Detroit is not just any big city in the USA. Detroit was once the American industrial city par excellence. But the days when Detroit set the pace in the American economy are long gone. Today, the city is often associated with economic decline, high crime and decay. What Detroit is today is not just something you can see. It is also a feeling that arises when you walk through the city with open eyes and discover the many small and large revitalization projects. The city that was on its knees is reinventing itself. Cars still play a role, but the positive vibes are mainly coming from artists and creatives as well as financially strong residents who are investing heavily in their home city.
Lost places, that was yesterday
For many decades, Detroit only made headlines with negative headlines. There was a corrupt administration, a criminal mayor and thousands of empty and dilapidated buildings. Definitely not a place you would want to visit voluntarily. Instead, you’d rather look at the eerily beautiful images of the ruins of a once thriving industrial city from afar. Detroit was the Mecca of lost places photographers. They carried the image of Detroit as the ruins of the industrial age into the world.
Shopping on West Canfield Street
Today, there is much more to discover in Detroit than just ruins. On the trendy Canfield Street in the west of the city, for example, there are two exciting stores. Third Man Records is an independent record label that specializes in vinyl. It was founded by Jack White, Ben Blackwell and Ben Swank. The record label has locations in Nashville, Detroit and London. The renovated brick building on Canfield Street not only sells records, but also has a vinyl pressing plant. Musicians from all over the world have records pressed here again. These are often special editions in flashy colors and with cool cover motifs.
Third Man Records offers guided tours of the production hall every Friday. If you can’t get a ticket for a tour or are in town on another day, you can look through a large window into the bright yellow production hall.
Shoe polish and overalls
The designer label Shinola has its flagship store right next door to Third Man Records. Hardly any other company stands for the comeback of Detroit like Shinola. The range includes classy watches, bicycles with a retro look and high-quality accessories from writing pads to leather bags. Shinola, named after an old shoe polish, wants to make Detroit’s image shine again. Detroit is and remains a manufacturing hub and the rest of the country should not write off this city, according to the message of the company founded in 2011.
The Carhartt fashion brand is much better known outside the USA than Shinola. Cap wearers around the world have been particularly fond of sporting a thick yellow C on their foreheads for some years now. Hamilton Carhartt, a salesman who traveled by horse and cart, founded a company to produce workwear in 1889. Carhartt still produces robust clothing today, but instead of being worn for the shift on the assembly line, casual chic from Detroit is worn in leisure time.
Eastern Market Detroit
Eastern Market Detroit was founded in 1841 and has been held at its current location around two kilometers from downtown Detroit since 1891. Every Saturday, the historic market district is transformed into the largest open-air market with flower beds in the United States. Over 40,000 people come from the surrounding area to visit the market and the many specialty stores in the district.
Into the RenCen!
With its eventful history, the Renaissance Center near Hart Plaza is a vivid example of failed urban planning and the influence of the automotive industry in Detroit. Today, the GMRenCen is home to the global headquarters of General Motors. However, the huge complex of five towers was built in 1977 by the Ford Motor Company. Its decline was already in full swing at the time. Ford was aiming for a renaissance of the city with the construction. Office space for 5,000 people was created for this rebirth. But the building was completely isolated from downtown Detroit. People drove their cars into the underground parking garage and back to the suburbs in the evening.
This prestige project by Ford, which was supposed to give Detroit a new lease of life and an upswing, had the opposite effect. In 1996, General Motors bought the building. The Renaissance Center was given a glass opening to the promenade along the river. The RenCen is now accessible to everyone. Escalators lead up to a labyrinth of reinforced concrete stairs. If you make it this far, a drink in the Highbar is not far away. Now you just have to take the right elevator to the Highlands restaurant. The view of the Detroit River from the 72nd floor is magnificent. You can understand why the city’s founder, Antoine Laumet de La Mothe, named the settlement Fort Pontchartrain du Detroit in 1701. Détroit means strait in French. Where the French adventurer La Mothe went ashore, the river was the only landmark. The Detroit River gets its water from Lake Huron and flows into Lake Erie after just 44 kilometers.
Goodbye dreariness
The heartbeat of the city is no longer determined by the automotive industry. New investors are driving the upswing in Detroit. Private initiatives as well as artists and creatives are breathing new life into the city. There are urban gardening projects, street art in the parking garage, cycle paths through downtown and cool rooftop bars with a view of the city.
The name Bedrock can be seen on many construction fences and buildings in Detroit. Behind it is Dan Gilbert, born in Detroit and now one of the richest people in the USA. Gilbert’s company specializes in the strategic development of city centers. The real estate company’s portfolio includes 100 properties in downtown Detroit with a total area of over 19 million square meters. To date, Gilbert says he has invested over a billion dollars in his home city, making a significant contribution to its upswing.
Don’t miss Detroit!
Detroit is well on its way to becoming one of the top travel destinations in the USA. So much has happened in Detroit in recent years that we have dedicated a separate story to Detroit’s classic sights. Since the mid-2010s, Detroit has experienced an upward trend that continues to this day and is reminiscent of 1990s Berlin in its dynamism. The huge Michigan Central station, once a decayed ruin, celebrated its comeback as a research location for mobility in 2023. However, the options for getting around Detroit have long been extremely diverse, as mobility in Motown works pretty well even without a car.
The research was supported by Visit Detroit
