Detroit

Introducing Detroit

Tell any American you’re planning to visit Detroit, then watch their eyebrows shoot up quizzically. ‘Why?’ they’ll ask, and warn you about the off-the-chart homicide rates, boarded-up buildings with trash swirling at their bases, and plummeting population (down from 1.8 million in 1950 to 886,000 today). ‘Detroit’s a crap-hole. You’ll get killed there.’

Clearly, the Motor City has an image problem. While the aforementioned attributes are true, and while the city does waft a sort of bombed-out early East Berlin vibe, it’s these same qualities that fuel a raw urban energy you won’t find anywhere else. And that manifests in the city’s arts and music scene. They shred a mean guitar in ‘the D.’ Very mean.

Once the pride of the nation for its car-making savvy, the city fell to pieces when the auto industry tanked. Now it’s struggling to reclaim its place. It’s a grim but fascinating destination.

Last updated: Feb 17, 2009