Flint Expatriates Battle Tropical Storm

My mom is riding out out Tropical Storm Beryl in Florida with her dog, Robby, and her cat, Prince III. Having grown up in Flint, she is unfazed by a little bad weather. Hang in there, Ma.

Mapping the Landscape of Underwater Mortgages

Think the United States is turning the corner on the housing crisis? This negative equity map from Zillow might change your mind. Just plug in a zip code to see the percentage of homeowners underwater on their mortgage in that area. In my old Civic Park neighborhood — the 48504 zip code —it's 65 percent, placing it in the worst 5 percent nationwide.

Mobile Homeless

Car culture has many forms in San Francisco. The so-called "mobile homeless" have had a prominent spot on city streets for years. I spotted all these vehicle/domiciles during a short walk in the Outer Mission area. The duct-taped Mercury (above and below) is usually parked in the same spot, which is good because there's only a small section of the front windshield that isn't taped over for privacy. Not exactly street legal, but local law enforcement is highly selective in how they enforce the rules and regulations of the road. The campers and vans roam around the neighborhood, avoiding parking violations and noisy neighbors.

Dream Cars

Now's my chance to own a hearse, er, Caprice wagon with faux woodgrain trim. Spotted this beauty outside the city dump on Tunnel Avenue in San Francisco, complete with a for sale sign in the back window. 

Dogs, Booze, Miss Pacman, and an Eclipse

It appears that conditions were not ideal for viewing the eclipse on Sunday in Michigan, but San Francisco lucked out with a fog-free day. It was still windy as hell on the top of Bernal Hill where I gathered with the other locals, who, as usual, arrived with dogs and various libations. (If you expand the photos with the sun immediately above and below, you can see a tiny reflection of the eclipse off the camera lens. It's just below the guy's forearm in the shot below, and in the lower right in the shot above. It looks like Miss Pacman.)

Flint Photos: Riverbank Park Construction

Special thanks to Deb Knudsen for the photos.

Elm Park and Floral Park

Does anyone know the boundaries of the Elm Park and Floral Park subdivisions in Flint to the southeast of downtown? I believe big sections of both neighborhoods are taken up with highways at this point. A map would be a big help. Thanks for any assistance.

Remembering and Reviving Riverbank Park

Riverbank Park in downtown Flint shortly after it opened in 1979.

UPDATE: Thanks for all the feedback on this post asking for recollections of Riverbank Park. Now you can do even more to help revive this downtown landmark. Cade Surface writes:

I was wondering if you might give a shout out to the “Riverbank Park Revival” project entry for the “Let’s Save Michigan” placemaking contest. “Let’s Save Michigan” is an organization dedicated to economic development in the state based on the creation and reservation of vibrant communities, transit, and public spaces. This contest was created so communities could take an underused or overlooked public space and help it become an important public place. Riverbank Park was submitted and accepted as a prime candidate, but now it is up to a public vote to decide who moves on to the final round of judging. If you’d be so kind, I think your readers could add to our momentum. All they have to do is follow this link  http://letssavemichigan.com/placemaking-contest/entry/riverbank-park-revival-project-flint/ and enter their email address to vote. They can also vote once per day! 

Here's the original post:

Cade Surface, a recent UM-Flint graduate and current Carriage Town homeowner, is conducting research on Riverbank Park for the Flint River Corridor Alliance to assist with several projects related to programming and maintenance work at the park.

The park was designed by esteemed landscape architect Lawrence Halprin, although many debate how much work he actually did on it. I've had very mixed feelings about the park over the years, but it has really grown on me lately. The reduction of the water level through downtown has left many features dry and unused. It would be great to see the park up and running at full capacity again.

Cade is asking the readers of Flint Expatriates to offer up any memories or thoughts on Riverbank Park, as well as any old photos or memorabilia. He'd like to document the history of the park as part of the efforts to help restore it. You can comment on this post or email me any digital photos or thoughts. I'll pass them along to Cade. Or you can send info directly to Cade at csurface(at)umflint(dot)edu.By the way, longtime readers might remember Cade as the guy who once gave me a tour of his frat house. He's a good guy. Let's try and help him out. (He bought a house in Flint, after all, so let's show him a little gratitude.

Early fundraising and promotional materials.

"Sponsor a piece of the park."

The Archimedes' screw.

An early concert shortly after Riverbank Park opened with the short-lived Duane Hatchett sculpture visible in the background.

Flint Photos: Wood Street in the Early 1900s

Flint Artifacts: Buick Stop Leak