Rivera Court at the Detroit Institute of Arts.
The last time I wrote in the paper that Detroit was an interesting city to visit, and that you might care to do so, I got a call from a reporter at one of the city’s dailies asking me what I thought was a rather bizarre question: Why?
The answer’s pretty simple: Despite the fact that the local media is obsessed with the city’s (rather glaring) shortcomings, Detroit remains a unique and fascinating place. Different from other American cities? Absolutely. More messed up than most? No contest.
However, as I’ve said in the past, in many ways Detroit feels like a giant, ungentrified Brooklyn, nurturing the sort of creativity you find only in a place that is largely forgotten.
Also, that’s just Detroit. The city (which has shrunk by more than half since the 1950’s) is just one part of a large and varied metropolis that spans an international border. Best of all, it is a place that is home to some of the most interesting people you’ll ever meet.
My job takes me all over the world — Detroit will always be one of my favorite stops. Here are a few reasons why.
Sidenote: I know I was only supposed to do 10 reasons — I was able to edit the list down to 23. So sue me.
