Detroit, Michigan

Detroit (IPA: [dɪˈtʰɹɔɪt]) (French: Détroit, meaning strait, pronounced [detʁwa] (help·info)) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city located north of Windsor, Ontario, on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. It is known as the world's traditional automotive center and an important source of popular music legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, Motor City and Motown. Founded in 1701 by French fur traders, the city was called the Paris of the West in the late nineteenth century for its architecture. Other nicknames emerged in the twentieth century, including Rock City, The D, D-Town, Hockeytown, and The 313 (its area code).^[3]

In 2005, Detroit ranked as the United States' eleventh most populous city, with 886,675 residents. The name Detroit sometimes refers to the metro Detroit area, a sprawling region with a population of 4,468,966 for the Metropolitan Statistical Area and a population of 5,410,014 for the nine county Combined Statistical Area as of the 2006 Census Bureau estimates. If the adjacent Canadian city of Windsor and its suburbs are counted, the area has a total population of about 6,000,000 (see: Windsor-Detroit). Detroit's urbanized area population sat at 3,903,377 as of 2000, making it the ninth largest urbanized area in the U.S.

Though Detroit is struggling with economic issues, the most recent of several efforts to revitalize the historic downtown has seen success.^[4] However, some neighborhoods outside the central business district are blighted with the city's focus on development issues.^[5] The city's population, though still declining, has begun to stabilize from the free fall seen in the 1980s.

History

Main article: History of Detroit

The city's name comes from the Detroit River (in French Rivière du Détroit), meaning "River of the Strait," linking Lake St. Clair and Lake Erie.^[6] Traveling up the Detroit River on the ship Le Griffon (owned by La Salle), Father Louis Hennepin noted the north bank of the river as an ideal location for a settlement. There, in 1701, French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded a fort and settlement called Fort Pontchartrain du Détroit, naming it after the comte de Pontchartrain, Minister of Marine under Louis XIV. The settlement prospered as a fur-trading center, and the fort offered protection for French ships plying the Great Lakes.

Francois Marie Picoté, sieur de Belestre (Montreal 1719 - 1793) was the last French military commander at Fort Detroit (1758-1760), surrendering the fort on November 29, 1760 to British Major Robert Rogers (of Rogers's Rangers fame and sponsor of the Jonathan Carver expedition to St.Anthony Falls).

Later in 1760, during the French and Indian War, British troops gained control of the area and shortened the name of the settlement to Detroit. Local Native American tribes, many of whom had developed friendly relations with French colonists, became alarmed at this development. In 1763, several tribes led by Chief Pontiac, an Ottawa leader, launched what became known as Pontiac's Rebellion, which included a siege of Fort Detroit. Partially in response to this, the British issued the Royal Proclamation of 1763, which included provisions restricting settlement in unceded Indian territories. In 1796, Detroit passed to the United States under the Jay Treaty. In 1805, fire destroyed most of the settlement. A river warehouse and brick chimneys of the wooden homes were the sole structures to survive.^[7] Detroit's city flag reflects this French heritage. (See Flag of Detroit, Michigan.)

From 1805 to 1847, Detroit was the capital of Michigan. As the city expanded, the street layout followed a plan developed by Augustus B. Woodward, Chief Justice of the Michigan Territory. Detroit fell to British troops during the War of 1812 in the Siege of Detroit, was recaptured by the United States in 1813 and incorporated as a city in 1815. Prior to the American Civil War, the city's access to the Canadian border made it a key stop along the underground railroad.^[8]

Many Detroiters volunteered to fight during the American Civil War. Following the death of President Abraham Lincoln, George Armstrong Custer delivered a eulogy to the thousands gathered near Campus Martius Park. Custer led the Michigan Brigade during the American Civil War and called them the "Wolverines."

Detroit's many Gilded Age mansions and buildings arose during the late 1800s. The city was referred to as the "Paris of the West" for its architecture. Strategically located along the Great Lakes waterway, Detroit emerged as a transportation hub. The city had grown steadily from the 1830s with the rise of shipping, shipbuilding, and manufacturing industries. In 1896, a thriving carriage trade prompted Henry Ford to build his first automobile in a rented workshop on Mack Avenue, and in 1904, the Model T was produced. Ford's manufacturing — and those of automotive pioneers William C. Durant, the Dodge brothers, and Walter Chrysler -- reinforced Detroit's status as the world's automotive capital. The industry spurred the city's spectacular growth during the first half of the twentieth century as it drew many new residents, particularly workers from the Southern United States. Strained racial relations were evident in the trial of Dr. Ossian Sweet, a black Detroit physician acquitted of murder after he shot into a large mob when he moved from the all-black part of the city to an all-white area.^[9] With the introduction of prohibition, the river was a major conduit for Canadian spirits, organized in large part by the notorious Purple Gang.^[10]

With the factories came labor strife, climaxing in the 1930s when the United Auto Workers became involved in bitter disputes with Detroit's auto manufacturers. The labor activism of those years brought notoriety to hometown union leaders such as Jimmy Hoffa and Walter Reuther. The 1940s saw the construction of the world's first urban depressed freeway, the Davison^[11] and the industrial growth during World War II that led to Detroit's nickname as the Arsenal of Democracy.^[12] The city faced major challenges during the war as tens of thousands of workers migrated to the city to work in the war industries. Many of these migrant workers were blacks and whites from the U.S. south. Housing was almost impossible to find. The "color blind" promotion policies of the auto plants resulted in racial strife, and simmering racial tension erupted in a full-scale riot in 1943.^[13]

With white flight to the suburbs, some of Detroit's inner-city neighborhoods endured a painful decline during the 1960s and 1970s which caused the city to be held up as a symbol of urban blight. The Twelfth Street riot in 1967 and court-ordered busing accelerated the white flight from the city. An extensive freeway system constructed in the 1950s and 1960s facilitated commuting. The percentage of black residents increased rapidly thereafter, as not only did the whites flee the city, but the migration of blacks from the south continued. The city's tax base began a steep decline as retailers and small business owners departed the city in the wake of the riots. Within a decade large numbers of buildings and homes were abandoned on the southeast side of the city, with many remaining for years in a state of decay. In 1973, the city elected its first black mayor, Coleman Young. Young's style during his record five terms in office was not well received by many whites.^[14]

The gasoline crises of 1973 and 1979 shook the United States auto industry as small cars from foreign makers made inroads into the traditional dominance of the Big Three automakers. High-paying manufacturing jobs became scarce and acute heroin and crack cocaine epidemics afflicted the city with the help of Butch Jones, Maserati Rick, and the Chambers Brothers. Drug-related violence and property crimes rose steeply, and many abandoned homes were razed as they had become havens for drug dealers. Devil's Night, a Detroit-area tradition which occurs the night before Halloween, evolved from a night of pranks to a night of large-scale arson across the city. Sizable tracts have reverted to nature, becoming a form of urban prairie with wild animals spotted migrating into the city.^[15] "Renaissance" has been a perennial buzzword among city leaders since the Twelfth Street riot, reinforced by the construction of the Renaissance Center in the late 1970s. In 1980, Detroit hosted the Republican National Convention which nominated Ronald Reagan to a successful bid for President of the United States.

In the 1990s, the city began to enjoy a revival, much of it centered downtown. In 1994, Comerica Tower with its postmodern architecture and neo-gothic spires arose on the city skyline. From 1996 onwards, three casinos opened: MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City Casino, and Greektown Casino. In 2000, Comerica Park replaced Tiger Stadium as the home of the Detroit Tigers,^[16] and in 2002, Ford Field brought the NFL's Detroit Lions back into the city from Pontiac. Office construction surrounding the revitalized Campus Martius Park included the 2004 opening of Compuware World Headquarters and the 2006 opening of Ernst & Young's new offices at One Kennedy Square. The city hosted the 2005 MLB All-Star Game and Super Bowl XL in 2006, both of which prompted many improvements to the downtown area. Additionally, the first portions of the Detroit River Walk were laid down. In the summer of 2006, announcements came for the redevelopment of the Fort Shelby and Book-Cadillac Hotels. On April 1, 2007 (April Fools Day), Detroit hosted Wrestlemania 23 at Ford Field with a record setting crowd of 80,103 fans, which is the highest attendance for an event at Ford Field.

Geography

Topography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 143.0 square miles (370.2 km²); of this, 138.8 square miles (359.4 km²) is land and 4.2 square miles (11 km²) is water. The highest elevation in Detroit is in the University District neighborhood in northwestern Detroit, just west of Palmer Park sitting at a height of 670 feet (204 m). Detroit's lowest elevation is along its riverfront, of course, sitting at a height of 579 feet (176 m). Detroit completely encircles the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park. On its northeast border are the wealthy communities of Grosse Pointe. Oakland and Macomb counties lie to the north. Alter Road divides Detroit and Grosse Pointe Park. It divides one of the poorest and most crime-ridden communities in the United States from one of the most affluent, with multi-million dollar mansions on Lake Shore Drive in the Grosse Pointes.

The city is crossed by three road systems: the original French template, radial avenues from a Washington, D.C.-inspired system, and true north–south roads from the Northwest Ordinance township system. It sits atop a large salt mine^[17] and is north of Windsor, Ontario. Detroit is the only major city along the U.S.-Canadian border in which one travels south in order to cross into Canada. Detroit has four border crossings: the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel provide motor vehicle thoroughfare; the Michigan Central Railway Tunnel provides railroad access to and from Canada. The fourth border crossing is the Detroit-Windsor Truck Ferry, located near the Windsor Salt Mine and Zug Island.

Climate

Detroit and the rest of southeastern Michigan have a typically Midwestern temperate seasonal climate, which is influenced by the Great Lakes. Winters are cold with moderate snowfall.^[18] The earliest officially measurable snowfall in Detroit occurred on October 12, 2006. Winters are often cold but temperatures very rarely drop below 0°F (–17°C). Summer temperatures can typically exceed 90°F (32°C). Average monthly precipitation ranges from about two to four inches (50 to 100 mm). Snowfall, which typically occurs from November to early April, ranges from 1 to 10 inches (3 to 25 cm) a month.^[19] The highest recorded temperature was 103.0°F (39.0°C) on June 25, 1988, while the lowest recorded temperature was –17.0°F (–27.0°C) on January 19, 1994.^[20]

Cityscape

Architecture

Main article: Architecture of metropolitan Detroit

With one of the world's most recognizable skylines, Detroit's waterfront panorama shows a variety of architectural styles. The past meets the present as the city's historic Art Deco skyscrapers blend with the post modern neogothic spires of the Comerica Tower at Detroit Center (1994). Together with the gleaming Renaissance Center, they form the city's marque. Examples of the Art Deco style include the Guardian Building and Penobscot Building downtown, as well as the Fisher Building and Cadillac Place in the New Center area near Wayne State University. Among the city's prominent structures are the nation's first Fox Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, and the Detroit Institute of Arts.

While the downtown and New Center areas contain high-rise buildings, the majority of the surrounding city consists of low-rise structures and single-family homes. Detroit's architecture is heralded as some of America's finest; many of the city's architecturally significant buildings are listed by the National Trust for Historic Preservation as among America's most endangered landmarks with the city containing one of the nation's largest surviving collections late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings.^[22]

Detroit has an active community of professionals dedicated to urban design, historic preservation, architecture, and investment in the city.^[23] A number of downtown redevelopment projects — of which Campus Martius Park is one of the most notable — have revitalized parts of the city. In 2006, a state-of-the-art cruise ship dock was added to Hart Plaza. Grand Circus Park stands near the city's theater district and Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.

Detroit has constructed a three mile riverfront promenade park from Hart Plaza to Belle Isle (the largest island park in a U.S. city) with a combination of parks, residential buildings, and commercial areas. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy is spearheading most of this development. It includes the Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor, Michigan's first urban state park. Civic planners envision that the newly reclaimed riverfront with pedestrian parks will spur more residential development. The second phase is a two mile extension from Hart Plaza to the Ambassador Bridge for a total of five miles of parkway from bridge to bridge. Other major parks include Palmer (north of Highland Park), River Rouge (in the southwest side), and Chene Park (on the Detroit River east of downtown).

Neighborhoods

Main article: Neighborhoods in Detroit

Detroit has many neighborhoods and historic districts which contribute to its overall quality of life. Several neighborhoods and districts are listed in the National Register of Historic Places such as Lafayette Park, part of the Mies van der Rohe residential district. On Saturdays, about 45,000 people shop the city's historic Eastern Market.^[24] The Midtown and the New Center area are centered around Wayne State University and Henry Ford Hospital. Midtown has about 50,000 residents, yet it attracts millions of visitors each year to its museums and cultural centers; for example, the Detroit Festival of the Arts in Midtown draws about 350,000 people.^[25] The University Commons-Palmer Park district in Northwest Detroit is near the University of Detroit Mercy and Marygrove College and has historic neighborhoods including Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, and Green Acres.

Culture and contemporary life

Metro Detroit suburbs are among the most affluent in the U.S.^[26] Lifestyles for rising professionals in Detroit reflect those of other major cities. This dynamic is luring many younger professionals to the downtown area.^[27] Luxury high rises such as the three Riverfront Towers have views of Hart Plaza and Canada. Examples abound with developments in the city's New Center area. The Westin Book-Cadillac Hotel will include a number of luxury condos. The east river development plans include more luxury condominium developments. A desire to be closer to the urban scene has attracted young professionals to take up residence among the mansions of Grosse Pointe just outside the city. Detroit's proximity to Windsor, Ontario, provides for spectacular views and nightlife, along with Ontario's 19-and-older drinking age.^[28]

Entertainment and performing arts

Main articles: Culture of Detroit, Music of Detroit, Detroit Theatre District, and Detroit celebrities

Music has been the dominant feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s bringing the city worldwide attention. The metropolitan area boasts two of the top live music venues in the United States: DTE Energy Music Theatre and The Palace of Auburn Hills^[29] The Detroit Theatre District is the nation's second largest in terms of seats. Major theaters include the Fox Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, and the Fisher Theatre. Detroit's Orchestra Hall is the home of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra.

In the 1940s, Detroit's blues scene saw the long-term residency of John Lee Hooker. During the 1950s, the city became a center for jazz, with stars performing in the Black Bottom neighborhood.^[30] Berry Gordy, Jr. founded Motown Records which rose to prominence during the 1960s and early 1970s with acts such as Stevie Wonder,The Temptations, The Four Tops, Smokey Robinson & The Miracles, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye and Aretha Franklin. Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles in 1970 to pursue film producing opportunities, but the company has since moved back to Detroit.

Metro Detroit spawned a high-energy rock scene in the late 1960s and 1970s centered around the Grande Ballroom with artists like Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Mitch Ryder, Rare Earth, Brownsville Station, Glenn Frey and Bob Seger. The group Kiss captured the essence of Detroit's love for rock music in the song "Detroit Rock City." This rock scene is considered one of the precursors of the punk rock movement, with the MC5 and Iggy Pop's various projects (including The Stooges) being some of the foremost proto-punk bands.

The Detroit area is also generally accepted as the birthplace of techno, which has grown since 1987 through local radio and clubs to dance venues worldwide. Seminal Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. This musical genre developed at the same time as Chicago's House music but was more directly influenced by funk and European electronic pioneers such as Kraftwerk, as well as Atkins's own early electro work. Techno music reached a worldwide audience and in Europe triggered a revolution in both youth culture and music industry.

In addition, Detroit's garage rock scene of the 1990s rose to national attention with the success of bands such as The White Stripes, Von Bondies, the Dirtbombs, and Electric Six. In recent years, bands like The Hard Lessons and The Muggs have revived Detroit's historical garage rock scene. A large hard rock scene, powered by it's foremost rock radio station 101.1 WRIF, has also produced marked local success for bands such as Sponge, The Unheard and Ray Street Park. Its hip hop scene also rose to prominence in the late nineties with the emergence of nationally renowned acts such as Eminem, Kid Rock, Insane Clown Posse, Slum Village, D12, J Dilla, Obie Trice, Twiztid, Blade Icewood, Big Herk, and Royce Da 5'9 as well as other artists like Tone Tone and Esham. Detroit Rap has gained international notoriety. Further, Detroit's Soul music scene, largely overlooked by its local media, is widely regarded nationally as well as internationally. With the likes of Dwele, Amp Fiddler, Monica Blaire, and maybe it most nationally noted soul product in recent years, Kem.

In recent years, Detroit has seen fusion between its electronic and rock roots through bands like Melting Alpha Coat and the justin routzohn experience. Natives artists such as Thunderbirds Are Now, Mason Proper, The Novel Citizen, The Great Fiction, and Sufjan Stevens have made significant progress bridging the two genres. These two genres have developed into what is known as indie rock. Local venues like The Majestic Theater, The Magic Stick, St. Andrews Hall, The Shelter, and The Magic Bag have became regular cornerstones showcasing Detroit's indie rock scene.

The city hosts several annual music events, including the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival, the Electronic Music Festival, the Motor City Music Conference (MC2), the Urban Organic Music Conference, the Concert of Colors, and the hip-hop Summer Jamz music festival.

Tourism

Main article: Tourism in metropolitan Detroit

Many of Metro Detroit's museums are located in the Cultural Center near Wayne State University. These museums include Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, Detroit Science Center, and the main branch of the Detroit Public Library. Other cultural highlights include Motown Historical Museum, Tuskegee Airmen Museum, Fort Wayne, Dossin Great Lakes Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit (MOCAD), and the Belle Isle Conservatory. Important history of Detroit and the surrounding area is exhibited at the The Henry Ford, the nation's largest indoor-outdoor museum complex.^[31][32] The Detroit Historical Society at the Detroit Historical Museum provides information about tours of Detroit area churches, skyscrapers, and mansions. The Eastern Market farmer's distribution center is the largest open-air flowerbed market in the United States and has more than 150 foods and specialty businesses.^[33]

Hart Plaza, between the Renaissance Center and Cobo Hall on the riverfront, is the site of many events including the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival in late June with one of the nation's largest displays of fireworks and the Detroit Electronic Music Festival. Within downtown, Campus Martius Park hosts events such as the Motown Winter Blast. As the world's traditional automotive center, Detroit hosts the North American International Auto Show. The America's Thanksgiving Parade — previously referred to as the Hudson's Thanksgiving Day Parade — is one of the nation's largest and has been held continuously since 1924.^[34]

Other sites of interest are the Detroit Zoo, the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory, and the Belle Isle Aquarium. The aquarium on Belle Isle is currently closed.^[35] The J.W. Westcott II, which delivers mail to freighters on the Detroit River, is the world's only floating post office.^[36]

The most important civic sculpture in Detroit is Marshall Fredericks' "Spirit of Detroit" at the Coleman Young Municipal Center. The image is often used as a symbol of Detroit and the statue itself is occasionally dressed in sports jerseys to celebrate when a Detroit team is doing well.^[37] A memorial to Joe Louis at the intersection of Jefferson and Woodward Avenues was dedicated on October 16, 1986. The sculpture, commissioned by Sports Illustrated and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24 foot (7.3 m) long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a pyramidal framework.^[38]

Artist Tyree Guyton created the controversial street art exhibit known as the Heidelberg Project in the mid 1980s. The exhibit used junk and abandoned cars, clothing, shoes, vacuum cleaners, and other garbage Guyton found in the neighborhood near and on Heidelberg Street on the near East Side of Detroit. Guyton painted polka dots and other symbols on several houses on Heidelberg Street. The city sued Guyton twice for creating a public nuisance, removed large parts of his art project, and tore down two vacant homes he had painted with various symbols. Nevertheless, much of the Heidelberg Project remains today.

Sports

Main article: Sports in metropolitan Detroit

Detroit is home to professional teams representing the four major sports in North America. All but two play within the city of Detroit itself (basketball's Detroit Pistons and Detroit Shock play in suburban Auburn Hills). There are three active major sports venues within the city: Comerica Park (home of the baseball team Detroit Tigers), Ford Field (home of the football team Detroit Lions), and Joe Louis Arena (home of the ice hockey team Detroit Red Wings). Detroit is known for its avid hockey fans, earning the city the moniker of "Hockeytown."

In college sports, the University of Detroit Mercy has a NCAA Division I program, and Wayne State University has both NCAA Division I and II programs. The NCAA football Motor City Bowl is held at Ford Field each December.

Since 1916, the city has been home to an American Power Boat Association Unlimited hydroplane boat race, held annually (with exceptions) on the Detroit River near Belle Isle. Often, the race is for the APBA Challenge Cup, more commonly known as the Gold Cup (first awarded in 1904, created by Tiffany) which is the oldest active motorsport trophy in the world.^[39]

Detroit was the former home of a round of the Formula One World Championship, which held the race on the streets of downtown Detroit from 1982 until 1988, after which the sanction moved from Formula One to IndyCars until its final run in 2001.^[40] In 2007, open-wheel racing will return to Belle Isle with both Indy Racing League and American Le Mans Series Racing.^[41]

Detroit was given the name "City of Champions" in the 1930s for a series of successes both in individual and in team sport.^[42] Gar Wood (a native Detroiter) won the Harmsworth Trophy for unlimited powerboat racing on the Detroit River in 1931. In the next year, 1932, Eddie "The Midnight Express" Tolan, a black student from Detroit's Cass Technical High School, won the 100- and 200-meter races and two gold medals at the 1932 Olympics. Joe Louis won the heavyweight championship of the world in 1937. Also, surprisingly in 1935, the Detroit Lions won the National Football League championship. The Detroit Tigers have won ten American League pennants and the four World Series titles. The Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup ten times,^[43][44] and the Detroit Pistons had three NBA championship titles.

See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports

Media

Main article: Media in metropolitan Detroit

An important source for news, the city is the site of the annual North American International Auto Show which hosts the national media. The Detroit Free Press and The Detroit News are the major daily