I went back to Jackson last month, I was visiting a friend whose school is just a few miles away form the city.  Make sure to check out my Jackson thread from October 2006.

 

http://www.urbanohio.com/forum2/index.php/topic,10679.0.html

 

My pictures start out with me pretty much driving down random streets seeing what I can find.  Jackson is really well known around the state (along with Ionia) for having a lot of prisons.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michigan is weird/amazing. All these cities with names only vaguely familiar to out-of-staters, yet they have skyscrapers, including graceful art deco towers. Who knew Michigan had so many Limas?

I love the modern tower over the old courthouse--terrific design and photo.

Nice!  Thanks!

I love the modern tower over the old courthouse--terrific design and photo.

 

It actually won a bunch of design awards I think.

 

Great set Zach

Who knew Michigan had so many Limas?

 

LOL, I was thinking Lima while looking at this thread as well. 

The Acme Industrial Complex (pictured below) is about to be demolished.  Acme was part of a prison factory system that played a key role in Jackson's industrial development in the late 1800s and early 1900s and continued to operate through the 1980s.  It was going to be home to the Armory Arts Village (instead it is now the old state prison which is 3rd picture in the beginning of this thread).  Efforts were even made to put Acme on the National Register of Historic Places but after extensive soil contamination was found they changed plans.  Even though an old building is being lost I am still pretty excited because the Grand River is directly behind the complex and after it is demolished they will start on the Grand River Arts Walk.

http://www.fitnesscouncil.org/armoryartswalk.htm

 

 

The portion I wish was saved:

 

I <3 brick streets

Ahh, what can you do? Being on the national register does nothing whatsoever to prevent demolition, btw.

Ahh, what can you do? Being on the national register does nothing whatsoever to prevent demolition, btw.

 

Yeah I knew that.  I know many buildings on the national register that have been demolished.

More pictures from my recent visit.  I've already covered downtown before so all these pictures are from other parts of the city.

 

Sortof a skyline pic..

 

My favorite building outside downtown!

 

Not sure if it beats Jackson, Mississippi, but I think I like it a bit better.

 

Thanks for the new pics.

So many Jacksons, so little time. 

Great series of pics.  I tend to enjoy seeing the grit as much as the beautiful stuff.  I stopped by the city about 6 years ago, and was impressed with the skyline for a city Jackson's size.  Good stuff, thanks for the tour.

That old train station is actually a working train station.  It would be cool if you got pictures of the passengers boarding.  It was pretty busy there after Christmas.