Customer Reviews

Detroit's Michigan Central Station (MI) (Images of America)

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The book contains many fascinating photographs certain to elicit heart-felt nostalgia from people who used the Michigan Central Station. As for those who never had the opportunity, this book will provide a good idea as to what that experience was like.

This building is nothing short of spectacular. I got interested in this building when I read Middlesex and was wonder if the Grand Trunk Station he described was extant, and I found a web site with this building and its current state of sad decay, it sits like a putrid corpse waiting to be insenerated; it is obvious this is the building that Eugenides called Grand Trunk in Middlesex and though it is extant, its barely extant. Leave it to Detroit to allow this soaring testement to its glory to die on the vine. It's hard to believe that at one time Detroit was considered the most beautiful and wealthy major city in America, now it's a metaphor for urban decay and total mismanagement, I dont know why the state of Michigan doesnt take it over, its a total disaster, it's become a national joke; what a shame. This book is fascinating, the history of the station is very interesting, you can tell from the wonderful archieval images that it is designed by the same architects that designed Grand Central in NYC. You would think Detroit would look to Grand Central and see what this station could still be, granted Grand Central still has rail service, but something could be done with this spectacular building, though im sure if recent history is any example it will be imploded and a brownfield will sprout up in it's wake: sic transit gloria. Detriot is such a causionary tale, even with the new Tigers stadium and the Lions Stadium the city is still a total mess, poor leadership and poverty riddled, poorly educated population has doomed it. All the middle and upper classes have fled to Grosse Pointe and Bloomfield Hills, leaving the very heart of the metroarea to die on the vine. Now they are finding out the reprocusions because nobody wants to move to the area or relocate business their because the city is such a crime ridden mess and the suburbs are now hurting and they will continue to hurt until they help fix Detroit, granted id hate to have to move back into that urban wasteland, but ive i grew up there, i would...people have moved back into Cleveland and Baltimore, then why not Detroit, Detroit could learn from Atlanta and welcome back the white middle class, if Detroit does not do this it will be nothing but burned out buildings and a few new sports arena's...wait..that's what it is right now..see what i mean...anyway..good book on an amazing building.

This volume concentrates on the history of the station, and not only the unfortunate story of its latter days. It was nice to get the back story as well as the older photos.

If you are a fan of Michigan/Detroit history, there is no reason that this should not be on your shelf.