"The city" a Detroit Travel Page by freemrkt

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Detroit, as a city, I think probably is mediocre at best. At worst, its depressing, overcast (as bad as Seattle, I hear), dirty, and boring. BUT, the camping, fishing, hunting, and WATER SPORTS are TOPS! Our "inland seas"---the Great Lakes---are a MUST VISIT if you are within a State or two from here. Especially Lake Superior, IF you are willing to drive up north to a relatively unpopulated, desolate area (the "UP"---short, for "upper penninsula"). I think Michigan is 1st or 2nd in total coastline mileage in the US (second only to California, maybe). There are more boats and marinas here than any other State.
Royal Oak---an outlying tiny city, about 12 miles northwest of Detroit---is kind of fun to go to on a weekend, especially during the summer---lots of people walking around, drinking, playing instruments on the sidewalks, etc. My Dad grew up in Detroit, and apparently it used to be thriving (before the stupid Government instituted an "entertainment tax" which hurt the live music jazz and blues scene). Because Detroit initially was so industrial/manufacturing-based, it really fell on hard times when out-sourcing became popular (unlike Chicago, which was less reliant on manufacturing).