I drove through Detroit 10 years ago knowing nothing more about the place than being the home of the American car industry. I was shocked at what I found, crumbling buildings, empty lots, streets in total disrepair. I took photos and showed them to friends and family, who couldn't believe their eyes and wanted to see more.

It's true that much of the decay isn't recent. It's also true that real people are living and suffering in the city.

But it's a fact of life that people are voyeurs, and the more grisly the topic, the more they like to gawp. To many, Detroit is a living cautionary tale, a city with problems, someone to gossip about and resure themselves that at least where they live isn't as bad as that.