husk park
Hamilton Avenue A separate city located within the boundaries of Detroit, Highland Park could be a poster child for how far urban blight and decay can go. Recently, Amy and I drove along Hamilton Avenue (where this shot was taken) and the surrounding neighbourhood. We've driven through many rough-looking parts of Detroit, but this may have been among the bleakest sections we've ever gone through. We lost count of the number of hollowed-out businesses, wide-open apartments, burned-out homes and lots returning to a natural state. Hamilton Avenue There are numerous factors for this state of affairs. Ford Motor Company, which built the Model T in Highland Park, closed its plant back in the 1950s. "White flight" began shortly thereafter, accelerating after the riots south of the city in 1967. Two decades later, Chrysler moved its world headquarters to the suburbs. City finances deteriorated to the point that the state stepped in to handle the city's fiscal a...