Tag: Belle Isle

  • Tour De Troit 2012

    Tour De Troit 2012

    There was a lot going on in Detroit this past weekend – from the goings on at Phil Cooley’s Ponyride to the Cornhole tournament in Roosevelt Park to the Next Urban Chef competition at Eastern Market to the Tour De Troit, which I shot Saturday morning all over town.

    The idea is simple: Get as many people as possible to show for a bike ride through the city. It started small, a few years ago. This year, more than 5,000 people showed up. There was no way to miss it if you live in or around downtown or Midtown.

    The featured shot here is my favorite – speaks volumes about the range of folks who showed and the backdrop against which all this stuff takes place.

    My second favorite is below, where you can see the sign on Michigan Central Station more clearly.

    “Be a part of the rebirth of Detroit.”

    Amen!

    Lots more photos in the gallery below..

  • Guess where 7/25/2012…

    Guess where 7/25/2012…


    Today’s “Guess Where” photo is timely, given the argument going on in Detroit right now over the future of Belle Isle. I took it one morning last weekend, and love the way the plays in the elements, both at the top of the photo and at the bottom. Hint: This pic was shot in the city’s most well-maintained park.

    UPDATE: The picture is from Milliken State Park, along the Detroit riverfront. It’s an appropriate shot, given the argument over who (the city, or the state) should “control” or “own” Belle Isle. Frankly, I could care less. But I think the state’s handling of Milliken, a fantastic oasis in the city, argues strongly that it could help quite a bit on the 1000-acre Belle Isle.

    My photo here was taken in the wetlands the state restored as part of Milliken. Once upon a time, there were wetlands up and down the riverfront in Detroit; they were destroyed by the city’s massive industrialization over the past century. Milliken has brought back all kinds of species of plant and animal wildlife to the city’s riverfront.

    Here’s a link to my Free Press column today about the controversy over Belle Isle’s management: http://www.freep.com/article/20120726/COL33/307260096/Stephen-Henderson-A-bit-of-history-can-show-the-way-to-a-better-Belle-Isle