View From a Hotel Window, 7/18/14: View of Two Countries Edition
Posted on July 18, 2014 Posted by John Scalzi 27 Comments
In the foreground of this picture is the United States; in the background, and unusually, south, is the great Nation of Canada. From these facts you may ascertain that I am very near the waterfront in Detroit. Also, when Steve Perry sings of someone being “born and raised in South Detroit,” he may be speaking of someone growing up, Eloise-like, in this very hotel, because as far as Detroit goes, this is as south as it gets.
Detcon1 is a very good convention so far; I had one panel yesterday which seems to have gone well, had dinner in Greektown and then hung about in the bar with friends until it was time to lose consciousness. In all, an excellent day. Today I have two panels, a reading and I’m taking part in the mass autographing. Which is to say a pretty busy day. I’m gonna get to it.
I’ve attended lots of con panels, served on a few, and I too always get that feeling that it “seems to have gone well.” I feel like cons need an all-night coffee shop where you can sit and worry over the panel until the reviews come in…
Speaking of Eloise, have you seen Pat Rothfuss’ review of that particular book? Amusement abounds. (I don’t think he liked it.) https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/568883186?book_show_action=false&page=1
Refer to you as Eloise. Got it!
Is it just me, or is the grass literally greener on the other side of the river?
Because I’m sure you just are dying to know about South Detroit and Street Light People
http://www.mlive.com/entertainment/detroit/index.ssf/2012/01/steve_perry_finally_answers_th.html
So wait… South Detroit is Canada? Steve Perry wrote a song about the travails of immigration!
It all makes so much sense now.
I’ve always assumed (correctly, as Icarus’ link indicates) that Steve Perry didn’t know what the hell he was talking about when he referenced South Detroit. So, in an attempt to make sense of the lyric (whenever I give a damn, which is not often), I assumed he was talking more downriver-ish, over in the River Rouge, Mexican Village, Corktown area, which would be fairly consistent with the lyrics in general, those being pretty rough-and-tumble areas of the city.
you know… i gotta stop ignoring fly over country. I didn’t realize that detroit was on the border. I went and looked at google maps and was thought damn… given detroits economic woes, an invasion by the great state of canada to seize detroit would save us all alot of money.
just saying. its right there on the border canada.
Do you find that hotel bars usually have Coke Zero for your evening hanging-out-in-the-bar enjoyment, or do you have to fall back to some other beverage less to your preference?
Apropos of the comments about the grass being greener and the pending invasion, I was once working in Detroit for the week without a rental car and had an evening to kill, so I thought I’d walk across and look around. It turns out that the Google Maps directions for that start with a variant of “Walk around the lake.” You literally can’t walk across either of the connecting bridges from Detroit. Not sure if that’s a symptom of Windsor protecting itself or if it’s just a symptom of a local culture where nobody walks.
never been to a convention.. when I went to the detcon1 page… I noticed something. No kids. Im 40 and from the looks of people on the guest list, I’d be considered a ‘kid’. Do these conventions skew older?
I would find all that Canada extremely distracting while trying to host a panel.
I know that hotel view but I’ll preserve your privacy. I live 20 miles away but didn’t make plans for the Con because I thought I’d be in Germany. But I got home 2 days early and have to split again right away so no nerdgathering for me.
Greektown has such a high reputation for food that it’s almost impossible to get anything but a great meal.
Hope you’re enjoying this week’s nice weather and your stay in the Motor City.
Oh, and if you’re looking for exotic entertainment ask a local about the Windsor Ballet.
Guess: Worldcons and NaSFiCs skew older than other conventions, because they tend to be rather more expensive than smaller conventions. They fall into that awkward size where they need more than a single hotel’s worth of function space, but can’t take over an entire convention center, (and don’t have 20,000 members to share that cost with anyway). Local cons are generally both less expensive and less greying. Of course, they don’t have the sheer density of authors a Worldcon or NaSFiC does.
Athena had a great time in the Arisia party; she may be badgering you to come (back) to Boston in January and party with 4000 fans.
OK, just stick that song in my head and walk away all casual. :)
are you starting any trouble with all the liberals from Netroots nation? (they are staying at the same hotel)
I heard an interview where Steve Perry said he was willing to go along with the idea that South Detroit was Windsor.
Also, this:
http://www.detroiteasternmarket.com/
@cally is it really the price that keeps put kids or does it appeal to old farts and kids dont want to be around old fossils? Not impressed with the diversity committee. They discriminate against young people.
It would be appropriate if they had nasfic hemroid pillows.
Enjoy Detroit! I went to the University of Windsor for a few years. Greektown was always awesome. Mexicantown too. Get some Queso flamado :) and margaritas! I remember those years fondly as my friends and I often crossed the border for dinner, or clubbing. And poetry readings. Always fun.
How is Detroit these days? I’ve heard so much about the city’s travails over the years. Hopefully its on the upswing?
Greg,
The media tends to focus on the worst. Detroit, without a doubt, has its problems, but in many ways it’s still strong and vibrant, at least in sections of the city. My niece and her husband moved from the Boston area and chose to live in the city. Most of us thought they were nuts, but I think in a lot of ways they really enjoy it.
Boyd Nation:The sidewalk on the Ambassador Bridge has been closed for decades, and was officially closed in October 2001. The sidewalks on the Blue Water Bridge were made into vehicular lanes in the 1980s. You don’t even want to *think* about using the tunnel on foot.
Steve Perry has said that he was just turning a phrase, because West Detroit didn’t scan. Being a California kid, he had no idea that “South Detroit” was Canada. I grew up Downriver, and we just claimed it…. (Don’t Stop Believin’ was our senior class song. No, I didn’t vote for it.)
Guess, I’ve not run a statistically accurate poll. Have you? I can say that the teens and twenties I’ve talked to have mentioned cost a lot.
Ha, looks very like a hotel view I had a couple of months ago — close enough to Canada that my cell phone provider was still reachable. Try the wings at the Sweetwater Tavern.