Travel Guide Detroit

Detroit is the great symbol of the American post-industrial decline. Michigan's then Governor of State, Rick Snyder, went so far as to file for bankruptcy in 2013 after estimating his debt at over $18.5 billion. Detroit has failed to recover from the successive economic crises of the 20th and 21st centuries. Many neighbourhoods have been abandoned or razed to the ground and give the impression of crossing, at times, a ghost town. At the height of the 2008 financial crisis, homes in Detroit could be bought for less than US$500. Buildings like the Packard Automotive Plant, which were the flagship of industrial success, now stand as symbols of a bygone golden age.However, this black and real painting does not do justice to this fascinating city, whose visit is particularly surprising. In addition to abandoned neighbourhoods, others are resurrecting such as Corktown, Eastern Market or Midtown. From being unattended and very dangerous a decade ago, Midtown is now the lifeblood of a vibrant cultural life, where prestigious institutions such as the Detroit Institute of Arts and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History come to rub shoulders with internationally renowned universities, student districts, new boutiques, restaurants and bars that make a visit to Detroit unforgettable. Street art, omnipresent throughout the city, also testifies to a vitality that is exposed at every street corner. A city full of contrasts whose visit is fascinating for all those who are interested in another face of the United States, less bling-bling certainly, but just as captivating.