Why hasn't Boardwalk Empire come to Detroit? (Wayne: roughest, houses)

[Tyveker]

For those who've seen this show (and it's probably the best thing on now, mind you), isn't it completely unfathomable that it has yet to come to Detroit? The show takes place in prohibition-era Atlantic City (a city which, like Detroit, saw quite a bit of problems in the latter half of the 20th century) and trails the growth of organized crime, making appearances at all the other big cities of the time - Chicago, Philadelphia, and New York. But Detroit hasn't even been mentioned, which seems a bit historically myopic considering that Detroit was a big center for alcohol smuggling from Canada.

They could introduced Gaspar Milazzo as coordinating deals with Al Capone, who is one of the characters in the show.

Let's, er, campaign for Boardwalk Empire to come to Detroit in season 3!

[francisgrunow]

I agree. I really have been enjoying Boardwalk Empire on HBO GO, but have been sad that there hasn't been nary a mention of Detroit, the Purple Gang, etc., over the show's five seasons. I get it, Chicago and Capone stand in for the Midwest, but I think it's oversight to have the characters, both the gangsters and law enforcement, leave Detroit out when talking strategically during numerous detailed exchanges. During Prohibition, bootlegging was Detroit's second industry, netting $215 million per year, [url=http://reuther.wayne.edu/node/8334]Walter P. Reuther Library[/url].

[usroute10]

I guess Detroit doesn't conjure up images of prohibition-era gangsters like Chicago and New York do. Plus, maybe they think the whole city is so run-down that they can't shoot any good scenes like in those other cities. This excuse was given for the made-for-TV movie series, "The Temptations" about 12 years ago, which was shot in Pittsburgh and not Detroit.

[MS313]

Originally Posted by usroute10

I guess Detroit doesn't conjure up images of prohibition-era gangsters like Chicago and New York do. Plus, maybe they think the whole city is so run-down that they can't shoot any good scenes like in those other cities. This excuse was given for the made-for-TV movie series, "The Temptations" about 12 years ago, which was shot in Pittsburgh and not Detroit.

There are plenty of occupied neighborhoods where they could have shot scenes. It really doesn't take much to shoot some scenes in occupied areas.

[WayneCounty]

Originally Posted by usroute10

I guess Detroit doesn't conjure up images of prohibition-era gangsters like Chicago and New York do. Plus, maybe they think the whole city is so run-down that they can't shoot any good scenes like in those other cities. This excuse was given for the made-for-TV movie series, "The Temptations" about 12 years ago, which was shot in Pittsburgh and not Detroit.

Good points indeed. Detroit certainly is very run down city wide... and it is no surprise they wouldn't want to film here. Driving into Downtown Detroit down Fort, Michigan, Grand River, Woodward, Gratiot, Jefferson, you name it is depressing.

Or, maybe BE just doesn't find our prohibition-era history that interesting and we're overanalyzing everything.

[WayneCounty]

Originally Posted by MS313

There are plenty of occupied neighborhoods where they could have shot scenes. It really doesn't take much to shoot some scenes in occupied areas.

It's a needle in a haystack, Mississippi 313. For every occupied stretch of land there's ten blocks of semi or entirely vacant land filled with burnt out buildings, crack houses, and a good well maintained house with an old white lady sitting inside with her glock. It's a disappointing reality, really...

[MS313]

Originally Posted by WayneCounty

It's a needle in a haystack, Mississippi 313. For every occupied stretch of land there's ten blocks of semi or entirely vacant land filled with burnt out buildings, crack houses, and a good well maintained house with an old white lady sitting inside with her glock. It's a disappointing reality, really...

"Mississippi 313"??? "M.S." is my initials bruh.

For every mostly occupied block (because I wasn't even talking about completely occupied blocks) there are 10 mostly vacant blocks? Which would make Detroit almost 90% vacant? Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds? Even if we were strictly talking about the eastside, it still wouldn't even be close to accurate. Detroit is not a pretty city but it has enough problems without people trying to exaggerate it's existing problems. You stay trying to accuse me of being a blind Detroit booster but you are just as much of a blind Detroit hater, at least I try to stick to facts when I open my mouth. Multiple survey's have stated that somewhere around 21% of Detroit is vacant (way far off from the 90% that you somehow estimated).

Here's a better scope of things:
http://datadrivendetroit.org/wp-cont...cLotsAllBG.pdf
Looks far from a needle in a haystack to me. Had what you said been true, 90% of this map would be covered in dark green (which means over 50% abandoned). Literally every other color on the map besides the darkest green is mostly (more than 50%) occupied.

Anyway, we were talking about movies right? You mean to tell me Transformers can make shoot scenes in Detroit and make it look like Chicago, LA, and China without anyone knowing the difference but the location scouting crew couldn't find a few well maintained blocks to shoot some scenes? Well... judging by the miles of light green in that map, I'd say the location scouting crew should have been fired. You barely even need an entire block to shoot a movie scene. Even the movie crossover could find some good spots in neighborhoods where there were mostly flats. And those neighborhoods are some of the roughest.

[WayneCounty]

Originally Posted by MS313

"Mississippi 313"??? "M.S." is my initials bruh.

For every mostly occupied block (because I wasn't even talking about completely occupied blocks) there are 10 mostly vacant blocks? Which would make Detroit almost 90% vacant? Do you even realize how ridiculous that sounds? Even if we were strictly talking about the eastside, it still wouldn't even be close to accurate. Detroit is not a pretty city but it has enough problems without people trying to exaggerate it's existing problems. You stay trying to accuse me of being a blind Detroit booster but you are just as much of a blind Detroit hater, at least I try to stick to facts when I open my mouth. Multiple survey's have stated that somewhere around 21% of Detroit is vacant (way far off from the 90% that you somehow estimated).

Here's a better scope of things:
http://datadrivendetroit.org/wp-cont...cLotsAllBG.pdf
Looks far from a needle in a haystack to me. Had what you said been true, 90% of this map would be covered in dark green (which means over 50% abandoned). Literally every other color on the map besides the darkest green is mostly (more than 50%) occupied.

Anyway, we were talking about movies right? You mean to tell me Transformers can make shoot scenes in Detroit and make it look like Chicago, LA, and China without anyone knowing the difference but the location scouting crew couldn't find a few well maintained blocks to shoot some scenes? Well... judging by the miles of light green in that map, I'd say the location scouting crew should have been fired. You barely even need an entire block to shoot a movie scene. Even the movie crossover could find some good spots in neighborhoods where there were mostly flats. And those neighborhoods are some of the roughest.

Semi vacant, semi blighted or entirely vacant/blighted. I count any block that has blighted buildings or stretches of vacant land as blighted. Over half of properties in Detroit are blighted or vacant. I'm not making up anything when I say Detroit is screwed up. There shouldn't be any denial about this.

[MS313]

Originally Posted by WayneCounty

Semi vacant, semi blighted or entirely vacant/blighted. I count any block that has blighted buildings or stretches of vacant land as blighted. Over half of properties in Detroit are blighted or vacant. I'm not making up anything when I say Detroit is screwed up. There shouldn't be any denial about this.

Oh NOW you want to be more clear. Just in your last post you were talking about the other 10 blocks having only one (or a few) occupied home on the block where an old white lady keeps her glock. But as I said in my last post, "I wasn't even talking about completely occupied blocks" and I also said "Detroit is not a pretty city" meaning yes, it is rough, very rough. The fact is, you honestly don't need a crispy clean perfect block to shoot a movie scene.

[WayneCounty]

Originally Posted by MS313

Oh NOW you want to be more clear. Just in your last post you were talking about the other 10 blocks having only one (or a few) occupied home on the block where an old white lady keeps her glock. But as I said in my last post, "I wasn't even talking about completely occupied blocks" and I also said "Detroit is not a pretty city" meaning yes, it is rough, very rough. The fact is, you honestly don't need a crispy clean perfect block to shoot a movie scene.

Does every thread have to end with you starting an argument about how safe and awesome Detroit is and someone half sane arguing back? I'm at Grand Blvd at Rosa Parks right now half a block from the Motown Museum and funeral home and Detroit looks dumpy as ever. I clarified my statement that 9/10 blocks have blighted or vacant properties on them, not refuted it. Bajeezus. I didn't say we don't have nice blocks, just that they are overall far and few between outside Downtown, Midtown, and Lafayette Park.....