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More tales of Grand Rapids...
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BUILDING CLIMBING
Copyright 2001 Peter J Welmerink
Author's Note: I do not recommend climbing buildings as a pasttime. There are better ways to hurt yourself, like rollerblading and skateboarding, than falling off a 3-story rooftop to the cold hard pavement below. Thank you.
There were the police patrolling downtown to contend with. There were fire escape ladders and stairwells to scale with bare hands…and who knows how many birds had done their duty upon them. There was the darkness of night, going into unknown regions without flashlight or any means of light. There was the fear of heights. There was the fear of falling.
But there was something about climbing downtown buildings at night --maybe with a few too many beers in one's system-- that was fun. We were a group of guys out to enjoy the evening air and the city blanketed by night. There was the thrill of doing something probably wrong --illegal? very illegal? I don't think we even thought of that-- but doing it anyway because sometimes trying to get away with something, getting away with it and not getting caught…well…there was something thrilling about that. It was also the thrill of going where no one else had gone, at least not anyone we knew.
The assault on the roof of the Hong Kong Inn Downtown often happened. I'd say we had been upon that rooftop maybe a half dozen times. The backdoor to the place was in between two buildings. It was where they dragged the trash out at night and threw it into the dumpster. We would make sure the coast was clear for the amphitheater was close by and well patrolled by police and pedestrian alike. We figured if anyone saw us they'd start screaming or go call the police. We'd wait for our break then run up the metal steps to the landing next to the restaurant backdoor. The ladder to the fire escape was right above the rail on the east side of the landing. It was easy to climb the rail, grab the ladder and start one's way roof bound. Once up the ladder there was a series of metal stairs to scale, then another ladder that went to the roof.
One never knew what to expect of those old fire escapes on those old buildings. Were they safe? Had years of being out in the elements (acid rain!) eaten the metal brackets and supports away so that at any minute they might succumb to those years and the weight of young men hanging on them and come crashing down, dropping one tens of feet to the pavement? Maybe, but it never happened. Did we worry about it? Maybe a little, but once the roof was made that worry was soon vanquished.
There was something to be said about surveying the city from atop a downtown building. And especially at night with all her dark nooks and crannies. We were staring down at the closed office buildings, at closed businesses with their dark storefronts. We were looking down at the lighted streets and sidewalks like a night bird perched on a wire. We were the masters of our world standing atop of it, standing atop the city with the clouds at our fingertips, wind whipping at our face, and the sound of traffic encircling our feet.
OTHER BUILDINGS
When the L.V. Eberhard Center was going up, what would one day be the new GVSU building that towered above the west bank of the Grand River between Fulton and Pearl, we building climber lads didn't really notice it, nor did it initially entice us to its soaring heights. It wasn't until a dark summer's evening that its looming peak, nothing but a shell and a skeleton of steel girders and open cement floors, called out to us, beckoned us, "Come hither, young fools!"
The boys and I had been trapsing about downtown, a little liqour in our systems to flavor the Grand Rapidian night. The old train trestle that spanned the river between Fulton and Pearl (soon to be renovated into a pedestrian bridge with bright blue spans and blinking lights) was cordoned off from the common folk and with no signs stating "No Adventurers or Drunks Permitted" we walked it.
Besides the alcohol there was adrenaline pumping through the veins. We had climbed down onto one of the huge trestle supports, a thing of massive stonework that would probably withstand the years longer than any new bridge support structure, and stood there chatting about whatever twenty-something guys talk about. Friend Ed had struck out to hang on a length of thick chain that hung from a large pipe under the bridge and a few feet away from our safe perch. Little had Ed known that the chain that was looped about the pole wasn't secured by anything. When he grabbed it and swung out on it, it instantly began to unravel itself from the pole, its heavy links free and heading straight down to the shallow and rocky river a good 15 feet below.
I had been standing right next to him when he had gone for the chain. It was strange, like something from a cartoon or an old movie with Ed grabbing quickly, hand over hand, as the chain flew by with him seemingly defying gravity, staying in one spot, hovering before me, trying to stay ahead of his departing handhold. As the last link clanked over the metal bar, Ed snatched onto the pole and hung there as the chain hit the river below with a mighty splash.
For a moment we all stood there on the ledge of that big stonework column, eyes wide and glowing white in the darkness…then we busted out laughing, Ed included, and pulled our friend back to a solid footfall.
Ed falling to certain broken body-dom didn't phase anyone and the framework of the Eberhard Center was still calling to us on a warm summer's breeze. There was an orange NO TRESPASSING fence, and maybe a Pinkerton guard roaming the place, but that still didn't phase us.
The outside walls of the building were fairly complete including the interior framework though no walls had been erected inside the place. We took the stairs that was the easiest route UP. No one was Spiderman (except Doug but that's a different story) and couldn't scale the smooth outside wall, plus the top of the building was 10 floors skyward and that was a little higher than my stomach cared for when climbing. The stairs weren't poured yet so we clambered along the steel side rails, winding our way to the top.
Now I can't tell you why there we had some weird fascination with climbing buildings…or maybe I can. It surely wasn't to be malicious, to destroy these great monuments that made up our town. We weren't a gang of thugs, or delinquent westsiders hellbent on vandalism. Maybe our expressions gave away the answer as we stood atop the tippy-top of the Eberhard Center looking at our city. I recall the group going silent as we finally made the top. We all stood there and looked out across the river that was like a stream way below us. The downtown city blanketed in darkness with its streetlights and carlights and lights from buildings that were still filled with activity were tiny to our eyes.
It was surreal.
It was amazing.
It was beautiful.
And we were kings on top of our world.
The nearly-defunct City Centre (or should I say the ALWAYS DEFUNCT until the GRPD moved in about year 2001) had somehow saw the bottoms of our feet also. There was a little alcove that gave access to a low rooftop somewhere around the Michigan National Bank building. Through a series of wanderings in the darkness within other defunct buildings and outside fire escapes and ladders we made our way onto the old Herpolsheimers building that had been renovated and re-dubbed the City Centre. About the only thing we could do on top of this building is walk the roofline along Fulton Street. It wasn't "safe" because of the high volumes of traffic along Fulton which meant high visibility to any patrolling police. We didn't consider (well, maybe a little) that is was a approximately 4-story drop to the pavement from our lofty perch.
Making sure the coast was clear, we scrambled down from the roof, took the walkway roof to the parking ramp on the south side of the street, and went back down to solid earth.
ATHEORY ON ROOF CLIMBING ORIGIN
Or My Friend Made Me Do It
I didn't think about this until writing this whole jamble on building climbing, but I believe it is my fault for enticing my friends to roof climb.
One day I had found that the attic window of our big gray house on Lake Michigan Drive could be removed by prying back the nails that held it shut. There was a little ledge of shingled roof I could scoot out upon, doing a inch-by-inch crabwalk to the left as to clear the window and make it to the "clearing." Once in the clearing, where I could somewhat stand, it was just a matter of scampering…carefully…up the gentle roof slope to the top of the house, sit next to the chimney and view the surroundings of my neighborhood.
I showed one friend the thrill of getting atop the roof of my house, then another friend, then another. I have photos of four or five of us guys sitting atop the roof on a hot summers day.
I wonder what the neighbors thought? Or what passerbys in automobiles thought as they drove by, slowing down, craning their neck to see the spectacle of a bunch of young dudes on the house roof whooping it up.
So I suppose that maybe I am at fault for hooking my friends on climbing buildings.
I guess there could be worse things to get friends hooked on…like drugs and chainsaw juggling.
SAFE CLIMBING
To comment briefly on the safer ways to behold your city without risking life or limb, I recommend any good-sized parking ramp or legal access to tall buildings, say apartment complexes or work places that friends reside.
I had a friend who worked at the Eastbank Towers (it is not Eastbank anymore and they have changed the name so many times that I even forget the NEWEST name). He worked in maintenance and took me to the…I think it was…32nd floor of the 33 story building. I am talking WAY up there, even above my beloved Amway Grand Plaza Hotel tower. Looking down wasn't a good thing nor was thinking you're a big man and casually leaning against the railing inches away from the edge of the balcony we were upon. Hey man, 32 floors is a long way to the splat zone and at that height even I get a bit squeamish without being secured, say, to the entire building with battleship chains and superglue. However, the view looking out towards the horizon, over the city that truly seemed miniscule at such heights…now that was AWESOME.
If you want to see Grand Rapids from a lofty view, there are a lot of places you can walk or drive to and get your glimpse. Look-Out Park is a good spot though you can't see downtown GR well. At the end of Sunset Boulevarde on the west side of the city is another nice spot though you won't see a sunset there…maybe a sunrise if you get up early enough. There are parking ramps you can traverse and buildings in which you can take elevators to certain floors and peak out windows. Or rent a plane, helicopter or hot air balloon!
If it's the city you love and you want to see it in all its glory, a view from the top is the only way.
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All pictures copyright 2002 Peter J Welmerink
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