THE CARRIAGE BARNS OF YPSILANTI PT. II

Note: Same 'rules' as applies as stated in part I

This past weekend of Mar. 18/19 found me once more on foot exploring Ypsilanti-- This time I concentrated on the old 'mid-town' area in my search for the old barns that still exist within the city. I was both pleasantly surprised and dismayed by what I found during my trek around town. Surprised because as with the south side exploration I again found more standing than I thought I would, yet also dismayed because I could discern that there were once many more.... demolished to make way for the sprawl of the semi inter-connected parking lots that have become the main 'feature' of what is now the backyards for many of these old large homes-- homes that are now chopped up into small awkward ( firetraps!) apartments..... So, if you don't lament the loss of these humble barns, then at least acknowledge the loss of the grassy lawns and gardens that were once there as well. Now without any fanfare, I again present some of the remaining barns of mid-town.

Breaking the chain link fence....

My neighborhood commonly referred to as the 'south side' is without a doubt the most humble and poorest within the city. There are problems here, and this area shows up perhaps a little too often in the 'police beat' section of the paper, yet my immediate neighbors are some of the best I've lived around. Which is more than my sister could say when she lived in an exclusive, high-dollar subdivision with a next door neighbor she absolutely loathed. When I remember her complaints, I fully realize how lucky I am in that regard.

I am not blind to the troubles that plague this neighborhood-- I see the drug addicted, the teenaged moms, and the high school dropouts that are, sadly, much too prevalent around here. I see this stuff daily, and then on top of those troubles you can throw in the single parent households with low income, and the elderly on small fixed incomes, as well. Then you can see this area's troubles are daunting.

I've heard it said that a city's poorer neighborhoods are a quick-read barometer on the direction of an area's economic health-- It's said that a locality such as mine has trouble weathering any kind of downward fluctuations fiscally as there is less wealth to fall back on when times get a little tight, which is perhaps less noticeable in a more affluent district, as higher income (often dual) can see them through most money crunches with hardly a ripple. There may be some truth to this, as I see the beginnings of some rifts in the social fabric around here, more 'surly' types hanging about late at night up to who knows what, as well as having the nights around here punctuated by the blast of gunfire perhaps a little more than in the recent past. Does this portend a new dangerous period around here? Too early to tell. I, however will not let any of the troubles around here to feed my fear-- I refuse to 'fort' up inside my home. I further refuse to withdraw into a 'ghetto' of my mind, walled off and desensitized to what is going on around me.

Fortress. Ghetto. Now I finally segue poorly into my topic: The chain-link fence. Utilitarian to a fault, nothing ghettoizes my neighborhood more then the numerous, sagging and rusting bits of cyclone fencing that dot my street and neighborhood. Now, don't get me wrong: There's nothing better for holding little Billy or the pooch from straying away-- and I have no problem with that type of fence, in the backyard, where it does its job well, and at a relatively low cost. My problem is when they are a front yard item, as nothing showcases the isolated fortress mentality in my 'hood as that type of fence. You must understand that most of these are aging, bent, sagging and rusted; more then a few of them even have trees growing right through them, and no matter how tidy the home, that kind of fence quickly becomes an eyesore, and contributes to an isolated mind set and even personal seclusion-- The "fortress mentality" as I understand it.

I haven't any quick fixes for the above problems, I've no magic touchstone to make things right, yet a small step in a more open and neighborly neighborhood could perhaps be as simple as removing some of the overly industrial styled fence-- and not putting it up with new construction projects around this area in the first place. It may just help to make things a little more friendly around here for a start, and nobody around here could, or should argue against that.

Off with her porch!

That recent shot of nice weather we had on Sun./Mon. seemed to have invigorated my home improvement gene, because I spent the majority of those two days knocking down my hideous front porch. This was a job I've long desired to do, yet it had always been near the bottom of my 'to do' list. Things like plumbing and wiring have been and still are more of a priority. Yet after a winter filled with heavy downpours, and I, growing tired of placing my boots and shoes away from all the known 'wet spots' of my seive-like porch roof, got a a touch of the spring cleaning bug and went to town with sledgehammer and wrecking bar.

This task was to prove itself beneficial in both the physical and mental realms, as it gave me a moderate shot of exercise, and managed to cleanup a winter's worth of accumulating cobwebs in my mind... Besides, for some reason I always do my best thinking with a hammer in my hand. Not to mention the added plus-- that I got to smash things (a guy-thing, no doubt)!

As you can see, this was a poor excuse for a porch-- Leaky roof aside, I hated its asymmetrical offset to the rightside 'look'. Not to mention, the porch's 'footprint' was too narrow-- All this I intend to remedy, bit by bit. Confession: The out of place Victorian railing was added by me, and learning from my faux pas, I am slowly replacing all overly oppulent excesses of that period, with plainer, though more appropriate (to a bungalow cottage home) 'Craftsman' styling.

My little project immediately ran into problems as all such endeavors tend to do, no matter what the scale. I had intended to do this on the low cost/no cost level, as I am layed off from my job during the winter months; yet I discovered quite soon that my old faithful stepladder wasn't quite tall enough to access the roof; so I made a trip to my employer's shop in Ann Arbor to borrow one of my company's ladders-- only to find that they were already being borrowed by my boss, who was working on his own place....... Grrr. Trumped by the company president! At that point I didn't feel like traveling out to Manchester, where my brother lives, to borrow his. So, a trip to the Home Depot and 100 bucks later-- I'm on my porch roof.

Big mistake. Just moments after crawling up onto the thing to begin removing shingles ( I had previously removed the door and windows), I felt several nails pull from where they had been driven through the rafter into the gable end of the house; and the whole structure dropped under my weight nearly an inch. Porchy didn't have to tell me twice..... down from the roof I crawled. That left me working from several spot locations on the ladder-- having to reposition it a multitude of times to facilitate my reach.































Bitching aside, I managed to de-shingle and cut/knock apart the decrapit thing in about two days. As you can see from the photos-- I think they speak best (and yes, the one picture with a roof-chunk leaning across the window WAS a close shave!). OK, I think that's enough man and hammer tales, I'll post something completely different next time!

The small world of Ypsilanti

Today as I was about to start on my morning jog on Washington street near Pearl, when in the corner of my eye I saw a woman stumble and fall over an uneven flag of sidewalk. I went immediately to her aid-- thankfully, I think the most she will get out of a bad spill will be a nasty bruise.

At the same time, another woman came upon the scene from the bus stop. Since the lady who had fallen was appreciative of our help, she asked for our names and phone numbers which we gave her.... As I walked away after we helped the lady to her feet, it only then dawned on me that the other sidewalk assistant was none other than Miss Y..... fellow Ypsi blogger. So a belated "nice to meet you" is in order! And thanks for helping that poor woman, as well!

Maybe the truck stop wasn't such a bad idea....

Today, as I was driving east on Harriet, I, along with my fellow motorists were held up for a moment as a utility worker flagged us to a stop; allowing his co-worker to back his truck into the lane closure they had set up.

It happened that I was momentarily paused across from the now closed Exemplar plant-- Just another small icon of Michigan's fast disappearing manufacturing industry. I probably pass by the plant daily; yet I hardly spare it a thought anymore-- Too painful. The lost jobs. The lost tax revenue. For those who like the painful prick of needles, you can recount the plant's closing here.

Still, sitting there for a moment, I dwelled upon Exemplar, and the not so long ago time of 1997 when it was built (on city land that was for sale for the longest time), nonetheless. I vaguely recalled that a local large petroleum concern (my fuzzy brain believes it was Gallop-Silkworth) was also interested in the site-- as a 24 hr. Truck stop. Using nifty hindsight, I now wonder if maybe that would have been the better choice.

I know, I know. Anyone with a touch of the NIMBY's or not, realizes that a truck stop is not the most desirous of properties to have-- pretty much a given that it's a hazardous waste site in the making, not to mention the less than peaceful 'lull' of diesel motors rumbling high and low. Yuck.

But... I dimly recall the city not even really considering the truck stop idea- and if I recall correctly (Gallop-Silkworth?) offered more for the land. Still, I didn't feel like sifting through page after page of Google stuff, so if anyone can confirm or deny my memory of the subject, please do.

Now I live but three blocks from the Exemplar site, and while the last thing I'd care to hear is diesel trucks 'Jake-braking' down the hill in the middle of the night, I like the sound of the last two coins in the city coffers rattling against each other even less. This city needs MONEY folks, and I'm at least ready to consider any and all future options that have a hint of promise, insofar as fiscal solvency is concerned.

To be fair, back in 1997, Exemplar probably seemed the best deal-- Jobs for locals, etc... Not too many people really foresaw just how rapidly manufacturing was going to go in decline around here. Small, lower paying non-union shops were supposed to be a safe bet in the Midwest, And seemed so at least, when viewed through a "90's" lens. Also, probably only a handful of 'analysts' really could predict just how much of a 800lb. gorilla China was going to become, even giving their knowledge of it's double-digit economic growth; just trying to figure all the international 'intermingling' of national capital and it's eventual effect on our locality is daunting, to say the least.

So to finish, I apologize if I leaned to much towards a 'rant' with unsubstantiated facts and figures, but I'm getting tired. It's late: For myself, and this city as well.

Tales of home improvement...

The recent trials local Detroit blogger South of 8 mile had with a leaky bathtub had me alternately laughing and feeling his pain. Read about his troubles here . I've had similar problems with my humble home. I feel yo' pain S of 8!

My home was built in 1952, as a small two bedroom bungalow cottage (Sears model 400, I think). It fits in with the majority of the houses in the area, as few are over 1000 sq. Ft. In size. It's small, probably too small for my needs now (that happens when your fiancee moves in!), but I like it anyway.

The kicker about my house, or what gives it a touch of uniqueness, is the fact that my place was empty and abandoned for 12 or 15 years-- My neighbors differ on exactly how long, somewhere from the late 70's to early 90's, at any rate. Perhaps with that knowledge you have an inkling of what the place was like. An example: Even though I had driven past the house several times-- I didn't even know it was there, for it was so overgrown with box-elder and other saplings, that despite being only 25 feet from the street it was virtually invisible-- at least from a car traveling past. I thought it was an urban woodlot!

From one neighbor I learned the story of why the city never tore it down-- It seems an out of state relative of the man that built the place (deceased) dutifully paid the taxes on the place. That I guess was good enough for the city-- place boarded up and money paid-- Hey, this is the southside, remember? Different rules apply south of the 'Ave folks!

The one thing that blew my mind, and boggles it some today, was that despite that long period of abandonment; the roof on that house was solid! It held up through all those years, keeping the interior of the place rather intact-- Sure it needed a new roof and the 'house-flippers' that briefly owned the house before me did that and other 'improvements' (many of which I had to remove/redo). Still, the interior should have been in much, much worse shape.

One of the first things I had to do upon moving in was cleaning out the cellar: This meant removing old soggy drywall from equally rotted furring strips (strangely, the cellar was done up as an apartment--never mind the head-clearance is only about 6'2, a pair of hobbits perhaps?). Also removed was 12/15 years of WALNUT SHELLS from generations of industrious squirrels. In one corner the shell pile was 3 foot deep-- No joke. I had, in all, removed about 45 large 'industrial' cleanup type bags worth of shells, drywall chunks and other debris.... Ugh!

It is late now, and I want to put this one to bed, as well as myself. Perhaps I'll post some pictures of what I had to contend with-- contrasting it with what I've done, improvement-wise around here-- I am rather proud of my kitchen!

Just for fun find your squirrel name here . From now on please refer to me as 'Captain Wagglebottom' thank you.

THE CARRIAGE BARNS OF YPSILANTI

PART ONE: THE HISTORIC SOUTHSIDE

( Note: I freely admit right now, that I didn't secure previous permission from any of the property owners for the photographs posted herein. All photos were snapped from public sidewalks only, and of course I don't include any addresses of these structures, for any privacy and security concerns that the owners may have. If any owners do however, object to the posting of their barns, let me know and I'll gladly remove them from this post-- Yet, please consider that my intention is only to celebrate these structures in the best possible light, as I feel they represent an interesting part of our town's history, and no matter how humble these structures may seem today they should be cherished in some small regard. Thank you, Rob.)

The first image here is my personal favorite, maybe because I pass by it everytime I come into downtown from my neighborhood. Like an old friend, don't think it too strange of me if you catch me giving it a friendly wave as I drive by.

Many of these old carriage barns have of course been converted into other uses, auto garages mainly, a few around town into nice studio apartments ( for the mom-in-laws, ;) ), and at least one looks like a carpentry shop Norm Abrams would be proud of.

I must say that I'm glad that I dismounted from my truck and braved the freezing drizzle, for I discovered a few barns by being on foot that I hadn't noticed before, which struck me as rather strange for my summer construction job has me constantly on the streets of Ann Arbor/Ypsi and there is not much that I haven't seen or known about (visually, at least) around here. So a nice surprise for me, all in all.

The second picture has to be considered a rarity, as somehow the march of time spared two old barns that have stood side by side for who knows how long. Nice to see, and even though the one on the left has been updated with modern doors, siding and whatnot; and constrasts strongly with it's neighbor to the right, the rougher and more forlorn looking one is my favorite of the two, as I especially like that the old loft door is still in place..... Who wants to help me hoist a few bales of hay up?


Another thing you'll notice if you retrace my footsteps is the number of closed off alleyways, forcing a lonely carriage barn to awkwardly sit (in some instances) at the back of a property facing away from the main street--usually at a distance from said street. Nonetheless they are still very reminiscent of the ones that still exist on the open throughways of East Cross street, which the traditionalist element in me appreciates.





The third photo is of the last carriage barn standing east of south Huron street (within the old southside district). The door looks to be off its track, and I'm not too sure about the roof or siding, but I celebrate its existence nonetheless. Sort of a last man standing!

Now we come to number four, perhaps the 'gem' of the whole lot. A fine brick number, I especially dig the recessed panel swing-out doors. Kudos to whomever maintains or restored this beauty! Note: This is the best time of year to see the marvelous brickwork, as this one is heavily covered by ivy during the summer! A real treasure, I fantasize about moving my woodworking tools here and setting up shop.... sigh..





The last photo I'll post here is a typical, though very nice apartment conversion which I again give a salute to the owner and/or craftsman who had the foresight to save and preserve this lovely brick beauty so close to downtown . Good job!

This concludes my old southside adventure, and I have by no means shown you all that is to be seen hereabouts. Besides some truly stunning old homes, I was surprised to have come across a total of thirteen carriage barns remaining in this neighborhood-- three more than I had originally thought would be the likely total number around here. So stay tuned, in the future (though on a nice spring day perhaps) I intend to futher document the carriage barns of Ypsilanti. I can hardly wait to see what I can find poking around Depot town, mid-town and the like-- Later, Rob ..

Just playing around today, surfing the web and what-not; though I need to get off my duff and do some mundane housekeeping chores, for I have some guests coming tomorrow. At any rate, I'm posting a few more photos of Riverside Park (sans airship mooring mast- sorry Miss Y!) from yesterday's walk just to waste a little more time as I continue to avoid dishes and kitty litter.

I fear my mood is reflecting the lack of sun this afternoon, although to be fair, there was a nice 'squirt' of sunshine earlier this morning. I feel fine-- just not "with it" in a general sense-- probably just the house chores threatening to enveloping me . Of course, I am well into my hibernative period, being laid off work as I am during the winter months, and this long period of low activity gets to one sooner or later.

So perhaps in keeping with my dulled spirits, I present the last two photos of my park walk. These two shots show a dismaying sight-- The new staircase leading from the park to the Riverside Arts complex up the hill, is showing an alarming bit of 'concrete spalling' and much of the topmost run of stairway is heavily cracked as well. With the financial straits the city is currently weathering, it doesn't bode well for the maintenance/repair of the stairs. Will they slowly errode away? Will they crumble to an unsafe state-- until some last remaining city worker chains it off? I guess we'll have to see.