neither does their money. What Detroit has is a collection of gems, mostly neglected, whose value has not nearly been yet realized. The city should halt all demolition of decent structures, and turn their energy towards marketing those structures in any way possible. The film industry already sees them as an asset, and we pretty much have those visionary people in our pocket, so why not go in for the kill and make Detroit a destination for an American architectural destination where you can truly take a step back in time and transcend the blandness of modernity, at least for a scene or two, either on screen or [[most preferably) in person?

Btw, I stopped in to Mongo's a few weeks back and was in pure bliss. Chicago [[my current home) has nothing like this, aside from the Green Mill. And, on a personal note, my grandfather gave A-Mon his first real job, which lead to his wife being able to open her beauty shop, which afforded the Mongos the ability to buy the current joint [[which I remember as Wax Fruit about 20+ years ago, which rivaled anything in NYC at the time in sheer coolness). Please support that place. Mongo remembered e and my sister and was super generous. Such a brilliant, hard-working man. Anyway, it's at the heart of all that is good about downtown and I hope a lot of people are enjoying it like we did. I can't wait to go back.