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i'm going to be visiting Detroit this Sunday. is there anything i should know about exploring there? is there more police officers or is it the normal amount? are they looking for explorers? I've never really explored in an area like this. is there a chance our car could be broken into? thanks very much.
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I spent a few days there and didn't see a single cop in the neighborhoods. They were all downtown. I wouldn't take the stop signs too seriously when you reach the residential areas. And try not to be too deep in them later in the day. Other than that its real straightforward. I didn't talk to any of the local explorers before or during my visit, just sort of used my head.
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I've made seven exploring trips to Detroit and I've never had any problems. I only remember seeing a cop one time. I was taking exteriors of an abandoned school and he drove past without stopping. I have run into a couple of neighbors who were somewhat hostile but ultimately harmless. If they see you, they'll probably ask what you're doing so be prepared for that. Depending on where you go, you'll probably run into other explorers/photographers. When I was there in October, I had the opportunity to talk to a couple who came all the way from Denmark to explore Detroit. If you stick to daylight hours, I wouldn't worry too much about your car, especially if you park in an inconspicuous place and don't leave camera gear etc. in visible places.
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| I have run into a couple of neighbors who were somewhat hostile but ultimately harmless. If they see you, they'll probably ask what you're doing so be prepared for that. |
how do react when they see you? do they seem ok with you taking pics?
We're gonna get there. We don't need a whereabouts. |
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It depends on the person. The majority don't really react at all, they just kind of glance over and leave you alone. Some will come up to you and ask what you're doing. I give them an explanation and most of them are cool with it. You can tell that a lot of Detroit residents are mildly annoyed with outsiders who come into their city to try to paint it as an urban wasteland even if they don't exactly say so. To be honest, I don't blame them for that. One strategy I've successfully used is to tell somebody that I'm taking pictures of a church/school/whatever because my grandpa or an older family member attended it back in the day. I told this to a guy who lived across the street from an abandoned school and he brightened up immediately and started telling me about his years there as a child. I did have one older lady ask me "why all you white people come here and take pictures of that church." She went on to ask me if I had set it on fire (the church had burned about year prior from an ember that landed on the roof from a nearby house fire) and tell me that she called the news and asked them if she could call the police if people were "stalking" the church. But that interaction was more amusing than anything.
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Posted by KD20
It depends on the person. The majority don't really react at all, they just kind of glance over and leave you alone. Some will come up to you and ask what you're doing. I give them an explanation and most of them are cool with it. You can tell that a lot of Detroit residents are mildly annoyed with outsiders who come into their city to try to paint it as an urban wasteland even if they don't exactly say so. To be honest, I don't blame them for that. One strategy I've successfully used is to tell somebody that I'm taking pictures of a church/school/whatever because my grandpa or an older family member attended it back in the day. I told this to a guy who lived across the street from an abandoned school and he brightened up immediately and started telling me about his years there as a child. I did have one older lady ask me "why all you white people come here and take pictures of that church." She went on to ask me if I had set it on fire (the church had burned about year prior from an ember that landed on the roof from a nearby house fire) and tell me that she called the news and asked them if she could call the police if people were "stalking" the church. But that interaction was more amusing than anything.
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A lot of how they react to you depends a lot on how you carry yourself and your level of wherewithal.
Results may vary greatly depending on user... and who you encounter.
Just when I thought I was out... they pulled me back in.
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In terms of accessibility, everything will either be the easiest thing you've done or one of the hardest. There are only a handful of places that are truly hard to get into. Many places have a strong homeless presence which you should really be careful of. A local explorer warned of security at one spot that will shoot if they feel threatened, because it's in such a bad neighborhood. I'd suggest finding a local guy to get spots from because there are so many in Detroit that you'll never just find the best ones in one trip. I have a few that are pretty good but there are much better ones that I don't have. PM if you want.
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Posted by ryanpics
In terms of accessibility, everything will either be the easiest thing you've done or one of the hardest. There are only a handful of places that are truly hard to get into. Many places have a strong homeless presence which you should really be careful of. A local explorer warned of security at one spot that will shoot if they feel threatened, because it's in such a bad neighborhood. I'd suggest finding a local guy to get spots from because there are so many in Detroit that you'll never just find the best ones in one trip. I have a few that are pretty good but there are much better ones that I don't have. PM if you want.
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I have to say I was in Detroit a couple of years back (and will be there again this coming weekend) and never saw a single sign of a homeless person in any location we explored.
That's not to say there aren't many living inside abandoned buildings however they aren't inhabiting all of them.
As for the city itself, I love it. It's a crazy melting pot of all walks of life smashed together and I instantly loved it.
[last edit 4/13/2019 7:03 AM by mookster - edited 1 times]
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I've been going there for about 15 years and haven't had a problem. I don't explore alone, though (not sure what your plan is in that regard). Definitely listen to your spidey sense... if it isn't feeling right, just walk away because there is no shortage of other things to see.
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