CREATIVE: The Detroit Skyline

The idea of stitching a Detroit cityscape is one that's been kicking around on my to stitch list for longer than I care to recall. City scenes I guess are one of the "in" things when it comes to popular stitching of late - you might even remember my London stitching. But one one seems to have come up with a Detroit one (surprise surprise). But hey I like a challenge and designing one myself, well it became a lot more personal and in honesty, I probably enjoyed stitching it all the more. 

With Detroit having an international riverfront, it has a natural edge for it's city limit and place to start the stitching from. Sadly the only way to actually see this scene in real life, is to view it from across the Detroit River while standing on Canadian soil in our southern neighbours of Windsor. Luckily there is always google to doodle from. Lots and lots of doodling.

The Ren Cen stands proudly in the middle, bordered on one side by it's smaller buildings and carparks (we have a lot of those in Detroit) and to the west, a juxtaposition of the old (Fisher) and new buildings that make up downtown Detroit (Cobo, One Woodward etc).

And compared to the real thing, it doesn't look half bad ...

Downtown Detroit (source)

Made up of varying numbers of black thread, the design is a simple composition of back stitching and the odd grouping of cross stitches for shadows and depth. Jazzing up an old frame I grabbed for cheap at an estate sale and the picture hangs proudly on my living room wall.

There's a couple of reasons why I really enjoyed stitching this piece - working on something of my own from scratch certainly makes yourself proud of your work, but getting back into drawing, creating something again takes cross stitching to a whole new level.

SNAPSHOTS: The National Theater

I feel like i'm somewhat breaking my no ruin porn presence posting these photographs of Detroit's National Theatre. In fact, i've been holding off from posting these images for over a year. I've hummed and arrhed, and re-editing the photographs somewhat called me into action. The National Theatre in Detroit is one of the key historical buildings, it has a history, it still has a presence yet it's pretty much a ruin, a lost landmark of a former time. It's neighbours have all been demolished, arguments over it's future are always on going. And still is stands. For me, this is what is making it worthy of a post.

When we were downtown for the jazz festival in 2013 I remember walking back to the car behind a car park that was in the midst of being torn down, little did I know at the time that this carpark was at the back of the National Theatre which stands pretty much alone along that side of Monroe Avenue. The first time I came across this grand old place was upon my first wander around Detroit, under the carpark was a row of small business, one I remember of a little hat store. They are now long gone and in honesty Detroit has a lot of carparks, it probably is better off without it all the same.

When the theatre was built in 1911, Monroe Avenue was part of the theatre district - its now the only one remaining. It's Moorish style exterior was lit back in it's heyday with hundreds of bulbs set into the archway, you can only imagine how the terracotta must have glistened, the cupid watching you from above, how people must have come from far and wide to see a play. Today it stands between arguments to tear it down (perhaps its too far gone especially internally) or find a new purpose for the building.

As the National Threatre once was - image source.

While this post is never intended to worship the ruins, it's a post to appreciate it's remaining beauty - it's colourful tiles to how proud it stands. If you're interested in finding out more about the National Theatre - Historical Detroit website is an excellent resource for information and photographs - both then and now for both this and many other important Detroit buildings.

DETROIT: Downtown Motown

Sometimes I never know what to write when it comes to trying to annotate Detroit photo posts. Many people already have their perceptions, assumptions whether right or wrong about the city, some people won't even click on the post because Detroit is in the title. That's the roll of the dice. From the off I never wanted to go down the ruin porn photograph route when it comes to the city, there's enough of that already - just search ruin porn into Google and most of what comes up will be from Detroit. If you were to ever read reviews about restaurants or places to visit, things to do that I feature, the horror reviews would have you running for you life, sadly too many people in the suburbs believe said tales and never venture south of eight mile.

Sad but true.

Like when the in laws came to visit from Pittsburgh, we didn't hide them away in the suburbs like so many would.

I know Detroit has issues, I see it, I've driven down neighbours with only a couple of houses still occupied to entire stretches of nothing, just overgrown land. Detroit has issues that go back decades (racism, white flight, state/local politics), I guess if you live outside the US you might not be truly aware of them, maybe I'll explain them one day. I feel far more comfortable mentioning Detroit these days - whether it's things to see do or places to eat on my blog lately, I'm throwing caution to the wind and I truly hope you enjoy reading what I share, perhaps to see another side of the Motor City, just to balance things out a little.

On a side note, the eagle eyed locals among you might notice that the "Outsource to Detroit" banner still attached to the 1001 Woodward building in these photographs. They were taken just a couple of days before the 10 story, 130 foot banner split in two and flew its way through downtown due to the heavy winds we experienced in April. While to many it was a bit of an eye sore, it certainly caught your attention when you were heading south along Woodward.

LIFE: Weekend Visitors

A hectic weekend of plates of over sized pancakes, Pizza Papalis style deep dish pizzas to long walks around parts of Detroit just flew by. With close family visiting from Pennsylvania, we didn't hide the family away in the suburbs (like many would) but ventured into Detroit to show them what the city has to offer. 

A long walk around the hugely busy and vibrant Eastern Market on Saturday morning burned off those calories from a plate of pancakes from the Original Pancake House - while it may have taken me over two years to find a free day to get to the market it's certainly somewhere we'll head to more often - live music, hundreds of stalls from food sellers, Detroit souvenirs to plant growers it has an incredible atmosphere and once we finally get our hands on a garden, it'll probably be filled with plants from there. Then a drive to the riverfront to show the kids Canada from over the river and the GM headquarters made us hungry for pizza. It may take over 30 minutes for your pizza to arrive (because of how they cook it), but man is the wait worth it.

How was your weekend?

FOOD: Fish n Chips at the Grand Trunk Pub

Finding decent fish n chips that live up to the expectations of a Brit living in the US isn't an easy task, it's certainly enjoyable trying to many versions, but not easy. Finally after two years of searching, I've found some that makes me and my stomach, happy. 

Down in Detroit there stands the Grand Trunk Pub housed in a building which if the walls could talk, could probably share some interesting tales. Built in 1879, the buildings first occupants was the Traub Bros jewellery store, but by 1911 it became a ticket office for the Grand Trunk Railway. The company removed the second floor and installed 25 foot high vaulted ceiling, reminiscent of the Railway Stations the passengers would come across on their travels. While it ended it's days as a ticket station in 1935, it began it's new life after the Metropole Hotel turned it into a bar, which it has remained to this day, now with a railroad theme.

Being a fan of all things railway related, eating inside of a railway themed pub has always been on the cards and I'm glad to say we finally got to try it ourselves. Arriving just a little after 5pm, we certainly saw just how quickly the pub fills up on a Friday evening, city workers, students and young couples & friends drinking, eating and being merry. While the menu is small they have a great selection of burgers, sandwiches to main dishes, they and also serve 170 bottled craft beers, with many Michigan varieties to boot.

We started with the crab sliders comprising of a lovely thick rich crab cake which had a delightfully spicy after-taste from the habanero and lime sauce. While Joe went for the Rock 'n' Rye Pulled Pork sandwich (Faygo barbecued pork served with cheddar on Texas toast and served with coleslaw and chips (oh see I'm turning American calling crisps chips again ...) which I have on very good word that it was delicious, I opted for the fish n chips. The Ghetto Blaster beer batter was lovely and crisp, the fish so flaky and delicate, and while the fries were of the skinny variety (rather than you know good thick British style) they were seasoned and set the meal off perfectly. We were still on the hungry side and after hearing great things about their desserts, we finished the meal off with a slice of the Mud Pie - the best brownie pie I've eaten, ever. Made of a Ghiradelli brownie, Michigan's Guernsey ice cream and topped off with Detroit's own Sander's hot fudge, I could of licked that plate clean.

This place is all about the details - everything is served on enamel dish ware, old trunk carts divide the eating area, chandeliers hang, railroad memorabilia and history surrounds you. The pub is narrow, it's not overrun with seating and it fills up fast but its certainly worth stopping at whether it's for a drink or a piece of that Mud Pie. I'll certainly be back for those fish and chips.

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Grand Trunk Pub can be found at;
612 Woodward Avenue,

Detroit, Michigan, 48226

Where's your favorite place to grab fish n chips?

DETROIT: From The 13th Floor

Some of the best views of the Detroit skyline can be found upon the 13th floor of the Greektown Casino while you're stood waiting for the elevator (yes really). Take a quick glance out the window and you'll spy the vivid unmistakeable red brick of the St Mary Roman Catholic church in the foreground, so vivid against the cream, the beige brick of it's historical counterparts that came to make up Downtown, their façades reflecting against the exterior of the Renaissance Center which sits alongside the Detroit riverfront - a symbol of their modern counterparts. Greektown is always busting with life - Greek music is always playing, street artists drawing, people coming and going from some of the best eateries Detroit has to offer. Slowly but surely the skyscrapers office spaces are refilling as businesses relocate to the city or are being refurbished into apartments, Downtown Detroit can't be written off just yet.

It's all a very grand sight to look out upon, to stop a while and take it all in.

LIFE: On Looking Up

If there's one thing I do when sightseeing local or otherwise is to look up. I'm always doing it. Constantly. It's a force of habit that I don't know when it started until someone actually pointed out how I commented on things "up there". 

I frequently missing things right in front of me but i'll always notice the fancy cornice edgings around a building, empty space were fire escapes precariously would have stood, carved faces, arched windows on the top floor and how the metal of a build intersects the sky. Looking up can reveal former names of old buildings, it's date to former uses. I often find older buildings to be just as, if not more so detailed and decorated around the tops of the structures as they are at the ground. 

The buildings you look up at don't even necessarily have to be tall, they can be houses with smoke markings upon the outer walls or chimney stacks, they can be smooth edged roof such as the entrance to the Renaissance Building shown in the bottom right photograph. 

Looking up allows the comparison and juxtaposition of space. Of man made entering the sky, reflections upon glass structure fronts, of bright blue skies against black steel. Or trees balancing space with structures. Trees themselves are more then worthy of being looked up at. This habit of mine it more and more often coming through in my photography - those shown above are all from Detroit, the presence of these buildings have made me turn my camera willing upwards dwarfing both myself and my camera with it and I hope to focus more on the details "up there" in the future. 

It's so easy to see the world with your camera away from the street eye level, there's a whole world above our heads and it's waiting to be spoken to.

Do you ever look up?

DETROIT: Navy Week 2012

The past weekend marked one of the Navy stops on it's tour marking the two hundredth anniversary of the war of 1812 [us English were fighting the newly independently US]. This war alone is credited as shaping the modern US Navy and at the time the Great Lakes [lakes bordering the US and Canada of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Erie, Huron and Ontario] were a major transportation route. The US gaining control of these lakes stopped the English advancement further westwards. So this English girl and her American boy went down to the Detroit Riverfront on Sunday to have a look on a gorgeous late summer afternoon.

So for a couple of days boats were docked and welcome tourists aboard. This year we managed to see the US two masted Brigg Niagara [pictured] a reconstructed boat which helped the US win the battle of 1813 and the Navy patrol ship USS Hurricane [additionally pictured], and on the Canadian side of the river the HMCS Ville de Quebec was docked. Further down the river was a coastal guard and another navy ship. We also managed to get close up to some humvee's [hummers] which is often considered the vehicular backbone to the US military although many countries globally use them. After you always hear so much about the US military it was great to come face to face with some of their ships and vehicles. But more importantly to me at least, it was great to see the Detroit Riverfront so popular and busy.

Have you ever seen any old ships?