Detroit Is Alive With New Possibilities—but Don’t Call It a Comeback

These days, Detroit is often considered in terms of rebirth, revival, and comeback, a path forged and realized after the city’s bankruptcy filing in 2013. But that straightforward trajectory—from hopeless cause to creative hub—is a reductionist way to view the place that gave us both Motown and the automobile.

Most Detroiters will tell you not to call it a “comeback,” because the city isn’t going back to how it was. Instead, locals hope that Detroit’s ongoing redevelopment leads to a place with more equal opportunities for its diverse population.

This progress is most visible in its adaptive reuse projects, where husks of historic, sometimes derelict, buildings are being transformed into new centers of culture.

Take Michigan Central, a Beaux-Arts–era abandoned train station that reopened in 2024 as a 30-acre “innovation district” created by Ford Motor Company. The outdoor pavilion hosts public gatherings, while one of the buildings houses tech companies. Or look to the blocks and lots that residents have converted into public artworks. One example is the Heidelberg Project, started in 1986 by artist Tyree Guyton. Over the decades, he’s bedecked a city block with found objects such as stuffed animals, shoes, and entire cars.

We spoke with four Detroit-based leaders about how the city has inspired and shaped them. Sydney G. James is a prolific muralist; W.E. Da’Cruz is the cofounder of a plant-based food company; James Sumpter serves as executive chef at the new Cambria Hotel; and Robin Terry chairs the board of the Motown Museum. Then read on for our recommendations for where to shop, eat, play, and stay in the Motor City.

Photo by Sylvia Jarrus

Sydney G. James

Visual artist and muralist

Sydney G. James’s striking and realistic murals of Black Detroiters have become synonymous with the city itself. A recipient of a 2017 Kresge Artist Fellowship, James’s artwork has been displayed at Detroit’s Charles H. Wright Museum, the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, and galleries across six continents. She is also the cofounder of BLKOUT Walls, a local festival that brings together Black muralists.

“I’m a born-and-raised second-generation Detroiter. My grandparents came up from the South during the Great Migration. I grew up in Conant Gardens, which is one of the first neighborhoods in Detroit where Black people were allowed to build and own their homes. Growing up, we lived in a house that my dad helped my grandfather build when he was 12. I still live in the area now, in a home I purchased near my mom. It’s a part of Detroit that’s culturally rich in Black love and family.

“When I moved to Los Angeles in 2004 to work in television, I knew the move was temporary. Detroit had been on a decline because of government neglect, but I knew it was going to go through a resurgence. I didn’t know what that resurgence was going to look or feel like, but I did know I wanted to be an active part of it, so in 2011, I moved home.

“Around that time, I’d started getting into street art. In Detroit, the vacant lots became a space for community art and reclamation. I was asked to take part in the inaugural Murals in the Market festival in 2015, and a month after that, the podcast and newsletter Daily Detroit listed my mural Grind: Live From Detroit City as one of the 18 best murals in Detroit.

“As an artist, my work is very reactionary. I’m inspired by every interaction I have and specifically by the Black women I encounter every day. For instance, my most well-known wall in Detroit is an 8,000-square-foot mural called Girl with a D Earring, located on the Chroma building in the North End. My model was Halima Cassells. She’s a North End native and community activist. To me, she represents the essence and power of Detroit. Unlike the original Dutch painting [Girl with a Pearl Earring by Johannes Vermeer], I wanted everything about mine to be bold, down to her pink D earring designed by the late Yolanda Nichelle—because Detroit is bold.

“On her garment, I painted logos and names of businesses that used to be or are still in the North End neighborhood. I did that because the biggest danger of this redevelopment movement is erasure and forgetting our history. Detroit was never dead, because there were always people living here. It may have looked dilapidated, but it’s always been full of life.”

Photos by Sylvia Jarrus

James Sumpter

Executive chef, Cambria Downtown Detroit

Opened in October 2023, Cambria Hotel Detroit Downtown is one of the more recent in a string of new hotels that reuse older buildings. At 154 rooms, it adds much-needed space for visitors downtown now that the city is attracting more large-scale conventions and events. As executive chef, James Sumpter oversees the hotel’s multiple food and beverage options. These include Cibo, a Mediterranean restaurant; Detroit Taco, a fast-casual Mexican spot; and the recently opened rooftop bar Cielo.

“I’ve been the executive chef for Cambria Hotel for about two years. The journey through construction and opening the hotel was, let me say, an undertaking. The building was the old WWJ radio station, one of the original radio stations with only three letters as opposed to four. That old building is where our hotel lobby is, but then you take a bridge over to the new building with all the hotel rooms. There’s a real art deco influence that’s been retained.

“I’m from Ann Arbor, Michigan. I had my first head chef role at the age of 20 and have worked all over the state, including in sushi bars and wine bars. I came to Detroit a couple of years ago not for a job specifically, but because I wanted to live in this city—a place with a little more excitement and where I could advance my career in a more aggressive way. There are a lot of people like me who came to Detroit to do something interesting.

“One thing I’ve noticed is that people in Detroit like exciting new flavors, but they also like soul food. For example, Cibo is a Mediterranean restaurant, but then I’ve put a twist on that. We have a fried chicken shawarma, but I’ve added a za’atar buttermilk biscuit and merguez sausage gravy on top.

“There’s also a big farm-to-table focus, because there are actually a lot of urban farmers in the area. The 2008 housing crisis hit Detroit really hard, and many properties became vacant for so long that they had to be torn down. People could then buy these lots for dirt cheap and turn them into green spaces. In fact, there’s one only a few blocks away from Cibo, called Featherstone Garden. Annie Hakim, the grower, uses sustainable and organic practices, and that’s where I often get our heirloom tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers.

“Overall, there is a lot of opportunity here in Detroit. I’m over the stereotypes of angry chefs and the history of misogyny in my profession. In my work, I’m trying to cultivate an environment where people are respected and treated well. The same goes for my personal life. When we first moved here, my wife and I went on a kind of ‘church tour’ to find one we liked. There’s a ridiculous number of beautiful churches in Detroit. We found one near us in Bagley, called Gesu, that has a lot of diversity and a priest with progressive views. In Detroit, we have met interesting people who aren’t afraid to rub people the wrong way, in a good way.”

Photo by Sylvia Jarrus

Robin Terry

Chair of the board, The Motown Museum

Robin Terry is the chair of the board of the Motown Museum, which honors the record label that started in Detroit in 1959. The Miracles, the Supremes, the Temptations, and Marvin Gaye are among the influential icons who made music here. Over the past few years, Terry has led a $65 million expansion project, turning the museum into a 50,000-square-foot campus where visitors can walk through the original recording studio and listen to live concerts in the new Rocket Plaza.

“Growing up, I was surrounded by Motown musicians. My parents met at Motown as employees. So I consider myself to be a product of Motown. I was around people like Smokey Robinson and Diana Ross and even the Jackson 5. They would all come to our home at 918 West Boston, but that was a time when we didn’t look at them as celebrities, by any stretch. They were just family.

“My mom died of breast cancer when I was 15, and I went to live with my grandmother in downtown Detroit. That made me fall in love with the energy of the city.

“After school, my grandmother would make my sister Elesha and me come down to Hitsville [the recording studio and house] and walk people around on tours. We’d also work in a store that, at the time, sold one type of T-shirt and a few coasters made from the centers of vinyl records. In 1985, my grandmother founded the Motown Museum out of her own desire to preserve its history for future generations.

“I was so immersed in Motown that I didn’t understand the significance of it—culturally or historically. In 2002, I stepped in to help my grandmother as deputy director because of some health challenges she had. Suddenly I was reading emails and listening to voicemails from people all over the world talking about what Motown meant to them. I watched people travel to Detroit just to be in the same space where those individuals I called family built their music careers.

“Today, it feels like the museum is growing into its adulthood. Motown is a global sound but it’s getting its proper due in Detroit, the city that gave birth to it. And of course, there is more to Detroit than the Motown Museum. We have cultural institutions but also the RiverWalk, which is one of the most beautiful riverfronts in the whole world.

“As Detroiters, we often find ourselves in a space of trying to defend a city that is so great. People who don’t know it have this perspective about who we are, until they come and learn something different. The people here are resourceful, creative, and have this can’t stop, won’t stop attitude. Ultimately, Detroit is a champion city.”

Courtesy of W.E. Da’Cruz

W.E. Da’Cruz

Cofounder, Mushroom Angel Company

Before moving to Detroit in 2016, W.E. Da’Cruz had a career in U.S.–Africa international relations, where she spoke to female entrepreneurs in Africa on behalf of both the U.S. Embassy and the United National Economic Commission for Africa. In 2020, while on a Daniel Fast diet with her husband, she created a recipe making meat-like patties out of mushrooms. That led to their launch of Mushroom Angel Company, a plant-based foods company that is quickly growing in the Midwest.

“My husband Dominique and I founded Mushroom Angel Company at our home in Martin Park during the pandemic. We produce food that cuts and bites like meat, but is made from locally sourced mushrooms. The narrative of Detroit being a food desert has been prominent over the years. And with climate change, this created an opportunity for people like myself to create plant-based foods from mushrooms.

“We started selling at Eastern Market, which is an iconic food ecosystem here in Detroit. That’s where we were discovered by Meijer, a Midwestern grocery chain, and we’re now selling in six states after only three years.

“Last year we were blessed to receive a $30,000 grant as part of the first Newlab Founder Fellowship. Newlab is part of Michigan Central, Ford’s transformation of the old train station in Corktown into an innovation campus. As part of the fellowship, we have a dedicated workspace at Newlab, where we’re among some of the top leaders in Michigan. You can imagine the impact of bumping shoulders in the elevators with the leaders that are helping in our business growth.

“In my experience, Detroit has become a buffet of opportunities. Your only requirement is to get to the table and participate. People from all walks of life are now able to tap into resources and create an economic ripple effect across the city—and beyond. For instance, take my friends Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba, who own the Baobob Fare restaurant. When I arrived in Detroit, others in the community who knew I was African (my family is from Ghana) told me about Nadia and Mamba. I learned that they were refugees from Burundi who had recently arrived to Detroit. In my first three years in Detroit, I witnessed our friends start as pop-ups, build out their own restaurant in the North End area of Detroit, and introduce Detroit and the Midwest to East African food. Imagine not speaking the language or knowing the terrain, and yet still navigating how to launch and scale a successful food service business all while winning national awards [they were nominated as 2024 James Beard Award finalists for outstanding restaurateur].

Photo by Sylvia Jarrus

This is a testament to the Detroit business ecosystem.

“There is a migration that is happening to Detroit, and my family is part of that migration. I have to say, I was hesitant to move to Detroit. I moved here from New York City with my husband and oldest daughter in 2016. Our story in Detroit, truthfully, shows how you can still create your American dream. We came with no family, no friends, and really no connection to it outside of its history of Black culture. I mean, why do you leave the Big Apple, right? There was no reason to leave New York, except to come to Detroit and be part of this renaissance in entrepreneurship. The fact that we are succeeding, even after founding our company during a pandemic, says a lot about what Detroit is doing for its community.

“You don’t have to be born in Detroit to be a part of its fabric. I’m not from Detroit, but my children are. I’m creating a legacy here for them and everyone in our community that our company positively impacts.”

Photo by Sylvia Jarrus

How to explore Detroit like a local

Detroit is best enjoyed neighborhood by neighborhood, including those beyond downtown—such as Midtown (known for its museums), Eastern Market (come hungry!), and historic Corktown. Don’t miss cities within the metro area, including Hamtramck, Highland Park, and Dearborn. Use this guide to plan your trip.

Where to eat

Dining in Detroit starts with its eponymous rectangular, deep-dish pizza. The place to try it is Buddy’s—because it’s where the square, fluffy local pie was first created, by using steel pans from an automobile factory. Meanwhile, several new hotels are serving notable fare too: At the Godfrey Hotel, Hamilton’s elevates classic American food, while Hiroki-San, located in the Book Tower, features ingredients imported weekly from Japan.

Sweet tooths can be satisfied with chocolates from Bon Bon Bon, a cult-favorite salted maple pie slice from Sister Pie, or a nostalgic cone of frozen custard from Huddle Soft Serve (with sprinkles, of course).

For East African eats, head to Baobob Fare and order the 24-hour-marinated samaki (flash-fried fish with sweet plantains, stewed yellow lentils, and sautéed onions). The restaurant is owned by wife-and-husband duo Nadia Nijimbere and Hamissi Mamba, 2024 James Beard Award finalists who came to Detroit as refugees from Burundi in 2015. In Dearborn, which became the country’s first Arab-majority city last year, Shatila Bakery serves authentic baklava and knafeh pastries, while AlTayeb makes Lebanese classics and Qahwah House sells traditional Yemeni imported coffee.

Photo by Sylvia Jarrus

Where to shop

Woodward Avenue and Cass Corridor form the shopping core of Detroit. Stop at City Bird for Michigan-themed gifts and at Shinola for handcrafted watches. The Avenue of Fashion (along Livernois and 7 Mile) is an area known for its historically Black-owned businesses. Everyday fashion is available at Simply Casual, while Three Thirteen sells Detroit-branded clothing. Eastern Market, a sprawling outdoor farmers’ market, is Detroit’s source for flowers, produce, antiques, and vintage items. In Corktown, swing by John K. King, a maze of more than 1 million used and rare books (among the country’s largest bookshops), and Eldorado General Store, a den of locally made trinkets and apothecary items.

Photo by Sylvia Jarrus

What to do

There’s no shortage of museums here: the Detroit Institute of Arts, Michigan Science Center, and the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, to name a few. The Henry Ford, a museum and historical village complex located 20 minutes outside of downtown Detroit, is one for automobile buffs. In Dearborn, check out the Arab American National Museum.

The Fisher Building and Cadillac Place, both in the New Center district, are Albert Kahn–designed landmarks from Detroit’s Roaring Twenties architectural boom. Drop into the Guardian Building downtown for another example (there are guided tours available)—and be sure to look at the tiled ceiling in the lobby.

Spend an afternoon on the 3.5-mile Detroit International RiverWalk, passing natural parkland and views of Windsor, Canada, across the water. Extend your walk by taking the Dequindre Cut path to Eastern Market‚ part of the planned 27.5-mile Joe Louis Greenway currently under development. Or head to Belle Isle, an island park in the Detroit River with the city’s best sunset view.

Where to stay

The 106-room Siren Hotel, which opened in 2018, stands out as one of the first in the city’s wave of boutique hotels that revived notable skyscrapers. This one is located downtown, in the 1926 Wurlitzer Building, which originally sold musical instruments.

The apartment-hotel Roost has a similar backstory. Its mix of studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom units is spread across four floors of the 1926 Book Tower, which was renovated and reopened in 2023. Each of the 117 apartments has homey touches such as All-Clad cookware, La Colombe coffee, and live plants.