Acclaimed chef and cable TV host Anthony Bourdain, who died of suicide in France, expressed his affection and admiration of Detroit in his CNN blog. Bourdain was known to be working on a documentary series about Detroit. He visited Detroit a few years ago as part of his CNN series.
Here is what Bourdain wrote in his blog:
“Detroit isn’t just a national treasure. It IS America. And wherever you may live, you wouldn’t be there — and wouldn’t be who you are in the same way — without Detroit.”
“The fall of the automobile industry, the shrinkage of population, flight of the middle class, drugs, and some of the most spectacularly, unapologetically rapacious, incompetent and corrupt leadership imaginable.
But I love Detroit. I think it’s beautiful. I think it’s one of the most beautiful cities in America — still. The same incompetence and neglect that led to its current state of affairs has, at least, left us with a cityscape that, even now, taunts us with the memories of our once outsized dreams.
Unlike most other cities who ran into trouble when steel or textiles or industry left town, Detroit didn’t (or couldn’t ) go on the usual idiot building spree, tearing down old buildings and paving over city center as “pedestrian malls,” ruining the city’s character and stripping its center in favor of the “shopping districts,” convention centers and faux “ye Olde Towne” hubs that so many places imagined would revive their fortunes and instead left their city centers empty, characterless and without heart — looking like everyplace else.
Detroit looks like nowhere else. Detroit looks like mother****in’ Detroit. As it should.
I’ll say it again. And again.
I love Detroit. I love Detroiters. You’ve got to have a sense of humor to live in a city so relentlessly ****ed. You’ve got to be tough — and occasionally even devious. And Detroiters are funny, tough — and supreme improvisers.”