Welcome to Episode 065 of my “Travel Tales From Beyond The Brochure” podcast.
Okay, let’s start with a controversial statement: Everything you know about Detroit is wrong. Nothing like setting your stall out from the off, I guess. Well, not everything, but probably your first impression is. Certainly a couple of people I spoke to in Toronto were … somewhat confused when I mentioned I was off there, as if to say ‘why would you want to go there’, ‘it’s not safe’, and, ‘well, rather you than me’. But that’s exactly why I visit some places, to prove to the world that they’re worth visiting. And Detroit is one of the biggest cities in the USA so there must be something to pull you in, right?
In this pod I talk about the visits I’ve made there, the places I’ve seen in the city, a bit about its history, and consider what makes Detroit not just one of the most underrated cities in the world but also one of the most important. This is why you need to visit, and see for yourself.
Topics discussed in this episode are:
- How I injured myself at Parkrun
- Future directions of my online persona
- Initial impressions of Detroit
- The world’s tallest (disused) railway station
- Riding the People Mover around the downtown buildings
- The Henry Ford Museum & assassinated presidents
- The lndustrial legacies
- … but it could all have been so different (Whither Canada)
- The riot of July 1967
- Slavery and African-American influences
- Tamla/Motown
- Dearborn and Arab-American influences
- Detroit Zoo and Royal Oak
- It’s even a UNESCO city
You can listen via the feed above, or via Spotify, or on your podcast app of choice. Let me know if it isn’t, by the way, and I’ll see what I can do. In addition, a PDF transcript of this episode is available.
As always, if you have anything to say about the topic, or indeed about my podcasting in general, leave a comment or let me know. I now have a newsletter you can subscribe to, containing extra content, and it’s where I’ll be mentioning future podcast episodes if you want to make your own contribution.
I also now have a Patreon! If you like what you hear, and want to access exclusive content (or just to show your appreciation), then head on over to my page and donate to me!
The contribution in this pod came from my friend Dayna, who doesn’t have much of a web presence.