1st Impressions

Post-American is such an amazing phrase for what Detroit is. It's all the remnants of an American city without the people. Between arrival time in 'rush hour' and a spin through town at 9:30 at night, traffic was less problematic than Bangor, Maine. Old brick homes (of the most unusual, ancient (haha) American design) are vacant, vacant, squatted, vacant, beautifully occupied, vacant, occupied, etc. The vacancies are nothing but broken shells with no doors or windows left to keep out the snow. The giant sports arenas, while I'm sure are probably the most vibrant areas of the city when games are actually in swing, are just giant empty facilities, standing out as the most pristine and modern thing among the ruins of an older city. I can see why crime is so problematic here. It feels like the wild west. Like an abandoned world where you can do as you please. 'Don't get gas after dark' is the mantra. check. But while I'm usually overwhelmed by cityscapes, Detroit feels more like a playground than anything else. Let the games begin.