Sorry for the double post, easier than an edit...

Nirvy, what I think you saw in Detroit that was "big, beautiful & abandoned" was Michigan Central Station (MCS as it's called).

More of it and other fascinating sites can be seen here:

http://www.detroityes.com/Default.htm

Tim

...BTW Nirvy, how old are you if you don't mind? Maybe contacting you when I'm in Montreal next might be a little more interesting than the 16 - 19 y/o guys. Not that they would be any less interesting to talk to, meet and explore with, but a closer age would be more stimulating. Plus you used to live here!

Posted by BCT Chronic http://www.detroityes.com/Default.htm

Holy crap! I can't believe that one city has so much architectural splendour going to ruin. I've got to visit this place in person someday. Here in Montreal the abandoned buildings are usually small, or single-purpose manufacturing facilities. It creeps me out to see so many large buildings going to waste in one place. Aiiieee!

Thanks for the link, BCT. And good luck, Detroit.

Nirv

Hey folks, I've just joined this forum...

Like some of you, I have no formal training or vocation in relation to urban planning and arch. Just a great interest in industrial era buildings and architecture in general.

I'm 37, I'm married with 3 kids living in downtown Toronto. I'm a self-employed video producer, working on corporate projects to pay the bills, and in my spare time I produce documentaries.

Right now I'm working on a project that fits in nicely with this topic. It began as a documentary on Urban Exploration, and I spent a few months gathering some really great material, but after some careful thought, I realized that I many have legal problems with this project. I've now modified my original project, now it is going to deal with abandoned industrial era structures, and what to do with them in the present day. I'll be examining some proposed ways to modify these buildings so that they can be recycled as well as celebrating the atmosphere of these abandoned spaces.

Anyway, enough about me...

I'm here now, too!

Posted by Civil Disobediance I'm here now, too!

So, CD, tell us a little about yourself...

-N

Posted by NV So, CD, tell us a little about yourself... -N

I'm an Industrial Designer in the Toronto Area.
I specialize in Exhibit and Retail design.

I was married, but am recently seperated, and I have a daughter caught in the middle of all of it.

Due to my profession, I have an interest in most forms of engineering, especially how things hold up over the test of time. Which brought me to UEing, which I have been doing for over 10 years now.

Anything else everyone would want to know? Just ask, no probs.

Nice avatar CD!

R.P. MacMurphy!!!

FYI...all scenes in OFOTCN were shot at Oregon State Hospital.

Here I am! I too have no formal education on the subjects at hand, but a huge interest...

I was waiting for something like this for a long time. As an Urban Explorer and a university student studying civic policy and urban planning this is really up my alley. Hopefully we can have some interesting debates on such issues as urban decay and sprawl as well as architecture.

Hi there, Like Nirvy I'm from Montreal, but unlike him I grow up in the central Montreal. I'm 100% urban man. I can stand one day in the suburb where the house all look the same and where there is no sidewalk.

I've walk my city from coast to coast minus the peripheral smaller suburb city of the island. By day, night, the alleys, street park, on foot or on bike and now often by car, I know the place so well that if I ever become somwhat lost I really enjoy it because it's not something that happens often.

I started photography 8 years ago, I always have developed my B&W myself, I learned photography all by myself and I took many hundreds of rolls of film all around the city. The subway, downtown buildings, streets, alleys, name something I have it in picture. With time passing by, I took a few before and after constructions and remake of land and buildings. Some are no more there.

I made most of the Montreal pages in the LDB of the site and added pictures in almost all of the.

http://www.uer.ca/...ebec&city=Montreal

I know the the different styles and way of constructions dependings of the era, and I can tell about what is the date of construction of a building is.

My first language is french and I often write things that can looks strange when you read it. Thanks for making this forum.

I've been interested in old buildings as long as I can remember. I'm particularly interested in late 19th-early 20th century commercial and industrial structures and their adaptive reuse. Hotels are my first love, doing my thesis on the Statler Hotel chain. I'm currently in grad school (Ball State) studying historic preservation.

Originally from Kalamazoo Mi, home of the country's first downtown pedestrian mall (thankfully only a fraction of that horrid plan was actually executed). Have also lived in Detroit and currently in Muncie In. Do most of my UEing in Detroit, Gary, Chicago and now central Indiana.

It was while living in Detroit that my interest in abandoned buildings developed. I wanted to understand what lead to the decay of the former centerpieces of the downtown area. The 1998 demo of the Hudson's Dept Store was the final push to my interest in studying adaptive reuse and eventually UE.

Anyho, glad to have found this board.

DK

Thought I would finally chime in with a hello as I signed up here a weeks or so back. Seems to be a interesting mix of people here. My background has for the most part always been on the construction side of things although I began with studying architecture in college, got sidetracked and dropped out to make a living. I've had a big intrest in old buildings and redevelopment in lieu of tearing down and building boxes. have done some cool projects such as converting a hotel to a minimum security jail and a few historical renovation at some colleges. Just joining with the Dallas Preservation society here locally. Also just getting ready to begin work with a fairly large architectural firm that alo has a construction group and maintain a small Construction-consulting company of my own along with a partnership in a photography and graphic arts company doing work for Arch's, developers, and construction companies, not that I do that much with them but hoping to grow them oer then ext couple years with the goal of getting out full time on my own. Anyway ... guess thats good for now!

Welcome DK and Arch-Image!

I just noticed this forum as i am constantly exploring the features and sections of the UER site.

Gotta say, i'm looking forward to talking planning and design some. I am a practicing Land Use Planner with a consulting firm in Toronto, so its an area i have spent a lot of time at school and now working in the field on.

Regards

DT

Welcome!

Just thought I would say hi.

I'm an urban planner currently working for the province of Ontario.

um.. yeah, so that's me.

Archaeologist, planner, soon-to-be-father, itinerate tinker. When doing my oral exam for OPPI (some of you know what that is), they asked what the city I was in would be like in 100 years, and I didn't have the heart to tell them what I thought. They bought my story, though, so I'm in the club.

I'm a cycling advocate and participant, though it was some chilly this morning. I despise the automotive society, though grudgingly participate, hate the conspicuous-consumption driven economy and mentality, and think that a socio-economic system based on continuous growth has a fundamental flaw.

What happened to this forum anyway?

CD

not a heck of a lot

Yea, interesting given the nature of the site. Perhaps most people here only understand the decay side of cities?

CD