I long held the view that the only thing useful about Detroit was an airport where you could make connections without the hassle of O'Hare. But a couple of years ago, the wife and I went to Detroit for a Buffalo Bills - Cleveland Browns game in November that was moved out of Buffalo because of weather. (The wife is the Bills fan.) We had a really nice time. Sure, there are big areas of Detroit that are an urban wasteland. But the downtown area where we stayed was nice, with a lot of watering holes for folks so inclined, and family activities set up for the holidays (one of the cool things was a psuedo-miniature golf course with hockey sticks). We went to the art museum, which was fabulous. Ford Field was an excellent indoor football venue, probably better than any other I've visited. Several other attractions that I would have considered if we had the time. Speaks to the fact that there was once a whole lot of money flowing through that city, and a legacy that still exists. Would I put Detroit in the top 10 or 15 cities I've visited? Hard no. But it's got a lot more to offer than many folks initially might think.