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"Detroit" redirects here. For other uses, see Detroit (disambiguation).
Detroit (pronounced /dɪˈtrɔɪt/) (French: d\'Étroit, meaning "at the strait"see List of U.S. place names of French origin, pronounced [detʁwa] ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan and the seat of Wayne County. Detroit is a major port city on the Detroit River, in the Midwest region of the United States. Located north of Windsor, Ontario Detroit is a geographical oddity as the only U.S. city that looks south to Canada. It was founded in 1701 by the Frenchman Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac.
It is known as the world\'s traditional automotive center — "Detroit" is a metonym for the American automobile industry — and an important source of popular music, legacies celebrated by the city\'s two familiar nicknames, Motor City and Motown.Michigan Cities. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. Retrieved on April 8, 2007. “[Detroit] is the automobile capital of the world”SAE World Congress convenes in Detroit. Retrieved on April 12, 2007. Other nicknames emerged in the twentieth century, including Rock City, Arsenal of Democracy (during World War II),Davis, Michael W. R. (2007). Detroit\'s Wartime Industry: Arsenal of Democracy (Images of America). Arcadia Publishing. ISBN 0738551643. The D, D-Town, and The 3-1-3 (its area code).Commemorated in the 2002 movie 8 Mile.
In 2006, Detroit ranked as the United States\' eleventh most populous city, with 918,849 residents.2006 challenges. US Census Bureau. Retrieved on 11-02-08. At its peak, the city was the fourth largest in the country, but it has rapidly declined in population since the 1960s. The name Detroit sometimes refers to the Metro Detroit area, a sprawling region with a population of 4,468,966Annual Estimates of the Population of Metropolitan and Micropolitan Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006. US Census Bureau. Retrieved on September 9, 2007. for the Metropolitan Statistical Area, making it the nation\'s tenth-largest, and a population of 5,410,014Annual Estimates of the Population of Combined Statistical Areas: April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006. US Census Bureau. Retrieved on 2007-09-01. for the nine-county Combined Statistical Area as of the 2006 Census Bureau estimates. The Windsor-Detroit area, a critical commercial link straddling the Canada-U.S. border, has a total population of about 5,900,000.World Agglomerations Retrieved on September 3, 2007.
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The city name comes from the Detroit River (French: le détroit du Lac Erie), meaning "the strait of Lake Erie," linking Lake Huron and Lake Erie; in the historical context, the strait included Lake St. Clair and the St. Clair River.La rivière du Détroit depuis le lac Érié, 1764. Retrieved on 2 October, 2006. 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, the French officer Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac founded a settlement called Fort Détroit, naming it after the comte de Pontchartrain, Minister of Marine under Louis XIV. 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 the British. Detroit\'s city flag reflects this French heritage. (See Flag of Detroit, Michigan.)
During the French and Indian War (1760), British troops gained control and shortened the name to Detroit. Several tribes led by Chief Pontiac, an Ottawa leader, launched Pontiac\'s Rebellion (1763), including a siege of Fort Detroit. Partially in response to this, the British Royal Proclamation of 1763 included restrictions on white settlement in unceded Indian territories. Detroit passed to the United States under the Jay Treaty (1796). In 1805, fire destroyed most of the settlement. A river warehouse and brick chimneys of the wooden homes were the sole structures to survive.Ste. Anne of Detroit St. Anne Church. Retrieved on April 29, 2006.
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.Blockson, Charles and Chase, Henry (April 2005). Detroit - Follow the North Star, The Guiding Light of the Underground Railroad. "American Visions." The Republican Party was founded in 1851 in nearby Jackson, Michigan by anti-slavery and Former Whig Zachariah Chandler. Then a Lieutenant, the future president Ulysses S. Grant was stationed in the city. His dwelling is still at the Michigan State Fairgrounds. Because of this local sentiment, many Detroiters volunteered to fight during the American Civil War, beginning with the "Iron Brigade" which defended Washington, D.C. early in the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln is quoted as saying "Thank God for Michigan!" 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."Rosentreter, Roger (July/August 1998). "Come on you Wolverines, Michigan at Gettysburg." Michigan History magazine.
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, and for Washington Boulevard, recently electrified by Thomas Edison.Woodford, Arthur M. (2001). This is Detroit: 1701–2001. Wayne State University Press. 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 Ford Motor Company was founded. 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; it also served to encourage truck manufacturers such as Rapid and Grabowsky. 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.Zacharias, Patricia (February 12, 2001). \'I have to die a man or live a coward\' -- the saga of Dr. Ossian Sweet. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007. With the introduction of prohibition, the river was a major conduit for Canadian spirits, organized in large part by the notorious Purple Gang.Nolan, Jenny (June 15, 1999).How Prohibition made Detroit a bootlegger\'s dream town. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
Labor strife climaxed 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 union leaders such as Jimmy Hoffa and Walter Reuther. The 1940s saw the construction of the world\'s first urban depressed freeway, the DavisonMichigan Highways. michiganhighways.org Retrieved on April 30, 2006. and the industrial growth during World War II that led to Detroit\'s nickname as the Arsenal of Democracy.Nolan, Jenny (January 28, 1997).Willow Run and the Arsenal of Democracy. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007. 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 difficult to find. The "color blind" promotion policies of the auto plants resulted in racial tension that erupted into a full-scale riot in 1943.Baulch, Vivian M. and Patricia Zacharias (February 11, 1999). 1943 Detroit race riots. Michigan History, The Detroit News Retrieved on November 23, 2007.
Michigan Soldiers\' and Sailors\' Monument of the Civil War with the old Detroit City Hall.
With white flight to the suburbs, many Detroit inner-city neighborhoods endured a painful decline from the 1960s and 1970s leaving many areas of the inner-city with urban blight. The Twelfth Street riot in 1967 and court-ordered busing accelerated 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. Accordingly, the city\'s tax base began a steep decline. Retailers and small business owners departed the city in the wake of the increased crime rate. Within a few years large numbers of buildings and homes were abandoned, many remaining for decades in a state of decay. In 1973, the city elected its first black mayor, Coleman Young. Young\'s chaotic style during his five terms in office was not well received by many whites, who continued to leave the city in large numbers.Detroit\'s \'great warrior,\' Coleman Young, dies (November 29, 1997). CNN.com.
The gasoline crises of 1973 and 1979 shook the U.S. auto industry as small cars from foreign makers made inroads into the traditional dominance of the domestic automakers. High-paying manufacturing jobs became scarce. Acute heroin and crack cocaine use afflicted the city with the influence of Butch Jones, Maserati Rick, and the Chambers Brothers. Drug-related violence and property crimes rose, and many abandoned homes were demolished as they had become havens for drug dealers. Sizable tracts have reverted to a form of urban prairie with wild animals spotted migrating into the city.Wild Kingdom. Detroit Blog. Retrieved on March 8, 2006. "Renaissance" has been a perennial buzzword among city leaders since the Twelfth Street riot and was reinforced by the construction of the Renaissance Center in the late 1970s. This complex of skyscrapers, designed as a "city within a city," slowed but was unable to reverse the trend of businesses leaving the city\'s Downtown until the 90\'s.
In 1980, Detroit hosted the Republican National Convention which nominated Ronald Reagan to a successful bid for President of the United States. Four years later, the city again appeared on the national radar, but for unwanted reasons: rioting in the wake of the Detroit Tigers\' World Series championship left three dead and millions of dollars in property damage.
In the 1990s, the city began to enjoy a revival, much of it centered downtown. Comerica Tower at Detroit Center (1992) arose on the city skyline. In the ensuing years, three casinos opened in Detroit: MGM Grand Detroit, Motor City Casino, and Greektown Casino which are now adding resorts. New downtown stadiums were constructed for the Detroit Tigers and Detroit Lions in 2000 and 2002, respectively; this put the Lions\' home stadium in the city proper for the first time since 1974. The city hosted the 2005 MLB All-Star Game and the 2006 Super Bowl XL, both of which prompted many improvements to the downtown area. The city\'s riverfront is the focus of much development; in 2007, the first portions of the Detroit River Walk were laid, including miles of parks and fountains. This new urban development in Detroit is a mainstay in the city\'s earnest desire to reinvent its economic identity through tourism.Bailey, Ruby L.(August 22, 2007). The D is a draw: Most suburbanites are repeat visitors.Detroit Free Press. New Detroit Free Press-Local 4 poll conducted by Selzer and Co., finds, "nearly two-thirds of residents of suburban Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties say they at least occasionally dine, attend cultural events or take in professional games in Detroit." Along the river, upscale million dollar condos are going up, such as Watermark Detroit, some of the most expensive the city has ever seen.
A simulated-color satellite image of Detroit, with Windsor across the river, taken on NASA\'s Landsat 7 satellite.
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 (10.8 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, 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. The Detroit River International Wildlife Refuge is the only international wildlife preserve in North America, uniquely located in the heart of a major metropolitan area. The Refuge includes islands, coastal wetlands, marshes, shoals, and waterfront lands along 48 miles (77 km) of the Detroit River and Western Lake Erie shoreline.
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. The city 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. Not far from Zug Island, the southwest part of the city sits atop a 1,500-acre (610 ha) salt mine that is 1,100 feet (340 m) below the surface. The Detroit Salt Company mine has over 100 miles (160 km) of roads within it.Zacharias, Patricia (January 23, 2000). The ghostly salt city beneath Detroit. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007.The Detroit Salt Company --Explore the City under the City. (online). Retrieved on 2008-02-08.
Detroit and the rest of southeastern Michigan have a continental climate which is influenced by the Great Lakes. Winters are cold with moderate snowfall.Detroit Weather & Climate (2006). Michigan Vacations Retrieved on April 20, 2006. and nighttime temperatures sometimes dropping below 10 °F (–12 °C), while summers are warm with temperatures sometimes exceeding 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 an average of 1 to 10 inches (3 to 25 cm) a month.Monthly Averages for Detroit, MI (2006). Weather.com (accessed April 20, 2006). The highest recorded temperature was 105.0 °F (40.5 °C) on July 24 1934, while the lowest recorded temperature was –24.0 °F (–31.1 °C) on December 22 1872.Daily Records - Detroit (2007). National Weather Service Detroit/Pontiac, MI (accessed July 7, 2007).
| Weather averages for Detroit, Michigan | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °F | 31 | 33 | 44 | 58 | 70 | 79 | 83 | 81 | 74 | 62 | 48 | 35 | 58 |
| Average low °F | 16 | 18 | 27 | 37 | 48 | 57 | 62 | 60 | 53 | 41 | 32 | 22 | 39 |
| Precipitation inch | 1.9 | 1.7 | 2.4 | 3.0 | 2.9 | 3.6 | 3.1 | 3.4 | 2.8 | 2.2 | 2.7 | 2.5 | 32.3 |
| Average high °C | -1 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 21 | 26 | 28 | 27 | 23 | 17 | 9 | 2 | 14 |
| Average low °C | -9 | -8 | -3 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 12 | 5 | 0 | -6 | 3 |
| Precipitation cm | 4 | 4 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 82 |
| Source: WeatherbaseWeatherbase: Historical Weather for Detroit, Michigan, United States of America. Retrieved on Nov 6, 2006. Nov 2006 | |||||||||||||
| Southfield, Farmington Hills | Ferndale, Oak Park, Berkley, Royal Oak, Madison Heights, Hazel Park | Warren, Eastpointe, Roseville, St. Clair Shores, Lake St. Clair |
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| Redford Twp, Livonia | 
| Grosse Pointe, Lake St. Clair | ||
 Detroit, Michigan MDOT state map Detroit 7. State of Michigan. Retrieved on 3-3-2008.MDOT state map Detroit 3. State of Michigan. Retrieved on 3-3-2008. 
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| Dearborn, Lincoln Park, Taylor | Detroit River, Windsor, Ontario | Belle Isle Park, Detroit River, Windsor, Ontario |
The cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park both lie entirely within the boundaries of the city of Detroit.
1001 Woodward (1965) right, reflecting the Penobscot.
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 (1993). Together with the 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 largest Fox Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, and the Detroit Institute of Arts.
Penobscot Building (1928) left, with the Dime Building (1912).
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. Outside of the city\'s core, apartments and high-rises are found in neighborhoods such as the East Riverfront extending toward Grosse Pointe and the Palmer Park neighborhood just west of Woodward. Many of the city\'s neighborhoods were constructed prior to World War II, and feature the architecture of the times. Wood frame and simple brick houses in the working class neighborhoods, larger brick homes in vast middle class neighborhoods, and ornate mansions in neighborhoods such as Brush Park, Woodbridge, Indian Village, Palmer Woods, Sherwood Forest, and others. The oldest neighborhoods are along the Woodward and Jefferson corridors, while newer neighborhoods, built as late as the 1950s, are found in the far west and closer to 8 Mile Road. Some of the oldest extant neighborhoods include Corktown, a working class, formerly Irish neighborhood, and Brush Park. Both are now seeing million dollar redevelopments and construction of new homes and condos.
Detroit\'s architecture is heralded as some of America\'s finest; many of the city\'s architecturally significant buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places and the city has one of the nation\'s largest surviving collections of late nineteenth and early twentieth century buildings.Sharoff, Robert (2005). American City: Detroit Architecture Wayne State University Press Among these historic places are dozens of architecturally significant churches including St. Joseph Catholic Church and Saint Anne de Detroit Catholic Church.
The city has an active community of professionals dedicated to urban design, historic preservation, architecture, and investment in the city.Cityscape Detroit.www.cityscapedetroit.org Retrieved on April 8, 2007. A number of downtown redevelopment projects — of which Campus Martius Park is one of the most notable — have revitalized parts of the city. Grand Circus Park stands near the city\'s theater district, Ford Field, home of the Detroit Lions, and Comerica Park, home of the Detroit Tigers.
The Detroit International Riverfront includes a partially completed three and one-half mile riverfront promenade with a combination of parks, residential buildings, and commercial areas from Hart Plaza to the MacArthur Bridge accessing Belle Isle (the largest island park in a U.S. city). The riverfront includes Tri-Centennial State Park and Harbor, Michigan\'s first urban state park. The second phase is a two mile (3 km) extension from Hart Plaza to the Ambassador Bridge for a total of five miles (8 km) of parkway from bridge to bridge. Civic planners envision that the newly reclaimed riverfront with pedestrian parks will spur more residential development. Other major parks include Palmer (north of Highland Park), River Rouge (in the southwest side), and Chene Park (on the east river downtown).
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.Eastern MarketModel D Media Retrieved on April 8, 2007. 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.Midtown Model D Media Retrieved on April 8, 2007. 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.
Renaissance Center with giant decal for the 2005 MLB All-Star Game.
Metro Detroit suburbs are among the more affluent in the U.S., 2004–05 Community profile Oakland County. Retrieved on 11 July, 2007. “Oakland County also ranks as the fourth wealthiest county in the nation among counties with populations of more than one million people.” in contrast to the poorer areas of the inner-city. Lifestyles for rising professionals in Detroit reflect those of other major cities.Harrison, Sheena (June 25, 2007). DEGA enlists help to spur Detroit retail. Crain\'s Detroit Business. Retrieved on November 28 2007. "New downtown residents are largely young professionals according to Social Compact." This dynamic is luring many younger residents to the downtown area.Halaas, Jaime (December 20, 2005).Inside Detroit Lofts. Model D Media. Retrieved on November 28, 2007. Luxury high rises such as the three Riverfront Towers have views of Hart Plaza and Canada. The New Center area contains examples of historic housing redevelopment. 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.La Canfora, Jason. Detroit\'s Big Party Next Door. In Windsor, Temptation Waits for Players, Fans. The Washington Post. Retrieved on 2 October, 2006.
Fox Theatre lights up \'Foxtown\' in downtown Detroit
Live 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. The Detroit Theatre District is the nation\'s second largest.Firsts and facts Detroit Tourism Economic Development Council. Retrieved on July 20, 2007.Arts & Culture: Theatres Detroit Economic Growth Corporation. Retrieved on July 20, 2007. "Detroit is home to the 2nd largest theatre district in the USA." Major theaters include the Fox Theatre,The Music Hall, the Gem Theatre, Masonic Temple Theatre, the Detroit Opera House, and the Fisher Theatre. Orchestra Hall hosts the renowned Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Another music venue for rock and metal is Harpos concert theater.
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.Boyd, Herb (September 17, 1997). Cookin\' in the Motor City. The Metro Times 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, and Marvin Gaye. Gordy moved Motown to Los Angeles in 1972 to pursue film production, but the company has since returned to Detroit. Aretha Franklin is another Detroit R&B star.
Detroit also gave birth to the Nederlander Organization, which originated with the purchase of the Detroit Opera House in 1922 by the Nederlander Family. The organization would later go on to become the largest controller of Broadway productions in New York City.
The area spawned a high-energy rock in the late 1960s and 1970s around the Grande Ballroom with artists Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent, Mitch Ryder, Rare Earth, Brownsville Station, Glenn Frey and Bob Seger. The group Kiss captured the love for rock music in Detroit Rock City. This was a precursor to punk rock\'s MC5 and Iggy Pop\'s The Stooges, among others.
As a birthplace of Techno music emerging in 1987 to venues worldwide, seminal Detroit Techno artists include Juan Atkins, Derrick May, and Kevin Saunderson. This genre developed alongside Chicago\'s House music, yet was more influenced by funk and European electronic pioneers such as Kraftwerk, as well as Atkins\'s own early electro work. Techno reached a worldwide audience and in Europe triggered a revolution in both youth culture and music industry.
In addition, Detroit\'s garage rock of the 1990s rose to national attention with the bands The White Stripes, Von Bondies, the Dirtbombs, and Electric Six. In recent years, bands like The Hard Lessons and the Amino Acids revived garage rock. Hard rock, powered by 101.1 WRIF, produced local success for bands like Sponge. Detroit Hip Hop rose to prominence in the late nineties with the emergence of Eminem, Kid Rock, Street Lord\'z, Rock Bottom, Slum Village, D12, J Dilla, Obie Trice, Blade Icewood, Bugz (RIP), Big Herk, Royce Da 5\'9, and Esham. Detroit Soul artists include Dwele, Amp Fiddler, and Kem.
Other music events include Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival, the Detroit Electronic Music Festival, the Motor City Music Conference (MC2), the Urban Organic Music Conference, the Concert of Colors, and the hip-hop Summer Jamz festival.
Many of the area\'s prominent museums are located in the historic cultural center neighborhood around Wayne State University. These museums include the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Detroit Historical Museum, Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the 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), the Contemporary Art Institute of Detroit (CAID), 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.America\'s Story, Explore the States: Michigan (2006). Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village Library of Congress Retrieved on April 8, 2007.State of Michigan: MI Kids (2006).Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village Retrieved on April 8, 2007. The Detroit Historical Society provides information about tours of 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.History of Eastern Market. Eastern Market Merchant\'s Association. Retrieved on March 8, 2006. Other sites of interest are the Detroit Zoo and the Anna Scripps Whitcomb Conservatory on Belle Isle.
Greektown in Detroit
The city is accustomed to large crowds. River Days, a five day festival on the International Riverfront, marked the opening of the River Walk along the east river leading up to the Windsor-Detroit International Freedom Festival fireworks with about 3.5 million visitors. The city\'s Greektown and casino resorts serve as an entertainment hub. Other events include the Electronic Music Festival typically attracts crowds of over a million visitors. Within downtown, Campus Martius Park hosts large events such as the Motown Winter Blast. As the world\'s traditional automotive center, the city hosts the North American International Auto Show. Held since 1924, America\'s Thanksgiving Parade is one of the nation\'s largest.Freedom Fest. The Parade Company. Retrieved on October 28, 2007.
An 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.Baulch, Vivian M. (August 4, 1998). Marshall Fredericks -- the Spirit of Detroit. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on November 23, 2007. 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 twenty-four foot (7.3 m) long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a pyramidal framework.Sarah Karush, The Associated Press (February 23, 2004). Police arrest two men suspected of vandalizing Joe Louis statue. USA Today.
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, the Heidelberg Project is continually updated.
Looking towards Ford Field the night of Super Bowl XL.
Detroit is one of 13 American metropolitan areas that are home to professional teams representing the four major sports in North America. All these teams but one play within the city of Detroit itself (the NBA\'s Detroit Pistons and the WNBA\'s Detroit Shock both play in suburban Auburn Hills at The Palace of Auburn Hills). There are three active major sports venues within the city: Comerica Park (home of the Major League Baseball team Detroit Tigers), Ford Field (home of the NFL\'s Detroit Lions), and Joe Louis Arena (home of the NHL\'s 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.
Comerica Park 2007
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.History. The Detroit APBA Gold Cup
Joe Louis Memorial was dedicated in 1986.
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.Track History. CART. In 2007, open-wheel racing will return to Belle Isle with both Indy Racing League and American Le Mans Series Racing. Indy racing will return to Detroit. Associated Press (September 29, 2006). Retrieved on 3 October, 2006.
Detroit was given the name "City of Champions" in the 1930s for a series of successes both in individual and in team sport.Zacharias, Patricia (August 22, 2000). Detroit, the City of Champions. Michigan History, The Detroit News. Retrieved on 2006-10-02. 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 Summer Olympics. Joe Louis won the heavyweight championship of the world in 1937. Also, in 1935 the Detroit Lions won the NFL championship. The Detroit Tigers have won ten American League pennants (The most recent being in 2006) and four World Series titles. The Detroit Red Wings have won 10 Stanley Cups (The most by an American NHL Franchise),http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=91&category=sports. Detroit News. Retrieved on April 8, 2007.Visit Detroit. Retrieved on April 8, 2007. the Detroit Pistons have won three NBA titles, and the Detroit Shock have won two WNBA titles. In 2007, Detroit was given the nickname "Sports City USA" in recognition of its numerous sports teams with good game statistics and the high amount of dedicated sports fans.Sporting News - Your expert source for MLB Baseball, NFL Football, NBA Basketball, NHL Hockey, NCAA Football, NCAA Basketball and Fantasy Sports scores, blogs, and articles
Detroit has the distinction of being the city which has made the most bids to host the Summer Olympics without ever being awarded the games: seven unsuccessful bids for the 1944, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964, 1968 and 1972 games. It came as high as second place in the balloting two times, losing the 1964 games to Tokyo and the 1968 games to Mexico City.
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 newspapers, both broadsheet publications published together under a joint operating agreement. Media philanthropy includes the Detroit Free Press high school journalism program and the Old Newsboys\' Goodfellow Fund of Detroit. Wayne State University offers a widely respected Journalism program.
The Detroit television market is the eleventh largest in the United States;Nielsen Media Research Local Universe Estimates (September 24, 2005) The Nielson Company however, these estimates do not include large areas of Ontario, Canada (Windsor and its surrounding area on broadcast and cable, as well as several other cable markets in Ontario, such as the city of Ottawa) which receive and watch Detroit television stations, so the actual audience ranking may be higher.
Detroit has the eleventh largest radio market in the United States,Market Ranks and Schedule). Arbitron.com. Retrieved on January 23, 2008. though this ranking does not take into account Canadian audiences.
The Renaissance Center is General Motors\' world headquarters
Detroit and the surrounding region constitute a manufacturing powerhouse, most notably as home to the Big Three automobile companies, General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler. The city is an important center for global trade with large international law firms having their offices in both Detroit and Windsor. About 80,000 people work in downtown Detroit.Henion, Andy (March 27, 2007). City puts transit idea in motion. Detroit News
There are hundreds of offices and plants in the automotive support business: parts, electronics, and design suppliers. The domestic auto industry accounts directly and indirectly for one of every ten jobs in the United States.Center for Automotive Research and the University of Michigan (2003).Study: Contributions of the Automotive Industry to the U.S. Economy. Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers. Retrieved on April 8, 2007. The area is also an important source of engineer
