This Is Where Detroit Used To Be

Once they hear I grew up in Detroit, people almost always want to ask me questions, usually along the lines of, "Is it as bad as they say it is?" or "Did you see anyone get murdered?" What really fascinates them is when I describe how vast stretches of what was once the nation's fourth largest city simply disappeared, how where there were factories and shops and apartments and houses, there are now only fields punctuated by the occasional ruin.

Those who've never visited Detroit have a hard time imagining what I'm talking about; those who've been there in recent years have seen the empty spaces, but unless they're my age or older, have little idea what kind of city used to live there. I'm afraid I could never do justice to the sad tale of Detroit's decline into desperate oblivion, but I've run across someone who can: the author of Detroitblog, which combines text and pictures to create a poignant and tragic, yet also strangely touching portrait of the star-crossed city I once called home. I was especially struck by this outstanding piece of photojournalism which shows with devastating clarity what it's like when a city - and the society and social structures that go with it - collapses and begins to return to nature. It's especially fascinating for me because it portrays the neighborhood - or what used to be a neighborhood - where my mother grew up, and which I often visited as a child. I highly recommend it.