45 minutes in Detroit
![Image](http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-6HaZo0kpU34/UN_SJUWACRI/AAAAAAAABeY/T-xtuuOaupo/s640/PC270221-2.jpg)
A couple days ago, my family decided to skip the snow and cold of upstate Michigan to go visit relatives in downstate Michigan. Naturally, we drove down only to find that the lower part of the state was being hit by a huge blizzard, so the first part of that plan didn't work out so well. However, it was nice to see aunts, uncles, and cousins, and the best part was that we got to visit Detroit briefly, to eat lunch and see the Detroit Institute of Art. Detroit is still the largest city in Michigan, but it's a study in desolation and destitution; the population has shrunk by about half, and it's mostly a maze of torn-down or abandoned buildings and ruined neighborhoods. There is a small section of the downtown that is still relatively vibrant, but there are even more parts that look post-apocalyptic. It's hard to escape the fact that it's a violent, poverty-stricken city, haunted by the ghost of former glory. I wish I had pictures of some of the huge, grand old bui