Detroit Renaissance

Detroit stories are about one thing: cars. In the industry's heyday, Detroit was about opportunity and a burgeoning middle class. These days, the stories revolve around the death of the auto industry and what that has meant for the community: layoffs and joblessness, high crime rates, urban blight. The list goes on. But, as NPR reports, amid the ruins of this once mighty city, some see the possibility that Detroit can rise again.

The city's main draw now is its dirt cheap real estate. There are buildings that are inexpensive by real estate standards (one man bought three buildings for $200,000). Then there are those that are cheap by any standard: In a budding artist community, one couple bought a house for $100. That's right, for the price of groceries in New York City, you could buy a house in Detroit.

It's no surprise that these types of deals are bringing in plenty of young people. The Detroit News reports that many artists have learned that without that $1,500 New York rent, you can spend less time hustling to survive and more time on your art. There are also those who see business opportunity, like the man who bought those three buildings and turned one lot into Slows Bar B Que, named one of Bon Appetit magazine's best new barbecue restaurants. And then there are those who, after having left the city for opportunity elsewhere, are returning with their educations and their families because of an attachment to their hometown.

Detroit's new residents don't think recovery will happen overnight. Foreclosure rates, crime and joblessness are still high. But so is hope.

Photo courtesy of Cave Canem, via Flickr