Sears and Roebuck and Company Warehouse- built 1901

 

 

Another warehouse not too far away

 

Fairgrove Historic District- circa 1900-1915

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Going downtown...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Franklin Boulevard Historic District

"Built between 1845 and 1930, this neighborhood of 93 structures remains a turn-of-the-century appearance with its mix of Greek Revival Italianate, Queen Anne, Stick style and Colonial Revival architecture.  During Michigan's early period of industrial growth (1880-1920), prominent leaders of Michigan's timber, mining, publishing, carriage and automobile industries made their homes in this area.  Most notably, the 1848 Italian Villa style Myrick-Palmer House located at 223 West Huron Street was home to Charles H. Palmer, a nineteenth-century educator and copper miner.  Also significant was 269 West Huron Street, home to Oliver Leo Beaudette, whose father founded the O.J. Beaudette Body Co., believed to be the first to use metal on automobiles."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Other places

 

 

Casa del Ray Apartments- 1928

 

 

Some impressive buildings and residences amid what appears to be a lot of desolation. The bleakness of winter without snow enhances that feeling. Good thread!

I love this one:

... Obviously, the signature building for the city.  It's called "Oakland Towne Center" but what is it's function?  History?  Do you know?

 

 

That city is in worse shape than I thought it was.

Actually, it was even worse 2 years ago.  Pontiac has made a lot of improvements.

Oh, Pontiac. Poor Pontiac.

 

Pontiac isn't struggling for not trying.

 

The massive Phoenix Center parking garage/concert venue went in during the 80s with a dubious net result.

 

The 90s, by all accounts, were good to Pontiac. By night, at least. It thrived as a club town with Industry, Clutch Cargo's, Velvet Lounge, Detroit metro's first Have a Nice Day Cafe' and even a big hick theme bar at the peak of the line dancing movement. The downtown had a nice mix of other venues, too, such as an interesting storefront gallery/performance space complex, a piano bar, a live theater, and little bistros tucked here and there. But by day, Pontiac was always the same hard scrapple old gal, dressed in tattered blue collar neighborhoods; a sprawling hospital complex and struggling auto plants her shiniest jewels.

 

It was always more than a bit telling that the two dominant features of downtown Pontiac were a 5 block long, 5 story high parking garage and a ten-football-fields-wide surface lot.

 

This century? I don't know. Can't say I've been. These pictures don't tell a happy story, though.

 

Anyway...if anybody wants to see Pontiac at its most urbane, seek out the obscure Raimi bros. flick Lunatics: A Love Story.

oh chief pontiac....

...said General Cadillac.

 

We should've seen that this whole auto industry thing wouldn't work out.

...said General Cadillac.

 

We should've seen that this whole auto industry thing wouldn't work out.

 

so we should have named them after futuristic things?

...said General Cadillac.

 

We should've seen that this whole auto industry thing wouldn't work out.

 

so we should have named them after futuristic things?

 

Maybe just not leaders of groups that excelled in killing each other.

 

Good:

 

The Einstein. The Gandhi. The Minnie (Pearl).

 

Bad:

 

The Hitler. The Stalin. The Tito*.

 

*Unless it's Tito Jackson, then Good.

^do you remember the mel far ford commercial with tito and jermane jackson? that was awesome.

Tito and Jermain were the most underrated Jacksons.

 

And they could not fly eitherrrrrrrr...

 

Nice!

I feel Michigan cities are all ghetto with the exception of Ann Arbor and  Grand Rapids, but that's pretty much because our state is broke.

I feel Michigan cities are all ghetto with the exception of Ann Arbor and  Grand Rapids, but that's pretty much because our state is broke.

 

True. It doesn't get any more "street" than Gaylord.

Those residential neighb's have some nice housing stock, but is Pontiac some weird kind of "anti-shrubbery" city?  Almost none of the houses have any landscaping around them, which would make them look a little nicer (I know it's winter, but still...)

I was talking about the larger cities.  Lilke Saginaw, Flint, and Detroit.  Picture abandoned buildings and crackheads

Great variety and fun looks for the residential stuff.  Some nice old gems downtown too, even if they do look so forlorn sitting there empty.  Who knows, there may be a recovery on the way, and someone is gonna make a ton of money from those old buildings.  That said, I'm not investing, I'm too old to see any return on my money.  Thanks for the tour.

To be honest this place looks pretty grim.  I like the skyscraper, and the pix with the signal trestle and old factory is nice and gritty (reminded me a bit of Canton). 

 

Id say the feel here is Limaesque?  Maybe more like Waukegan or Elgin or any other smallish midwestern factory city, with its obligatory skyscraper or two and deteriorating downtown and collection of suburban "social row" villas.

 

And this was some nitelife hotspot at one time?

 

The 90s, by all accounts, were good to Pontiac. By night, at least. It thrived as a club town with Industry, Clutch Cargo's, Velvet Lounge, Detroit metro's first Have a Nice Day Cafe' and even a big hick theme bar at the peak of the line dancing movement. The downtown had a nice mix of other venues, too, such as an interesting storefront gallery/performance space complex, a piano bar, a live theater, and little bistros tucked here and there. But by day, Pontiac was always the same hard scrapple old gal, dressed in tattered blue collar neighborhoods; a sprawling hospital complex and struggling auto plants her shiniest jewels.

 

Clutch Cargo's....hah...you have to be a certain age to pick up on the reference there.

 

 

I do recall way back in the 1970s they used to talk about rock concerts in the "Pontiac Sliverdome" on the local radio station in Louisville...not downtown, I guess?