[Bydand]

Originally Posted by scolls

I can also go into the worst city and take the same pics as posted before mine.

But, the ones before yours more accurately depict Sault Ste. Marie.

[Bydand]

Try this set (http://www.flickr.com/photos/13717226@N00/sets/72157621889500213/ - broken link) for some photos of the real downtown in the Sault and also by the locks and on one of the tour boats through the locks.

[michmoldman]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Try this set (http://www.flickr.com/photos/13717226@N00/sets/72157621889500213/ - broken link) for some photos of the real downtown in the Sault and also by the locks and on one of the tour boats through the locks.

See, now I havent been to the Soo much, but when we went last year...this is the Soo we saw. It was summer, it was people everywhere, we went to some awesome little stores, seen the freighters...which we loved...we had a great time!

[skyl4rk]

Its odd that some of the poorer parts of town are closer to the river. Maybe that is where the older housing is. Another theory is that area is downwind of the steel mill across the river.

UP residential architecture tends to be more functional than beautiful.

[danielj72]

Originally Posted by scolls

I can also go into the worst city and take the same pics as posted before mine.

Congratulations, you found the wrong side of town. Everyone who lives in the Sault knows about that area. Those areas along ridge street have been run down for years. That is not how the whole town looks, in fact its a small part of town. The Soo is an old town, and it does have a couple of run down areas. However, it is overall a nice place to live or visit. The natural beauty in the eastern UP area, close proximity to Canada are all reasons to love that area. The Soo is not for everyone, I know you prefer southeast Michigan and the things it offers. There are lots of us however that like places like the Soo. The Soo as a whole is not as bad as those pictures look. I will grant you though, that part of town is the pits.

[scolls]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Scolls, you lived up to exactly what I expected you to do for the photos. A couple things though.

The smoke stacks you are complaining about in the first photo -- Soo Canada, not Michigan.

The "business" you commented on -- empty for about 25 years. Was a small neighborhood market, that was owned by an elderly couple. She died and he just gave up on everything. Sits on the corner of Ridge and Magazine street in one of the poorer neighborhoods.

The other "store" photo is the corner of Spruce and Osbourn, which is not "downtown", it is 2 blocks behind the main street through the downtown area.

Your "middle class" neighborhoods are also taken in the same area which is one of the poorer sections of town.

Like I said before, if you are going to take photos, at least take some that really are representative of the area. But like I also said before, you did exactly what I figured you would do, drive around until you got into the poorer neighborhoods and take photos of the crummiest things you could find. Too bad you don't notice that none of the houses in your photos have junk in the front yards, vehicles up on blocks, or even porches that need replacement. What there are in those photos are working class houses that are emerging from winter and the grass isn't green yet, windows are not broken, yards are picked up (very small but clean). Neighborhoods that are poor and struggling, but NOT the average neighborhood in the Soo when it comes to size or income levels.

Where are the photos of the neighborhoods up around the college where some rather nice homes are located? Where are the photos of the old storefronts right downtown that are in nice shape? Where are the photos of ANYTHING on any of the main streets in town? All I see are photos that are some of the oldest and poorest side streets.

That was around the college I turned left out of the college drove down a couple blocks and made another left. I asked about a month ago where the nice areas of the Soo were. No one would tell me. Making a second trip there just made it seem worse. Glad I never have to return. I can't imagine going from California to there. I couldn't even imagine going from Gaylord to there. What a depressing town.

[scolls]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Try this set (http://www.flickr.com/photos/13717226@N00/sets/72157621889500213/ - broken link) for some photos of the real downtown in the Sault and also by the locks and on one of the tour boats through the locks.

All that is is the locks. You do know there is a whole town behind there? That's like going to Detroit and taking pics of Belle Isle. Speaking of Detroit, that one street in the Soo reminded me of when I drove down Kerchival the other day.

[Bydand]

Originally Posted by scolls

That was around the college

Nope, try lying to someone who has never lived there before. Ridge street is nowhere near the University, and is NOT typical of the Soo.

All that is is the locks. You do know there is a whole town behind there?

I know far better than you do. I lived there, not visited twice with a chip on my shoulder both time. I know where the town is, do you? That would be a fair question because you haven't posted any photo from downtown.

Most of that set is the locks, just like I said. There is also a couple photos of downtown in the set.

Speaking of Detroit, that one street in the Soo reminded me of when I drove down Kerchival the other day.

If you are going to slam something, at least get the spelling right of the dump you are comparing it to. It's Kercheval. The difference is that the Soo isn't riddled with gang tagging, or large empty spots where the houses fell in or was burned out. Try again, this is yet another fail for a comparison.

[darstar]

Its very interesting that the SOO draws so much criticism. Over the last 3 years , it comes up every so often on these threads , and elsewhere. There seems to be a love-hate relationship with a lot of folks that live there or have in the past. I hate to generalize , but the whole Eastern UP seems to share this up and down reaction. May be that being the closest and most direct to the access of the Lower Michigan has something to do with it. I spent a few nights on Drummond Island a few years ago , and around Cederville....quite a strong connection with the more populated areas down south...not my cup of tea.
Here in the Western UP the mind-set is different, local civic loyalty being what it is in Marquette County. Same thing going on over in Kewenaw Country, and down around Iron Mt. and that area. Could it be that the Western UP has a closer connection to Chicago than Detroit ? Could it be the Cheese Land influence ?......All this sounds silly , but seems to be true and I am surely biased, as My years in Detroit were not happy ones, while Chicago , always seemed like home, even before I moved there from the rural Midwest.

[scolls]

Originally Posted by Bydand

Nope, try lying to someone who has never lived there before. Ridge street is nowhere near the University, and is NOT typical of the Soo.



I know far better than you do. I lived there, not visited twice with a chip on my shoulder both time. I know where the town is, do you? That would be a fair question because you haven't posted any photo from downtown.

Most of that set is the locks, just like I said. There is also a couple photos of downtown in the set.



If you are going to slam something, at least get the spelling right of the dump you are comparing it to. It's Kercheval. The difference is that the Soo isn't riddled with gang tagging, or large empty spots where the houses fell in or was burned out. Try again, this is yet another fail for a comparison.

It couldn't have been more than 2 miles from the college. I left the college drove down the main road a ways, turned left, and ended up near some abandoned building.

Kercheval also goes into Grosse Pointe. You automatically assumed (Freaudian slip?) I meant Detroit which was accurate.

There was nothing to see in downtown. I stopped by the Subway by the locks. It was just a generic downtown.