“Corktown, once a desolate strip just west of downtown Detroit, is a serious hotbed of new restaurants, bars, hotels and more, all sitting in the shadow of one of the most glaring icons of Detroit’s demise, the skeleton of the old train depot, Michigan Central Station. In this ailing city, people look at Corktown as a bright example of what rebuilding can do. The resurgence of Corktown, originally an Irish enclave, began with the 2005 opening of Slows Bar B Q. These days, thanks to low rents and a consumer base hungry for things to do, the area is now a vibrant community of passionate restaurateurs, stylish shopkeepers, meticulous coffee connoisseurs and craft cocktailers.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/06/22/travel/a-gleam-of-renewal-in-struggling-detroit.html