THE AUTHOR and DETROIT

I was a resident of Detroit for about six years.  I lived by the river Downtown.

Therefore, it is no accident that I value the area.  

For years I left my car in  a garage and rode my bicycle all over town, camera in hand.  I talked to people gaining a real sense of my surroundings and the culture.  I have seen the worst and the best of the city.

Since I've been a technical writer for most of my professional life I know personally the struggles of greater Detroit's economy from the production line to the employment line.

I have also seen what others have begun to notice.  The city is coming back. Downtown, Midtown, Mexicantown, Corktown and the riverfront are leading the way.  

Most "neighborhoods" of Detroit on the other hand are dismal failures and will take at least a few years more before real progress can begin at all.  That's why they're called "Hoods."  There is nothing neighborly about them.  I address that issue and more in "Detroit Weird and Wonderful," not yet published (but written).

I really expect Detroit to be among the greatest cities of the world.  There is now a commitment and enthusiasm about town that is contagious.  I feel destiny has arrived at its doorstep once again and in time it will lead anew.

There are enormous resources in the area and there is a shared conviction that not only is this city becoming an entertainment destination, but a landmark business destination. 

Detroit has become a magnet for talent from far and wide.  Such creative energy is concentrating in this place that you will see a new city that even surpasses its automotive legacy.   

A fantastic new town will rise almost unrecognizable in just a decade that will rival any urban revival on the globe.