One thing I noticed, is that most of the pictures here of abandonment also included construction equipment.
What surprises me about Detroit is how sprawling it is. Looking at these pictures I realized that there is so much space. Why wasn't that ever used? Why did contractors choose to build outward rather than upward? Differences between city landscapes fascinate me.
Then you might find this info graphic interesting, Check it outDifferences between city landscapes fascinate me.
Unfortunately I have never been to many of the cities depicted. Is New York really that condensed? I have issues with space when I visit Chicago. I highly doubt that I would enjoy New York now that I see this info graphic, or Singapore for that matter.
Has it really fallen into that much decline? I understand when a lot of the manufactures moved the city suffered an impact, but I did not realize that it was so dramatic. From your post I can see that it is on it's way back up, but doubtful it will ever reach it's former glory.
For a time, it was the wealthiest city in the world. So yes, the decline was extreme. I don't expect that it will ever be like it once was, but I do think that it will become an increasingly desirable place to live. The changes going on here are dramatic, and as someone from the area, this is the first time that they are indisputably material changes. Despite all the empty space, there is actually a shortage of middle to high-end housing in the city, and the market might be a bit overheated. Demand has definitely out-stripped supply.
So is it safe to say that people are moving back into the area? From when I've visited Michigan, I can say that it is a gorgeous state, and Detroit doesn't look like a bad place to live now. I would give it a shot for sure.