-- Lunchtime --
Today was a busy day. After taking the Ford Piquette Plant tour, I was hungry, so I needed some lunch. My neighbors Lou and Shirley used to live in Detroit, and I know Shirley has polish ancestry, so I went to a nearby Polish restaurant and had pierogies and potato pancakes. The food was really good and my server was very cute!
I liked the Polish Village Cafe. It was popular restaurant and had a friendly atmosphere. If I lived here, I would definitely come back.
Vernors ginger ale started in Detroit, and I know my neighbor Lou likes it. The grocery stores around here sell it, and I even saw it at the soda dispenser at a local McDonalds.
-- Motown Birthplace --
I read there were some bass players performing outside the "Hitsville USA" Motown Birthplace museum this afternoon, so I drove over there after lunch. Unfortunately, the performance was over before I got there, so I just looked through the gift shop. I liked Motown music when I was in high school in the 1970s, but I didn't feel like going through the museum today.
The Motown Record Company started in this building, and was here from 1959-1972. It was orginally called Tamala Records.
-- General Motors World Headquarters --
Since I was downtown, I checked out the tall collection of buildings called the Renaissance Center. It is the headquarters of General Motors, and has both vintage and current cars displayed on the first floor.
The Detroit river waterfront is on the east side of the building. Windsor, Canada is just across the river!
-- Heidelberg Project --
I had read about the Heidelberg Project, and wanted to see it for myself. It is an art project started by an artist named Tyree Guyton in a prediminantly African-American area on Detroit's east side. When Tyree got home from the Vietnam war, he was shocked at how much the area had deteriorated, and started the art project as a protest and to help transform it into a better neighborhood. Here are a few photos of the project.
I'm not sure it's an improvement, but now people like me can walk around the area where people were previously afraid to walk even in daytime. So I guess it's an improvement. If I lived there I would probably consider it an eyesore, but evidently it has increased pride in the community.
I like some of the messages, such as "Time is a Tool, Use It", and the row of televisions, each showing a different type of news. That is a message to be careful where you get your information because the sources can be very biased.
The surrounding area is still impoverished and run down. Boarded up buildings are a common sight, but maybe it's a little safer than before? I'm not sure.
-- Dally in the Alley --
After visiting the area of the Heidelberg Project, I spent the evening at the annual "Dally in the Alley" gathering in Detroit's midtown. It is held in the Cass Corridor, near Wayne State University. It included live bands near the ends of the blocked off streets, lots of booths and food, and a brass band.
I liked some of the music, and especially the brass band. I was in front of the band, and the members wandered among crowd and got very close to us.
The police had a presence, including a tower with cameras. The area felt safe. One of the vendors was selling shirts with silk screens he designed. The colors were much more vibrant in person than in the photo.
I stayed until after dark. The party was still going on when I left around 8:30 pm
No comments:
Post a Comment