Quick: What do Madonna, Charles A. Lindbergh, and Aretha Franklin have in common? If you said they’re all from Detroit, give yourself a gold star. As the 10th-largest city in the US, Detroit boasts several world-class museums, numerous historical attractions, and nightlife that’ll make you want to kick off your shoes and dance. What’s more, the healthcare industry is one of the area’s premier employers.

Founded by French fur trappers in 1701, Detroit has actually been around longer than the US. The city’s locale and workforce helped make it the site of one of America’s first automobile factories in 1897. No, Henry Ford didn’t build it — his rival Ransom E. Olds did. But it was Ford’s Model T, introduced in 1908, that cemented Detroit’s position as the No. 1 auto-producing city in the US.

The boom that auto manufacturing bestowed on Detroit went bust in the 1980s, when foreign competition and a recession brought daunting economic challenges to the area. However, in the 1990s, a series of initiatives brought more than $6 billion worth of investments to the city, and with the return of the auto industry to profitability, a renewed sense of optimism is sweeping through Motown.

On Duty

Southeastern Michigan and the Detroit area have a wide array of nursing educational options, including four-year programs at such institutions as Wayne State University, the University of Michigan, Madonna University, Oakland University, and the University of Detroit Mercy School of Nursing. In addition, the area offers an extensive selection of two-year associate degree programs at Henry Ford Community College, Schoolcraft College, Monroe Community College, and Wayne County Community College. Several institutions also offer an additional BSN program to those already holding bachelor’s degrees. Many doctorate and master’s programs are also available at area schools.

To sweeten the pot, the state of Michigan offers a $4,000 scholarship to Michigan residents enrolled full-time in a nursing program leading to an LPN, AND, or BSN certification. Three-quarter time students can earn a $3,000 grant, and half-time students can receive $2,000. In addition, the Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan Foundation recently released $500,000 in funding to nonprofits and healthcare organizations to help alleviate the nursing shortage in the area.

Jobs are plentiful for both new graduates and seasoned nurses. “Employment opportunities abound from tertiary care in major medical centers to nursing care facilities and home care agencies,” says Barbara Medvec, RN, MSA, MSN, chief nursing officer and senior vice president at Oakwood Healthcare System. “We continue to experience a shortage of nurses in Southeastern Michigan, but enrollment is up at all of our colleges, and applications to nursing schools are growing.” In 2002, Oakwood mounted a four-month recruiting campaign and hired more than 300 nurses in just 120 days.

Motown might as well be called Medtown because the Detroit area is home to six of America’s best hospitals as selected by U.S. News & World Report. These hallowed hospitals include Harper Hospital, Henry Ford Hospital, the Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan, St. John Riverview Hospital, Providence Hospital, and William Beaumont Hospital. In addition, there are 47 short-term general hospitals in the city and 21 teaching hospitals, augmented by 178 community hospitals in the state.

The Detroit Zoo (above) is a terrific learning experience for animal-lovers of any age. Photo by Vito Palmisano, courtesy of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Off Duty

As great as the job opportunities are, a nurse cannot live by work alone. When you’re not hard at work improving the lives of others, you’ll find plenty of places to do a little self-maintenance.

Fabulous food. If you’d expect a city that’s as culturally and ethnically diverse as Detroit to feature a wide variety of cuisine, you’d be right. For instance, if you’re into juicy, fall-off-the-bone ribs, you’re in luck. Southfield Beans & Cornbread: A Soulful Bistro has become a local favorite since it opened in 1997. The down-home eatery features baby backs that’ll have you salivating the minute you set foot in the restaurant, but its full-featured menu and soft background jazz will keep you coming back.

At the other end of the food spectrum is Whitney Restaurant, housed in a turn-of-the-century mansion decked out with Tiffany windows, crystal chandeliers, and walls covered with rich, polished wood. The restaurant offers a gourmet Sunday brunch and hosts a garden party every Thursday and Friday from 5 PM to 9 PM.

Between hometown and uptown fare you’ll find places like Portofino on the River, a casual destination by the Detroit River in nearby Wyandotte. Here you can dine on such dishes as peach pork tenderloin and cognac mustard chicken either inside or out on the deck while watching Jet Skis zip and sailboats glide by.

Getting outside. Detroit is chock-full of entertainment options. Belle Isle is a 1,000-acre island park that dates back to 1883. It provides a relaxed atmosphere with swimming, tennis, fishing ponds, a nature center, and a lighthouse. The park also offers guided nature tours and a spectacular view of the Detroit skyline. For race fans, Belle Isle hosts the Detroit Grand Prix for three pulse-pounding days each June. The city also features several MetroParks within easy driving distance of most residential areas.

If you’re an animal-lover or have a small one in tow, the Detroit Zoo in the suburb of Royal Oak is a must-see. The zoo is home to some 1,300 animals representing 266 species, 54 of which are officially listed as threatened or endangered. It also features an extensive hummingbird and butterfly garden and walk-through aviary where you can get up close and personal with your feathered friends.

The world’s hottest production and concept cars are unveiled at the North American International Auto Show every January in Detroit (above). The Automobile in American Life exhibit at the Henry Ford Museum (below) offers a fascinating look at how developments in transportation have influenced everyday life in the US. Photos by Vito Palmisano and Mark Arpin, courtesy of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Museum magic. If culture and the arts is more your style, Detroit doesn’t disappoint. The Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History celebrates the history and heritage of African-Americans by featuring exhibits dedicated to black art, music, and literature. The museum’s core exhibit, Of the People: The African American Experience uses multimedia components and three-dimensional “tableaux” to lead viewers through a timeline of African-American history.

The Motown Historical Museum occupies the house where Berry Gordy Jr. established a record-production facility with an $800 loan from his family. He called it Hitsville, USA, and it eventually became the center of the entire rhythm-and-blues music industry. The museum features the original Studio A where some of Motown’s biggest hits were recorded.
It won’t come as much of a surprise that the Motor City is home to more than one museum commemorating America’s love affair with the automobile. The Automotive Hall of Fame is a striking black-and-white structure topped with a glass pyramid. Myriad interactive displays tell the story of the real people behind names such as Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Mack, and Toyota, and how their accomplishments helped put us all on wheels.

The Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village offers more than 100 historic cars to learn about. The 100-acre museum is the most visited indoor/outdoor historical complex in North America and includes more than 80 historic structures, including the house where Noah Webster wrote the first American Dictionary.

But the crown jewel in Detroit’s collection of museums is the Detroit Institute of Arts, the fifth-largest arts museum in the country. Home to more than 66,000 precious objects, the museum includes displays of American, European, and Asian art and paintings, as well as sculptures and graphic arts. Among its celebrated exhibitions is Mexican artist Diego Rivera’s massive “Detroit Industry” frescoes, which cover four walls of the museum’s central court.

For budding scientists and their families, Detroit offers such delights as the New Detroit Science Center, with its newly enhanced IMAX dome theater. For those with an interest in the heavens, the Robert T. Longway Planetarium takes visitors on awe-inspiring celestial tours through the solar system, the galaxy, and beyond.

The Detroit Science Center features 110,000 square feet of science exhibition space, hands-on displays, two new science stages, and a newly enhanced IMAX theater. Photo by Vito Palmisano, courtesy of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Pearls of culture. After a long day of museum-hopping, it might be nice to sit for a while and take in a play or concert — once again Detroit can oblige. Select one of the 5,000 seats in the Fox Theater downtown and treat yourself to a Broadway musical, a concert, or epic motion picture. Marvel at its ornate, fully restored 1920s architecture with its gilded elephant and lion statuary and rich, gold-leaf ornamentation, which can easily distract you from the main presentation.

Also a marvel of grand décor, not to mention perfect acoustics, is Orchestra Hall, which is home to the Detroit Symphony Orchestra. Abandoned in the 1960s, Orchestra Hall was decaying and overrun with pigeons when it was targeted for rebirth a decade later. Hundreds of music-lovers donated their time and money to restore the building both inside and out, and it now reverberates with the music of the great composers once again.

If you prefer vocal gymnastics to strings and wind, the Detroit Opera House will delight you. Once a regal theater decorated with crystal chandeliers, marble stairways, and brass fixtures, the 1920s-era Opera House played host to such luminaries as Will Rogers, Louis Armstrong, Guy Lombardo, and Duke Ellington. In 1988, it was fully restored to its former glory and became the home of the Michigan Opera Theater.

Built in the tradition of great movie palaces, the Fox Theater is one of the most elegant performing arts venues in the nation. Photo by Marji Silk, courtesy of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

Nightlife and shopping. But what if your tastes run to more contemporary entertainment? After all, opera may be spiritually fulfilling, but it’s notoriously hard to dance to. For that, you’ll need a place like Clutch Cargo, a converted four-story church with a techno dance floor and a lounge called the Mill Street Entry down in the basement. Sunday morning services were never like this.

If a smaller, slightly calmer venue is more to your liking, hop over to the Centre Street Pub downtown. Built in 1894 by German immigrants as a singing club, the pub comes complete with comfy couches, pool tables, big-screen TVs, and even a putting green. At the bar you’ll find a copper Italian-made 24-tap beer dispenser with a wide range of brews.

Did we mention shopping? Detroit is a shopper’s mecca, from the GM Renaissance Center’s Riverfront Shops to the upscale Somerset Collection, which features some of the most exclusive shopping in Michigan. Shops like Tiffany & Co., Ralph Lauren, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Nordstrom will keep you happily browsing for hours. If you can’t resist a bargain, Detroit bristles with outlet malls, including the Kensington Valley Factory Shops and Windsor Crossing Premium Outlets.

Living Well

Detroit’s 138 square miles are home to nearly 1 million people, according to numbers from the US Census Bureau, which estimated the 2003 average household income at more than $43,000. The Census pegged the average price of a typical single-family, four-bedroom, two-bath, 2,200-square foot home at $145,000, with the average rent bill running at about $640.

Like suburban living? The entire Detroit region encompasses 6,657 square miles and includes 10 counties and 275 cities, villages, and townships.

Michigan has a 4.4% flat-rate personal income tax and a 6% sales tax. The Census reported Detroit’s annual per capita tax rate at just more than $4,000 in 2002. Educational facilities include 15 four-year universities and 12 two-year colleges. In 2002, the state of Michigan spent more than $12 million on education, or about $7,000 per student through grade 12.

Getting around. It’s easy to get where you want to go in Detroit — the city is crisscrossed by three Interstate highways, I-75, I-94, and I-96. Sixteen major national and international airlines fly out of Detroit/Wayne County Metropolitan Airport, and the area’s Oakland International Airport is the second busiest in Michigan. Several other general aviation and air cargo facilities dot the region, as well.

On the water, the Port of Detroit has two full-service terminals and a single-dock facility that can handle 10 oceangoing vessels at once. Wheeled transportation includes the SMART (Suburban Mobility Authority for Regional Transportation) system with 55 routes; the Detroit DOT system with 50 routes; and the downtown Detroit People Mover, a train system with 13 stops along its 2.9-mile elevated loop.

Depending on where you’re from, you might think of Detroit as the Great White North. January temperatures can get fairly nippy, averaging around 23 degrees, but the average July temperature is a comfortable 72.3 degrees — right around room temperature. The city gets about 41 inches of snow every year.

You can see a great view of Detroit’s skyline from the Detroit Tigers’ home, Comerica Park. Photo by Vito Palmisano, courtesy of the Detroit Metro Convention & Visitors Bureau.

What You Can See for a C-Note

If you have a spare $100 burning a hole in your pocket, Detroit will be more than happy to help you spend it. But don’t worry, your Ben Franklin will really get around town.

For $10, we’ll start with coffee and a croissant downtown at the Kresge Café, an airy renaissance-style courtyard inside the Detroit Institute of Arts. We’ll put that buzz and sustenance to good work by strolling through the DIA galleries. You can marvel at a tremendous collection of cultural riches for just $4 (the recommended admission). Grab lunch at Agave, a fresh-mex eatery with a Southwestern flair ($15), then watch the Detroit Tigers take the field at Comerica Park, where an $8 ticket in the Pepsi Bleachers will buy you a bleacher seat, a Pepsi, and a hot dog.

After the game, it’s off to the Henry Ford Museum to explore the history of the automotive industry ($13.50), and then to the Motown Museum where you’ll stand in the spot where acts such as the Jackson Five made music history ($8). Check out the Second City troupe’s wild improvisational show ($20), then make dinner a special experience at the Hockeytown Café next door ($20). What’s this? You still have $1.50 left? Over at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, that’ll buy you 30 chances to hit it big at the nickel slots.

Those early French settlers would no doubt be astounded to see what their trapping grounds on the Detroit River have become. As Detroit’s 21st century renaissance continues, opportunities to grow along with it abound.