Aaron

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With its original oramentation and cupolas, it looked like a smaller (but more handsome) version of the Park Row Building in New York.

I recently got a hold of Renaissance Man, a 1994 Danny DeVito flick written by U-M screenwriting professor Jim Berstein (also of Mighty Ducks 3 infamy.) DeVito's character is an advertising exec for a firm in Detroit before he's fired and gets a job teaching dim-bulb army recruits Shakespeare. Anyway, the first several scenes have some interesting early 90s shots of downtown, so I though I'd post them. The west side of Woodward, much as it looks today. I would have loved to see the east side, though, since it has all been demolished for Comerica Park and the surface lots in front of it. Notice Hudson's on the far left. The Corner. Downtown west, with the recently-demolished People's Outfitting Building sporting a bright Newport cigarette ad. A closeup of the ad. The Coney Islands. The northwest corner of Michigan and Griswold, featuring the Kinsel's drugstore building, demolished in 2001. Here it appears to be hosting a Taco Bell on the first floor. This block, along with the formerly-adjacent People's Outfitting Building, is going to be filled with a parking garage (with condos) for the Book-Cadillac. Danny DeVito looking even shorter than he really is alongside a suspicious amount of foot traffic.

Cadillac Tower, Bonnah & Chaffee, 1927. 437 feet, 40 floors.

Yep, I went to the game today, as well. Excellent show. As for the street signs, they've been updated in the last couple of years. The new ones are more reflective and have a white border, as well as a slightly different font. Being greatly fond of the old street signs (don't ask), I always find it interesting to see where in the city they haven't installed new ones. I've seen plenty of the old style on the southwest side, oftentimes right inbetween blocks that have new ones put up. Also looks like they need to put up the Bates sign at that intersection, too.

Farmer and Bates: the 70s and the 00s.

A full crowd was on hand to watch the Tigers stick it to the White Sox today, tying the series 1-1.

Went to the Tiger game this afternoon (a 5-0 shutout of Houston, with a hair under 30,000 attending), and as I was checking out the riverfront these mean storm clouds rolled in. It looked odd standing there in sunshine with the blackness in the distance. Everything looks OK for the fireworks, though. Oh, and downtown was absolutely jumping for a Wednesday afternoon!

A few from last weekend: Looking west and east respectively down West Jefferson, one of the more fascinatingly intersting streets in the city. The "pavement" is awful, but since I trekked on foot from downtown it wasn't a problem. I would have loved to walk down while the area was still thriving with heavy industry. There are half-buried railroad spurs leading into most of the buildings on the north side of the street. The top of Michigan Central Station peeking through at 15th Street. Me kicking about on Newark and West Vernor, examining the vintage brick. MCS itself. Under the railroad bridge I met a guy from Cincinnati in for the DEMF who decided to check out some of the ruins. I half-expected him to be someone from one of the many forums full of people like us, but he wasn't. I think I actually scared him by semi-following him in the tunnel. Nice guy, though; he gave me a ride back downtown to save myself from walking back in the ninety degree heat.

This New York Times stand at West Fort and Cabacier allows one to buy the latest copy of the paper, provided you wake up on August 1, 2003. Across the street at 1366 West Fort at 8th stands this beautiful commercial building housing 1/25863nd of all Subway locations worldwide. There probably used to be many more buildings like this in the neighborhood.

It's the northeast corner of Woodward and John R.

E. Liberty and S. State.

For some reason, in Microsoft Local Live, one cannot get a Bird's Eye View of the southern half of downtown Detroit. As I was playing with it today, checking out the Woolworth Building in New York, I typed in "detroit, mi" from there and it took me to the Bird's Eye View of those missing portions of Detroit. This is what worked for me: 1. Go to Microsoft Local Live. 2. Type in "Broadway & Barclay St, New York, NY" 3. Switch to Bird's Eye View. 4. Change to location to "Detroit, MI" If you stray out of the southern half of downtown, you won't be able to return, since the boxes will be grayed out. I wonder if anyone has found an easier way to do this.

West Liberty Street.