Detroit - 1951

The history and modern magnificence of Detroit is exalted in this film, which places the motor vehicle at the heart of its development. Looking past the hyperbole, it offers a glimpse of the city at its best. NB the film has been edited for relevance.

[@wilburmcbride8096]

I worked with a guy from Detroit. He told me how good Detroit was as a kid! Both parents worked for the Automotive indestry and he had a middle class lifestyle. Plus, they were black growing up in the seventies.

[@edwardzamorski3711]

Downtown is beautiful again but the neighborhoods are burned and barren.

[@elmike-o5290]

Yes, downtown Detroit is basically a “Potemkin Village.”

[@NoahBodze-pm9ok]

Until you remove the demographic that flooded that city in the late 50s, destroying it, Detroit continues to decline. That downtown stuff isn’t even lipstick on a pig. Black violence is what people associate with your city and for good reason.

[@TheBizziniss]

Honestly, I liked downtown better when it wasn’t so nice. You could still have some fun down there without having to spend a ton of money.

[@alfredvalrie5541]

WRONG

[@DowStUnD86]

Yeah man most of them are.​@@alfredvalrie5541

[@J-remyM]

My grandfather started out working on fords lake boats as a chef in the 1940s then later on the Ford Rouge plant where he retired from in the 1960s

[@g.k.1669]

My dad worked for GM and I remember as a kid in the 70's while visiting my Grandmother on Easter Sunday as we walked down an alley near Lonyo and I-94 some guy pulling up and starting to take shots at my cousins and I for no reason. Yeah...as a kid I was surprised at how fast you could run around the corner in what were plastic looking dress shoes. Used to love the barbecue cook competitions down by Hart Plaza and the aquarium at Belle Isle and the free concerts at Hart Plaza. I remember my friend smoking the tires on his 69 Le' Mans as we were crossing the bridge to Belle Isle and a cop spinning around to pull him over. We crossed the bridge and to the left seen a sea of black leather and chrome as a biker gang was having a massive summer party. We pulled into that group of bikers and slowly drove along giving them thumbs up for their bikes. They gave us 16 year old kids the nod of approval... the cop...well, he stopped..put his car into reverse and left the area. Too funny.

[@dawns297]

Detroit was once Upon a Time was a great place, to work, play, and grow. All I can say is : WOW

[@zyxwut321]

Yup, wow. It's slowly crawling back and diversifying itself into a 21st century economy after hollowing out since around 1951. Last year was the first year since the late 1950s where the population actually grew. It's coming back.

[@palepride7530]

@@zyxwut321make sure you invest your life savings

[@twinkjakdoomer]

@@zyxwut321you can keep copeing but it isn’t “coming back”

[@OwenLoney]

Wow, wonderful 1951 city views of Detroit, class and style !

[@jamesbranham2217]

I remember growing up listening to cklw.. 800am radio.. cklw the motor city.. then they always played rock music.. i didn't live there but always listened

[@Trace7173]

That was a great radio station. I remember the CKLW double album of songs from the 1960s my parents bought for me!

[@billr8667]

CKLW is a Canadian radio station.

[@sanddunestacker6110]

@@billr8667 CKLW is right across the Detroit River from Detroit in Windsor Canada and used to advertise itself as a "metro Detroit" radio station. It was in fact the most listened to radio station in Detroit for many years making the ads geared towards local Detroiters.

[@tturner12341]

@@jamesbranham2217 I remember winning $50.00 dollars back in the 1970’s from CKLW for being the 8th caller.

[@racecardriverrr4201]

"heart of America" Oh how times have changed....

[@jimmyduncan7650]

Heart disease affects the best of us.

[@elfulano5884]

It looks like the heart of American has suffered cardiac arrest.

[@edwardpate6128]

It still is!

[@Railhog2102]

The Arsenal Of Democracy

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Capitalism gave America open heart removal surgery. Jobs went South, then to Mexico and then China 😠😡🤬

[@EdwardM-t8p]

When I was almost 9 my parents moved us out from Boston to Detroit, and they got a house way out in a small subdivision out in the country by Milford and the Highland State Recreation Area. It was quite a change from walking to school on safe New England town roads to having to take a yellow school bus that went along county roads and a state highway. The Big 8 CKLW was THE station to listen to! Then my dad's firm was moving its Detroit office to Chicago; he said no way and got lucky... and so we moved back east when I was just over 11. Detroit was still very much the city back when we lived near there as it was in this vid, except the state had already carved it up with freeways. That's what caused Detroit's decline and fall, giving the city over to the automobile and putting its eggs all in the one basket of the auto industry. 😢

[@palepride7530]

Diversification of the labor force is what caused Detoilet.

[@detroitcoffeeartdetroit6502]

Freeways didn't cause it. A seriously decrepit and poor inner city that stretched for miles around downtown did, then multi floor factories were abandoned for single floor layouts beyond the cities borders (good jobs where gone), The city was surviving by the inner ring suburbs that where part of it 140 sq miles.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

​​@@detroitcoffeeartdetroit6502 What do you mean, severely poor and decrepit neighborhoods destroyed Detroit and not the freeways? The freeways certainly had a hand spawning factories out in the periphery and in making nearly the entire city badly blighted! And despite Downtown and Midtown Detroit making a comeback the blight continues to spread outward.

[@KCCardCo]

The neighborhoods are not coming back. I go in them every working day and they're just as bad as they were 40 years ago.

[@Otis_symbol]

The one honest person here

[@niccoarcadia4179]

It really hurts to see this vid.

[@romaskincare9138]

Before America engaged in constant wars for profit that sucked up the people's tax dollars, no more new innovative infrustructure, no more paving the way into the next century. Just all war, war war for wealthy weapons manufacturing profiteers. It's an evil tragedy.

[@tturner12341]

I don’t know if you still live around here. But, downtown Detroit has totally been transformed. It’s really nice. Tons and tons of new restaurants, shops and everything in between. It’s seriously impressive now. Thanks to our wonderful mayor who really loves Detroit. We have a brand new skyscraper 🏙️ too. Of course Detroit isn’t going to be the Detroit of 1951. But, it’s come a long way in the last 15 years.

[@niccoarcadia4179]

@@tturner12341 That was an uplifting reply. Thank You! Questions > Do you live there? Is it gentrification? And is it getting expensive to live there (downtown) now?

[@tturner12341]

@@niccoarcadia4179 I live about 10 minutes from downtown. But, I go there a lot for dinner, concerts and shopping. I’m not sure 🤔 how expensive it is to live downtown. But, I can tell you that prices have gone up a lot in the last few years. They’re turning a lot of the older buildings into lofts, apartments and condos. Gentrification some…But, not that much….compared to NYC.

[@billrichter8871]

Imagine walking down the streets of Detroit now?, make sure you pack some heat!

[@itzdonovan.gering]

or you'll lose your porch steps

[@manbtm1]

Live,, and walk downtown, daily,,,, typically sounds like you do not get around much, its not 1980

[@manbtm1]

Right downtown you obviously haven’t been there, very vibrant, where do you live? @@communistsaregross3165

[@rbeck313]

Sir it’s 2024 not 1994 lol. Downtown Detroit is actually safe and it’s beautiful.

[@flutebasket4294]

@@rbeck313 Where did all the black criminals go? I feel sorry for those (former) communities

[@KCCardCo]

Pat Buchanan's father in law Admiral Herman Scarney was my grandmother's eye doc. I have the receipts for her office visits from the 1940s. His office was in the Fisher Building.

[@kevinharris5737]

The old Olympia was great.

[@Jb74W]

How sad, the re was no future left for that city in 1951 and nobody saw it coming.

[@EdwardM-t8p]

The Hudson or Packard plant over on East Grand Boulevard had just shut down the year before. Bad omen...

[@Jb74W]

@@EdwardM-t8p bad omen in did.

[@tunedtfin917]

Reminds me of Newark, New Jersey with all the art-deco noir vibes and which also saw a major decline since the 50s

[@MooPotPie]

@6:12 the corner of Woodward and Adelaide. Nothing in that shot still stands. Completely unrecognizable today - though nicely redeveloped in recent years.

[@CallMeOpia]

detroit's success was fueled off of it's automobile revolution. and it really was a revolution. it just couldn't keep up with the times it seems like.

[@schallrd1]

Detroit was a great city at one time.

[@saltandlight-f5p]

That was only one lifetime ago.

[@christophermorgan9199]

So crazy how much can change in one lifetime

[@palepride7530]

You can see neighboring suburbs evolve right now.

[@Douglas-up2vh]

What the Hell Destroyed Detroit ???? I can't understand it. No wonder my 85 yr old Dad said the 50's were the BEST !!

[@sophroniamason2730]

The same thing that always happens to great nations - corrupt politicians.

[@jayhpaq]

@@sophroniamason2730Not politics, but economics.

[@brettfinlay7447]

@@jayhpaq No Politicians were part of it as well.

[@Harvest133]

a certain demographic moved in.

[@manbtm1]

Detroit downtowm and midtown are beautiful now, I live here, we are-so tired of uninformed suburbanites and rural-talking like its 1980

[@Douglas-up2vh]

I'm 62 now. Dream of living back in the 40's-50's. Watch nothing but Classic tv movies and tv series .My Dad that was born in 1934-2018. Praised Ford, Chevy, Dodge. Especially during the Greatest times. The fabulous 50's. This piece of film History should make every Patriotic American CRY ! America has Fallen so Far in 75 yrs. Mostly in the last 26 yrs. Were now 98% a 3rd World Toilet Bowl. Soon to be Cuba 2. I Pity the kids growing up today. They have nothing to look forward to except MISERY. At least I have fond Memories or the 60's,70's,90's,. But they'll never compare to life in America in the 50's. Dads stories will never be forgotten. RIP Dad

[@EdwardM-t8p]

Soon to be Cuba 2? Actually Cuba doesn't have a homeless problem, a housing affordability crisis, and unaffordable health care!

[@jeffmaggard3694]

Everything has a beginning and end. Times are not the greatest today, good times will return at some point.

[@Chazd1949]

I remember Detroit in the 1950s. My grandparents lived there since the 1930s. I lived in Port Huron, about 70 miles north. I was just a youngster, but remember staying with my grandparents many times over a weekend or during the summers. My granddad worked as a machinist for GM and my grandma worked as a department manager for a large department store. They lived a block off of East Jefferson and I remember walking down Jefferson a few blocks with my grandpa to a drugstore where he would buy his newspaper and cigarettes, and sometimes we'd have a malted milk or sundae at the soda counter. It was a beautiful, vibrant city - safe enough to walk around downtown. I no longer live in Michigan. My folks moved to South Florida in 1959 so my dad could have year-round work; but we went back to Michigan just about every summer to visit friends and family. Eventually Detroit became unlivable for my grandparents and they moved up to Port Huron in the 1970s.

[@l3eatalphal3eatalpha]

All the times you mention are before neoliberalism and imperialism. Nowadays citizens are paying the military to keep the enemy from destroying the American way of life, which was destroyed the moment people were persuaded it needed protecting. Also, most of American boom times were during and after WW2, when all major competitors were destroyed industrially, economically or both. There is no return to this golden age, unless the rest of the world is destroyed again.

[@keithdukes5990]

I couldn't agree more sir!!! It's very sad how far the Country has deteriorated in a relatively short time!!!☹️😏😢

[@brianholihan5497]

My parents were from Detroit. My dad was 32 and my mom was 29 in 1951. He predicted its downfall back then and convinced my mom to move to California in 1954, where I was later born. He saw that its capital-intensive economy, which was dominated by one industry, was very nepotistic. Having seniority in the company and kissing the right butts were rewarded instead of innovation. My own research showed me that downtown Detroit in the 1950s was full of clothing stores, but the largest book retailing place was in Hudson's. People took their prosperity for granted and focused on comfort rather than learning and ideas. Narrow mental horizons and divisiveness were well entrenched by 1951.

[@brad9092]

This was the glory days when the black family had not come under attack from the welfare system.

[@MetalHeadAZ]

the good ol days

[@christiaiken3557]

Please come back Detroit!

[@BIDENJOE2024]

It will. Just have faith.

[@zyxwut321]

It's on its way back and has been for years now. Start paying attention.

[@tenorly]

@@BIDENJOE2024 With one of Cheeto's super-duper FoxConn factories, no doubt (or maybe his infrastructure week!)

[@Otis_symbol]

It's never gonna happen. It's full of Communist and Eternal victims.

[@BIDENJOE2024]

@@tenorly listen. Trump our lord and savior Donald Christ Trump will rise

[@panatypical]

What amazes me most about Detroit is Motown and also the fact that such a large vital city could develop in a climate where, for about half of the year, you could die from hypothermia if you were sleeping outside!

[@NoahBodze-pm9ok]

Motown left after the 67 riots, which is ironic because the people who made Motown - black people - destroyed that city and under a generation. Lie to me and say it wasn’t that .

[@williamhaun7350]

So sad. What was a great respectful city

[@alekhidell7068]

We all know why Detroit turned into a wasteland; it’s just politically incorrect to admit it. At least downtown and midtown have rebounded since the investments by Dan Gilbert.

[@edwardzamorski3711]

Yep I sure know

[@Otis_symbol]

It's the Communist and the eternal victims... The saint Floyd's of the world.

[@RadkeMaiden]

Communist cities were 10 times safer than Detroit lol

[@billr8667]

The closing scene proves the observation that the best view of Detroit was (and is) from Canada!

[@gello8518]

Diversity is our strength!

[@k.t.5405]

Birthplace of assembly-line mass production and thus , the GLOBAL economy...

[@autoguy57]

…then 1967 happened.

[@talleman1]

Detroit will be again.

[@TalooshDaBoss]

Make it happen man

[@manbtm1]

Been living downtown for 16 years now in Detroit we love it. Great neighborhood great people and tons of things to do. It has improved enormously especially in the last five years.

[@MotownGuitarJoe]

Not to dismiss some real challenges, but there IS a lot to be optimistic about in Detroit, as anyone who actually spends time there knows well.

[@DonRamiro1]

No, it won't. At its height, Detroit had about 1.8 million residents. Right now, it's lucky if it has 700k. It will never have that many residents ever again.

[@sabramorman7106]

Nope, never. Most likely never in the whole America will this be again…

[@DouglasBrooker]

The age of car centric designed cities is over. The way things are being done in northern Europe is the future.

[@viktors9385]

You are preaching to a deaf crowd

[@BoydsofParadise]

Long ago Detroit was once the NYC of the Midwest. Today, not so much.

[@Dave1111-th5be]

And now its a hell hole

[@martitinkovich4489]

Grew up in detroit in the late 60s to mid 70s. it was a zoo.

[@RadkeMaiden]

Those people were strong working class heroes.

[@keithbrown8814]

Sometime in the kate 1950s....Detroit was the 4th largest city in the USA.....hard to believe only Chicago, NY and Los Angeles were bigger!....

[@josephsierzengaIV]

Population of 2.1M residents peaked in Detroit in 1951/53 As it was surpassed by Los Angeles as the 4th largest in the USA and Detroit fell to 5th

[@eazypeazy33]

Sad…

[@datboyglobalmediaent.6041]

Detroit is back!

[@nighthiker8872]

Crazy horseless talk.

[@mito88]

horseless carriages

[@DowStUnD86]

Beautiful culture.

[@sabramorman7106]

Americans used to have good jobs and could afford to start families young. Not the case anymore…

[@abesorrell1661]

We all know why Detroit went downhill but no one is allowed to say it

[@joshuajackson7050]

Back when one income took care of everything.

[@RADIUMGLASS]

Demographics make a difference.

[@Dana_inc]

Born in this god awful city!

[@DonRamiro1]

Me too.

[@Otis_symbol]

Word

[@peterschorn1]

NO!!! NOT DETROIT!!!

[@Grundig305]

When Detroit didn’t “matter” so much.

[@panas1122]

Beggining of painful downfall of Detroit.

[@glennhopkins2643]

Detroit today is an absolute wasteland. The most miserable city in North America.

[@wa1ufo]

No, it is coming back.

[@donb1183]

You couldn't be more wrong about Detroit.

[@robt5818]

I haven't been to Detroit since the 1970s. This is fascinating!

[@MaddieSmith]

You should visit again. The downtown is beautiful and very safe :) it is so inspiring to see it coming back

[@williamhaun7350]

​@@MaddieSmithYeah downtown is nice where the rich keep getting richer and the rest of the city keeps dealing drugs and shooting each other

[@edwaldocamargo4387]

É muito triste ver o que foi Detroit e o que é hoje Detroit. Jorge pop pop pop pop

[@cheefadareafer]

Back when you could get a job with the big 3 and make enough to raise a family.. the good ol days

[@Marc-n5e]

Until the Republicans took over. Reagan killed the middle class

[@SlinkVI]

Oh, how the algorithm blessed me this day.

[@johnfelle4401]

What happened?

[@G313-q5u]

Political justice says they government

[@talleman1]

Economic factors, a riot, the Reagan era and the loss of the Unions.

[@rmcq1999]

Racial justice agitators, riots, murder, looting, white flight, mayors like former union thug Coleman Young, party boy Kwame Kilpatrick and their corrupt city councils, globalism, Democrats generally, greedy leftist hypocrites. I know, some of these are redundancies. Endless union demands, bad planning and lack of market insight by the 'Big 3', Japanese automotive design and marketing superiority beginning in the mid to late 1970s. The influx of cocaine that the CIA was flying into Mena, AK under Clinton's gubernatorial protection, having it converted into crack and put on the street to further destroy urban black American populations and grow the prison industry... etc.

[@geminitwix]

@@talleman1 YEP

[@brettfinlay7447]

@@talleman1 It was democrats as well who were part of the problem

[@asylumlover]

WHAT AN EXCESSIVELY ROSY PICTURE!!!!!!!!!! IF THEY HAD ONLY KNOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Otis_symbol]

R.I.P to the D

[@MaddieSmith]

She’s resurrecting. Great things coming.

[@Ellersbee]

What the hell happened?

[@JUSTICEFive13]

Detroit riots of 1967 they say the city was never the same after that

[@Ellersbee]

@@JUSTICEFive13 not racist but I’ve heard the same. Can’t believe how quickly the city went to udder hell

[@unc1589]

“Plenty of work and the bosses are paying!” The Temptations “Since I lost my baby.” Motor town.

[@Tupac4sure95]

THE AUTO COMPANIES LET DETROIT CRUMBLE 💩

[@Otis_symbol]

Union greed destroyed Detroit.

[@timbescorn8372]

No. The corrupt city government let it crumble. Once Coleman Young was elected in 1974 he made sure he and his cronies "got theirs" from the remaining white owned businesses and residents.

[@DennisSalonga-o8b]

💘💘💘💘💘👽👽👽👽👽

[@chazits]

Blame blame blame Is not my game Out with the old in with the new is my shrine For Im the arrow of time.

[@robertowarren7007]

On the rise...forget what the media says

[@Gregoryking-e9q]

Detroit is coming back in ran into hard time brcause or the jobs that was took away from them and the economy went down . because of Joe Biden state Detroit is coming back strong

[@Otis_symbol]

Lol..yeah 👀

[@naturalobserver1322]

Dementia Joe doesn't even know where Detroit is. 🙄

[@shawnholey6976]

Very Sad what has happened!😢😢 Even know I have loved Michigan my whole life, I think about leaving this waste land!You can not survive and live on memories!! WWG1WGA!🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥