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The Most Interesting Historic Homes in the Detroit Area

Story by katie stozicki.

Detroit is home to many architectural wonders and beautiful historic homes. Many of these homes have been preserved and frozen in time as they once were and are now used for tours, as restaurants, as offices, and some are still used as private homes.

The Ford House

The iconic Ford House, home to Edsel and Elenore Ford was designed by Albert Kahn and built in 1929. If you’re looking to visit the Ford House, it can be found in Saint Claire Shores with tours available to learn more about the details of the home. It is also open for the public to explore its 87 acres.

Cranbrook House and Gardens

Take a tour of beautiful the Cranbrook house in Bloomfield Hills which was once home to George Gough Booth and Ellen Scripts. You can also venture around the house’s many acres of gardens and natural beauty. The home designed by Albert Kahn is open for tours. While you’re there, you can also tour the home of Eliel Saarinen—Cranbrook’s first architect-in-residence.

Meadow Brook Hall

Built and designed for Matilda Dodge Wilson after her husband, Alfred Wilson—co-founder of Dodge Motor Company—died. The home is a Tudor revival mansion and is open for tours. Visitors can tour both the 88,000-square-foot house as well as the beautiful gardens on the grounds.

The Whitney

The now famous restaurant and cocktail bar was built in the 1890s by lumber baron David Whitney Jr. The home has many unique features including stained glass windows built by Tiffany’s of New York, 20 fireplaces, 10 bathrooms, and, in today’s equivalent, cost about 9.5 million dollars for building and nearly another 14 million in artwork and décor.

Dymaxion House

Located at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, visitors can explore what architect R. Buckminster Fuller had wanted to create. Though he never was able to see his home come to reality, the Henry Ford Museum has been built so that everyone can view the grand, modern vision Fuller had.

Greenfield Village

Also located at the Henry Ford is an experience visitors could never forget—Greenfield Village. Greenfield Village is home to many historic country homes from local towns and across the sea. Additionally, patrons can visit Henry Ford’s childhood home and learn more about the automotive changemaker.

Motown Museum

The Motown Museum is not only a home, but the recording studio where founder Berry Gordy signed and recorded some of the most famous Motown artists including Marvin Gaye, the Temptations, and the Supremes. Visit the Motown Museum and learn the history of the man behind Motown and some of the most important history in music.

Fair Lane Manor

Fairlane Manor, located in Dearborn, was home to Clara and Henry Ford. The Fords moved into the home in 1915 and would live there until their deaths. The home was built for the couple and houses many interesting details and buildings including a greenhouse, stables, a boathouse, and a powerhouse designed by Thomas Edison. The home and gardens are available to tour.

The Thompson Home

The Thomson Home located in Detroit was an idea by David Thompson with the idea that it would be used as a home for elderly women. After his death, Thompson’s wife, Mary, would see his vision through with the completion of the home ten years later. Now, the home is a part of Wayne State University as a part of the University’s “Art on Cass” project. after spending years as a home to widows and elderly women.

The Baker House

A home that can be found in Plymouth, the Baker House was home to Henry Baker and his family. Baker founded the Daisy Manufacturing Company which would go on to design the Daisy Aire Rifle. The home is a private office today.

Col. Frank J. Hecker House

The Col. Frank J. Hecker House is a brilliant mansion that stands on Woodward Avenue in Detroit. Hecker, a Civil War soldier, also served in the Spanish-American War. After his time in the military, Hecker went on to be appointed by Theodor Roosevelt to serve on the Panama Canal Commission while also serving as Detroit Police Commissioner. Wayne State University purchased the home in 2014 and it is now called the Tierney Alumni House.

George P. MacNichol House

The George P. MacNichol house was commissioned by Edward Ford to be built as a gift for his daughter Laura in celebration of her marriage to George P. MacNichol. The home is in Wyandotte and is across the street from the Ford Beacon House. Today, the home is a part of Wyandotte Museums.

Ford Beacon House

Located in Wyandotte, the Ford-Bacon House was designed by Malcomson and Higginbotham for Edward Ford and his wife. The home was built with 11 fireplaces and a bell tower. The Fords moved after only a few years in the home when it was then given to John B. Ford. The home now serves as the town’s public library.

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Watch CBS News

Best Historical Home Tours In Detroit

September 28, 2011 / 8:55 AM EDT / CBS Detroit

Meadow Brook Hall & Gardens

Oakland University 2200 N. Squirrel Road Rochester, MI 48309 (248) 364-6200 www.oakland.edu/mbh

If you've ever wondered how "the other half" lives, then a tour of Meadow Brook Hall in Rochester, MI is definitely a must-see. Affectionately called "America's Castle" by some, this architectural masterpiece was built for Matilda Dodge Wilson, widow of the auto pioneer John Dodge, and is the fourth largest historic house museum in the nation. Many of the mansion's 110 rooms are open to the public along with the beautiful gardens and charming playhouse (Knole Cottage). Meadow Brook Hall offers tours as well as many special activities like dinner and a movie in the ballroom, pajama parties for the kids, and, of course, the traditional Holiday Tour where the entire home is decked out for the holidays by local designers. Meadow Brook Hall is located on the campus of Oakland University. Check the website for tour times and information.

Edsel and Eleanor Ford House

1100 Lake Shore Road Grosse Pointe Shores, MI 48236 (313) 884-4222 www.fordhouse.org

In 1929 Edsel and Eleanor Ford brought in the renowned architect Albert Kahn to design an elegant yet comfortable family home on 87 acres overlooking Lake St. Clair in Grosse Pointe, MI. The estate has been open to the public since 1978, allowing hundreds of thousands of visitors the opportunity to marvel at the architecture, antiques and art or stroll the beautiful lakefront ground. Visitors can take an iPod App Tour or enjoy one of the unique "behind the scenes" tours like a look at life for the Ford Estate staff. Don't miss the swimming pool designed to look like a tiny lake between a stand of birch trees or the 2/3 scale Tudor playhouse built in 1930 for seven-year-old Josephine. To visit the Ford House, check the website for tour times and event information.

Saarinen House

Cranbrook 39221 Woodward Ave. Bloomfield Hills, MI 48304 (877)462-7665 www.cranbrookart.edu

If you're a fan of Art Deco, don't miss an opportunity to tour the Saarinen House on the grounds of Cranbrook Academy of Art. Saarinen House was the home and studio of the Finnish-American designer Eliel Saarinen and his wife, Loja Saarinen. He was Cranbrook's first resident architect, the Academy's first president, and the head of the Architecture Department. She was the Academy's first head of the Weaving Department. This beautifully restored home includes Eliel's delicately-veneered furniture, Loja's sumptuous textiles, as well as early furniture designs by their son Eero Saarinen, and doors designed by their daughter, Pipsan Saarinen Swanson. Public tours include take place from May through October and include additional sites on the Cranbrook campus. Visit the website for further information.

Henry Ford Estate (Fair Lane Mansion)

4901 Evergreen Road Dearborn, MI 48128 (313) 593-5590 www.henryfordestate.org

In 1914 Henry and Clara Ford began construction on a beautiful home hidden on 1300 acres of Dearborn, MI farmland. The 31,000 square foot, 56 room residence was not the largest or most opulent estate built at that time, but it still took between 500 and 800 craftsmen working full-time approximately two years to complete this project. The estate is closing December 17, 2010 as the University of Michigan transfers ownership of this National Historic Landmark to the Edsel and Eleanor Ford House in Grosse Pointe Shores, MI. The Fair Lane Mansion will be restored and reopened in stages over the next seven years.

Octagon House

57500 Van Dyke Washington, MI 48094 (586) 781-0084 www.octagonhouse.org

The Octagon House is one of America's unique contributions to the field of architecture and there's a beautiful example of this style of home just north of Detroit in Washington, MI. The Loren Andrus Octagon House was completed in 1860. It has eight sides, eight foot-windows letting in lots of sunlight, and features a beautiful 55-step circular staircase in the center of the home that winds its way up to the third floor cupola. All the rooms fan out on either side of the staircase. It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places and the Michigan List of Historic Places. Tours are available on the 4th Sunday of every month. See the website for tour and special event information.

Kris Kelly is the Community Affairs Manager for WWJ-TV and CW50.  In her free time ... if there is any ... she enjoys finding fun and interesting things to do in the Metro Detroit area.  Got any great suggestions for future "Best of ..." stories?  Send her an e-mail .

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The Historic Indian Village Home and Garden Tour Committee is pleased to once again host a TWO-DAY tour of selected homes in our beautiful neighborhood.

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On June 20, 1971, Indian Village became only the second historic district in the city of Detroit , a designation that has protected the more than 350 homes located on Burns, Iroquois and Seminole Streets between Jefferson and Mack Avenues ever since.

As a historic district, nearly all exterior changes to our homes must be approved by Detroit’s Historic District Commission— a safeguard that has protected the historic character of our neighborhood for a half-century.

As a garden club for both men and women, the Club has about 70 members. Most of its members live in Indian Village and West Village, but the group has members elsewhere in the Detroit Metropolitan areas as well. It started out as a garden and social club, and it still is, with members forming long-term friendships with one another. The group also actively works to improve the city-scape of the Indian Village and West Village neighborhoods.

Are you a member of the Men's Garden Club? Please contact Mark Reynolds >> HERE << to get access to the special group chat. 

In 1953, a key group of women decided to form a garden club; members could learn garden skills from professional presentations at meetings and from each other. Soon social activities and projects to beautify the neighborhood began to appear on the club calendar. Deep friendships developed. The club continues as an important part of Indian Village, now listed in the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

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Historic Homes by City Modern

295 Alfred St., Detroit, MI 48201

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AFTER A FULL HISTORIC PRESERVATION, true character remains while elevating these spaces with today’s modern elements! This development features three historic homes consisting of two duplex-style and one massive single-family home. They are all 3-stories and include 3+ bedrooms, 2+ full, and 1+ half bathrooms. Soaring ceilings, dark hardwood floors, exposed brick, and moldings are throughout. Located in Detroit’s Brush Park, these homes sit among multiple phases of new construction townhomes called City Modern. In every direction, you are steps from all major sporting events, the best Detroit restaurants, bars, museums, and cultural institutions!

Number of Units: 5 Neighborhood: Historic Brush Park Year Built: 1895 Type of Unit: Condo & Single-family home Price Range: Starting at $1,050,900.00 Fun Fact: Two of the homes are known as the “Mansard Twins” and were saved from demolition! They were fully restored and renovated at the center of one of Detroit’s hottest neighborhoods, Brush Park.

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Edsel and Eleanor Ford House

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From tours to trivia night! Our education programs are perfect for the entire family.

Ford Cove Project 

Ford House, the historic estate of Edsel and Eleanor Ford, is teaming up with the Great Lakes Commission (GLC) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) for a project to restore disappearing wildlife habitats along the shoreline of Ford Cove on Lake St. Clair — part of Michigan’s Great Lakes waterway.

Come for a tour. Walk on the grounds. Dine in our lakeside restaurant. Attend one of our programs, classes and special events. We promise you’ll leave with something more than you came.

The Continental at Ford House

Make a date for our lakeside dining destination, The Continental at Ford House.

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Elegant occasions should be celebrated in style. Our lakeside event spaces make the perfect setting for your private event.

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Ford House is grateful for the generous support of Ford Motor Company Fund and helping us fulfill our educational mission and making Ford House more accessible to our community.

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Welcome to Detroit – a world-class city with enough innovation and imagination to fuel a nation with  attractions, entertainment and character to charm even the most discerning urban explorer. Customize your own tour or choose from one of Destination Detroit Tours authentic city tours, along with your knowledgeable local guide, you will  experience the best the Motor City has to offer.

Get a unique  perspective on Detroit’s amazing architecture. Your guide will point out Art Deco skyscrapers and One Woodward, a precedent design for the original World Trade Center designed by Minoru Yamasaki and many more architecturally significant buildings designed by Albert Kahn and others. Detroit  is considered a hub for industrial design and the beating heart of creative industries in the state of Michigan. In the light of its industrial past, Detroit has built itself as a cradle of American contemporary design and as a global center for prolific designers, including Eames, Knoll, Saarinen and Yamasaki.

Stroll around captivating pieces of public art, including the Joe Louis Fist and the Spirit of Detroit by world famous sculptor artist Marshall Fredericks, and make sure to leave time to visit the Detroit Institute of Art, whether you have an hour or a day you not want to miss the DIA.  If you’re in need of retail therapy, explore Midtown and the many new shops along Woodward Ave. or Parkers Ally, and don’t forget to indulge in one of Detroit’s Coney Island restaurants; your guide will make sure you know how the local’s order! Whether you want to take in a game at Comerica Park or Little Caesars Arena or a performance in the Entertainment District, or sing your heart out at Hitsville USA aka Motown, Kim will customize a Detroit city tour to suit your unique travel interests.

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15 extraordinary historic Michigan homes you need to visit

• Published: Aug. 30, 2016, 1:00 p.m.

Emily Bingham | [email protected]

Courtesy Edsel & Eleanor Ford House

Ever see a gorgeous home and wish you could peek inside? You can with these 15 gorgeous, historic, architecturally significant houses -- ranging from a pint-sized Frank Lloyd Wright gem to the sprawling mansion of an early Detroit auto-industry widow.

Via Wikimedia Commons | Andrew Jameson

Honolulu House

In the mid-1800's, Michigan Supreme Court justice Abner Pratt briefly served as a U.S. ambassador to the Kingdom of Hawaii; when he returned to his home in Marshall, Mich., he set to work designing a home reminiscent of a Hawaiian palace, complete with an enormous front porch and an interior splashed with tropical murals. The unusual home is now a museum and headquarters for the Marshall Historical Society.  Tour info here.

MLive file photo | Emily Zoladz

Meyer May House

In 1908, a prominent Grand Rapids clothier commissioned Frank Lloyd Wright to design this home in the city's Heritage Hill neighborhood. The house, now owned by the furniture company Steelcase, is hailed as an exceptional example of "Prairie School" design, an architectural style marked by prairie-horizon-invoking horizontal lines: in windows, eaves, and in the case of the Meyer May House, even strips of gold glass inlaid into the grout of the home's brick fireplaces. Tour info here .

The Whitney

Nineteenth-century lumber baron David Whitney Jr. was once the richest man in Detroit—when adjusted for inflation, this 1894-built home would have cost more than $9 million today. This rose-colored granite mansion has 52 rooms, Tiffany stained-glass windows, oak and mahogany woodwork, and a grand hall entrance with a gorgeous bronze balustraded staircase ( see inside here ). Today the mansion is home to the Whitney restaurant, which offers " Champagne tours " of the home.

Saarinen House dining room. Copyright Balthazar Korab/Cranbrook Archives.

Saarinen House

This home on the campus of Cranbrook Academy of Art is considered the Art Deco masterpiece of Finnish-American architect Eliel Saarinen, who designed it as a residence and studio for himself and his wife, sculptor and textile artist Loja Saarinen. The jaw-dropping interior features the family's furnishings, including original pieces designed and created by the Saarinens and their son, Eero, who'd grow up to become a master of American 20th-century architecture.  Tour info here.

Photo Courtesy of the Alden B. Dow Archives

Aden B. Dow House

Alden B. Dow apprenticed with Frank Lloyd Wright before making his own mark on American architecture. His 1936-built Midland home exemplifies his particular style of blending design with the natural landscape, as the home is practically hugged by a pond, creating beautiful light and a "floating" conference room that sits 18 inches below the water level. Tour info here .

Courtesy Edsel and Eleanor Ford House

Edsel and Eleanor Ford House

Renowned Detroit architect Albert Kahn designed this Grosse Pointe Shores mansion for Edsel Ford (son of auto titan Henry Ford) and Eleanor Ford, Edsel's wife. The Lake St. Clair manse, finished in 1927, was modeled after English Cotswold cottages ( see inside here ) and set on a gorgeous piece of property landscaped by prominent American landscape architect Jens Jensen. Tour info here .

Courtesy of Cranbrook House & Gardens

Cranbrook House & Gardens

Albert Kahn was also tapped to design this English Arts-and-Crafts-inspired home for Michigan publishing power-couple George Booth (of Booth Publishing Co.) and Ellen Warren Scripps, daughter of the founder of the Detroit News. The Bloomfield Hills home was finished in 1908 ( see inside here ), though two more decades would be spent furnishing it with exquisite art pieces and commissioned works from the American Arts and Crafts movement. Tour info here.

Castle Farms

This sprawling stone manor has an eclectic history, ranging from a bucolic early-20th-century dairy farm to a 1970's rock 'n' roll venue. Modeled after castles in Normandy, France, the place was originally built in 1918 by Albert Loeb, then the vice president of Sears, Roebuck and Company, as a showcase farm for prized livestock and his company's farm equipment. Castle Farms is now primarily an event space, with historic guided tours  available.

MLive file photo

Turner-Dodge House

When this Classic Revival-style home ( more photos here ) was built in 1858 for James and Marion Turner, two of the Capitol City's first residents, it was the largest building in Lansing — until, of course, the Capitol was finished 20 years later. Tours available  through the city's parks and rec department.

Photo via Wikimedia Commons | Andrew Jameson

The Hoatson House

Thomas H. Hoatson made his fortune with an Arizona-based mining company, but he chose to build his grand estate on the Keweenaw Peninsula, where he'd graduated high school and briefly worked in the mines of Calumet. His exquisite four-story, 13,000-square-foot Classic Revival home was finished in 1907 and included details like hand-painted murals, elephant-leather walls, a 1,200-square-foot wraparound tile porch, and other luxuries. It is now the Laurium Manor Inn. See website for tour details .

Photography by James Haefner. Courtesy of Cranbrook Center for Collections and Research.

Smith House

Famously called "my little gem" by its architect, Frank Lloyd Wright, this Bloomfield Hills home was designed for a pair of Detroit Public School teachers who were determined to live in a Wright house, even with their middle-class budget. The 1,800-square-foot home was finished in 1950 and had features typical of Wright's so-called Usonian style: small, single-story, L-shaped homes with heating provided by passive-solar design and radiant-floor technology. Tour info here.

Meadow Brook Hall | photo via Instagram user detroitdiane

Meadowbrook Hall & Gardens

This glorious 1929-built Tudor-revival manse in Rochester Hills was originally the home of Matilda Dodge Wilson, widow of early Detroit auto titan John Dodge, and her second husband, Alfred Wilson. The 110-room estate is filled with rich, original furnishings ( see inside here ) and is flanked by meticulously maintained gardens, all of which may be toured. Tour info here .

MLive file photo | Robert Maxwell 

W.K. Kellogg Manor House

Breakfast cereal inventor W.K. Kellogg wanted a summer residence not far from his company's operations in Battle Creek, so he had this stately Tudor built on 32 acres overlooking nearby Gull Lake in 1926. Custom details included light fixtures and sconces crafted by a prominent Grand Rapids sculptor; a hand-carved oak staircase that took two years to complete; and a repeating motif of the number seven, Kellogg's favorite number. The home now serves as a Michigan State University biological station and conference center, with an exquisite interior recreated by referring to Kellogg's saved Marshall Fields receipts.  Guided and self-guided tours are available.

Via Wikimedia Commons | Notorious4Life

Thompson House

Considered to be one of the finest examples of Queen Anne architecture in the entire state, this beauty in Hudson, Mich. was built for banker Gamaliel Ingham Thompson. The house remained in the Thompson family for four generations, with the structure's original features unchanged. It now serves as a museum and heritage center, not only for its architectural significance but for the family's extensive art collection. Tour info available online .

MLive file photo | Tanya Moutzalias

Henry Ford Estate (Fair Lane Mansion)

This 31,000-square-foot Dearborn mansion known as Fair Lane was the final home for Henry and Clara Ford. The house, situated along the Rouge River, blended Midwestern Prairie School and English country manor styles, and the sprawling property included everything from a hydroelectric dam to a pint-sized farm built for the enjoyment of the Fords' grandchildren. Inventor Thomas Edison visited so frequently he had his own suite of rooms here. The home is currently undergoing painstaking restoration , and is therefore closed to interior tours, but meanwhile the grounds are open on weekdays at no charge.  Details here.

Photo via Wikimedia user Andrew Jameson

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7 Detroit tours that tell a deeper story of the city: What to know

A s a little boy, about 8 years old with his brown hair spiked in the late ‘90s style, Gabriel Gutierrez would take his brother’s hand and cross the street from his parents’ tortilla business, enter a heavenly smelling donut shop, pass the lively store patrons, and order a coffee for his mom or their employees.

For himself, he’d order a white cream Long John, somewhat like an éclair, just to eat the cream.

These days, Gutierrez owns that hand-cut donut shop, Donut Villa, in southwest Detroit, which has ties not only to his personal history but that of his family, whose first southwest Detroit business opened in the 1940s. It is part of the greater fabric of community histories that make up Detroit’s story, as told by the City Institute on one of their "Detroit in Context Learning Journey" tours.

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The City Institute is one of a number of organizations to offer tours that go a bit deeper than sightseeing and basic headlines in Detroit. The groups seek to give context to where Detroit is now, where it is going, and often to correct the record on where it’s been.

Some tours explore the once prominent Black Bottom neighborhood, some explore Detroit’s history with the Underground Railroad, some explore Corktown, and ones like the City Institute’s "Learning Journey" also bring the city’s story forward to today and look to the future.

Though not a definitive list of all the tours in Detroit, here are some tour groups and guides to help deepen your knowledge:

City Institute

The "Learning Journey," on which Gutierrez’s business was featured , is a yearly, all-day bus tour that goes neighborhood by neighborhood so that attendees can hear from business owners, investors, and nonprofit and city leaders on the history of the neighborhoods, what’s currently offered there, how it supports itself, and future projects. A shorter version of the tour is also offered, primarily for private tour groups.

The City Institute’s mission is to equip residents and stakeholders to build an inclusive, equitable and thriving future for Detroit. Southwest, with its shifting demographics over the last century, is just one neighborhood that can serve as a foundation for those seeking to understand the city a bit better, said Gutierrez.

“There's a lot of history and a lot of stories,” Gutierrez said of the city. “Not always great, right? And for people to just understand that the communities that they are involved with, they have extensive roots and histories of their own that can provide context.”

Learning the city’s wins also encourages retention and keeps energy to fight for Detroit’s future, by the telling of Jeanette Pierce, founder and president of the City Institute.

“We believe it's important for people to understand how we got to where we are … then come to today, where we actually meet and hear about and talk to people doing amazing work in the city,” said Pierce.

• Topics: Public tours include a virtual one on redlining, a form of housing discrimination, walking ones on architecture, specific neighborhoods including New Center and Black history, as told by those who lived it
• Cost: Public tours - free (with donations welcome) - $20, with "Learning Journey" tours $125 including meals; Private tours and private "Learning Journey" tours: $20 -$100 per person
• Length: 1.5 hours for virtual redlining history tours; generally 2 hours – all day for others
• Mode of transportation: Walking, bus or virtual
• Where to register: thecityinstitute.com/public-tours

(Note: Tour costs, lengths and topics vary for most organizations named in this story. Many are open to creating special programs upon request. Contact each tour guide and group for further details)

Black Scroll Network History & Tours

Jamon Jordan, Detroit’s first official historian, was appointed to his role in 2021 by Mayor Mike Duggan. Before that, however, he was already known as a prominent unofficial historian of the city, founding the Black Scroll Network History & Tours.

While Jordan said he encourages folks to do the tours that exist on restaurants, bars, the auto industry and the like, he said he realized they were leaving out a big part of the Detroit story – African American history.

On his various tours, Jordan may point out the neighborhood where three Detroit music legends grew up or talk about the presence of Black people in the region in 1700s. Some tours also explore the once thriving Black neighborhood and business district that were destroyed through racist officials, urban renewal and highway building , with Jordan pointing out the still present apartments, townhouses and school building that were given the space instead.

“A big portion of Detroit’s history is invisible, and you have to have someone help you see what is no longer present,” he said.

• Topics: Motown, slavery, African origins, Black Bottom, the Underground Railroad, the 1967 rebellion and more
• Cost: Generally $5 - $50 for walking tours, $60 per person for bus tours, and $50 for virtual tours
• Length: 2 hours for most
• Mode of transportation: Walking, bus and virtual
• Where to register: Black Scroll Network's Eventbrite page for public tours, and [email protected] or blackscrollnetwork.weebly.com for private tours

Wheelhouse Detroit

Another way to get a deeper knowledge of the city? By bike.

Wheelhouse Detroit is a bike shop along Detroit’s riverfront, but tours have been a part of its mission since its opening in 2008 thanks to owner Kelli Kavanaugh and her founding partner’s backgrounds in community development.

“It was important for us to tell a story of Detroit that isn’t necessarily the one that the masses hear or understand to be true,” she said, later adding: “We’re not cheerleaders, we’re trying to tell a real story of a very interesting and complicated city.”

This story includes discussion of history and current developments. On the Corktown tour she gives, Kavanaugh delves into how freeway development, urban renewal, and parking for Tiger Stadium shaped the neighborhood as it is now, along with gentrification there. She also uses history to counter any belief that it only got “cool” now.  

• Topics: Poletown churches, Eastern Market, Hamtramck, the auto industry, techno and more.
• Cost: $30 for shorter, weekday tours ($40 including bike rental), $45 for 3-hour tours ($55 with rental) and private tours starting at $200-$250 for up to six people.
• Length: 2 hours for shorter, weekday tours, 3 hours for others
• Mode of transportation: “Pedal power,” using bikes or e-bikes, used manually. Attendees can bring bikes or rent from Wheelhouse Detroit
• Where to register: wheelhousedetroit.com

Ken Coleman

As a Detroit historian, journalist and communications professional, Ken Coleman likes to say he’s been dedicated to chronicling Black life in Detroit since 1991.

His extensive historical knowledge goes back way further, of course, and it’s his passion to share Black history as an independent tour guide, covering whatever topics in that area a client may want.

Some favorite stops include the Gateway to Freedom International Memorial along the Detroit riverfront which pays homage to those who used and were involved in the Underground Railroad . There’s also the Second Baptist Church of Detroit, which lays claim to being the oldest religious institution owned by the Black community in the Midwest, a former station on the Underground Railroad and establishing the city’s first school for Black children.

• Topics: Motown, the Underground Railroad, Black Bottom and more
• Cost: Prices starting at about $50 per hour per small group, and generally $300-$500 for a 3-4 hour tour for a larger organization
• Length: 1-2 hours for walking tours, 3-4 for bus tours
• Mode of transportation: Walking or bus, if provided
• Where to register: Email Coleman at [email protected] or call him at 313-551-1304

Preservation Detroit

Preservation Detroit was founded in 1975 as a student organization fighting the demolition of historic campus buildings at Wayne State University. These days the group works to preserve historic sites throughout Detroit, and it hosts tours on the history of architecture, sculptures and more to educate the masses.

A high point of downtown tour coordinator Davis Zaleski’s walking excursion is a visit to the Guardian Building, the 1920s, cathedral-like, Art Deco skyscraper. There’s also a quick stop by the recently reopened 38-story, Italian Renaissance-style Book Tower.

“During the early part of the 20th century, with the advent of the auto industry and all the other industries, they built like crazy and they built some of the most beautiful buildings in the country,” Zaleski said.

Some of that history has been torn down or poorly developed, but preservation has increased over the years, Zaleski said. Preservation Detroit likes to emphasize good development, and Zaleski said he hopes attendees walk away with an appreciation for what Detroit was and could be.

• Topics: Ferry Street, Midtown, Eastern Market, downtown, public art, cemeteries, churches and more
• Cost: $15 for members, students and seniors; $18 for all others on public tours; private tours, per the website, can be arranged for $100 for groups of five people or less and rates of $20 per person for larger groups
• Length: Between 2 and 2.5 hours
• Mode of transportation: Walking
• Where to register: preservationdetroit.org or through Eventbrite

Detroit History Tours

Detroit History Tours, along with the Detroit History Club, serves several purposes, said Bailey Sisoy-Moore, executive director of the two. Key among its motivations are the ideas that Detroit’s history should be written by Detroiters and that it’s hard to defund or vote to implode historic sites that are fully understood.

“History education helps make sure that the important parts of our history don't disappear quietly,” Sisoy-Moore said.

The tour group tells the history of the city starting with the Native American tribes that were here first through to present day and even future development plans.

• Topics: Suffragettes, the Detroit People Mover transit system, cops and mobsters, LGBTQ history and more
• Cost: $27 for walking tours, $30-$65 for bus tours, $5 - $20 for self-guided mobile app tours with lifetime download; food tours are $80 - $120, including the meals and tips. Private tours start at $250 if transportation is provided, $450 for walking and $1,525 for tours with the van or bus provided by Detroit History Tours.
• Length: 2 hours for walking tours, 90 minutes to 3.5 hours for bus tours
• Where to register: detroithistorytours.com

Detroit Historical Society

Founded in 1921, the Detroit Historical Society now boasts tours at not only the Detroit Historical Museum and the Dossin Great Lakes Museum, but also at locations throughout metro Detroit.

Guided tours at the historical museum take groups of 15 or more people through the indigenous populations that were here, auto history, culture and more, said Kimmie Dobos, manager of education and public programs. There are also tailored museum tours that dive deeper into the African American experience and what led to the 1967 rebellion.

The Great Lakes museum, on Belle Isle, also features a maritime history tour exploring Detroit’s long history on the water from canoes to freighters and more.

For some off-site explorations, there are “Behind The Scenes” tours of historic locations including neighborhoods, a gallery, and a battlefield.

• Topics: The summer of 1967, Temple Beth El, Boston Edison, Eastern Market, tiny homes and more
• Cost: Guided tours at the museums are $11 for adults and $10 for seniors, the 1967 rebellion tour is $12 for adults and $11 for seniors, and the “Detroit’s African American Perspectives” tour with Jamon Jordan is $300 for up to 20 people.“Behind The Scenes” tours are $25 for members and $35 for nonmembers.
• Length: Generally 1- 1.5 hours
• Where to register: detroithistorical.org

Of course, these are just some of the tour offerings in the city. You also can see the sights with a Segway tour , by boat and there’s even a tour to learn some Detroit history on a historic bar tour , among others.

Did we miss your favorite tour? Email [email protected] and you might see it in a future story.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: 7 Detroit tours that tell a deeper story of the city: What to know

How To Take The Ultimate Vacation In Detroit

Senior Reporter, HuffPost Life

Take a Break is your ultimate guide to the perfect trips to recharge, rediscover yourself and your relationships, and reengage with the world. We’ll cover shopping stops, great bars, restaurants worth your money, photo opportunities, memorable experiences and other important details you need before you book.

Thousands of football fans and sports professionals descended on downtown Detroit over the weekend as the city hosted the 2024 NFL Draft. It’s a fitting location: the home of iconic sports franchises, including the Lions, Pistons, Tigers and Red Wings. But Detroit has so much more to offer beyond the world of sports.

I recently had the opportunity to spend a long weekend in the Motor City with some friends and was impressed by the diverse cuisine, cool shops and welcoming locals. Although the airport services more than 125 destinations (including 30 international), I’ve found that Detroit is not particularly high on travelers’ lists of American cities to visit.

I personally think that should change, and I had the chance to talk to many locals who agree. If you need more convincing, I put together some favorite sites, bites and more.

Where To Stay

I stayed at The Siren Hotel in downtown Detroit and loved the vintage decor and buzzy atmosphere.

It’s a boutique hotel with about 100 rooms and two great bars — including one where you can watch the Detroit People Mover go by as you enjoy a nice cocktail. The other is a pink oasis off the lobby, complete with plush velvet seating and a stunning chandelier.

Another popular boutique offering is the Shinola Hotel , which is affiliated with the Detroit-based lifestyle brand of the same name. Naturally, the lobby spaces and rooms are outfitted with Shinola products, from clocks and record players to blankets and candles.

What To Eat

Practically everything I ate in Detroit was fantastic, but my favorite meal was at Baobab Fare , a colorful East African restaurant opened by Burundian refugees. Baobab Fare, a 2024 James Beard Award finalist, serves up delicious beef stew, fried fish, slow-roasted goat shank and more.

I also had a wonderful meal at a Lebanese spot called Leila and a top-notch sandwich and latte at the multipurpose cafe Trinosophes . I’ve heard great things about Yemen Cafe , Yumvillage and SavannahBlue as well.

Sampling some Detroit-style pizza was a must, and my travel companions and I got our fix at Como’s in Ferndale. We also picked up some incredible hummus and other dips from AlTayeb in Dearborn.

On the sweet side, I was a big fan of the pastries at Warda Pâtisserie and bite-sized chocolate treats at BonBonBon (shoutout to the local “Bumpy Cake” flavor).

Detroit is also known for its “Coney dogs,” served at eateries known as Coney Islands. And although locals told me it’s a tourist trap, I’m still curious to check out Eminem’s restaurant, Mom’s Spaghetti , on a future visit.

What To Drink

In addition to enjoying cocktails at The Siren, my group had some excellent rooftop drinks at The Monarch Club at the top of the historic Metropolitan Building.

We also visited Ghost Bar, in the historic mansion-turned-restaurant The Whitney (named for its former resident, lumber baron David Whitney). According to lore, the building is one of the most haunted spots in Detroit and offers guided tours.

Other bars we enjoyed were Cafe Sous Terre (which is a coffee shop during the day), Bumbo’s and Temple Bar . We had a wonderful time dancing at Spot Lite . A friend also recommended the perfume-themed cocktails at Castalia at Sfumato and Salty Dog, a quirky dive bar shaped like a boat.

As for non-alcoholic drinks, we had some great coffee at The Red Hook and Madcap Coffee .

There are plenty of activities and experiences to fill a Detroit weekend itinerary. My friends and I spent time strolling the Riverwalk and exploring Belle Isle, which has lovely natural vistas and a small free aquarium that dates back to 1904 and is covered in stunning green tile. Later, we visited the historic Fisher Building and admired the impressive mosaic interiors.

I carved out a little solo time to check out the Motown Museum , located in the original “Hitsville U.S.A.” headquarters and recording studio. The guided tour was a special experience in no small part due to my fellow tour-goers, who enthusiastically took in every detail and sang along to the Motown hits that played along the way. A couple of music-lovers even started to tear up at points because they felt so overwhelmed with emotion to be in the place where such important artists recorded iconic songs that endure to this day.

When I met back with my group, we shopped around Eastern Market and saw some of the murals in the area. We also went over to Cass Corridor and hit Third Man Records , Shinola and City Bird . As Carhartt is headquartered in the Detroit area, we made sure to pop in at one of the brand stores as well.

Being in the Motor City, I felt compelled to visit the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation . It’s an impressive complex with endless artifacts and information about the history of transportation in the U.S., and it includes Greenfield Village, an outdoor living history museum where visitors can ride around in authentic Model Ts, old steam trains and horse-drawn carriages.

I can see why the museum is a popular stop for tourists, especially families traveling with children, but I was curious to see how the museum grapples with its namesake’s antisemitic history . Unfortunately, I did not see any acknowledgment at the museum of this dark reality, though I later found a section on its website (and perhaps I simply did not come across a similar exhibit on the property).

Although I wasn’t able to explore The Detroit Institute of Arts , I’ve heard great things about its collection, and on a future visit, I’d be interested to check out The Heidelberg Project as well.

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Since 1972, the Historic Houses of Worship tours have acquainted metro Detroiters with the contributions that religious institutions have made in the development of our community.  

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Downsizing in Detroit: Hands-on couple remakes home

“Bidders are strongly encouraged to review the attached inspection/condition report,” the Detroit Land Bank online real estate listing cautioned potential buyers considering the 1921 bungalow located on Lakewood Street in the Jefferson Chalmers neighborhood. Dan Robar had seen the 1,400-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home first in 2018 on a “Vacant not Blighted” tour that spotlighted a dozen Detroit homes available for purchase and rehabilitation.

At the time, the veteran home rehabber was looking for a place for his daughter and attended the tour to get ideas. “I thought it was a cool house,” he remembers thinking.  Empty for a dozen years, it needed more work than his daughter was looking to do, but the 1 ½-story home’s Craftsman style with the wide front porch appealed to him. At the time, the former senior manager for creative sculpting at GM was living in Indian Village with his wife, Colleen, a public relations executive, but he had begun thinking about retirement. “Our other house was done and I was looking for a project,” he explains.

The couple entered a $27,500 bid in February 2020, thinking they would purchase the house and rehab it as a rental or sell it once it had been renovated.  “Then COVID hit and we forgot about it,” they said. “We sort of wrote it off because we didn’t hear anything.”

Three months later, they did — and the house was theirs. Because they had helped their daughter buy and renovate a Detroit Land Bank home nearby, the Robars were familiar with the process and procedures. They closed at the end of May 2020.

By then, the pandemic was in full force and the house became “really good therapy,” Dan explains. They started by working on the outside, clearing away overgrown brush and trees, rebuilding the front porch and redoing the sidewalk. Later, they moved inside, where all that remained of the home’s original interior was the living room’s brick fireplace, the wood floors and window sashes.

Luckily, a previous owner had added a new roof in 2008, a fact that Dan says “saved the house.” Unfortunately, they forgot the gutters, so rain eventually ran down the walls and ruined much of the original plaster.

The amount of demolition needed before renovation could start was the biggest challenge, Dan says. The original coved ceiling was crumbling and couldn’t be saved. He hung all the drywall — 120 sheets of it, he says — himself, as well as designing and making all of the tile in the new “moody” kitchen and back of the living room fireplace, the beams in the ceiling and all of the window trim.  The house also needed all new HVAC and electric, jobs they hired out.

Looking at the metamorphosis, it’s hard to reconcile what the house looks like now with its “before” photos. What he didn’t make, Dan sourced through a mixture of salvaged and new Arts and Crafts materials. While it looks as if it has always been there, the impressive wooden colonnade that separates the living room from the dining room and includes a built-in buffet was found on Facebook Marketplace. In 2021, Dan and the couple’s son drove to Iowa to bring the large piece salvaged from a 1920s house back to Detroit and repaired the original stained and leaded glass inserts. “The shoe molding ties it all in and makes it look original,” Dan says. When it didn’t quite fit, he added a Pewabic tile centerpiece.

Colleen says the built-in was a turning point and that after purchasing it, the couple started thinking about living in the house instead of renting it out. “Dan started getting into it after he found the colonnade,” she says. He retired in 2022 and the house became his full-time job.

While the overall goal was to restore the home to its original Craftsman style, the couple wasn’t above making some updates to make it more livable for today’s lifestyles. A small side room behind the living room was opened and new handcrafted tile was put on the back of the fireplace to create a cozy sunroom. “The house isn’t open concept, but it’s now open flow,” Dan explains of the changes. Space was carved from the living room and the front hall closet to allow for a first-floor laundry. Another modern touch is a large closet in the primary bedroom carved from a small third bedroom. “I never thought I’d have such a great closet,” Colleen says. The kitchen has all of the modern amenities but still fits the home’s overall Craftsman style. “No one wants a period kitchen or bath,” Dan jokes.

Longtime preservationists and city supporters, the Robars became interested in the Arts and Crafts style in the 1990s, they say, and it has been a recurring theme throughout their homes. Dan is a potter, Colleen a weaver, and both appreciate hand craftsmanship and the philosophy behind the movement and architectural style. Throughout the home are featured pieces by other potters Dan admires — including works by Tom Phardel of CCS, Noah Alonso, Dan’s former professor at Michigan State, and Suzanne Stephenson — on the dining room buffet, Colleen laughs that her contribution to the home’s decor includes the Grateful Dead cookie jar found in the kitchen. Dan added a shelf near the ceiling for his collection of new and old pottery. “There’s room for lots more,” he says with a laugh.

Furnishings and accessories throughout were sourced from antique shops, estate sales and the annual Arts and Crafts conference at the Grove Park Inn in North Carolina. The couple goes every year. Art from Brazil and Japan (places the family lived through the years) add life and color and keep the house from feeling like a Mission-style museum.

Almost four years after buying it, the couple moved in this past February. “We ultimately decided to downsize and simplify,” Dan explains. “COVID prompted us to ask ourselves what we really need.”

Dan says he is proudest of the fact that other than the updated kitchen and bath, “Everything looks like it was always here,” he says. He’s been surprised by how much he enjoys living in the house. “It’s exactly how I envisioned it, yet better,” he says.  Still on the to-do list — work on the garden and a garage and pottery studio in the backyard.

The Robars love the neighborhood and the neighbors, they say. Some drive by and honk their approval. “People stop by all the time wanting to buy it or just say thank you,” Colleen says about the house. “It’s awesome.”

Contact Khristi Zimmeth at [email protected].

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Vice President Kamala   Harris Launches Nationwide Economic Opportunity   Tour

The Vice President will kick off her multi-state tour with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA on April 29 and an event in Detroit, MI during the following week

WASHINGTON – Vice President Kamala Harris announced today that she will embark on a nationwide Economic Opportunity Tour with a series of events focused on investing in communities, building wealth, and ensuring every American has the freedom to thrive. The Vice President’s tour will take her back to several states across the country as she highlights how the Biden-Harris Administration has built economic opportunity and delivered for the American people. The Economic Opportunity Tour will kick off with a moderated conversation in Atlanta, GA on April 29 and an event in Detroit, MI during the following week. Additional dates and locations will be announced soon.

“President Biden and I are committed to creating an economy in which every person has the freedom to thrive. That is why we have taken historic steps to advance economic opportunity by increasing access to capital, investing in small businesses, addressing housing costs, forgiving student loans and medical debt, investing in infrastructure, and championing additional policies that put money in people’s pockets and build wealth,” said Vice President Harris.   “Our economic approach has delivered great progress, and we will continue to invest in you, your family, and your future.”

During the Vice President’s Economic Opportunity Tour, she will highlight how the Biden-Harris Administration has delivered historic investments that have supported communities and helped people thrive. This includes making unprecedented investments in small businesses and achieving the fastest creation of Black-owned small businesses in more than 30 years, creating a record number of jobs, increasing access to capital for underserved communities, investing in infrastructure, cutting the price of insulin and expanding access to health care, erasing medical debt, forgiving more student loan debt than any administration in history and boosting investments in education, making housing more affordable, lowering child care costs, and increasing the wealth of American families. Vice President Harris will also outline additional steps that she and President Biden are taking to expand this work. She will be joined on the tour by Administration officials, members of Congress, local leaders, and other special guests.

The Vice President’s tour is a continuation of her nonstop travel to communities across the country. She has made more than 35 trips to 16 states since the beginning of 2024. This includes consistent travel to meet with small business owners and entrepreneurs in underserved communities to discuss challenges and opportunities they face. In March, she traveled to Black Wall Street in Durham, NC to announce $32 million in funds to support historically underserved entrepreneurs. She began the year in Las Vegas, NV where she announced an SBA rule that will ensure millions of Americans who have served time are eligible for SBA loan programs that help individuals start and run small businesses.

The Vice President has long been focused on ensuring that minority, rural, and low-income communities have the capital and resources they need to thrive and support small businesses. Last year, she announced that Treasury’s CDFI Fund has awarded over $1.73 billion in grants to 603 Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) across the country. In 2022, the Vice President also announced a first-of-its-kind public-private sector initiative — the Economic Opportunity Coalition (EOC) — that is a historic public-private partnership of more than 20 private sector organizations that will invest tens of billions of dollars to create opportunity and grow wealth in historically underserved communities. The EOC has already surpassed over $1 billion in increased member company deposits into community finance institutions. As a Senator, the Vice President partnered with key Congressional stakeholders to secure a transformative $12 billion investment for CDFIs and MDIs in December 2020. Since that time, she has worked to ensure these programs are as successful as possible.

Additional dates, cities, and details for media to RSVP will be available soon.

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Mayor Duggan touts NFL draft, public safety boost, junk removal plan at State of the City

Mayor Mike Duggan did not shy away from touting the NFL draft yet again as he kicked off his 11th annual State of the City on Wednesday evening at the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church on Detroit's northwest side.

Duggan anticipates similar crowds to past NFL drafts, which drew in roughly 300,000 visitors. The mayor encourages them to visit redeveloped sites shown across the nation during Detroit's bankruptcy 10 years ago, such as the Michigan Central Depot, from which he delivered his State of the City last year, and witness how much the city has changed.

"We have a chance to introduce ourselves to America," Duggan said. "The last time we were in the national spotlight on MSNBC, it was about bankruptcy and a lot of people ... when they get here, you're going to see a very different city."

The mayor dived into a long list of recreational and major developments, including: GM Factory Zero and Stellantis assembly plants; State Fairgrounds development into a transit and Amazon fulfillment center; the $3 billion Henry Ford "Future of Health" development; Hudson's site, which GM recently announced plans to move its headquarters into the city's newest skyscraper, and the Water Square residences and hotel at the former Joe Louis Arena site.

Duggan added that when he first ran for office in 2013 and met with hundreds of residents, "it hurt" to realize much of them felt the city and country forgot about Detroit.

They said "our neighborhood has been forgotten ... there's illegal dumping, nobody's picked it up. There's open abandoned houses, nobody cares. You dial 911, the police don’t show up. The ambulance doesn’t show up," Duggan said. "What they were really saying is our city has been forgotten."

Duggan praised a number of the city's accomplishments, including eliminating blight, plans to remove abandoned vehicles, demolishing and restoring abandoned homes and boosting several of the city's parks, recreation centers and public spaces in an effort to beautify Detroit.

Here are a some key takeaways:

No more 'ruin porn'

More than 10 years ago, visitors would take "ruin porn" tours in Detroit to capture some of the city's blight, including the iconic Michigan Central Depot, which was initially up for demolition in 2009.

But this year, Duggan declared those tours "canceled."

Several sites are developing, including Lear's seating plant replacing the 40-year abandoned Hudson's Motor plant; the updated and lavish Book Tower housing residences and restaurants; United Artists Theatre building converting into apartments; the Eddystone renovated into apartments; GM parts facility replacing the long abandoned AMC Headquarters; the Fisher Body Plant being restored into apartments, and one of the biggest eyesores, the Packard Plant, which is coming down this year.

Instead of blight tours, Duggan pointed to the city's upgraded amenities, including the RiverWalk, Riverside Park, Beacon Park and more.

Land Value Tax

Prior to diving into the mayor's proposed Land Value Tax plan , which would raise property taxes on vacant land, Duggan touted the city's credit rating upgrade to reaching investment grade. Higher ratings mean governments pay lower costs to borrow money for investments across the city.

As he pushes the property tax plan through the Michigan Legislature, Duggan, once again, reminded Detroiters that it would cut homeowners' property taxes by 17% and raise the tax on vacant land, including parking lots and scrapyards. However, not everybody is on board with the plan.

"I have this fight in Lansing for the Land Value Tax ... which every national economist said would be a great thing in Detroit."

Duggan was referencing a poll of economists who agreed that it would boost Detroit's economy.

Public safety improvement

Detroit, once known nationally as the "carjack city," Duggan said, saw 782 carjackings in 2013, leading Detroit officers to leave the city in "record numbers." In 2024, Detroit has been averaging two per week, he said. Duggan pointed out that former Detroit Police Chief James Craig in 2013 was a victim of carjacking. The city in the meantime provided pay increases as an incentive to stay. Detroit's homicide rate dropped from 386 in 2013 to 252 in 2023.

The city also started Project Green Light , which uses cameras installed at various businesses, aimed at deterring crime and providing video evidence when it happens near a Green Light site.

"Ten years later, Detroit is a national leader in reducing carjackings," Duggan said.

Detroit also launched a number of community violence intervention initiatives, including gunshot detection systems to prevent gun crime. Six activist groups received federal grants to research ways to prevent crime and curb gun violence. Duggan plans to request that City Council extends their contracts through 2025 after seeing gun violence dip by 44% in areas where four of the groups focused on personal interaction to deescalate situations.

Duggan also touted the city's 911 response time reaching an average of 7 minutes and 30 seconds, which is less than the national standard. The city is dispatching 42 ambulances a day, compared with 20-22 last year.

Solar energy

Duggan touted multiple solar efforts underway, including 127 municipal buildings converting from fossil-based to solar energy. The city also launched an initiative to convert 250 acres of land into solar farms . The intention would be to convert blight into a more productive use. The city would select eight neighborhoods, two of which will power streetlights.

Homeowners living within the area will receive $15,000 in energy-efficiency home upgrades. Duggan will send the first three winning neighborhoods to City Council next month for approval.

Eliminating junk vehicles

In an effort to remove abandoned vehicles, 20 of the city's municipal parking officers are ticketing inoperable or unlicensed vehicles on the street. The citation will give owners 48 hours to move the vehicle.

"2024 is the year we finally rid Detroit of the abandoned illegal vehicles," Duggan said, adding that a resident complained to him about junk vehicles in her neighborhood, suggesting it's not a common sight in the suburbs.

Owners of multiple vehicles on private property lawns will have two weeks to move them, including commercial vehicles. Owners cannot store them on lawns, even if they build a fence around it, Duggan added.

"You can't store your commercial vehicles in our neighborhoods," Duggan said.

The city ticketed 5,208 vehicles so far this year. It towed 769, he said, and 85% were moved by the owners. Residents can report abandoned vehicles on the "Improve Detroit' app.

Rising home values

Detroit home values grew by $3.9 billion since the city's bankruptcy. Black homeowners' housing wealth grew by $2.8 billion, according to a study conducted by the University of Michigan.

"That's for the people who stay. The whole city in nine years grew," Duggan said, adding in response to those who say downtown and Midtown are the only areas seeing growth, "you tell them the University of Michigan study has 4 billion reasons why that's not true."

The study indicated that since the bankruptcy, demolitions of blighted and abandoned properties, and sales by the Detroit Land Bank Authority led to a "transformation" of the city's housing stock, leading to the market recovery as home sales prices increased.

Dexter Elmhurst Recreation Center

The city is renovating the center on the west side with plans to create a recreation center. In a surprise to a longtime community activist Helen Moore , Duggan plans to name it after her.

"Tomorrow morning, Councilman Fred Durhal is putting forward the resolution, and next year, the brand new facility will be the Helen Moore Community Center," Duggan said. "There is one person who has been the champion. For the last 25 years of my life, my No. 1 critic has been Helen Moore. Every time, she brings me something, she's right."

Dana Afana is the Detroit city hall reporter for the Free Press. Contact: [email protected]. Follow her:  @DanaAfana .