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Fodor's Travel: Detroit 'Is Finally Making a Legit Comeback'

November 19, 2018, 4:51 PM

Fodor's Travel, a noted travel site, lists 52 places in the world to visit in 2019, and Detroit is one.

"Detroit has had several false starts, but it looks like America’s favorite comeback city is finally making a legit comeback," the website says.

Yes, in Detroit we're easily flattered when someone lists us as a vacation destination. Not so long ago we would have found that simply laughable. 

New York freelancer Laura Itzkowitz writes:

There are so many urban planning and building projects underway that in a few years’ time, the city will look completely different. The Detroit Riverfront Conservancy has already transformed three and a half miles of the riverfront into manicured parks and bike lanes, with the goal of developing five and a half miles of riverfront.

The next phase is the renovation of Atwater Beach, which is slated to open in summer 2019 with a sandy beach, floating barge for food and drink, retail, and a children’s play area. Local developer Bedrock is pumping $830 million into the Monroe Blocks development, which will transform a section of the Central Business District into a master planned development blending residential, retail, offices, restaurants, and public space.

New York-based SHoP Architects are building the Hudson’s site development, which was once home to Detroit’s premier retailer on Woodward Avenue. But perhaps the largest vote of confidence in the Motor City’s future comes from Ford, which recently acquired the abandoned Michigan Central Station and plans to transform it into a new campus for transportation innovation. And these are just the biggest changes—there are plenty of grassroots efforts too.

She suggests coming in the summer and staying Detroit Foundation Hotel, Siren Hotel or the upcoming Shinola Hotel.

As a warning, she notes: "Detroit is still very much in transition, so don’t be surprised to see boarded-up buildings next to new developments, but artists and designers are beautifying the city’s streets."

Of course, we must note that there's plenty of dialogue here questioning the comeback, or at least how much of the city it actually encompasses. 


Read more:  Fodor's Travel


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