Text discussing the city of Toledo, describing it as a declining, high-crime city with many empty skyscrapers, and reflecting on the author's pride in its resilience and deep-rooted community.
A red car passing in front of a convenience store with a neon sign and various signs in the window.
Every Toledoan remembers their first Rudy’s hotdog. A Toledo staple since 1920, the tradition of going to Rudy’s is one that was passed down from generation to generation in my family and many others. President Barack Obama even paid a visit in 201
On the East side, Willow Cemetery is overlooked by Toledo Oil Refining Company. The cemetery originated in 1856, while the oil plant celebrated its 100th anniversary last year. Willow Cemetery prides itself with extremely affordable grave pricing.
Toledo was ranked in the top 100 Most Dangerous Cities In America. The city is identified as the 4th largest in recruitment for sex trafficking, due to the intersection of two major highways, I-75 and I-90. Other factors that contribute to this are
Four old houses in various states of disrepair on a city street, with a car parked in front of the yellow house on the right.
A pink Victorian-style house with a turret, blue shingles, and a front porch, surrounded by snow under a blue sky.
The Pythian Castle was built in 1890 to be used as a meeting place for a secret fraternal society. After the group left the area in the 1950s, the building was sold to Greyhound Lines, and then to a resident who created a youth center and rented out
Larry, age 63, told me stories of his humble upbringing near Polish Village on the East side of Lagrange in a prominent black neighborhood. He believes that much of Toledo’s decline is due to poor decision making by city planners and elected officia
Sign on a window displaying a phone number for information: 419-.
Old West End is one of Toledo’s most historic and distinctive neighborhoods. Twenty-five city blocks contain one of the largest collections of Late Victorian and Edwardian houses left in the United States. The neighborhood was designed and construct
Jody, who preferred not to give her age, was eager to show me around the property of Mohr Brothers Bottling Co., a soda pop company that opened its doors in 1902 and was sold in the 1980s. Jody and her husband rent out properties on the North side a
Jerry’s Pub is located in a neighborhood on the Ash St, just down the block from the Libbey Glass Factory. Since I started this project, it has been reported that Jerry’s Pub has shut its doors permanently.
The Nasby Building sits at one of Toledo’s largest “four-corner” intersections on Madison Avenue. This monument was erected in 1895 and served as the city’s tallest building for a decade. Through years of service, the building was eventually renovat
A house under renovation with boarded-up windows and a plywood barrier in front. The house has bricks and white siding, with visible damage and missing parts. There is an orange notice sign and the number 1123 spray painted on the plywood. A yellow p
The Anthony Wayne High Level Bridge is Toledo’s only historic bridge left in the city, and a dominant landmark. The bridge was constructed in 1931 to bridge the gaps between the East and West sides of the city over the Maumee. Its construction provi
The U.S.Census Bureau reported that as of the 2010 census, the city is 59% White, 8% Hispanic or Latino, and 27% Black. The majority of the civilian population is in the labor force, and the medium household income is about $36,000. Over a quarter o
A beige building behind a chain-link fence with barbed wire, with trees and a clear blue sky in the background.
Milo’s Meat Market, one of Toledo’s oldest and most beloved butcher shops, is located on the North side. Paul De Land, pictured behind the counter, and his brother Steve have been running the shop since their father purchased it in the 1970s. The sh
The massive Collingwood Arts Center is a focal point on the edge of the Old West End neighborhood. The Gerber House located in front dates back 1872 and the connecting building behind it served as a convent in 1905. The building eventually became a
Originally known as the Fiberglas Tower, this skyscraper was erected in 1969 by Owens-Corning Corporation and served its purpose until 1993, when it was vacated due to the discovery of asbestos. The building stood untouched for almost 20 years becau
Two-story white house with a front porch, brick accents, and black shutters, behind a chain-link fence with a locked gate, on a cold day with snow on the ground.
The Toledo Union Terminal, commonly known as Martin Luther King, Jr. Plaza thrives as the busiest rail station in Toledo and was redesigned in a modernist style of architecture in the year of 1950.
An old, damaged house with peeling siding and broken windows, surrounded by leafless trees, with a red Cadillac parked in front on snow-covered ground and used tires stacked nearby.
An industrial building with a water tower behind a tall chain-link fence with barbed wire, seen from a highway or elevated road.
The Historic Hillcrest, located on Madison Avenue in downtown Toledo , opened its hotel doors in 1929. The hotel boasts many famous guests in its history from musicians to artists, one guest being Amelia Earhart. The hotel closed in 1990 but issue
Faded paint is the only remaining identifier of Great Lakes Terminal Warehouse, which went bankrupt in 1936.
The skeleton of the building is all that remains of Hotel Seagate, built in 1975. The building was vacated in 2009, and demolition began in 2016 but was halted shortly after. Since 2017 many developers have signed onto the project of converting the
Some efforts are being taken to restore the old and abandoned buildings. ProMedica moved their healthcare headquarters to the historic steam plant at the heart of downtown in 2017.
Toledo was once dubbed as “the future great city of the world” by Jesup Scott in 1868, and was thought to be the New York City of the Midwest.
An abandoned construction sight at the base of the Hotel Seagate.
Empty, weathered billboard with a circular space at the top, possibly for a sign or display, in an urban area with buildings and leafless trees in the background.
Two old houses, one painted white and the other red brick, with leafless trees and a sidewalk in front, during winter.
A street view featuring an old white brick building with boarded-up windows and weathered paint, several small houses with porches and gabled roofs, a sidewalk with patches of grass, a street lamp, and a highway overpass in the background under a par
Erie, age 35, is currently homeless but has resided at the Cherry Street Mission in the heart of downtown for the last 6 years. When asked what his favorite part of Toledo was, he told me he is still trying to figure that out.
An old car parked on a cracked pavement in front of a run-down building with boarded-up windows and peeling paint, with leafless trees in the background.
Three children standing under a large tree on a sidewalk in a residential neighborhood, one with a bicycle, and a partially boarded-up house on the left
Present day, The Old West End has several historical councils and serves as a diverse art-centered community for longtime residents, minorities, and immigrants. Still, there is not enough city capital or residential interest to take care of many of
A small restaurant with a sign that reads 'Breakfast Served Anytime' on the front. The building has a red door, black and white exterior, and is located at the corner of Lagrange street. There are parked cars and a utility pole with a street sign and
Sitting just across the street from Rudy’s Hotdogs is another beloved staple, Boyd’s Retro Candy which serves vintage candy and soda to people of all walks of life.
Libbey Inc. celebrated 200 years of business in 2018. Libbey first opened its manufacturing plant doors in 1888 and established itself as a benchmark of success in creating the powerful industry in Toledo, also known as The Glass City.
Two old, abandoned houses with boarded-up windows and damaged exteriors on a street, with leafless trees in the background and two people walking.
An eviction notice on a condemned house is a sight that is all too familiar for many Toledo Residents.
A vintage green car with large custom rims parked in an urban parking lot with leafless trees, behind a chain-link fence, and a playground in the background.
Back view of a multi-story house with boarded-up windows, peeling paint, and trash bins outside, with leafless trees and a clear blue sky.
A document detailing the history, economic development, decline, and revitalization efforts of Toledo, Ohio.