Let me start by saying I'm not actually from Detroit, but growing up a mile away from the Detroit-Redford border, I like to think I know the city like the back of my hand. Detroit has had a poor reputation compared to other major cities in the United States.
When talking about the city, many people across the nation probably imagine a run down, poorly maintained, dangerous area; and I would agree if you were to ask me about ten years ago. But, I'm proud to say that the Motor City has come a long way this past decade, and I can guarantee that it doesn't plan to slow down any time soon.
During the 20th century, Detroit was thriving as the auto capital of the world, but after the turn into the 21st century began to lose control. Due to the recession, people tried to avoid buying new cars, which meant the "Big 3" (Ford, Chrysler, and GM) were losing money quick, and the only way they could stay in business was to lay-off employees. How could a city with a huge unemployment rate get any worse? Top it off with bad leadership. The mayor, in summary, ran the already crippled city into the ground, leading Detroit to bankruptcy. Talk about salt on a wound.
Now it's time for the exciting part. After a few years of internal reconstruction, Detroit elected a new mayor. And the choice could not have been better. Under new leadership, a lot was promised to fix the broken city. What made it even better is the fact that they were actually going through with those promises!
Over the past few years more and more abandoned houses were either demolished or rebuilt. Detroit residents are beginning to feel confident about their neighborhoods. With all these homes being built and remodeled, people are beginning to move back to Motown. And following all of these people are businesses.
Detroit has been a major hot spot for startup companies, and businesses looking to expand; including some of the best restaurants, innovative shops, and even companies with the future of autonomous vehicles in mind. With the rise in population and business, you would think crime in the city would only get worse, but the crime rate in Detroit has been dropping lower every year.
Detroit is definitely not what it used to be, and it does still have a long road ahead of it. But I'm eager to see where this road goes. No matter how many pot holes, Detroiters still get where they need to go; and trust me, there are a lot of pot holes. The motor city isn't a just great comeback story, and we're no longer the underdogs. Detroit is reliving what had happened a hundred years ago.
You don't have to believe me when I say that we are witnessing the rebirth of one of the nation's greatest cities, but Detroit is going to be on top again, and I know where I'm going to be when it happens. You should too.
