Street folk

Last week I went to see this art installation by Tyree Guyton in Detroit. He filled a block long city street with shoes as a commentary on homelessness. It's called "Street Folk."

"Street Folk" was installed on a block of abandoned Victorian era houses in the historic Brush Park neighborhood of the city.

Built for Detroit's elite, the homes in Brush Park were built between the 1850s and 1890s. Of the original 300 homes, about 150 remain. Many have been torn down, and many sit rotting, but there is a bit of a revival going on. Some of the houses have been restored, condos have been built in the neighborhood, and new residents are moving in.

I saw a few nicely restored houses while I was there wandering around, but didn't feel as comfortable photographing them as I did the ones that are empty. I'd gone just to see the art installation, but ended up being fascinated with the neighborhood. I'll have to go back some day soon when it's not as chilly and windy as the day I was there.

Here's a view of downtown from Brush Park:

The Detroit Tigers baseball park and the Lions football stadium can both be seen from this empty lot where a house once stood.