For many years Brush Park was a neighborhood on the decline. Its’ gilded age mansions had fallen into disrepair and the few that remained were surrounded by urban prairies. The addition of CIty Modern, as well as many restorations and other ground up residential buildings, has really altered the fate and feel of the neighborhood. While much of the building stock that gave its’ initial character have been lost, many of the mansions have been restored and now there is a really fascinating mix of modern homes filling in the gaps between the historic structures. Some people don’t like that the new buildings aren’t of a similar style, but I am in the camp that thinks that the contrast between the historic and modern allows one to appreciate both styles even more. This post is a small fraction of what is going on in the neighborhood but gives you a feel for the changes underway.
Dodge Fountain
For years the Isamu Noguchi designed Dodge Fountain in Hart Plaza had been shut off, occasionally used for events like Jazz Fest, but inactive at all other times. Scrappers had run off with many of the fountain’s components and due to the unique design, replacement was deemed too costly. That was until this year, when the city of Detroit invested money in restoring the fountain to its’ former glory, allowing many Detroiters to experience the water feature for the first time. In addition to the water flowing through the pipes again, the lighting was restored as well. Look for images of that in a future blog post.
Downtown Drone Flight
A few snaps from an evening summertime flight near downtown. It really is remarkable how SHoP’s Hudson’s tower has changed the skyline from the North. Its’ glass facade really sticks out prominently against the stone and brick of Detroit’s historic skyscrapers.
New Center + The Fisher Building
Here are some images taken on a summer evening in the New Center neighborhood and within the art deco masterpiece that is the Fisher Building.
Michigan Central Station - Morning Timelapse
In the lead up to the opening of Michigan Central in June, I decided to try my hand at a morning timelapse of the front facade. It turned out close to what I had envisioned but it definitely makes me want to do more of these throughout the city. Enjoy.