I lived in the Detroit area for 40+ years. Detroit will allways be a Shit Hole ! The city of Detroit, is one of most corrupt city in America. There will no saving any of these wonderful buildings. .
Right on FARMERGAL, you hit the nail on the head! There is a big differance between profit and greed. Henry Ford became one of this countrys first BILLIONAIRS yet payed the highest wages out of all the auto makers in Detroit. That tired old argument that workers wages killed Detroit is plain old Bull Shit. Greed and indifferance did.
thanks for turning this thread about one mans eerie serendipity and turning it into more corporate political bullshit rant talk about Detroit and it's ruins, his sanity, our living space but come on put a fucking cork in it
As far as that guys concerned , he's living in heaven. If I had never had any kids or got married, or had any goals..that coulda been me its all perspective
I'd live there in a heart beat. FREE rent and electricty? Deal me in. He has tons of equipment in there that appears to be unused for a long time. I'd rather die there than in any group home or nursing home.
On the political side, as much as we'd like to point fingers, the jobs deal is survival of the fittest. If your competitor makes goods elsewhere to cut costs (or is a foreign owned importer even) you HAVE TO cut costs or go out of business. It is capitalism, and the most efficient use of resources. Think it's evil? See also: USSR or Greece. ON THE IMPORTANT TOPIC: For those that have never been - If you're in town, drive down Woodward from downtown Detroit north. Make sure you take a quick side trip to see Michigan Central Station (has a cameo in Transformers movie). If you can look past the current state of ruin, the design and classic architecture (stone, brick, masonry, and sometimes the metalwork if its still there) is breathtaking - I would say second to no other city in the world. Some of the theaters (one now unfortunately a parking garage but the ceiling remains), and a great deal of the houses in neighborhoods just north of the city are amazing. Many are empty, but wow what amazing places. I'd bet in the 50s and early 60s Detroit was the nicest city in the world! Really - take the time next time you are near for a little side trip - there is nothing like it and never will be again.
He seemed to be near tears at the end of the clip. How many of you could ruff it half as much as this fellow? Some of you OCD could not bear his clutter!
The film left me thinking that the Detroit area car clubs, or enthusiasts in general could make a project like no other by coming together and drilling a well and installing a sanitary system for this guy. The project could really mark the turn around for Detroit.
IT'S FREE! Help the fella out and gain some guarded, storage or work space! This place could be a dream for hot rodders! If that fella had some helping hands, and a bit o' money, it could be unreal!
I lived in Detroit from '72-'73 when I was at WDRQ-fm Radio. It was cranking out lots of iron in those days...and I understand the story as it is today. Hope it comes back...and that he does well too. Jonnie www.legends.thewwbc.net
Just bring your Glock ...or whatever self defence weapon you have. You'll be risking your life driving through that S**T hole.
Coundn't agree more. Really makes you think where America is going. Almost seems to be a lot of "I don't care" going on. Heritage and history are really hard to come by sometimes and here we have a ton of heritage in front of us and not too many people seem to care it is falling down around them. I give the old timer a bunch of credit and hope someone at least learns something from him and tries to retain this American heritage when he is gone. I know it is kinda like old cars, you can't save them all but I think something like this is an exception. When it's gone....... it's gone. God bless the old guy!
It's not that bad - I've done it several times. The only place I felt a little uneasy is east of the Packard plant after about 6pm. All the other places are fine - at least during the day when I've been there (probably 5-6 times in the 5 years). There really is a lot of great classic architecture there (in Detroit) that few will ever get to see.
I can see why this post would turn political. This film evokes emotion. The man, like the building is withering away, a far cry from its former glory. Its beautiful and terrifying all at once. As a 27 year old, I spend a lot of time thinking about where this country and my own future is headed. I'm afraid the Packard plant foreshadows what will happen to the rest of the country if we dont turn it around. To the other young people on this forum, we have work to do. We must right the ship.
That video left me feeling kind of strange. I don't know whether to pity him,or envy him. The state of the Packard plant (and the city) makes me sad.
Cheers for digging out and sharing clips like this Ryan. The quality of some of these short films is fantastic. Indeed the Packard plant would have been something to behold in its heyday. Anyone got any pics of the plant back in the day? O'Doyle
Great but sad video.Makes me think of the old Niagara Machine and Tool Works plant and the Houdai(sorry for my spelling) Shock plant accross the street from it.Once the crown jewel of their products but now just empty shells.I will forever be grateful to have worked at Niagara,its last four years.Its painful to see such a strong business dissapear so quickly.That old fella hasnt given up and neither should we.Hopefully its maybe just part of some kind of cycle and we will rise to the top again so this is where I say get off your ass and do something about it boys!!!
Hey Deuces, you and I have been hearing that for years...like the train station. I'll believe it when I see it. There is something about these old buildings that makes you feel good, they have a spirit. Its like opening a car door that has been resting for years waiting for one of us to bring it alive again.
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