New around here from Detroit

[Money4Time]

Hi Everyone,

I'm shocked I never new about this site before, being I live a very vagabondish lifestyle. Look forward to getting more involved in whats going on around the midwest and elsewhere. I live out of my backpack and spend many of nights atop cool buildings and do a lot of writing. Hope to meet some likeminded people though this.

From your Detroit Freedom Rider,

-Serge

 

[Apples]

Welcome to StP. Hope to hear some of your stories.

 

[Money4Time]

Yes it is you are correct. Of all my travels it's probably one of the most unique vacant buildings. I hang up there quite a bit (in the warmer seasons). But you definitely can't squat there; there's a lot of gangs that go into the building late at night and I don't take such chances. It's certainly well discovered.

 

[Money4Time]

Detroit is a very dangerous city. I don't have anything valuable to steal but that doesn't mean I wouldn't get jumped for someone to find out. It's the thirteen year old kids that probably stole your brothers stuff.

A lot of people hate detroit for these reasons, and I can respect that. No doubt it's is a war-zone. Detroit is hard to get to know. It's very disinviting. But once you get to know what areas are chill you begin to love them. There are more eclectic stage scenes and more fascinating old urban architecture than you will find anywhere in the states with the exception to Birmingham, AL. There are a lot of artists and vagabonds who enjoy lots of space, cheap living and you can travel easily by sailboat East to the Atlantic or West to the Mississippi.

It's a great seasonal place for the warm-weathered travel-by-boat vagabond. But get the hell out in the winter!!

 

[JungleBoots]

dunno if im just really late or anyhing for this thread.
but whats up?

i absolutely love detroit, went to school downtown there. i still live nearby in the burbs atm but im looking to move back to the D.

and detroit is a particularly unique city, especially with the social situations it has right now. It really has the potential to revolutionize urban living with all the open space. People are farming all over the abandoned lots in the city. Farming... in the city!

Sure places are dangerous, but ive chilled in NYC, and Chicago. Detroits still got the nicest people ive ever met, aside from some of the small towns out there. probably because they dont have to push and shove inorder to get into cabs and overcrowded subways.

 

[Jimmy James]

So to get to the Mississippi and then Missouri river by smaller boat (say 20'), do you run down the Ohio river to the Mississippi from the great lakes?

I was thinking it might be interesting to do this during the summer. From what I have heard you can get boats around Detroit for pretty cheap...

 

[JungleBoots]

That's one thing I found was depressing.. the public transportation is the saddest Ive ever seen. Its as if they don't want people going anywhere, unless purchasing something from the Car Capital's car lot.

Another note, they only fixed the pot holes going through the bad neighborhoods and into downtown on I-94 only for the Superbowl that came through.

The Mayor is scandalous too.

oh for sure.

an old guy used to tell me half of detroit's race issues come from the fact that they dont have public transit, noone is forced to stand side by side blacks whites muslims christians like they do in NYC busses and subways.

i think its a pretty sound theory.

and fucking thank god kwame is back in jail... might be for ten or so years.

the man is beyond scandalous.

 

[bicycle]

Welcome to the board!
And If you would like to share some travel stories I would be happy reading them.

Have fune and be safe!

 

[CanoeTramp]

So to get to the Mississippi and then Missouri river by smaller boat (say 20'), do you run down the Ohio river to the Mississippi from the great lakes?

I was thinking it might be interesting to do this during the summer. From what I have heard you can get boats around Detroit for pretty cheap...

From Detroit this is how one would most likly get to the Mississippi River, - up the Saint Clair River into Lake Huron, from Huron to Lake Michigan, through the Chicago Harbor & River Lock & Control works, In to the Chicago Sanitation & Ship Canal, into the Des Plaines River, into the Illinois River, and down to the Mississippi. If you're going to do it, you best jump on it asap, All the states that border the great lakes w/ the exception of Illinosi, are lobbing the US Supreme court to close the Chicago ship canal,- In the hopes of keeping the asian carp out of the great lakes. Good luck with your adventure

 

[JungleBoots]

thats a tough trek tbh.... i dont know how you plan on boating up there but you better have a motor and alot of fuel. you'll be going agianst the water's flow untill you reach the chicago river.

they are looking to close that stuff to keep the carp out and also since the dredging of the detroit river and the St. Clair River, and the creation of the cannal from the chicago river to the illinois the lakes have been dropping in water level significantly. you can almost walk across lake St. Clair now.

 

[DigitalYouth]

Gangs in MCS???? Might be a few folks camped out in the basement, but defanetly not any gang activity. that spots way too blown up for that. sorry not trying to be an ass, ive just heard other people say that, and i always feel the need to correct them.

on another note, welcome to the site.

also, you have any idea if theres any truth to the rumor that the stairs to the MCS roof are no longer accessable?

 

[JungleBoots]

naw ive been to the MCS at night it is crawling with not very nice people, and the police make their way around there alot.

as far as i know the stairs to the roof are still there but ive never had the desire to go in. it is like the rochester hills kid's tourist attraction. "i want to live like common people" "and take pictures of urban decay" omg... so sick of urban decay photos and hipsters with 300 glasses trying to articulate the existential revelry they see in rust and crubling concrete.

id much rather run around the open feilds chasing pheasants and look for dead bodies in the basements of old houses.

 

[SpaceCadet]

HA! I just moved back to Portland from Waterford, MI and worked in Rochester and all everyone ever wanted to do was go visit this spot. I've been in Detroit and know not to go "hang out" at night in certain spots. But then again, it could've been fun.

 

[DigitalYouth]

hmmm. well it is a pretty blown up spot. But i highly doubt that any people inside at night have anything to do with any gangs (you would just figure that you would have to be pretty stupid to congregate any illigal activity in one of the most heavily watched spots in the city). This building is in my neighborhood, and ive never seen anything like that going on before. bums yes, suburbanites yes, gangs no.

yeah i hear you on the extensive over exposure of the "ruin porn" (theres a vice article which is really good on this subject... if you have not read it yet).

oh but if you ARE looking for shady abandonded places... look no further than the packard plant. this last summer me and a few friends stumbled across a dog fighting ring in there. it was pretty fucked.

 

[Money4Time]

Hi fellow vagabonders,

Sorry I've been slow to this; you can certainly find cheap boats around michigan just cause the economy is so bad. I own a 16 ft sail boat which i fixed up, built a sleeping area, and a shower area (non pressurized wet room) plus a propane bbq area for cooking. during the spring/summer/fall i sail around and kick it wherever it looks secluded. There are lots of areas downriver (industrial areas) where you can spend the night on boats and at least the cops havent given me problems. But they are definitely tightening up. I bought the boat for $800 and paid the guy off over a year.

I'll definitely write some stories for everyone to enjoy. If anyone comes around Hamtramck hit me up and we could hang out. We all choose our own lifestyle and destiny, and I believe this type of lifestyle, although the only type I know, is the most worthwhile.

We all die one day and look back on how we spent our time. We may not make money or have nice things but the adventures we take to heart far outweigh any material posessions or society encumbrances.

Stay tough through mother natures winter season.