Here's a last-minute opportunity for NN14-goers—or anyone in downtown Detroit on Sunday, 7/20 (or Friday, 7/18): a custom tour with Michael Boettcher.
Given the enthusiastic response to the AFL-CIO sponsored tour that is taking place on Wednesday afternoon (which was overbooked almost immediately after it was made available), we know that there is strong interest in learning something more about Detroit while you’re here. But that particular event has long been full, and so I thought of organizing another possibility.
Michael is an urban planner who has extensive experience with Detroit, having worked in the city planning department and with several different community organizations in the past 15 years. His master’s is from Wayne State University, where he specialized in urban economic redevelopment.
I met Michael last summer when I was checking out available tours of the downtown area, to see what I might be able to recommend to folks attending NN14. Now, I already know a lot about Detroit, but Michael knows considerably more than I do about the specific places that are of significance for our history. He can comfortably present the key events and the related architecture, but also the stages of the city during which these events took place, all within a graceful narrative uniting the whole.
Here’s his description of the planned tour:
For the conference, I am offering … two-hour walking tours of Downtown Detroit history, architecture and development, with a focus on sites important to women’s, labor, race and LGBT movements as they happened here. [Two hours] will allow attendees to experience many important sites and stories in a compact area, and not get too tired along the way. We will see locations of women’s strikes in the late 1800s that informed the larger labor movement of the 1930s; the first acknowledged gay and lesbian meeting places in Detroit from the 1940s; the site of Detroit’s 1863 race riots and many others.
Of course, with a crowded daytime schedule during NN14, it’s difficult to find an open time that would be suitable for a walking tour. But Sunday is relatively unscheduled. We’d like to offer two tours to start on Sunday: one from 9-11, and one from 12-2. We’d meet at the Pylon on Hart Plaza—the tall twisted tower across Jefferson from the Fist—and go from there. (An overflow will be offered on Friday 7/18 from 3:30-5:30 PM).
Unfortunately, this is not an official convention event, and we will be asking for a contribution to pay for Michael’s time and expertise. The fee is $10.00 per person. It would be helpful to have payment in advance to guarantee your spot, and to make sure we meet the minimum of 12 participants. But you may also show up with cash, unless we meet our capacity of 30 per tour through pre-registrations. IN THE EVENT THAT ONE OR MORE TOUR TIME FILLS UP, THAT WILL BE ANNOUNCED VIA A DIARY. Please contact me via my email to get the information about registration; that will also help us keep count: peregrinekate AT gmail DOT com
So what do you think? You can vote in the poll, make a comment, or (best of all) drop me an email for registration information.
Full disclosure: I won't gain anything myself except for reimbursement for any PayPal costs from advance payment for these tours. But it's important for you to know as well that there are also other tours offered regularly of the downtown and near-downtown areas. Some of these tours are even free. If my time permits, I might prepare a list for online reference by NN14 attendees. However, it's also true that without advance arrangements, and hence a fee, these tours would not have a political slant.
If you have any questions, please feel free to raise them below or via Kosmail or email. Many thanks for your interest in Detroit!