d e s o l a t e | m e t r o p o l i s

The suburban neighborhood in which our hotel was situated gave a misleading first impression of Detroit. Glass office buildings, peaceful residential areas, and nice stores belied the tales of urban blight that we had been told. As the Cracka mobile wound its way into downtown, followed closely by the silver spectacle, it soon became apparent that not only were the tales true, but they were understated. Huge office buildings in the middle of the city, real estate which would be hard pressed to sit inactive for a month in the Northeast, were clearly long abandoned. Graffiti stained windows told a tale of neglect that is simply not possible in virtually any urban area in the northeast.

The Cracka mobile pulled to a stop steps from the entrance to the Rudolph Wurlitzer company offices. After loitering briefly outside, photographing neighboring abandonments, our large group headed inside...in the middle of the day...in downtown Detroit. Clearly the Massholes were not in Kansas...err ah Boston...anymore.