Inside the Belle Isle Aquarium

A couple weeks ago, I saw on the Belle Aquarium Facebook group that they would be open on February 4th.  I was a little bummed because I had so much else to do yesterday but I figured out how I could make it work, so I ended up at the "Shiver on the River".

 The first thing that surprised me was the number of people that showed up for this event.  The aquarium wasn't even going to be full but there were many people there.  I guess that makes a pretty convincing argument that people will go to the aquarium.

 I've taken several pictures of the outside of the aquarium but I've taken them with people in them.  I think this possibly bodes well for things.

 After about 45 minutes of waiting in the line, I finally made it to this point.  Soon I would be inside the aquarium for the first time in about 20 years.  I wasn't quite sure what to expect but I wasn't expecting alot because I didn't want to be disappointed.

 Getting a little closer.  This aquarium may not be as large as some of the aquariums I have visited elsewhere but the building has some degree of character.  As I've pointed out before, it was designed by Albert Kahn.

 The face is Neptune, the God of the Sea.

 A shield of Detroit graces above the Aquarium sign.  On it is Detroit's motto, "Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus" which translates to "We hope for better things; it shall rise from the ashes".  I'm not sure where the first part comes from but I think the second may be a reference to the fire in 1806 that pretty much destroyed the city.  But I think the motto may be appropriate for the Aquarium as well.  Maybe some it will emerge from the ashes.

 A closeup of the face at the entrance.

 A closeup of one of the columns to the side of the entrance.

 Looking up at the seal.

 Looking up at the details above the entrance.

 When the aquarium closed in 2005, it was the oldest aquarium in continued existence in the country.  Unfortunately parts of it showed its age but I think it was pretty cool.

 Looking inside the aquarium.  The glass ceiling was deliberate.  It would be lit from skylights and was green to give the impression of being under the sea.

 I was actually surprised by the number of tanks that they had open.  I think there were about 10 or so.  I have to imagine it was a good deal of work to get it to this point.  I want to thank the people that put in the efforts to make this happen.

 One of the other fish.

 I think this is a map turtule.  I kind of wish the picture was a little clearer because I like the turtles pose.

 A tortoise.

 A small nurse shark and some fish.

A closer shot of the shark.  I think this is the fish that I was most surprised about.

 I'm not sure what kind of fish this is.

 Some of the tanks just had exhibits in them.

 Another one of the tanks.

 These are the koi from the pond that is by the conservatory.  They use the basement tanks to store them during the winter.  I am guessing that is part of the reason why the aquarium is in as good of shape as it is.

 Looking at the hallway from the other side.  I really love the look of the cieling.

A couple more fish.

From the brochure that was provided by the group, it sounds like they are planning some major renovations in the spring.  I hope that the turnout from yesterday, those renovations and some other things that are happening lead to a more permanent situation for the aquarium.  It would be a shame to let another one of Detroit's treasure fall to the wayside.

Once again, I would like to thank the group of people that put this together.  Maybe someday I might be able to see the eel tank in its full glory again.

Another Eagle Pic

Yesterday was a pretty busy day for me. It was my usual weekend to go up to my mom's. There was also the Shiver on the River at Belle Isle where they would have the aquarium open and then I was off to Grand Rapids to see a Griffins game.   All of this combined made for a long time.  So we'll start with first things first.....

Going up to my mom's means stopping by the eagle spot.  Unfortunately, my pictures of the eagles weren't the greatest and this was probably the most passable.  I still like it but I think it could be a little crisper.

Shiver on the River

This picture is a recycled picture but I needed to show it to talk about something else.

Speaking of revitalizations....

On this Saturday (February 4th, 2012), the Belle Isle Aquarium will be open to the public from 10 A.M. to 3 P.M. for a free event called "Shiver on the River".  I think this is the first time the aquarium has been open to the public since it closed in 2005.  They are going to have some fish in some of the tanks and there may be other events as well.  If you are in the area and can attend, please do.  I am guessing if there is a large enough show of support, this may become a more common occurrence.

NOTE:  I have since found out this is not the first time the aquarium has been open to the public since 2005 but this is the first time they have some exhibits in the tanks.  So like I said, if you are in Detroit and would like to see this become a more frequent occurrence please attend.

Random Buildings Around the David Stott

I decided to wander the area around the Stott Building for a bit.  I'd have to say this is probably one of the more impressive looking blocks in Detroit.  It is definately one of the few that has the feeling of a big city. 

 The orange building is the Guarding Building and this has been featured on this blog before.  The guy in the center of the picture started to ask me what I was taking pictures of....I basically ignored him because he seemed crazy.

Another angle looking down that street.

 The tall building is the Book Tower.  Someday, I will do a feature on that building.

 A closeup of the Book Tower.

Looking down Griswold from another vantage point.

I think I've said this repeatedly but I will say it again.  It is pretty easy to focus on the negative of Detroit.  People do that all the time.  But I don't think it offers anything positive for the city.  I think there are signs of progress and I hope those signs continue.  I don't think Detroit will ever be what it was in the 50's or 60's but it may become impressive again.

The David Stott Building

Slowly but surely, I am learning the various landmarks of Detroit.  For all the attention that people give to the Michigan Central Train Station and some of the other decrepit structures, I wish more attention would be given to the buildings in Detroit that are still viable.  Admittedly, they probably aren't as nice as they were in the day but they are still pretty nice looking buildings.

 So today, I will talk about the David Stott Building.  It is on Griswold Street just off of Michigan Avenue.  It is a block away from Lafayette Coney Island and is a pretty distinctive landmark.  New York and Chicago may have taller building but Detroit has some pretty asthetic buildings.

 This building was constructed in 1929 by Donaldson and  Meier.  It is another example of Art Deco in Detroit.

 It was named after a businessman in Detroit.

 The sculptures on the building are by Corrado Parducci.

 It is constructed of brick, marble and limestone.  It almost looks like it could be a relative to the Guardian Building.

 It is 37 stories and stands at 437 feet tall.

 It is part of the Capitol Park Historic District and near one of the places that was used by the Underground Railroad.  The district was so named because it served as Michigan's capitol from 1837 until 1847 when Lansing took over this role.

 I'll have to say it is a pretty impressive structure.

 I took a brief look inside.  Not quite as impressive as other buildings in Detroit though.

Probably one of my favorite angles for taking pictures of tall buildings.

Sweetest Heart of Mary Church - Detroit

Approximately 5 or 6 blocks away from St. Josaphat is another Church.  This was actually the Church that I saw when I was taking pictures of St. Josaphat and I was hoping to return some day.

I'm not a particularly religious person but I do appreciate the architecture of churches.  This particular one reminds me more of a Cathedral than a Church though.

 In the 19th Century, Detroit was a rising city and as a result many Polish immigrants settled there.  Many of these people attended St. Joseph's (another Church I'm gonna have to look up) which was a German speaking church.  Eventually they became dissatisfied and wanted to build their own church.

 In 1871, the Polish churchgoers built a frame church near where this church stands.

 In 1890, construction began on what would be the current church.  It was completed in 1893 and would be the largest Catholic Church in Michigan. 

 This church is probably the largest Gothic Revival Church in the Midwest.

 If this is how ornate the outside looks, I can only imagine what the inside looks like.

 I like the statue but I'm not too keen on the picture.

The stained glass windows were built by the Detroit Stained Glass works and have won awards.  The church has been undergoing some renovation but I can only imagine what it looked like in its heyday.

Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church - Detroit

A couple weeks ago, I took pictures of St. Josaphat in Detroit.  When I did that I noticed a couple of other churches in the area, so I wanted to take pictures of those some day.  I was heading up to Troy today, so I had my chance since I had a little time to kill.

I saw the first church as I first turned down Mack Avenue.  It didn't look like a Catholic Church and I thougth maybe it was a Lutheran Church.

 It turns out that the church is called Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church.  And probably the reason it looks like a Lutheran Church is that it was built by German Catholics.

 This church was the third German Catholic Church and was built in 1875.  It would served the German community until shortly after World War I as the Germans started to move out and the African Americans moved in.

 It was officially considered an African-American Catholic Church in 1938.  At this time the Congregation numbered around 1500 and they even had a school.

 After World War II, I-75 was constructed in this area which displaced many of the parishioners.  In 1957, the schools were closed.

In 1975, it was registered as a State Historic site and in 1980, it was designated as a National Historic Place.  It still serves weekly masses.