Living in Detroit is like watching a boy mature into a man. The city is just now being revived from a long slump. It is becoming rejuvenated. It is becoming fresh. It is changing before our very eyes.

Large corporations are building beautiful new buildings. Fancy residential developments are sprouting up everywhere. Three new casinos are being created. The Detroit Tigers are getting a shiny new stadium.

The city is becoming an entirely new place, and it is very exciting to witness.

ATTRACTIONS, MUSEUMS, AND PARKS

Belle Isle

A 2.5-mile long, 985-acre park nestled between a crisscross of canals and roads on an island in the middle of the Detroit River. Designed by world famous landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted, Belle Isle features a natural wooded area laying claim to an assortment of small animals, birds, and almost 100 European fallow deer. The "park" also includes Detroit's only beach, which is also the only beach along the Detroit River, America's oldest indoor aquarium, a conservatory with plenty of unique vegetation, a museum featuring the world's largest collection of Great Lakes shipping memorabilia, an 85-foot tower with gorgeous views of the city, a lighthouse visible from 15 miles away, an acre-wide playground with innovative play equipment including a fan favorite called "the big slide," a massive collection of rock sculptures along the southern coast, and an outdoor concert hall. A zoo is also being built, making Belle Isle a one-stop shop for all your family fun.

Rivertown

A lively, vibrant stretch of life, Rivertown is an area along the waterfront with office buildings, shops, restaurants, hotels, movie theaters, and much more. Breathtaking views of the Great Lakes and Canada are available from an observation deck or a revolving restaurant.

Just a block or two away from the observation deck, one can find Greektown, a bursting area eight blocks long equipped with restaurants, bakeries, coffee houses, and more, all with a traditional Greek flare.

Eastern Market

Forty-three acres of shopping bliss await the patron of Detroit's weekly Eastern Market. Selling anything from beef jerky to actual live cows from anywhere from Michigan and Ohio to Europe and Asia, the market, which is held every Saturday, sees more than 45,000 farmers and interested tourists coming to stock up on livestock, picnic supplies, spices, herbs, animals, gifts, and so much more. It is a one of a kind experience that, for the average tourist, may result in more interesting photos than actual purchases. But whether you are there to buy or watch, it is well worth attending.

Detroit Zoo

The Detroit Zoo first opened in 1928, making it one of the oldest zoos in America. It was also one of the first zoos to have barless animal exhibits, meaning moats and other natural barriers keep the animals away from the people instead of cold bars.

Being an old zoo does not prevent it from being one of the most technologically advanced zoos in the country, featuring state of the art graphical kiosks at many of the exhibits, 3-D rides like "Dino Island Wild Adventure Simulator," and much more.

It houses over fifty endangered and threatened species, including two that are extinct in the wild, and lays claim to the first polar bear cub at a zoo in fifteen years, and the first wolverine babies ever.

MUSEUMS

The Detroit Institute of Arts

The museum's website claims that its collection is one of the largest and most significant in America. With 100 galleries in over 600,000 square feet of space displaying art spanning prehistory to the 21st Century, that isn't hard to believe. The museum also boasts a 1,150-seat auditorium, a 380-seat lecture and recital hall, an art reference library, and a technologically advanced conservation services laboratory.

The art doesn't only span long periods of time. It spans the entire distance of the globe. It features works of art from artists who are American, European, African, Asian, Native American, Oceanic, and Islamic.

One of the highlights of the museum is a mural by Diego Rivera. It is called Detroit Industry and spans four walls of a large room made to look like a garden.

Motown Museum

With a mission to educate people about the legacy left by the Motown Record Corporation, the Motown Museum is one of Detroit's most popular tourist attractions. The museum retraces the history of Motown from the early 1950's to the 20th Century via historic photographs, artwork, costumes and other memorabilia, the original recording studio where some of Motown's biggest hits were recorded, and even a fully recreated apartment of Motown originator Berry Gordon Jr.

Sources:

www.lonelyplanet.com
(Accessed June 15, 2005)

www.fraserlawfirm.com/Employment/LivDet.html
(Accessed June 15, 2005)

Detroit.about.com/od/localtours/tp/beforeyoudie.htm
(Accessed June 15, 2005)