A Quaint Little Fixer-Upper…
AUDIO By LC Weber on February 17, 2009 at 2:47 pmAhhhh… breathe in that silty Michigan air wafting from slush-covered cement, finely dusted by salt, with a lilt tough enough to peel auto paint to the primer. Hello, Mittenssippi.
Now that I’m settling back into my stomping grounds, the primary concern is to get out of my parent’s Sophomore-year instated curfew of midnight and find my own place. As Pop and I begin the house hunt for a 1930s Craftsman-style bungalow fixer-upper in my price range, my thoughts gravitate back to the one piece of Southeast Michigan property I’d really like to buy and restore.
The Michigan Central Station train depot. A monolith of forgotten beauty, rotted out from within and near-offensively lined with a manicured lawn, like an ornate chamber pot set on a doily.
For a mere $300 million, this gorgeous, gently-loved structure could be yours and flipped to sell with a little common TLC. Detroit city police threatened to take it over and make it the main headquarters a few years back, but, with that deal dead in the water, you and I and just 298 million of our closest friends holding a dollar could turn this bad boy into a casino or a green technology plant or, shoot, my new home.
Now, I’m not saying I need a lot of space — a 3 bd, 1.5 bth will suffice — but I’ll be gosh darned if there isn’t prime real estate in Detroit that desperately craves my love and attention. Granted, Michigan Central is removed from downtown by a swath of burnt-out Corktown, and it does serve ably as a lovely backdrop for dilapidation in movies like Transformers, but it irks me to the core every time I see a new glass-and-steal severe structure erected in any urban setting when every major city has old beauties like this that could add to a cityscape’s character far better if renovated properly.
On account of architecture and design have pervaded my interests as of late, I was hoping some of you would share buildings with me from your area that have always held your attention. I know talking about real estate is mad corny and adult, but let’s be honest; it’s the only “swag” worth bragging about. I’d be willing to bet Cash-4-Gold paid for its Super Bowl commercial with stolen rapper chains…
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Posted in AUDIO, Everything Else, GENERAL, MUSIC, SMOKE BREAK, STRAY SHOTS — Tags: architecture, Detroit, Michigan Central Station
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19 Comments
I’d be a get investment if you could only afford to buy and fix up the surroundings.
You love the toilet seats in Detroit. Geez. That’s passion for you. That building gives me the creeps, but you can look at it and tell it has a great history.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Plains_Black_History_Museum
^ That’s my building of choice. It’s small, it houses all the Black history in Omaha, and is only 2 blocks from Malcolm X’s birth places and a nice bodega spot and the shop… Yet, the Man is always trying to tear it down.
Eli ‘paperboy’ reed & the true loves – Roll with you !
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=THPIIBT8
ah what up LC!
waverly hills TB hospital in ky might be a good fixer upper…you could turn the old body shoot into a sweet chucky cheese-ish slide that leads to a ball pit.
that’s just me tho. leave the home makeovers to Bob Vila
that’s a dope piece of architecture, lc. thanks for passing along.
That WOULD be a nice movie locale. Crazy gothic.. Dope in that regard.
I was hoping that little spot on Sedgewick n’ Cedar in NY would get some assistance too, but times is hard.
Gonna be to tough though, with folks moving out of the city @ the 2nd highest clip next to Las Vegas.
Not just a building but an entire community: West End, Atlanta. Its funny that the nation’s most prestigious HBCUs (Morehouse and Spelman)…and Clark are surrounded by the hood. I respect the historical significance of the area but I’ll be damned if I didn’t dread making that hike from my dorm to the train station to go to Lenox on Saturdays. You were bound to encounter at least 4 bums and if you were lucky a toothless prostitute as well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_End_(Atlanta)
Im down to go in with you, i see how much Motor City and MGM are makin, we could get that A-Rod money with out the juice, lol
I love the fact that yall rep michigan…thats the main reason i fucks with yall.
No disrespect, but going into this post, I could really care less about the subject matter. A dilapidated building?
*yawn*
But LC makes every thing sound so damn interesting lol.
“The Michigan Central Station train depot. A monolith of forgotten beauty, rotted out from within and near-offensively lined with a manicured lawn, like an ornate chamber pot set on a doily”
After that build up, how can I resist clicking the
( Want more? )
Great write up. =)
^ and you love it.
@ heff…u ain’t lying about westend….i was down there 96-00…and walking to the BP and/or the fucking strip mall was like an adventure for your senses. word up.
This shit leaked while I was in class and I got a text about it. Didn’t run home, but felt like it.
http://www.megaupload.com/?d=I63Z8NTF
Joe Budden – Padded Room
Whomever knows the in’s & out’s of financing real estate flips (specifically in TN), holler.
Ok when I posted that rip the above post was not there. I don’t know why, but I feel like an idiot.
Since I’m an investor, I’m quite interested in real-estate and its potential for capital gains/capital appreciation. Unfortunately, based on the reports and information that I’ve read (Bloomberg, Wallstreet Journal, Investor’s Business Daily) I wouldn’t go near the U.S. real estate market with a 10 foot pole, especially Detroit where the majority of properties are underwater (debt exceeds the equity, i.e. ain’t worth shit). If you’re a brave ma’fucka and can tolerate some volatility, then go ‘head.
ps: I’d buy a house with LC regardless of market conditions! :)
I feel you on that building. I love old architecture too and i found this site http://www.scoutingny.com/ I don’t remember when. But it’s got a lot of forgotten locations like that around NY
Gotty, I’m mildly insulted you didnt come to me with that….holla.
maybe you should write a letter to the king of detroit, trick trick, and see if he’s down to drop some stacks on it. at least you know with him as the owner, no one in their right minds will ever violate the property.
or maybe i’ll dig deep in my stash & contribute a couple o’ knots. i’mma need my own wing in the mansion, tho. complete with stripper poles & a basket ball court with my face painted in the center.
you’ve got some good ideas, LC.