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UER Forum > US: Great Lakes > Return to Detroit (pic heavy) (Viewed 5820 times)
KD20 


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Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< on 5/14/2015 6:15 AM >
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After last summer's highly enjoyable trip to Detroit, I made the trip again on Monday to cross some more buildings off my list. Most of the locations on the itinerary were schools. There were also two churches I wanted to visit but neither was successful. One was completely sealed and people were being arrested at the other one for some reason. Maybe next time. I already have a complete list for the next trip, hopefully later this summer.

1. My first stop was at a school I explored last day. When I got home, I realized that I had somehow missed the swimming pool. So this year I went back and found it since I have a weird fascination with abandoned pools.


2.


3. The pool has two deep ends on either side. When it was in use, a divider down the middle separated boys and girls.


4. Next stop was an old elementary school, built in 1905. Unfortunately, it is slated for demolition this year. Of Monday's stops, this one contained by far the most artifacts left behind. Hundreds of textbooks, toys, posters and papers remained. Student projects still hung on several walls.


5. The gym floor had that wavy look they get from serious water damage.


6. Two climbing ropes still hung from the ceiling.


7. Entire shelves were filled with textbooks still in good condition.


8. Student projects on flowers still hung from a bulletin board in a second floor hallway.


9. A room that appeared to be an office had fire damage, a common theme among Monday's explores.


10. Second floor hallway.


11. The auditorium. Behind the stage was minor damage from a fire that appeared to originate in an electrical box.


12. Found on the third floor.


13. Hundreds of textbooks in this storage room alone. Some had never even been opened.


14. Apparently the teacher's lounge was a smoking area. Not sure that would fly today.


15.


16. Next stop was another sizable elementary school in the corner of a neighborhood. I had several neighbors stop and ask what I was doing here. They seemed to be satisfied by my photography explanation. One attended the school as a child and shared a couple of interesting stories about his days there.


17. I love the long dark hallways these city block-long schools have.


18. Another wavy gym floor.


19. Shelves in a room off of the gym were labeled with the materials they once held.


20. The auditorium.


21. Someone had the time and inclination to smash every seat in the auditorium.


22. Fire has damaged what appears to be the industrial arts room.


23. More fire damage. Judging by the strong smell, I believe this fire was fairly recent. No wonder the neighbors are so concerned with people poking around the building.


24. Lockers that somehow haven't been stolen by scrappers yet.


25.


26. This intermediate school was the best as far as architecture and infrastructure. The blue sky visible in this picture was not to last long.


27.


28. Classroom seating still remained.


29. The boys' locker room.


30. One of two swimming pools in the buildings. This one was for boys.


31. Stalls in the girls' locker room.


32. Swimming pool on the girls' side.


33. The auditorium was enormous.


34. Heavily-scrapped classroom. This was around the time when I noticed the dark clouds starting to roll in.


35. Mathematical equations still on the board.


36. This is when the bottom fell out and it starting pouring.


37. I like this picture because you can see that half the floor is wet from the rain coming in and half of it is still dusty and dirty.


38. The large library.


39. There were separate gyms for boys and girls. This was the boys'. Both had a walking track above.


40. The girls' gym.


41. There was a small fourth floor with lots of attic space under the roof.


42. After the intermediate school, I got soaked running back to my car and went to dinner while waiting out the downpour. Once it quit raining, I arrived at the final stop, another large elementary school.


43. This one was two city blocks long.


44. I don't think that's how boats work.


45. The rear of the school where people have been dumping trash. While taking this photo I was approached by a passerby. I went through the usual spiel as to who I was and what I was doing. He assured me that Detroit is coming back and told me to be safe and then was on his way. I wish I could have asked him some questions but he seemed to be in a hurry.


46. Behind the school was an overgrown playground


47.


48. Another long dark hallway. I should also mention that after it rains, these schools that have been heavily scrapped leak like crazy, making me thankful for my jacket with a hood.


49. The auditorium.


50. More fire damage, making three of the four complete explores I did where it was present.


51. The gym where the floor is not yet warped.


52. Graffiti wall. I can only assume this was a teacher's lounge due to the fireplace.


53. More wall drawings.


54. Best Day Ever!






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ZyK 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 1 on 5/14/2015 11:16 PM >
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Damn. It looks like you had a blast! Did you go alone? And did you ever get sketched out at all? I'd love to make it down to Detroit before they start knocking everything down, but I've never been there and everyone only talks about how dangerous it is. Anyways, awesome pictures; can't wait to see more from your next trip!




Harvestman 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 2 on 5/15/2015 12:46 AM >
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Awesome stuff. Shame that the Human Torch seems to have gotten to these before you did.




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Skye_Ann 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 3 on 5/15/2015 12:49 AM >
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This is making me excited to go to Detroit this summer.




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KD20 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 4 on 5/15/2015 4:00 AM >
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Damn. It looks like you had a blast! Did you go alone? And did you ever get sketched out at all? I'd love to make it down to Detroit before they start knocking everything down, but I've never been there and everyone only talks about how dangerous it is. Anyways, awesome pictures; can't wait to see more from your next trip!


Both of my Detroit trips are in the top five of my favorite explores since I started. I did go alone. Not the smartest thing I've ever done but 95% of my explores in general have been solo which I honestly enjoy. Didn't have anything sketchy happen on either of my Detroit trips. People may approach you but as long as you're polite and explain who you are, what you're doing and why, you'll be okay. I enjoyed every conversation I had with various neighbors. It's true that exploring in Detroit is more dangerous than other places so keep your eyes and ears open and don't draw attention to yourself. The risk is greater but so is the reward.


Awesome stuff. Shame that the Human Torch seems to have gotten to these before you did.


I know, it looks like somebody got a list of all the abandoned schools and decided to go torch them all. In the one where I mentioned that I thought the fire was recent, you could still smell a faint gasoline odor. It's a wonder it didn't spread further than the three or four rooms that burned.


This is making me excited to go to Detroit this summer.


I'm glad you get to go this year. I seem to remember you planning a trip last year that didn't work out. I'd tell you to have fun but I already know you will.




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Cateater 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 5 on 5/15/2015 5:28 PM >
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I wonder what those textbooks on the top self of pic 7 taught...
Great pics! Looks like a blast.




Clockwork 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 6 on 5/15/2015 8:22 PM >
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So beautiful. I enjoyed looking at your photos. Those schools are glorious. And I love rainy days. Thanks for sharing!




/-/ooligan 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 7 on 5/17/2015 4:26 AM >
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My parents were born in Detroit in the late 1930s & both lived there until they went off to college in the late 1950s, & meanwhile their respective parents both Great White Flight of the late 50s/early 1960s to the suburbs. But my grandmother was a teacher in Detroit Public Schools from probably the 1940s or 1950s until retiring in the 1970s, & my mother taught for Detroit Public Schools in the 1960s & into the early 1970s. All are long-gone now & it's sad I can't ask them what schools they were students/teachers at, but it's a weird feeling the see your photos & think they could have spent a lot of time in some of those schools.


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KD20 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 8 on 5/17/2015 5:06 AM >
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Thanks for the comments everyone!

Posted by /-/ooligan
My parents were born in Detroit in the late 1930s & both lived there until they went off to college in the late 1950s, & meanwhile their respective parents both Great White Flight of the late 50s/early 1960s to the suburbs. But my grandmother was a teacher in Detroit Public Schools from probably the 1940s or 1950s until retiring in the 1970s, & my mother taught for Detroit Public Schools in the 1960s & into the early 1970s. All are long-gone now & it's sad I can't ask them what schools they were students/teachers at, but it's a weird feeling the see your photos & think they could have spent a lot of time in some of those schools.


/-/oolie


Thank you for sharing this. Abandonment pictures take on a whole new meaning when you have some connection to the buildings. I wonder if there are any resources (maybe old yearbooks or something?) where you could figure out which schools your family attended or taught at.




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crows 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 9 on 5/23/2015 2:25 AM >
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Fantastic. I haven't gotten to do any exploration the two times I've been to Detroit, but I have so enjoyed my time in the city doing normal, not-abandoned place stuff. I keep thinking I should move there. We hope to get out that way this summer as well. These photos are just making me want to hop in the car and make the drive right now.




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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 10 on 6/14/2015 4:17 AM >
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Oh man, pictures 17 and 28 are so awesome.




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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 11 on 7/3/2015 11:31 PM >
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Great set of pics, wish I could justify a better reason to drive to Detroit from St.Louis other then to shoot pics of buildings before they are gone.




DSomms 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 12 on 7/5/2015 7:44 PM >
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You should have hit me up dude! We're always in the city at least doing some scouting. If you really like schools, DPS is my (and my boys) nitch. Next time you come back to town we'll try to get you into a few more examples that are still in good shape.

Here is my Detroit Public School map that I built. Green indicates that I've been there and it's safe to explore. Blue indicates a building that is still secured and alarmed OR one that was just so blown out that I didn't bother to make a distinction. It didn't occur to me until typing this right now that I should designate a color for secure/alarmed buildings to set them off from the ones I don't care about.

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KD20 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 13 on 7/5/2015 9:15 PM >
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Posted by DSomms
You should have hit me up dude! We're always in the city at least doing some scouting. If you really like schools, DPS is my (and my boys) nitch. Next time you come back to town we'll try to get you into a few more examples that are still in good shape.

Here is my Detroit Public School map that I built. Green indicates that I've been there and it's safe to explore. Blue indicates a building that is still secured and alarmed OR one that was just so blown out that I didn't bother to make a distinction. It didn't occur to me until typing this right now that I should designate a color for secure/alarmed buildings to set them off from the ones I don't care about.





Thanks! I'm planning on returning in late summer/early fall so I'll definitely send you a message once I have more solid plans and know what my work schedule is going to be like. I really do enjoy the schools as well as churches (I tried to include one on this trip but the police were sitting outside it).




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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 14 on 7/5/2015 9:23 PM >
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That's sure a lot of abandoned schools! I think i've been to maybe 3 in Detroit.




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ccsucher 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 15 on 7/6/2015 12:40 AM >
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That is a shit load of school in one city. Google is great for marking locations. These are everything from schools to industrial properties.





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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 16 on 7/6/2015 2:58 AM >
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Great pics! Thanks so much for posting! It's SO WEIRD (at least for me!)
when I see things like the mathematical formulas on the drawing boards in older places. For all we know, the kids who originally scratched those out might be accountants, attorneys, nurses or HR managers currently. (Sigh! Then again, they could also be among the unemployed homeless, but I sure hope not...!!)




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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 17 on 8/16/2015 2:34 AM >
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Posted by Elleir
Oh man, pictures 17 and 28 are so awesome.


I agree 110%




Lost Photographer 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 18 on 8/18/2015 6:08 PM >
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I really want to go and explore Detroit after all the amazing photos I've seen from there... Still seems sketchy to me though.




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KD20 


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Re: Return to Detroit (pic heavy)
< Reply # 19 on 8/18/2015 7:22 PM >
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Posted by Lost Photographer
I really want to go and explore Detroit after all the amazing photos I've seen from there... Still seems sketchy to me though.


It's really not as bad as some people make it out to be, especially if you're in a group. I never had any trouble and never ran into anyone that wasn't nice.




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