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Detroit builds things—cars, of course, but plenty more. Since the early 1900s, Detroit has had one of the largest concentrations of factories in the country, and this industrial muscle continues to give Detroit its style, look and pace.

These industries have also given Detroit a lingering reputation as a rust-belt relic plagued with crime, a declining population and racial divisions. However, Detroit has begun to retool itself into a healthier urban center with greater tourism appeal.

New businesses, residential developments, and arts and entertainment ventures, mainly in downtown Detroit, are contributing to a renewed optimism. Many of Detroit's historic structures have been renovated and converted into living spaces. Bars and restaurants have sprouted up on blocks that were once dormant, creating a renewed sense of community.

The impressive Compuware World Headquarters marks Detroit's increased focus on high tech over industry. Casinos and world-class sporting events have also sparked a flurry of development and breathed new life and tourism appeal into several sections of downtown Detroit.

Must See or Do

Sights—Greektown; the over-the-top grandeur of the Fox Theatre; a Detroit Tigers ball game at Comerica Park; a view of the city's skyline from Belle Isle; trolling through downtown proper via car, taking in the beauty of the city's rich architectural history; the Joe Louis fist at Jefferson and Woodward avenues; The Heidelberg Project.

Museums—The Henry Ford, now home of the refurbished Rosa Parks bus; the Diego Rivera murals at the Detroit Institute of Arts; the Underground Railroad exhibits at the Charles H. Wright Museum of African-American History; the Arab American National Museum; the Holocaust Memorial Center; the legendary recording studio at Motown Historical Museum.

Memorable Meals—Cajun cuisine at the rollicking Fishbone's Rhythm Kitchen Cafe; burritos and sole at Xochimilco.

Late Night—Cappuccino and dessert at The Whitney; two with everything and fries at Lafayette Coney Island or its neighbor and rival, American Coney Island; late-night munchies in Greektown or Mexicantown.

Walks—Belle Isle, Hart Plaza and the International RiverWalk to Joe Louis Arena for unsurpassed river views; Eastern Market and downtown Royal Oak for people-watching; Lake Shore Drive for mansion-spotting and lake views; the 45-minute drive west to Ann Arbor for a stroll around the University of Michigan's campus.

Especially for Kids—Greenfield Village at The Henry Ford for a lively history lesson; the Detroit Zoo to see the polar bears, penguins, amphibians and chimps; the Cranbrook Institute of Science for an interactive experience.

Geography

Detroit occupies a strategic spot along the Detroit River, which forms part of the link between Lake Huron and Lake Erie. Downtown Detroit is set along the north bank of the river, with Windsor, Ontario, on the opposite side.

Jefferson Avenue runs parallel to the river, and numerous downtown landmarks are situated there, including the Renaissance Center, the TCF Center and Belle Isle. Residents use Woodward Avenue, which runs perpendicular to Jefferson and cuts through the center of downtown, to demarcate the east and west sides of the city and its suburbs.

Downtown encompasses two smaller districts that are popular destinations for visitors: Greektown (a few blocks full of restaurants and bars, just inland from the river and just east of Woodward) and the Foxtown District (along Woodward Avenue, about 0.5 mi/1 km from the river).

If you follow Woodward northwest about 3 mi/5 km from downtown, you'll reach the Cultural Center area, which includes several of the city's museums and Wayne State University. Just a few more blocks north on Woodward is the New Center area, home to the Fisher Building.

A lot of Detroit attractions are located in its surrounding suburbs, and it helps to have a general idea of where they lie. Northeast of downtown, along the river and Lake St. Clair, are the affluent Grosse Pointes (Grosse Pointe Park, Grosse Pointe Farms and so on). Along the northern border of the city are Warren, Ferndale, Southfield and, farther out, Royal Oak, Troy, Birmingham and Bloomfield Hills. Eight Mile Road, made famous by the Eminem movie of the same name, is the northern city limit.

Fifteen minutes to the west of downtown is Dearborn, the site of Ford headquarters and the home of the largest Arab-American community in the U.S.

History

French fur traders founded Detroit in 1701, making it one of the oldest urban areas in the Midwest. It later passed into British hands and withstood a prolonged siege during the Native American uprising led by Pontiac in 1763. Following the Revolutionary War, the town became a part of the U.S., though the British held it during the War of 1812.

In the decades leading up to the Civil War, Detroit served as a stop on the Underground Railroad, as escaped slaves made their way to freedom in Canada. By the turn of the 20th century, the motorized age was dawning, and a farmer's son named Henry Ford made Detroit its epicenter. His method of production—the moving assembly line—revolutionized industry and helped put the world on wheels.

During World War II, the city's factories were put to use churning out weapons. In the following decades, Detroit enjoyed something of a golden age that was partly funded by its unionized workforce and energized by a large—and mobile—group of youthful baby-boomers. By the 1960s, the city was pulsing to the Motown beat, Detroit's other famous 20th-century contribution. Motown Records founder Berry Gordy (a former General Motors employee) introduced the world to talented black performers such as Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, Smokey Robinson, the Jackson 5, the Temptations and the Supremes.

But not all was bright in the golden age. Detroit's racial tensions exploded in 1967 when a prolonged riot turned the inner city into a war zone. The white flight that ensued after the riot swelled the suburbs and left the core of the city devastated, a process made worse by difficulties in the auto industry in the 1970s and '80s.

The divisions between Detroit and its suburbs are still very evident, as are opposing opinions about the city's future and its ability to ride out a nagging financial pinch. One thing most people can agree on, however, is that Detroit's fate depends on its ability to attract new businesses and create jobs for its residents.

Potpourri

Despite the fact that the real Coney Island is more than 600 mi/966 km away, Detroiters call their ubiquitous and beloved chili dog a "Coney Island."

When asked where a place is located in their state, most Detroiters will start their explanation with a raised, flattened hand that is meant to represent Michigan's mittenlike shape.

Detroit has two border crossings to Windsor, Ontario. The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel was built in 1930 and is the second busiest U.S.-Canadian border crossing. Only the nearby Ambassador Bridge, built in 1929, has more daily traffic.

Michigan Stadium, the football stadium for the University of Michigan Wolverines in nearby Ann Arbor, is the country's largest football stadium with an official capacity of 107,501.

Detroit is a small resort community in a beautiful mountain setting (on Highway 22, east of Salem). Nearby, you'll find fishing and boating at Detroit Lake State Park, rivers for fishing and white-water rafting, and wilderness trails for hiking.

Year-round, a number of hot springs draw visitors interested in physical and spiritual renewal. Breitenbush Hot Springs, about 10 mi/16 km from Detroit, is a holistic, healing-arts retreat and conference center built around natural hot springs. A river runs past the resort, and an ancient fir and cedar forest surrounds it. The food is vegetarian, the electricity comes entirely from the river and the atmosphere is quite removed from the modern world. Detroit is 70 mi/115 km south of Portland.