Detroit, US

The Motor City has certainly had a bad run of it. In March 2013, the great American city that made its fortune from not just cars but from a thriving entertainment industry found itself, in the words of Hemingway “gradually then suddenly” bankrupt. But, in spite of a calamitous pension system, ghostly neighborhoods, and monumental blight, less than a year after filing bankruptcy Detroit’s politicos revealed their blue print for the city’s recovery and now it’s clear that Detroit’s phoenix is rising. Tough and unyielding, the city’s gritty authenticity is drawing a new audience of super brands keen to attach themselves to the city’s tough, cool image, as well as a slew of young innovators and entrepreneurs, who, in a bargain city, can afford to make mistakes.

In historic Brush Park new wine bars, arty cafes, sleek restaurants and restored movie palaces are regenerating formerly abandoned neighborhoods. A city that is passionate about high and low art, during its heyday Detroit boasted the second-largest theater district in the U.S., after Broadway, with theaters, ranging from the sumptuous Detroit Opera House, which first opened its doors in 1922, to Orchestra Hall where Detroit’s symphony plays to riotous acclaim. True enough, most of Detroit’s attractions revolve around, or have links to the automobile. There’s the Henry Ford Museum, the Model T Automotive Heritage Complex with the ‘secret experimental room’ where Ford invented the first automobile, the Ford family mansions, the annual Woodward Dream Cruise automobile pageant, and Diego Rivera’s “Detroit Industry” fresco in the stellar Detroit Institute of Arts. Thankfully, the portended sell-off of the city’s cultural riches didn’t happen and the city’s Institute of Arts still houses works by Picasso, Matisse, van Gogh, and Warhol. The Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, housed in a former Albert Kahn auto dealership, showcases contemporary works by acclaimed local and international artists.

*This is just a sample. Zephyr provides access to aircraft at every end of the spectrum, from luxurious VIP airliners, to ultra long range business jet, helicopters, and economical turboprops.