by
For several decades, altering the narrative about Detroit was like moving a glacier. It barely budged, with most national media outlets focusing on crime and urban decay.
Then, at least in my opinion, on Feb. 6, 2011, a switch was flipped.
A Super Bowl commercial featured Eminem and the Chrysler 200, highlighting the city's grit, determination, and character. It revealed far more than a city paralyzed by crime, poverty and urban decay. (See video below)
Even then, it was hard to imagine any national media outlet recommending Detroit as a tourist destination.
That has changed.
In fact, the New York Times recently named 52 places around the world worth visiting, and included Detroit.
Here's how freelance travel journalist Lauren Matison describes the city in the Times:
"For years, Detroit was associated with urban decline, but today it is showing remarkable signs of renewal. The biggest addition looms large above the Detroit River — the 1.5-mile Gordie Howe International Bridge, which will be North America’s longest cable-stayed bridge when it opens in the fall, connecting motorists, cyclists, and pedestrians to Windsor, Ontario, and the Trans Canada Trail.
Public art and signs near the U.S. and Canadian ports of entry on both sides of the bridge commemorate the Underground Railroad, reminding visitors of the thousands of African Americans who fled enslavement into Canada or found sanctuary in Detroit. Also planned for fall is the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park, a lush 22-acre haven along Detroit’s revitalized West Riverfront. And Michigan Central Station, the once-abandoned Beaux-Arts train depot built in 1913, re-emerged last year as a start-up tech hub thanks to a $950 million restoration project by Ford Motor Company — fitting for Detroit’s comeback tale."
