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.’
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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
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Thorn Tree forum discussion
Recent posts
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Re: Safety of Chicago Greyhound Station?
by philmar 09 September 2011
Greyhound bus stations in the US are pretty scary at night. Sadly they are preyed on by pimps looking for naive runaways that are in need…
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RE: travelling from LV - NY, need some advice on places to see/things to do
by Usher73 08 September 2011
On your way from Chicago to Toronto, stop and see Detroit.
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Re: USA cross country trip LA to NY in 50 days
by storming_heaven 06 September 2011
So let me try to sum it up. All in all, everything was great. I had no problems during the trip (no, not even in Detroit). I had no trouble…
