Learning from Slavic Village: A Report from Ground Zero of the Foreclosure Crisis
When Anthony Trzaska hears or reads “Slavic Village” in news reports, he knows what is coming next.
In Detroit, Turn to Crime Finds Its Rhythm
In 2009, Derek Stanton and his band Awesome Color had just moved back to their native Michigan from New York City.
From Chopin to Craft Beer : A Buffalo Skeptic Sees the Light
Stately, plump houses and maple trees line Porter Avenue en route from Buffalo’s Peace Bridge to Symphony Circle. The homes are old, but they are lived in and cared for.
Blood, Sweat, and Tears on the Tracks
Kelly Lynch's roots run along a set of railroad tracks in northeast Indiana. One of his earliest memories is in the cab of Steam Locomotive no. 765 with his father, Dan.
You Must Be This Tall To Ride In Detroit
You live in New York and you’ve seen a billboard encouraging you to move to Detroit.
In Columbus, Somalis Live Under Suspicion
For the past year and a half, Abdiraham Sheik Mohamud, a 23-year-old Columbus resident born in Somalia, was being watched by law enforcement.
Readers’ Corner: Bernice’s Tavern, Chicago
Bernice's Tavern in the Bridgeport neighborhood of Chicago would be a corner bar if it was on a corner.
Money Does Grow on Trees: Canopy Cover Reflects Income Inequality
An enormous tree engulfs my front lawn. I do not know what kind of tree it is.
The State Trees of the Rust Belt
Illustration of state trees of Rust Belt states by David Wilson
Lay Down Your Weapons, Pick Up Your Tools: Trading Guns for Blowtorches in Pittsburgh
The one thing gun rights advocates and public health experts agree on is that offering money in exchange for weapons doesn’t reduce crime.
Weekly Links Roundup
News of the Rust Belt from around the world, brought to you weekly by the staff of Belt.
Redevelopment by Numbers in York, PA
Fueling vibrancy in a postindustrial city is a daunting task. Economic redevelopment, no matter how you slice it, can be exorbitantly expensive, snail-paced, and risky. Like many of its industry-starved brethren across the Rust Belt ...