Despite popular belief, the Motor City is still motoring. The car industry, led by Ford and GM, is revitalized, and Detroit is attracting new firms in the biotechnology and communications fields. Its downtown is returning, and many of its once-dead neighborhoods are revitalizing.
While Detroit’s economy making a comeback, it’s apparent that its culture never left. The home of R&B, soul, and techno is still a trendsetter in music, and its many impressive museums have survived the hardest days.
Detroit’s Layout
Detroit is located on the western edge of Michigan, near Lake Erie. It borders another large lake (though not a Great Lake), Lake St. Clair. Lake St. Clair is connected to Lake Erie by a channel, which serves as a border between Detroit and Canada. The Canadian City of Windsor is on the other side.
Detroit is the largest city in the Detroit metropolitan area, which includes the nearby cities of Warren and Ann Arbor, and which is home to 3.8 million people. Detroit has a wide variety of neighborhoods, ranging from upscale (Brimingham) to youthful and trendy (Royal Oak) to derelict and dangerous (Highland Park).
Positives of Moving to Detroit
Music – Detroit was and remains the home for a variety of music, most notably Motown, soul, R&B and techno. Detroit holds a number of popular music festivals each year, including Movement, the Detroit International Jazz Festival, and the Motor City Music Conference. Detroit also has a large number of well-recognized music venues, including the DTE Energy Music Theatre and the Fox Theatre.
Museums & Attractions – Detroit used to be one of the cultural centers in America, and it created a number of great museums around that time. They still remain. The Detroit Historical Museum, the Wright Museum of African American History, and the Detroit Science Center top the billing. Detroit also has art museums a popular zoo.
Casinos – Detroit is the largest city with casino resorts in the US. The casinos bring in tourism and provide jobs, helping bolster the local economy. Even Caesar’s Palace has opened up a spot near downtown Detroit.
Sports – Detroit is one of the best sports towns in the US. It has teams in all four major sports and state-of-the-art stadiums to support them. The Red Wings (hockey) are one of the most dominant franchises in American sports. Detroit also has a very lively sailing scene on Lake St. Clair.
Negatives of Moving to Detroit
Unemployment – While unemployment in the metropolitan area is above the national average, it’s the unemployment rate within the city that is the problem. It’s a staggering 15%.
Crime & Slums – Detroit shed roughly half of its population in the decades after 1950, leaving a number of vacant, dilapidated neighborhoods throughout the city. Crime rates are high in these areas, and they have the look and feel of a third world country.
Weather – Detroit has more moderate weather than nearby Chicago. However, that’s not saying much. It still has months of freezing in the winters and many hot and humid days in the summers.
Home Prices – Some neighborhoods have seen improving property values over the last few years. Others have struggled mightily under the weight of a struggling economy. Many homes remain vacant throughout the neighborhoods, and stories exist of home being purchased for a couple thousand dollars in abandoned areas.
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