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A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City
A young college grad buys a house in Detroit for $500 and attempts to restore it—and his new neighborhood—to its original glory in this “deeply felt, sharply observed personal quest to create meaning and community out of the fallen…A standout” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review).
Drew Philp, an idealistic college student from a working-class Michigan family, decides to live where he can make a difference. He sets his sights on Detroit, the failed metropolis of abandoned buildings, widespread poverty, and rampant crime. Arriving with no job, no friends, and no money, Philp buys a ramshackle house for five hundred dollars in the east side neighborhood known as Poletown. The roomy Queen Anne he now owns is little more than a clapboard shell on a crumbling brick foundation, missing windows, heat, water, electricity, and a functional roof.
A $500 House in Detroit is Philp’s raw and earnest account of rebuilding everything but the frame of his house, nail by nail and room by room. “Philp is a great storyteller…[and his] engrossing” (Booklist) tale is also of a young man finding his footing in the city, the country, and his own generation. We witness his concept of Detroit shift, expand, and evolve as his plan to save the city gives way to a life forged from political meaning, personal connection, and collective purpose. As he assimilates into the community of Detroiters around him, Philp guides readers through the city’s vibrant history and engages in urgent conversations about gentrification, racial tensions, and class warfare.
Part social history, part brash generational statement, part comeback story, A $500 House in Detroit “shines [in its depiction of] the ‘radical neighborliness’ of ordinary people in desperate circumstances” (Publishers Weekly). This is an unforgettable, intimate account of the tentative revival of an American city and a glimpse at a new way forward for generations to come.
Drew Philp, an idealistic college student from a working-class Michigan family, decides to live where he can make a difference. He sets his sights on Detroit, the failed metropolis of abandoned buildings, widespread poverty, and rampant crime. Arriving with no job, no friends, and no money, Philp buys a ramshackle house for five hundred dollars in the east side neighborhood known as Poletown. The roomy Queen Anne he now owns is little more than a clapboard shell on a crumbling brick foundation, missing windows, heat, water, electricity, and a functional roof.
A $500 House in Detroit is Philp’s raw and earnest account of rebuilding everything but the frame of his house, nail by nail and room by room. “Philp is a great storyteller…[and his] engrossing” (Booklist) tale is also of a young man finding his footing in the city, the country, and his own generation. We witness his concept of Detroit shift, expand, and evolve as his plan to save the city gives way to a life forged from political meaning, personal connection, and collective purpose. As he assimilates into the community of Detroiters around him, Philp guides readers through the city’s vibrant history and engages in urgent conversations about gentrification, racial tensions, and class warfare.
Part social history, part brash generational statement, part comeback story, A $500 House in Detroit “shines [in its depiction of] the ‘radical neighborliness’ of ordinary people in desperate circumstances” (Publishers Weekly). This is an unforgettable, intimate account of the tentative revival of an American city and a glimpse at a new way forward for generations to come.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published April 11, 2017
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1124 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 194 reviews
March 30, 2017
I myself just live 3.5 miles north of the 8 Mile Road division line of Detroit and the suburbs, just off of Gratiot, the name the author gave to his adopted dog. My grandparents and great aunts and uncles all lived in the "city" at one time and slowly moved out.
Since that time a lot has gone down, and many people moved out.
Drew, the author, after graduating college, decided he wanted to move to the city from a comfortable life in the suburbs, in search for a more authentic life. He buys a huge abandoned Queen Anne at an auction for $500, which is really only a shell of a house.
This is a memoir of his work, all his difficulties, and also the friendships and relationships he has made in the process. I actually learned quite a bit I didn't know about Detroit's history.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Drew Philp for the early eBook!
Since that time a lot has gone down, and many people moved out.
Drew, the author, after graduating college, decided he wanted to move to the city from a comfortable life in the suburbs, in search for a more authentic life. He buys a huge abandoned Queen Anne at an auction for $500, which is really only a shell of a house.
This is a memoir of his work, all his difficulties, and also the friendships and relationships he has made in the process. I actually learned quite a bit I didn't know about Detroit's history.
Thank you to NetGalley, Simon and Schuster, and Drew Philp for the early eBook!
March 14, 2017
3.5 Stars.
The title, A $500 HOUSE IN DETROIT, drew me in as I lived the first 25 years of my life in a suburb of Detroit and still have many relatives who reside there. Over the last several decades, I've heard stories about the suspicious fires, needless destruction, and of course, the city's ultimate downfall and bankruptcy that author Drew Philp addresses here.
This work of non-fiction centers around Drew himself as a young naive man with a big heart, a lot of backbone and very limited funds who purchases an old dilapidated (but cool) Queen Anne style house at auction for $500. As he describes his trials and tribulations in bringing it back to its former glory, we meet Drew's family members and several of his new neighbors who help get him through many freezing cold Michigan nights without heat and scary moments living alone when unwanted visitors come to call.
We also meet Drew's new pal Gratiot the rescue puppy (named after a well-known street), and hear scary stories about the world's largest toxic incinerator, but most of all we learn how one man bonds with a small community called Poltown, and just down right wants to make a difference.
I would love to know more about the birdhouses made with date nails from the 1960's, see a photo of the Queen Anne at completion and am hopeful many more young people will follow in Drew's footsteps to bring back to life a deserted city.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Scribner for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
April 9, 2017
I almost gave up on a $500 House in Detroit, but I'm glad I didn't. It's not perfect, but somewhere in the middle it had me fully engaged and by the end I was even a bit teary. Drew Philp moved to Detroit when he was 23 years old. He had very little money, was a few credits shy of a degree from the University of Michigan, and had the idea that he wanted to fix up an old house in Detroit. At first, Philp's book seemed a bit aimless and a bit too self-aggrandizing. But as I got into it, I really started to appreciate Philp as a person, and I also loved that his book covered far more than his personal story. He weaves in some older Detroit history, a vivid portrait of the economics and politics of Detroit over the last 10 years, great anecdotes about how he forged his way into the community, thoughtful musings about urban revival and strong views about racial and economic inequality. By the end, Philp had me paying attention to some of my own preconceptions. Living in Toronto, over the last few years, Detroit is viewed as a new must go to destination -- young hip urban dwellers have transformed the city into a place with great food and art. Philp's book brings a sobering counterpoint to that portrait. Much of the renewal has been at the expense of poor black families who continue to lose their houses due to unpaid taxes and who continue to have crappy schools and services. There is nuance to Philp's view of Detroit, but the underlying point is that there's no heroism in benefitting from other people's misery. Real efforts have to be made to be part of a community, and to finding ways to truly bridge economic and racial divides. There is idealism to Philp's vision, but it strikes me that it's not just the idealism of youth but the idealism that comes from rolling up his sleeves -- over and over again -- to work on his house and become part of his community. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
July 15, 2017
3.5 stars
This book is very hard for me to review. There are parts that I really liked, but parts that I felt were very self-serving. Not too far into the book I garnered a dislike for the author. He seemed to be very arrogant and haughty, disguised behind his stated insecurities. In his youthful age, and lack of any practical experience, he was ready to take on the world. With that type of enthusiasm, I should have been delighted - a young man raring to go and start his life under his terms. However, I believe his arrogance got in the way.
As the story went on, I mellowed towards Drew Philp, but not to the point of actually liking him. I think I came away from the book with a wanworth of respect for some of his ideals and for some of the selfless acts he participated in.
The book not only outlined the renovation of an elderly Queen Anne house in Detroit, but also gives you insight into some of the reasons behind the fall of that city. Political views and political interference was well documented.
I did enjoy the premise of the book, the renovation of the Queen Anne house and the community of the neighborhood in which it sits. For a white man to buy, move in and renovate a house in an all black neighborhood, in a city that is known for failure and violence, is quite the undertaking. Then to find a way to be accepted by that community is surprising. For those two instances I applaud the tenacity and strength of Drew Philp.
This book is very hard for me to review. There are parts that I really liked, but parts that I felt were very self-serving. Not too far into the book I garnered a dislike for the author. He seemed to be very arrogant and haughty, disguised behind his stated insecurities. In his youthful age, and lack of any practical experience, he was ready to take on the world. With that type of enthusiasm, I should have been delighted - a young man raring to go and start his life under his terms. However, I believe his arrogance got in the way.
As the story went on, I mellowed towards Drew Philp, but not to the point of actually liking him. I think I came away from the book with a wanworth of respect for some of his ideals and for some of the selfless acts he participated in.
The book not only outlined the renovation of an elderly Queen Anne house in Detroit, but also gives you insight into some of the reasons behind the fall of that city. Political views and political interference was well documented.
I did enjoy the premise of the book, the renovation of the Queen Anne house and the community of the neighborhood in which it sits. For a white man to buy, move in and renovate a house in an all black neighborhood, in a city that is known for failure and violence, is quite the undertaking. Then to find a way to be accepted by that community is surprising. For those two instances I applaud the tenacity and strength of Drew Philp.
February 5, 2017
I wanted to read Drew Philp's book A $500 House in Detroit because he, like so many other young people, have returned to the city to make it home, to help establish a new city, a better city. Like the young man at my hair salon who bought a house in Brightmoor , who, starting from scratch, is making a new kind of house for a new generation.
Philp came from a rural area of Michigan, from generations of people who worked with their hands. He attended University of Michigan but was repulsed by the values and life style of wealth. He wanted something different, more authentic. Instead of taking a high salary job he wanted to find a life with meaning. He moved to Detroit and worked sanding floors, a 'token white' for an African American company, becoming their public face when selling in the suburbs.
When Philp bought his Poletown house at auction for $500 it was an empty shell--well, empty but for piles of human waste and the sawed off front end of a car. Philp worked all day and restored his house all night. When he moved in he had no heat; it was a brutal winter without even hot water. It nearly broke his spirit and his health.
When we saw 'gentrification' in Philly, when people were moving in and restoring grand old homes, or factories being put to new use as housing, the city was not as far gone as Detroit. It seems like this is something new--Neighborhoods literally turned into 'urban prairie' with a few houses here and there, cut off from city services and protection. And kids like a twenty-three-year-old Philp deciding to move in and start from scratch.
And that 'scratch' includes community. Philp's heart-warming stories of acceptance and integration into the existing community is enviable. For few of us in the 'burbs know our neighbors anymore. The block parties of my youth and the mothers all looking out for the kids are things of the past.
Philp's book was eye opening on so many levels, including his history of Detroit's fall, the politics of corruption, the inequity that began long ago with 'urban renewal', and the value system of consumerism and business profit is well presented.
I communicated with Philp and he graciously answered some questions I posed.
Nancy: Few people have the will to live an authentic life based on values that are in tension with social expectations. I was wondering if you would talk about that.
Philp: I think much of my generation wants to live authentically, and in fact, I think it's the defining trait of the millennials. What I don't think we understand yet is how to do so. I was lucky. I had a background where I learned how to build physical things from an early age, and stumbled upon a community that could help encourage and transform those skills. For me, living an authentic life meant building a house. For others it's likely different.
But the underlying principle is we're looking to build a better world, one free from all kinds of coercion, that recognizes the interconnection of all different kinds of people and issues. You can see inklings of experiments like this in movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the camps at Standing Rock--they've been maligned for not having a dedicated plan, but I think that isn't the point. The point is to build community, a real one, and a new world, a better one. The kids at Occupy were doing it right there in the park, in practice, rather than begging a wealthy, disconnected politician to do it for them. I'm trying to do the same with my house and community.
Nancy: You have the rare ability to see beyond the surface: you don't just see a product, you see how it was manufactured and the implications on human lives and the environment. Where did this awareness come from?
Philp: I think I was pushed by circumstances. I've watched my countrymen and women die in wars nearly my entire life, at least one of which was built on lies. I've seen, in Detroit and elsewhere, people starving and homeless in "the greatest country on earth." I've taught in prisons where there is little to no rehabilitation going on, and the privatization of incarceration, the making money from locking people in cages. I've seen eight, just eight now, men owning half as much wealth as 50 percent of the world...the list goes on.
I feel I've been lied to very deeply, by my government, by society, by culture, and I've seen it with my own eyes, and had to begin looking for my own answers. They've led me to a startling place. From the clothing on our bodies to the pipes running through our homes, much of our comfort has been built on the near slavery of workers in the global South and environmental degradation the world over.
Nancy: I appreciated the sense of community that you describe in Detroit. Few communities behave like family any more. Can this be patterned in other communities?
Philp: I would argue that community is always important, we can just temporarily mask that need with longing for perceived safety and consumer culture, for example. There's a lot of ennui happening in the supposedly wonderful suburbs and McMansions. People aren't as happy as they pretend to be. In Detroit we're not all that special in finding community--we've just faced the problems longer than anyone else, and by virtue of time, have had longer to find the answers.
As to participation in community, I think it's what my generation is looking for above all else. Fulfillment comes from authentic life, which comes through community. Many of us have grown up in faceless suburbs, divorced from any meaningful culture, sense of belonging, and are very, very lonely. People have been moving back to cities to find a sense not only of selves but their history and connection to others. If the US continues down this road of fascism and cruelty, we're going to see an explosion of it.
Nancy: Everyone is rooting for Detroit to be the come-back kid but I know too many neighborhoods do not enjoy benefits from the growth of trendy restaurants or boutiques. Do you think that Detroit's past is it's future, with areas attracting suburbanites for play vs. areas of neglect and poverty?
Philp: I think that is what the grassroots in Detroit is fighting against. As I mention in the book, the only real failure Detroit can undergo in moving forward is not trying anything new. We have an amazing opportunity to become, as strange as it sounds, the city of the future. The grassroots in Detroit is attempting to solve global problems on the local level-- i.e., climate change, which we won't be getting too much help from the current federal administration--and paradoxically, Detroit has solutions to offer. Hopefully we can stave off the big money and current thinking in our own city to give them as a gift to the rest of the world.
Philp is one of those rare people who rise above status quo conventions to see a higher moral order, another vision of a better city. It gives one hope that America's future will be influenced by ideals that will lead to a better America.
Read the article that became a sensation and led to this book:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/drewphilp/wh...
"As we rebuild this ashen city, we're deciding on an epic scale what we value as Americans in the 21st century. The American Dream is alive in Detroit, even if it flickers." Drew Philp
I revived a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
Philp came from a rural area of Michigan, from generations of people who worked with their hands. He attended University of Michigan but was repulsed by the values and life style of wealth. He wanted something different, more authentic. Instead of taking a high salary job he wanted to find a life with meaning. He moved to Detroit and worked sanding floors, a 'token white' for an African American company, becoming their public face when selling in the suburbs.
When Philp bought his Poletown house at auction for $500 it was an empty shell--well, empty but for piles of human waste and the sawed off front end of a car. Philp worked all day and restored his house all night. When he moved in he had no heat; it was a brutal winter without even hot water. It nearly broke his spirit and his health.
When we saw 'gentrification' in Philly, when people were moving in and restoring grand old homes, or factories being put to new use as housing, the city was not as far gone as Detroit. It seems like this is something new--Neighborhoods literally turned into 'urban prairie' with a few houses here and there, cut off from city services and protection. And kids like a twenty-three-year-old Philp deciding to move in and start from scratch.
And that 'scratch' includes community. Philp's heart-warming stories of acceptance and integration into the existing community is enviable. For few of us in the 'burbs know our neighbors anymore. The block parties of my youth and the mothers all looking out for the kids are things of the past.
Philp's book was eye opening on so many levels, including his history of Detroit's fall, the politics of corruption, the inequity that began long ago with 'urban renewal', and the value system of consumerism and business profit is well presented.
I communicated with Philp and he graciously answered some questions I posed.
Nancy: Few people have the will to live an authentic life based on values that are in tension with social expectations. I was wondering if you would talk about that.
Philp: I think much of my generation wants to live authentically, and in fact, I think it's the defining trait of the millennials. What I don't think we understand yet is how to do so. I was lucky. I had a background where I learned how to build physical things from an early age, and stumbled upon a community that could help encourage and transform those skills. For me, living an authentic life meant building a house. For others it's likely different.
But the underlying principle is we're looking to build a better world, one free from all kinds of coercion, that recognizes the interconnection of all different kinds of people and issues. You can see inklings of experiments like this in movements such as Occupy Wall Street and the camps at Standing Rock--they've been maligned for not having a dedicated plan, but I think that isn't the point. The point is to build community, a real one, and a new world, a better one. The kids at Occupy were doing it right there in the park, in practice, rather than begging a wealthy, disconnected politician to do it for them. I'm trying to do the same with my house and community.
Nancy: You have the rare ability to see beyond the surface: you don't just see a product, you see how it was manufactured and the implications on human lives and the environment. Where did this awareness come from?
Philp: I think I was pushed by circumstances. I've watched my countrymen and women die in wars nearly my entire life, at least one of which was built on lies. I've seen, in Detroit and elsewhere, people starving and homeless in "the greatest country on earth." I've taught in prisons where there is little to no rehabilitation going on, and the privatization of incarceration, the making money from locking people in cages. I've seen eight, just eight now, men owning half as much wealth as 50 percent of the world...the list goes on.
I feel I've been lied to very deeply, by my government, by society, by culture, and I've seen it with my own eyes, and had to begin looking for my own answers. They've led me to a startling place. From the clothing on our bodies to the pipes running through our homes, much of our comfort has been built on the near slavery of workers in the global South and environmental degradation the world over.
Nancy: I appreciated the sense of community that you describe in Detroit. Few communities behave like family any more. Can this be patterned in other communities?
Philp: I would argue that community is always important, we can just temporarily mask that need with longing for perceived safety and consumer culture, for example. There's a lot of ennui happening in the supposedly wonderful suburbs and McMansions. People aren't as happy as they pretend to be. In Detroit we're not all that special in finding community--we've just faced the problems longer than anyone else, and by virtue of time, have had longer to find the answers.
As to participation in community, I think it's what my generation is looking for above all else. Fulfillment comes from authentic life, which comes through community. Many of us have grown up in faceless suburbs, divorced from any meaningful culture, sense of belonging, and are very, very lonely. People have been moving back to cities to find a sense not only of selves but their history and connection to others. If the US continues down this road of fascism and cruelty, we're going to see an explosion of it.
Nancy: Everyone is rooting for Detroit to be the come-back kid but I know too many neighborhoods do not enjoy benefits from the growth of trendy restaurants or boutiques. Do you think that Detroit's past is it's future, with areas attracting suburbanites for play vs. areas of neglect and poverty?
Philp: I think that is what the grassroots in Detroit is fighting against. As I mention in the book, the only real failure Detroit can undergo in moving forward is not trying anything new. We have an amazing opportunity to become, as strange as it sounds, the city of the future. The grassroots in Detroit is attempting to solve global problems on the local level-- i.e., climate change, which we won't be getting too much help from the current federal administration--and paradoxically, Detroit has solutions to offer. Hopefully we can stave off the big money and current thinking in our own city to give them as a gift to the rest of the world.
Philp is one of those rare people who rise above status quo conventions to see a higher moral order, another vision of a better city. It gives one hope that America's future will be influenced by ideals that will lead to a better America.
Read the article that became a sensation and led to this book:
https://www.buzzfeed.com/drewphilp/wh...
"As we rebuild this ashen city, we're deciding on an epic scale what we value as Americans in the 21st century. The American Dream is alive in Detroit, even if it flickers." Drew Philp
I revived a free ebook from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.
January 16, 2018
A portrait of urban pioneering. I admire the author's determination to try and help turn the tide for Detroit by staying there instead of taking a job elsewhere.
May 28, 2017
In 2009, Drew Philp was close to graduation from the University of Michigan, had no job prospects and was nearly penniless when he bid on an abandoned two story Queen Anne (and lots next to it) in the Poletown urban prairie neighborhood located in Detroit. “A $500 House In Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City”” is his debut memoir of rebuilding his house, his life, and becoming a part of a larger community collective.
The Queen Anne would require a great amount of time to empty out all human waste, filth, and junk that included car parts and motors . An incinerator operated in the neighborhood that functioned 7 days a week, air quality was toxic and compromised. (Not that it mattered among the poor and low income population). The roof had holes, windows were broken, walls plumbing ripped out by scrappers, and no electricity. Taking a job with a black operated construction company, Philp was hired to sell jobs to white clientele; and was able to learn what he could about home construction and repair. The winter cold was brutal and he was lucky he didn’t freeze to death. He lived in his unheated home, fearful that his new construction would be stolen or vandalized.
Finding acceptance among Philp’s black and minority neighbors would happen in time, and at a very slow pace. Neighbor’s watched out for each other’s homes, property, and would help when needed. Some of his neighbors were drug dealers and squatters, and when he was out and about, people assumed he was among them to buy drugs. (From the book..) “For nearly the entirety of my life my country has sent young Americans to die in foreign lands. It has spent trillions of dollars on war that could have been desperately used in areas like Detroit, with little to show for it aside from wealthy businessmen, craven politicians, and flag draped coffins.”
Philp would eventually transform his Queen Anne into a nice family home. More importantly as an optimistic millennial, he would make a difference in the Motor City around him. Drew Philp’s writing has been published in several notable publications; he lives in Detroit with his dog Gratiot. ~ With thanks to the Seattle Public Library.
The Queen Anne would require a great amount of time to empty out all human waste, filth, and junk that included car parts and motors . An incinerator operated in the neighborhood that functioned 7 days a week, air quality was toxic and compromised. (Not that it mattered among the poor and low income population). The roof had holes, windows were broken, walls plumbing ripped out by scrappers, and no electricity. Taking a job with a black operated construction company, Philp was hired to sell jobs to white clientele; and was able to learn what he could about home construction and repair. The winter cold was brutal and he was lucky he didn’t freeze to death. He lived in his unheated home, fearful that his new construction would be stolen or vandalized.
Finding acceptance among Philp’s black and minority neighbors would happen in time, and at a very slow pace. Neighbor’s watched out for each other’s homes, property, and would help when needed. Some of his neighbors were drug dealers and squatters, and when he was out and about, people assumed he was among them to buy drugs. (From the book..) “For nearly the entirety of my life my country has sent young Americans to die in foreign lands. It has spent trillions of dollars on war that could have been desperately used in areas like Detroit, with little to show for it aside from wealthy businessmen, craven politicians, and flag draped coffins.”
Philp would eventually transform his Queen Anne into a nice family home. More importantly as an optimistic millennial, he would make a difference in the Motor City around him. Drew Philp’s writing has been published in several notable publications; he lives in Detroit with his dog Gratiot. ~ With thanks to the Seattle Public Library.
July 19, 2020
I have really mixed feelings about this book. I loved the description of the sense of community and how neighbors pulled together to celebrate, work together, look after each other in a very hard, difficult-to-survive-in part of Detroit. I've lived in my house 19 years and can only tell you the names of 3 families living within a block any direction from me, so I'm a little envious of that aspect of the author's experience. HOWEVER, this book comes across like a huge humble brag, full of self-righteousness and projected blame and assumptions on everyone who does not make the same effort and choices that the author does, and that makes it very difficult to empathize with the author, his view points, and the consequences of some of his decisions. For example, everyone - EVERYONE, regardless of reason - who moved out of Detroit to the suburbs and who isn't making the sacrifices to move back are the sole reason Detroit is in the state it is in. If only the white and well-educated (regardless of race) had stayed put and fought for their city, it wouldn't be such a mess. It doesn't matter if your parents or grandparents made that decision to move and you grew up in the suburbs, it is still your fault because you didn't move back. In fact, he can barely be around friends he grew up with and went to school and college with because they aren't making the same sacrifices he is. He can barely tolerate being on a soccer team with other white people, because they just don't understand!!!!! I appreciate that he wants to make a difference, that he wants to be self-sufficient and independent. I really do. And by the end of the book, he does seem to realize that he might be just a tad narrow-minded, but it still comes across as self-righteousness. The whole book he discusses his severe lack of finances (even though he has a degree from University of Michigan, he did not attempt to find a decent-paying job using that degree), and how he scraped and sacrificed to work on his house; but now, looking at his Twitter feed, he has traveled the world and is a successful author and writer and college professor, all because of this book. He argues against people moving into downtrodden areas, fixing them up, and then profiting from that, when that is exactly what he has done. Granted, he still lives in that $500 house....when he isn't teaching in New England or traveling in the Middle East. Like I said, I have very mixed feelings about this book
April 14, 2018
I picked this up on a whim from work and read it in two sittings. I’ve heard bits and pieces about Detroit over the years and here was a story about someone living it. The author, while white, doesn’t come off too much like a know it all who has all the answers to race relations or the answers to the problem of how to “save Detroit” other than to literally help your neighbors and be a member of the neighborhood as small communities and actions do matter, add up and make a difference. He admits to not knowing everything, to be learning and making mistakes,but also puts himself out on a limb for his neighbors. His parents raised him to be a good person by actions and not just theory. Making friends, learning not to judge others, and learn from your mistakes is a life long exercise and he does pretty damned well for someone in their early 20s. Taking on being the change he wants to see in the world and renovating a house is a a big project for someone 22. His story about the lessons he learned and the trials he went through were pretty attention grabbing. Love, homeownership, figuring out how to be a part of something like a community and how to add to a community without being condescending or having a savior complex is work and an interesting story. I though he handled talking about some very controversial issues very well. It makes you want to become more involved with your neighbors and your community.
It’s not the best book ever written but I felt it was a quite well written look inside his experience and it was even inspirational to me, not bad, right?. There are no easy answers but he makes some excellent points and showing by example to get out and help others for you will find doing so actually helps you as well. We cannot change the corrupt politicians, at least not over night, but there are things to do and the more people excited about becoming involved and who help others for no personal gain, than it feels good, can help that feeling to become infectious and spread to others.
The scene of the art students on his lawn who were painting pictures of his house and whose professor insisted she was “helping” and insulting him as she trespassed was very interesting. It gives you something to think about. The disconnect between what we think is helping and between academics and a community is substantial. An entire book could be written on this. Theory and real life humanity are often very different as pointed about. Our motivations mean something. Are we creating art to further our own agenda or to explore a subject is a question that the book also made me think about.
I’m glad I read the book.
It’s not the best book ever written but I felt it was a quite well written look inside his experience and it was even inspirational to me, not bad, right?. There are no easy answers but he makes some excellent points and showing by example to get out and help others for you will find doing so actually helps you as well. We cannot change the corrupt politicians, at least not over night, but there are things to do and the more people excited about becoming involved and who help others for no personal gain, than it feels good, can help that feeling to become infectious and spread to others.
The scene of the art students on his lawn who were painting pictures of his house and whose professor insisted she was “helping” and insulting him as she trespassed was very interesting. It gives you something to think about. The disconnect between what we think is helping and between academics and a community is substantial. An entire book could be written on this. Theory and real life humanity are often very different as pointed about. Our motivations mean something. Are we creating art to further our own agenda or to explore a subject is a question that the book also made me think about.
I’m glad I read the book.
July 14, 2021
Read in preparation for the author to speak at our library
This book was written by the son of a colleague I taught with for many years. He was most gracious in coming to our local library to speak and he was fascinating. The book talks about the people who truly love the city of Detroit trying to rebuild it. There are blocks of abandoned houses in the city and blocks of where there may be only 1 or 2 houses left standing. The people who are buying these houses and rebuilding them are doing so in as little as a mile away from the new Little Caesar's Arena and the ball parks downtown. Drew's story is well written and very worth the read.
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This book was written by the son of a colleague I taught with for many years. He was most gracious in coming to our local library to speak and he was fascinating. The book talks about the people who truly love the city of Detroit trying to rebuild it. There are blocks of abandoned houses in the city and blocks of where there may be only 1 or 2 houses left standing. The people who are buying these houses and rebuilding them are doing so in as little as a mile away from the new Little Caesar's Arena and the ball parks downtown. Drew's story is well written and very worth the read.
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March 3, 2020
I wanted to like this book. I wanted to hear what Drew had to say and hear how he learned and grew as a person. I wanted to learn how a person with determination and grit could become stronger and more powerful in a community that stands together. Unfortunately, I was distracted by the fact that in this story, I am the antagonist. My parents are the arch antagonist. (Is that a thing?) I grew up in and currently live in one of those suburbs that he rails against. I never went downtown because my father forbade it. He and my mom grew up in the city but left after their family outgrew the apartments they were renting. In the early 60s housing was cheaper in the suburbs and when you have five children you do what you can to keep up. The way Drew tells, they left because they were racist and cared only for getting away from Detroit happily watching it burn. In truth, the got caught up in the activities that surround five and eventually six kids. After many years they didn't recognize the city they grew up in. Yes, they left the city and the world changed. Was it right? No. Are MAJOR changes needed? ABSOLUTELY! But creating wars between rich/poor corporate/public/private does not solve the problems. Today my dad's street is all but abandoned and my mom's former home, the Charles housing projects, has been torn down.
Today, my husband, son, and I do our best to support the city. We go downtown for events and promote it to our family and friends. We spend time assisting Pingree Farms and shop at Eastern Market. Is that enough? Probably not, but currently it's the best I can do.
I wish this book would have included more specific calls to action and less angst, although I did learn some important lessons about the city's history. One part that I did find shocking and I considered myself solidly on Drew's side was when he described people coming to paint and sketch his house. It is NEVER okay to patronize someone and tell them you are painting something that belongs to them without their permission. Especially when that is followed by, "I'm doing this to help you." Totally not cool. Period. Capitalizing and playing with the broken loss of another is just horrible. I also appreciated his call to radical neighborliness. People would be much more united if we spent more time investing in the lives of our neighbors.
Today, my husband, son, and I do our best to support the city. We go downtown for events and promote it to our family and friends. We spend time assisting Pingree Farms and shop at Eastern Market. Is that enough? Probably not, but currently it's the best I can do.
I wish this book would have included more specific calls to action and less angst, although I did learn some important lessons about the city's history. One part that I did find shocking and I considered myself solidly on Drew's side was when he described people coming to paint and sketch his house. It is NEVER okay to patronize someone and tell them you are painting something that belongs to them without their permission. Especially when that is followed by, "I'm doing this to help you." Totally not cool. Period. Capitalizing and playing with the broken loss of another is just horrible. I also appreciated his call to radical neighborliness. People would be much more united if we spent more time investing in the lives of our neighbors.
November 26, 2017
https://msarki.tumblr.com/post/167912...
It is understandable that a young man would want to set down on record such a courageous and meaningful experience as restoring an old home in one of our most ravaged and dangerous inner cities. But the every detail provided by this amateur home renovator is often too much and really not necessary. Philp’s brief flirtation as well with a visiting female architectural student was also a bit superfluous and awkward. Many attempts were made by the writer to inject his personal philosophy in order to promote an obvious agenda, a formula generally rejected by this reader when it comes to engaging in a work wholeheartedly. But because the book was seemingly about Detroit it was decided at the beginning that cover to cover it would be read. The end game resulted in the last 10% focusing intensely on the corruption of politics and corporations that proved to be the initial downfall of Detroit and now threatens to again destroy as well its emergence from the still-burning embers and ash. Sincere in its literary application, this memoir provides a heartfelt accounting of one man’s struggle and attempts for making meaning in his life more important than a culture that promotes the pursuit, at any cost, of financial gain.
It is understandable that a young man would want to set down on record such a courageous and meaningful experience as restoring an old home in one of our most ravaged and dangerous inner cities. But the every detail provided by this amateur home renovator is often too much and really not necessary. Philp’s brief flirtation as well with a visiting female architectural student was also a bit superfluous and awkward. Many attempts were made by the writer to inject his personal philosophy in order to promote an obvious agenda, a formula generally rejected by this reader when it comes to engaging in a work wholeheartedly. But because the book was seemingly about Detroit it was decided at the beginning that cover to cover it would be read. The end game resulted in the last 10% focusing intensely on the corruption of politics and corporations that proved to be the initial downfall of Detroit and now threatens to again destroy as well its emergence from the still-burning embers and ash. Sincere in its literary application, this memoir provides a heartfelt accounting of one man’s struggle and attempts for making meaning in his life more important than a culture that promotes the pursuit, at any cost, of financial gain.
July 31, 2017
I tried. I really did. Once I commit to more than a few chapters of a book I want to finish it. Actually, I hated it from the start and shouldn't have spent more than 20 seconds on it. I am ashamed to say I made it page 170 before decided life is too short to waste it reading really really bad books. This is not about rebuilding an abandoned home and an American city. This is a book about an extremely misguided and self-righteous arrogant male.
He should also do his research before spewing his crap out "The only other house on the block was a hideous cinder-block project house built by an architecture student from Cranbrook, the same private college Mitt Romney attended as a teenager. Whoever built the structure apparently didn't want to live in it either, and it, too, was abandoned, the water pipes burst from freezing long ago." Drew - I suggest you watch http://worldchannel.org/programs/epis... and read up http://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/cr..., etc. Mr. Matt Miller continues focusing on helping communities while you are in it solely to focus on yourself.
He should also do his research before spewing his crap out "The only other house on the block was a hideous cinder-block project house built by an architecture student from Cranbrook, the same private college Mitt Romney attended as a teenager. Whoever built the structure apparently didn't want to live in it either, and it, too, was abandoned, the water pipes burst from freezing long ago." Drew - I suggest you watch http://worldchannel.org/programs/epis... and read up http://www.modeldmedia.com/devnews/cr..., etc. Mr. Matt Miller continues focusing on helping communities while you are in it solely to focus on yourself.
January 1, 2021
I was very interested to read this book as my spouse grew up in the metro Detroit area. I thought it was a very interesting story, but the narrative about rehabbing an abandoned home and discovering community in the process is frustratingly interspersed with the author’s soap box pontification on everything from racism, segregation, and income inequality, to the environment, gentrification, Occupy Wall Street, suburbs, and voter suppression.
I found myself shaking my head at some of the author’s statements. I am also a child of Boomers, and was put off by the overt generational blaming. He says to his (hardworking, educator) father “But what do you want me to do about it? There’s just no money. This was the world you left to me.” It seems in direct contrast to the idea of actively working to create the world/community in which you want to live. And his views toward those like my in-laws who left Detroit for the suburbs are equally harsh. This book had potential but I can’t say I recommend it.
I found myself shaking my head at some of the author’s statements. I am also a child of Boomers, and was put off by the overt generational blaming. He says to his (hardworking, educator) father “But what do you want me to do about it? There’s just no money. This was the world you left to me.” It seems in direct contrast to the idea of actively working to create the world/community in which you want to live. And his views toward those like my in-laws who left Detroit for the suburbs are equally harsh. This book had potential but I can’t say I recommend it.
March 17, 2018
It took me awhile to get through this one, mainly because for the first half of the book, I didn’t care for the author too much. It all seemed a bit self-serving. We don’t care about your sex life, Drew. He did end up growing on me throughout and you cannot deny that what he did was and still is pretty remarkable. It’s something that I could never do. There was also a lot to learn about Detroit in this book. The good, the bad, and the downright ugly. It was extremely eye-opening and really forced me to reflect on my own desire to live there and what that will need to look like in order to contribute to the city in a way that protects the citizens that have always been there and have never left. The true Detroiters.
September 2, 2017
I've had an interest in the plight of Detroit for years now, so the content of this account was always going to be something that I would enjoy. Was interesting to get the impression that the author felt akin to the local community and lamented the gentrification of the city despite being a gentrifier himself. Still a city I would love to go to, although having read this, I'm not sure if ethically, allowing people to profit off the hardship of a community who suffered for decades is something that I should really do.
June 21, 2017
I absolutely love this book. It is amazing, and I believe that as both a reader and a Michigander.
I also bloody hate this book. I have no right to hate it, it's purely out of envy. I, too, am writing a book of Detroit, including many similar experiences as Philp. Comparing checklists to each book, one might find many of the same boxes checked. Now, when mine is published, somebody will label me a fraud, copycat.
But maybe it's worth it. This book is frickin great.
I also bloody hate this book. I have no right to hate it, it's purely out of envy. I, too, am writing a book of Detroit, including many similar experiences as Philp. Comparing checklists to each book, one might find many of the same boxes checked. Now, when mine is published, somebody will label me a fraud, copycat.
But maybe it's worth it. This book is frickin great.
October 6, 2017
I felt an obligation to like the book because of the ideologies it embraces, but at times I found the author's professions of altruism to be arrogant and preachy. I respect the author's strong work ethic, his desire to do the right thing and some of his enlightening social insights. I finished it, but can't say I'd recommend it.
Scheduled: Oct 21, 2017
Scheduled: Oct 21, 2017
June 5, 2017
For the past couple days I've found myself actively avoiding reading this so I'm throwing in the towel. I think it's a generational thing.
January 13, 2018
Did not finish.
May 26, 2017
I was born across the river from Detroit. As a child we often crossed the border to shop. I watched the fireworks on the river and my male relatives loved checking out all the new cars that Detroit was producing. Driving the tunnel under the river was an adventure.
That was many years ago and as everyone knows, the boom went bust for Detroit. We've read about Detroit's problems in the news, but what about the regrowth that is happening? Or the people that never left? Drew Philp. is one of those who believes in the city and wants to part of the regrowth. His book is called A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City.
Yes, fresh out of college, he bought a $500 abandoned house in an east Detroit neighbourhood called Poletown. He knows no one, has no steady job when he arrives, no money in the bank and is white. Poletown is predominantly a black community.
What follows is an absolutely fascinating memoir. Philp details his journey to rebuild the house bit by bit, by himself, as he can afford to. I used the word community above - and that's what he finds Poletown to be. There is crime, abandoned buildings, racial tension etc - but there is so much more to this neighbourhood. There are those who have persevered, those who believe as Drew does that the neighbourhood and city can be saved. We also learn the history of the downfall of this once great city and what contributed to it. I admit to be quite surprised (and appalled) by some of the facts presented.
I love old houses and rarely pass an abandoned house without exploring. Old houses have charm, personality and history. Personally though, I cannot imagine doing what Drew did. However, I am envious of his drive and appreciate his conviction and beliefs. And as Drew's belief in his community grows, so does he personally.
Philp's words flow so easily and his narrative is such an addictive listen. The audiobook narrator reader was Jacques Roy. His voice is well modulated and easy to listen to with a nice little gravelly undertone. The matter of fact tone to his voice seems to interpret Philp's prose and story as it was meant to be. Factual, but with conviction and feeling. Listening to a book seems to draw you deeper into the narrative.
As much as I love reading fiction, real life is so much more interesting. Absolutely recommended!
That was many years ago and as everyone knows, the boom went bust for Detroit. We've read about Detroit's problems in the news, but what about the regrowth that is happening? Or the people that never left? Drew Philp. is one of those who believes in the city and wants to part of the regrowth. His book is called A $500 House in Detroit: Rebuilding an Abandoned Home and an American City.
Yes, fresh out of college, he bought a $500 abandoned house in an east Detroit neighbourhood called Poletown. He knows no one, has no steady job when he arrives, no money in the bank and is white. Poletown is predominantly a black community.
What follows is an absolutely fascinating memoir. Philp details his journey to rebuild the house bit by bit, by himself, as he can afford to. I used the word community above - and that's what he finds Poletown to be. There is crime, abandoned buildings, racial tension etc - but there is so much more to this neighbourhood. There are those who have persevered, those who believe as Drew does that the neighbourhood and city can be saved. We also learn the history of the downfall of this once great city and what contributed to it. I admit to be quite surprised (and appalled) by some of the facts presented.
I love old houses and rarely pass an abandoned house without exploring. Old houses have charm, personality and history. Personally though, I cannot imagine doing what Drew did. However, I am envious of his drive and appreciate his conviction and beliefs. And as Drew's belief in his community grows, so does he personally.
Philp's words flow so easily and his narrative is such an addictive listen. The audiobook narrator reader was Jacques Roy. His voice is well modulated and easy to listen to with a nice little gravelly undertone. The matter of fact tone to his voice seems to interpret Philp's prose and story as it was meant to be. Factual, but with conviction and feeling. Listening to a book seems to draw you deeper into the narrative.
As much as I love reading fiction, real life is so much more interesting. Absolutely recommended!
January 6, 2023
Not as good as the average memoir about home restoration that doesn't come with a side of Race Relations 101, but still a worthwhile entry to the genre. Like, this man is such an archetype of the Liberal White-Guilt-Laden Millenial he's almost a caricature, and I could not help regularly laughing at him -- but somehow, in between reminding you that Detroit is The Most Racially Segregated City In The Country, he comes up with some really interesting stories about the neighborhoods and connections he finds himself making, not to mention helpful history about the city (a place I know very little about beyond its general boom/bust story) for context.
When he does actually get around to telling you about working on the house, though, it's absolutely fascinating. I especially loved any reference to salvaging/reclaiming materials from structures that were long-abandoned/deteriorating fast if not already scheduled for demolition, because that's exactly what SHOULD be happening. The amount of work a shell like this takes is staggering, and given his low cash flow, the living conditions are pretty appalling for an unbelievable amount of time ("no heat in below-freezing temps" is just one of the problems).
Personally, not even my desperate desire for home ownership could convince me to set foot in a place with a crime rate like this, but he seems uniquely suited for tackling this kind of project in a way that few people without significant financial reserves are, and what he manages to accomplish is honestly very impressive. Plus, he adopts a puppy who is ADORABLE, and I think that's what clinched the 4th star for me.
Final note: I listened to this as an audiobook and really appreciated the narrator's surprisingly soothing yet not monotone voice (I assumed it was read by the author; it's not, so even more kudos for convincing me it was). But I also grabbed a physical copy out of the library to check out the photos, which I highly recommend -- just black and white reproductions, but there's one at the start of every chapter plus a couple of diagrams along the way. Naturally, the photos include one of Gratiot (pronounced "Gratchett"), his dog, who also appears in color with the author photo at the back.
When he does actually get around to telling you about working on the house, though, it's absolutely fascinating. I especially loved any reference to salvaging/reclaiming materials from structures that were long-abandoned/deteriorating fast if not already scheduled for demolition, because that's exactly what SHOULD be happening. The amount of work a shell like this takes is staggering, and given his low cash flow, the living conditions are pretty appalling for an unbelievable amount of time ("no heat in below-freezing temps" is just one of the problems).
Personally, not even my desperate desire for home ownership could convince me to set foot in a place with a crime rate like this, but he seems uniquely suited for tackling this kind of project in a way that few people without significant financial reserves are, and what he manages to accomplish is honestly very impressive. Plus, he adopts a puppy who is ADORABLE, and I think that's what clinched the 4th star for me.
Final note: I listened to this as an audiobook and really appreciated the narrator's surprisingly soothing yet not monotone voice (I assumed it was read by the author; it's not, so even more kudos for convincing me it was). But I also grabbed a physical copy out of the library to check out the photos, which I highly recommend -- just black and white reproductions, but there's one at the start of every chapter plus a couple of diagrams along the way. Naturally, the photos include one of Gratiot (pronounced "Gratchett"), his dog, who also appears in color with the author photo at the back.
April 21, 2024
No matter where you live in Michigan (at least in the Lower Peninsula) Detroit is part of your existence. All 4 major league sports teams, most of the state’s fine arts, and great music and theater are there. It’s true that we all use our hand to describe where we live in the Great Lakes State, but every bit as often, the question is “How far are you from Detroit?” (For the record, 2 hours north)
This also means that Detroit’s fortunes affect everyone in the state. “A $500 House” was written just as Detroit began its most recent renaissance. The bad times in the years before, described so vividly by the author, were indeed bad, the Emergency CM era being chief among them. Mr Philps’ story of the ups and downs of restoring his house closely resemble the ups and downs of the city itself. It’s a fascinating and educational look at the forces influencing Detroit and all of America’s great cities.
I’ll be giving this book to my youngest brother to read. He probably will not appreciate some of the more liberal thoughts expressed by the author—we’re at fairly different ends of the spectrum. But my brother was employed by the company that owned the incinerator. He worked in every part of Detroit that the incinerator impacted. (Yes he carried a gun). And the stories he’s told me match up very closely to what Drew Philps describes.
This also means that Detroit’s fortunes affect everyone in the state. “A $500 House” was written just as Detroit began its most recent renaissance. The bad times in the years before, described so vividly by the author, were indeed bad, the Emergency CM era being chief among them. Mr Philps’ story of the ups and downs of restoring his house closely resemble the ups and downs of the city itself. It’s a fascinating and educational look at the forces influencing Detroit and all of America’s great cities.
I’ll be giving this book to my youngest brother to read. He probably will not appreciate some of the more liberal thoughts expressed by the author—we’re at fairly different ends of the spectrum. But my brother was employed by the company that owned the incinerator. He worked in every part of Detroit that the incinerator impacted. (Yes he carried a gun). And the stories he’s told me match up very closely to what Drew Philps describes.
February 6, 2019
I really enjoyed this book and started recommending it to others while i was not even done with it. I live in Ann Arbor, MI, about a 45 min drive from downtown Detroit. Ever since visiting Detroit for the first time in 2013, I have been eager to learn more about the city and its story. Drew offers a very personal and unique perspective on life in the D. Thanks to his book, I am walking away with a better understanding of the city's socioeconomic history, racial urban politics, city politics, and recent trends. I highly recommend it!
June 13, 2017
This memoir offers a point of view that often gets left out of the "dying city" Detroit narrative. As a Youngstown resident, I found his tale of scrappy artists, imperfect activists, and unlikely communities particularly inspiring, and familiar.
I knocked off a star for the inexplicably harsh critique of suburbanites, and anyone who doesn't make what they need from trash. I like making things, but I don't view people who don't with contempt. To each his own.
I knocked off a star for the inexplicably harsh critique of suburbanites, and anyone who doesn't make what they need from trash. I like making things, but I don't view people who don't with contempt. To each his own.
September 7, 2018
This is a fantastic book. It is well-written and it held my attention throughout the entire book. Oftentimes, I would find myself thinking of this book all day and it is a thoughtful insight of what it is to live in Poletown, in Detroit as well as building a home there using scraps and recycling the materials from other abandoned homes. I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It is a must-read.
February 21, 2021
This is a good slice-of-life memoir. I enjoyed learning about his experiences. I'm familiar with a lot of the places he talks about since I grew up in metro-Detroit. I found the commentary on the city's history and current problems very interesting and I wish it had been a bit longer. I was frustrated that it seemed to end abruptly with not a ton of closure. I'm not sure what year the book was published but I'd love an update on his house and neighborhood.
September 17, 2017
I enjoyed this book and the author's multi-stranded journey through a home renovation in a very, very hostile environment. Mr. Philp shows a great deal of insight into his own reasons for taking on the project. As he reuses parts of his neighborhood to rebuild his house, he becomes part of Detroit's curious self-regeneration. I look forward to more books and articles from him.
October 25, 2017
Uplifting and informative, this book gives me hope in the resurgence of Detroit!
November 16, 2018
Drew Philp devoted himself to doing his part to help revive a community in Detroit by rehabing an abandoned house using mostly scrapped materials and doing the work himself.
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