- This article refers to the largest city of Michigan. For other places with this name, see Detroit (disambiguation).
Detroit, from the French word "détroit" which means strait, is a city located in Wayne County in the state of Michigan, in the Midwest region of the United States. Established in 1701 by French traders, today it is best known as the world's automotive center and an important music capital -- legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, Motor City and Motown.
Located along the Detroit River, across from the Canadian city of Windsor, Ontario, the city is the seat of Wayne County and the center of a tri-county industrial zone, one of the most significant in the American Rust Belt. With a 2003 estimated population 911,000, according to United States Census Bureau, makes Detroit the 10th largest city in the United States.
"Detroit" is sometimes used as shorthand for the Metro Detroit region and some residents in areas surrounding the city will describe themselves to outsiders as "Detroiters."
History
- Main article: History of Detroit, Michigan
Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac, a French officer, founded a fort and settlement at the site of Detroit in 1701. The British gained control of the area in 1760 and thwarted an Indian attack three years later during Pontiac's Rebellion. In 1796 Detroit and its surrounding areas passed to the United States, and from 1805 to 1847 it was the territorial and state capitol of Michigan. Although Detroit fell to the British for a short time during the War of 1812, see Battle of Detroit, it was recaptured by William Henry Harrison in 1813. In 1815 it was incorporated as a city.
Accessible to both land and water transportation, Detroit began to grow steadily during the 1830s. During the middle of the 19th century it was a major shipping, shipbuilding, and manufacturing city. Late in the century a thriving carriage trade introduced Henry Ford to build his first automobile factor here in 1899. The subsequent development of the automobile industry was responsible for the city's spectacular growth during the first half of the 20th century.
Labor strife has also played a part of Detroit history, epically in the 1930s when the United Auto Workers and the automotive manufactures clashed bitterly. Detroit has also home to labor leaders such as Jimmy Hoffa and Walter Reuther.
Long a symbol of Rust Belt urban blight, Detroit has endured a painful decline over several decades. As population plummeted, particularly following the 12th Street Riot in 1967 that spurred many residents to leave for the suburbs, leaving large numbers of buildings and homes abandoned, many of these remaining for years in states of decay. During recent urban renewal efforts, several abandoned skyscrapers and large buildings were demolished or renovated, large numbers of old houses were torn down for new housing developments and an expedited procedure was established to remove abandoned homes near schools, though large numbers of abandoned buildings still remain in numerous blighted areas. The city in the past half century has also had deal with a significant increase in crime, a problem that has effected many major American cities, with the city's crime rate leading the nation at various times. While Detroit's rate of violent and property crime has fallen recently, the numbers are still among the highest in the country as is the murder rate, which is inextricably tied to the city's drug trade.
In recent years Detroit has experienced a bit of a revival. In 1996 the city passed a referendum to open three casinos in the city, the MGM Detroit, the Motorcity Casino, and the Greektown Casino, with the hope of increasing tourism and stem the tide of gambling dollars flowing to it's cross border rival Windsor, Ontario. Along with the casinos Detroit has seen the opening of two new sports stadiums, Comerica Park (2000) and Ford Field (2002), as well opening of a new signature building with the moving of Compuware from the suburbs to the Compuware Center in downtown.
As the city prepares to host a number of major events in coming years, including the 2005 Baseball All-Star Game and 2006 Super Bowl, it faces the challenge of cleaning up and improving its image for an international audience.
Geography A simulated-color satellite image of Detroit taken on NASA's Landsat 7 satellite. Detroit is located on the north bank of the Detroit River, between Lake Erie and Lake St. Clair, in southeastern Michigan. It lies north of Windsor, Ontario, leading to the saying in Detroit that Canadians are "our neighbor to the south". Two border crossings exist: the Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel. A railroad tunnel also connects the two countries.
Detroit completely encircles the cities of Hamtramck and Highland Park.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 370.2 km² (142.9 mi²). 359.4 km² (138.8 mi²) of it is land and 10.8 km² (4.2 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.92% water.
In the satellite photograph, the two large bodies of water are Lake St. Clair (northernmost) and Lake Erie. Also notice the three systems of roads: the oldest French roads running perpendicular to the river, radial roads from a Washington, D.C.-inspired system and true north-south roads from the Northwest Ordinance township system.
Detroit sits atop a large salt mine[1] (http://info.detnews.com/history/story/index.cfm?id=17&category=business).
Culture Within the entertainment industry, Detroit has been widely regarded as perhaps the country's strongest per-capita market, particularly in live music and theater. In 2003, as in most previous years, DTE nearby Clarkston, Michigan was the No. 1 summer concert venue in the United States in both attendance and box-office gross, according to Pollstar and Billboard magazines. Sister arena The Palace of Auburn Hills typically ranks in the top three, often ahead of such high-profile venues as New York's Madison Square Garden. Music has been the dominant feature of Detroit's nightlife since the late 1940s, and both the city and suburbs are teeming with live-music clubs and bars.
In recent years, Detroit has assumed a kind of gritty, hip cachet around the world, thanks largely to such modern ambassadors as the White Stripes, techno music, Eminem and the film "8 Mile", along with the nostalgic revival for '60s rock acts the Stooges and MC5. Sales of Detroit fashions and memorabilia have surged, with brands such as Made in Detroit[2] (http://www.madeindetroit.com) and Pure Detroit[3] (http://www.puredetroit.com) enjoying overseas success.
International documentarians, particularly British and French, have increasingly trained their cameras on Detroit, exploring the city's cultural heritage and playing up its status as a working-class creative hotbed. [4] (http://www.freep.com/entertainment/music/music10_20011010.htm)
Downtown Detroit contains an eclectic combination of architectural styles: buildings from the 1920s are intermixed with more modern structures. The Detroit Institute of Arts is considered to house one of the most prominent American collections outside New York, and features showcase pieces by Diego Rivera, Picasso and Van Gogh along with such Detroit artists as Charles McGee.
Detroit is home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and the Detroit Opera House. Major theaters include the Fox Theater, Masonic Temple Theater, Fisher Theater, State Theater, the Music Hall, and the Detroit Repertory Theatre.
Major parks include Belle Isle, Palmer Park, Rouge Park, Chene Park and Campus Martius Park. Other city recreational facilities include municipal golf courses (William Rogell, Rouge, Belle Isle, Palmer Park), Northwest Activities Center, Detroit Zoo, Belle Isle Zoo, Belle Isle Aquarium.
Other cultural centers include the Motown Historical Museum, Detroit Historical Museum, Museum of African American History, Detroit Science Center, Tuskegee Airmen Museum, Historic Fort Wayne, Dossin Great Lakes Museum and the Belle Isle Conservatory.
A memorial to Joe Louis was dedicated (at Jefferson Avenue & Woodward) on October 16, 1986. The sculpture, commissioned by Time, Inc. and executed by Robert Graham, is a 24-foot long arm with a fisted hand suspended by a 24-foot high pyramidal framework. In 2004 two men, including a local parks commissioner, defaced the monument with white paint and were sentenced to jail time.
Folklore Detroit is said to be home to the Nain Rouge, the red dwarf who is said to both attack people and more importantly be a harbinger of doom for the city. Griswold Street on a cloudy December day.
Festivals
Detroit in literature Detroit (and its suburbs) is the setting for a number of novels and short story collections, including:
Detroit in Music Detroit is renowned for its musical heritage, a long and rich history that includes Motown Records, which produced such hometown stars as Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross & The Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, the Temptations and the Four Tops. Detroit is also often regarded as the quintessential rock 'n roll town. In both attendance and revenue, suburban concert houses such as Pine Knob (now DTE Energy Music Theatre) and the Palace of Auburn Hills consistently outpace venues in larger cities. The area's famously avid rock fans have been celebrated in film and in song (e.g., KISS' "Detroit Rock City"), and bands undertaking live albums often opt to record in front of Detroit's dependably enthusiastic crowds.
Detroit's influence on popular music cannot be overstated. Contemporary pop artists such as Eminem, Kid Rock and the White Stripes are part of a long lineage of Detroit stars that includes Aretha Franklin, Madonna, Bob Seger, Ted Nugent, Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, George Clinton and Mitch Ryder. The MC5 is often credited for laying the foundation of heavy metal, the Stooges are considered the godfathers of punk rock, and Detroit was the birthplace of techno music in the mid-1980s.
Detroit in the movies Detroit is a setting and/or filming location for several Hollywood feature films including as well as some television series: For a more extensive list see: Detroit in the Movies
Devil's Night Devil's Night, on the evening before Halloween, saw large numbers of arsons each year, often involving abandoned houses. The Angel's Night campaign, launched in the late 1990s, draws thousands of volunteers to patrol the streets during Halloween week. The effort has largely squelched Devil's Night arson: In 2002, there were just 110 fires during the Oct. 29-31 period, according to city officials, representing a 30 percent decline in total fires and a 41 percent decline in suspicious fires. In 2003, the three-day number was 117.
Demographics
Overview Detroit's population more than doubled during the first half of the 20th century, thanks largely to a massive influx of Southern migrants -- both white and black -- who came to the area for the burgeoning automobile industry jobs. Metro Detroit residents with Southern blood possibly comprise a majority of the region's population; they most certainly do in suburban sectors such as Downriver and Macomb County, where newcomers established communities upon their arrival. Traces of the Southern accent can still be heard in these areas, mingling with the more nasal Midwest accent to create a distinctive pattern of speech.
Around Detroit, the old French influence is found prominently in place names ("Gratiot," "Beaubien," "Lafayette"), but there are only a few genealogical traces of those early settlers among contemporary Detroiters.
Detroit's ethnic communities are largely the descendants of those Poles, Irish and Greeks who made their way to the city from New York in the early 20th century. Detroit is home to a large Arab American population and suburban Dearborn is home to the country's largest concentration of Arab Americans.
While less prevalent than in the 1970s and 1980s, perceptions of racial segregation continue to provoke criticism and soul-searching in the Detroit area. 8 Mile Road, the boundary between the city and suburban Oakland County, is more than a line on a map; it is often held up by politicians and sociologists as a symbolic dividing wall between blacks and whites. On the east side, the aptly (if unintentionally) named Alter Road separates Detroit from affluent Grosse Pointe. Detroit is more than four-fifths African-American, while nearby Livonia (pop. 100,545) has been described in news reports as "the whitest American city" since the 2000 census showed its population to be 97 percent white.
Neighborhoods Some of the Current and historic neighborhoods in Detroit include: Black Bottom, Corktown, Chaldean Town, Mexicantown, Poletown, Greektown, Indian Village, New Center, Old Redford, Palmer Woods, Rosedale Park, Warrendale, Springwells, and Del Ray.
Population As of the census2 of 2000, there are 951,270 people, 336,428 households, and 218,341 families residing in the city. The population density is 6,855.1/mi² (2,646.7/km²). There are 375,096 housing units at an average density of 2,703.0/mi² (1,043.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city is 81.55% Black or African American, 12.26% White, 0.33% Native American, 0.97% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 2.54% from other races, and 2.32% from two or more races. 4.96% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There are 336,428 households out of which 33.9% have children under the age of 18 living with them, 26.7% are married couples living together, 31.6% have a female householder with no husband present, and 35.1% are non-families. 29.7% of all households are made up of individuals and 9.2% have someone living alone who is 65 years of age or older. The average household size is 2.77 and the average family size is 3.45.
In the city the population is spread out with 31.1% under the age of 18, 9.7% from 18 to 24, 29.5% from 25 to 44, 19.3% from 45 to 64, and 10.4% who are 65 years of age or older. The median age is 31 years. For every 100 females there are 89.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there are 83.5 males.
The median income for a household in the city is $29,526, and the median income for a family is $33,853. Males have a median income of $33,381 versus $26,749 for females. The per capita income for the city is $14,717. 26.1% of the population and 21.7% of families are below the poverty line. Out of the total population, 34.5% of those under the age of 18 and 18.6% of those 65 and older are living below the poverty line.
Population in 2003 was 911,000, according to U.S. Census estimates, making Detroit the 10th largest U.S. city.[5] (http://www.freep.com/news/locway/census24_20040624.htm) That is down from the 2000 census number of 951,270, continuing a decades-long population slide within the city limits. (Population peaked at nearly 2 million during the 1950s.) Steady growth continues, however, in Metro Detroit, the eighth most populous metropolitan area in the United States, with 5.5 million people.
In 2004, Men's Fitness magazine named Detroit the fattest city in the U.S.
Economy A United States Coast Guard Cutter passes the Renaissance Center, headquarters of General Motors. Detroit and its suburbs constitute a manufacturing powerhouse, most notably as home to the American automobile industry and the Big Three auto companies. General Motors is based in Detroit, Ford Motor Company in nearby Dearborn, and one of the two world headquarters for DaimlerChrysler in Auburn Hills (the other is in Stuttgart, Germany). But the auto industry is far more than the Big Three. Dotting the Detroit landscape are countless offices and plants in the automotive support business: parts, supplies, electronics, and design. It is not uncommon in Detroit to hear radio ads or to spy billboards in which multimillion-dollar auto corporations make insider sales pitches to one another. But there's a flip side to the automotive dominance: Because of its almost singular dependence on the auto industry, Detroit is more acutely vulnerable to economic cycles than most large cities.
Including the Big Three, there are 17 Fortune 500 companies headquartered in metro Detroit, including Kmart Corporation, Borders Books and Music, Comerica Inc., Federal-Mogul, Kelly Services and Lear Corporation. Metro Detroit is also home to the national pizza chains Domino's and Little Caesars.
Other major industries include advertising, computer software and casino gambling.
In addition to property tax, the city levies an income tax of 2.65% on residents, 1.325% on non-residents, and 1.6% on corporations.
Law and government The city is run by the mayor and a nine-member city council, elected at-large on a nonpartisan ballot. Municipal elections are held every year congruent to 1 modulo 4 (e.g., 1993, 1997, 2001, 2005, 2009, ...). The current mayor is Kwame Kilpatrick. See also List of mayors of Detroit, Michigan.
Politics As is the case with most large urban centers in the United States, Detroit consistently supports the U.S. Democratic Party. The last Republican to be elected mayor of Detroit was over 40 years ago.
Widely considered a hot rising political star when he won election in 2001, Democratic Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick has been dubbed "America's hip-hop mayor" because of his fond appreciation for black youth culture. Since taking office, however, the 34-year-old mayor and his administration have found themselves dogged by ongoing accusations of scandal and impropriety. Detroit's major media have relentlessly pursued the stories, including reports of wild parties involving strippers at the mayoral mansion [6] (http://www.freep.com/news/locway/probe15_20030515.htm), though the mayor has strongly denied accusations of wrongdoing.
In 2004, following numerous scandals and legal decisions, a court-ordered reorganization of the Detroit Police Department was underway with supervision of the FBI.
Colleges and universities Once the home of the University of Michigan, which was founded in Detroit in 1817 then later moved to Ann Arbor in 1837, Detroit has several universities and colleges within it's borders, including:
Sports Detroit is the home of teams representing the four major sports in North America, of which all but one play within the city of Detroit (the Pistons play their games in Auburn Hills)' as well as several other minor sports and sporting events. The city boast 3 major sporting venues, Comerica Park for baseball, Ford Field mainly for football, and the Joe Louis Arena for mainly ice hockey.
Along with the professional sports, the cities two main universities, Wayne State and Detroit Mercy, host Division I teams in the NCAA.
Detroit also hosts the Detroit International Marathon, a marathon whose course crosses the border into Canada on the Ambassador Bridge and returns to America through the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
On December 13, 2003 a world record was set when the largest crowd in basketball history (amateur or professional) packed the Lions' home stadium, Ford Field, to watch Michigan State University play the University of Kentucky. Kentucky won 79-74 in front of 78,129 fans.
See also: U.S. cities with teams from four major sports.
Sporting teams
Transportation Due to it's role as both an international border crossing, between the United States and Canada, and as major industrial center, Detroit has been a important hub of transportation, with several major highways, major rail connections, and an international airport serving as a airline hub.
Airports
Highways Detroit is the crossroads for several major Interstate Highways, among them are I-75, I-94, and I-96. Also with it being a border city it features two international border crossings, both linking Detroit to Windsor, Ontario on the Canadian side by crossing the Detroit River, The Ambassador Bridge and the Detroit-Windsor Tunnel.
Transit Transit services in the City of Detroit are provided by the Detroit Department of Transportation (DDOT), they provide an extensive, if not erratic, bus service throughout the City, and very near suburbs. Service in the suburbs is provided by Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation (SMART). In recent years the Southeast Michigan Transportation Authority has been established with the goal of expanding and integrating the transit systems located in the Detroit Metro area.
Detroit also has a light rail system known as the People Mover, providing a 2.9 mile loop in the downtown area.
Notable persons of Detroit Detroit has been the home of a wide variety of persons representing the different facets of the city and its culture.
Being the home of Motown the Detroit has had number of musicians come threw its concert halls, from Motown favorites like Aretha Franklin to Smokey Robinson to rockers like Ted Nugent and Iggy Pop, to more contemporary artists like Eminem and Aaliyah, have made Detroit a major player in the music seen not just only in the United States but Internationally as well.
The auto industry has also played a major role in Detroit as well, epically the pioneers of that industry that have come from it’s auto producing plants, people like Henry Ford and his family, to William C. Durant and the Dodge Brothers, that have made Detroit into the Motor City.
Detroit has also played an important role in the sports world, being the home of boxing great Joe Louis, it has a host of hall of fame players that have played on it’s sports teams, people like Ty Cobb of the Detroit Tigers, to hockey great Gordie Howe who played for the Red Wings, Isiah Thomas of the Pistons, and football great Barry Sanders of the Lions.
But this is only a small list of people that are from Detroit. For a more extensive list see: People from Detroit.
Sister cities Detroit has several sister cities, including
External links
Government
Media
Civic
Cultural - DetroitYES!:Home of the Fabulous Ruins of Detroit (http://www.detroityes.com)
- Forgotten Michigan (http://www.forgottenmichigan.com)
- Motor City Rocks (http://www.motorcityrocks.com)
- Detroit history (http://www.historydetroit.com/part_1.asp)
- SNWEB (http://www.snweb.org)
- 106 neighborhoods in Detroit (http://www.cityscapedetroit.org/detroit_neighborhoods.html)
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