Detroit may not be everybody's idea of a vacation destination, but it is actually an exciting and vibrant city to visit. The people who live in the city are very loyal to their Detroit roots. After all, with all the money he has made since he left the infamous 8 Mile trailer park, Eminem still lives in the Detroit area, all be it a mansion in the hills.

Detroit was founded as "la Ville d'Etroit" - "the City at the Straits" in 1701, making it one of the Mid West's oldest cities. It was originally a very strategic point of French and Native American trade, and but the by middle of the 19th century Detroit was being compared to Paris in terms of its scenic parks and wonderful architecture.

Much of that changed in the twentieth century, when Detroit became the Motor City, still the area's primary focus today.

With the growth of the early auto industry Detroit sprawled outwards and encompassed an even larger geographical area, which eventually made it one of the country's largest metropolitan areas.

Of course, Detroit is best known for cars and music, it is after all the home of Motown, one of the most influential music companies in the history of rock and roll (and more recently the aforementioned Mr. Mathers) But Detroit is also one of the world's busiest ports, and is a also a major steel producer.The Detroit River is linked by ships to over 40 countries, and by vessels ranging from huge freighters to private yachts that lay in dock in the city's protected harbor.

Detroit is also extremely ethnically diverse. A visitor can head to Hamtramck to visit its wonderful Polish bakeries or dome to Mexicantown which is home to a great number of affordable restaurants.

Back in the 1970s those who govern Detroit decided to try to give the then embattled city a new nickname "Renaissance City". However, it was not until the 1990s that much was done to help Detroit live up to that moniker.

The crime rate in the city is still one of the highest in the country, and there were some political scandals in 2008 that put the city's revitalization efforts back a little, but the addition of a host of restaurants and nightclubs have helped revitalize the city's downtown area. The new glitzy theater district now has almost as many seats as the great White Way in New York City. The whole of Detroit now finally seems to be pulling itself out the past into a brighter future.

Detroit is one of the 13 metropolitan areas in the USA that are home to all teams who play in the four major professional sports leagues. The new Comerica Park is the home of the MLB's Detroit Tigers, Ford Field to the NFL's Detroit Lions and Joe Louis Arena to the NHL's Detroit Red Wings. The Palace at Auburn Hills, home of the legendary Detroit Pistons of the NBA, is located just outside of the city limits too.