An Australian's Detroit diary is gorgeous and gritty

Journalists from as far away as Australia are being sent to cover what's happening in our city. Paul Toohey saw the good and the grim of Detroit while he visited Michigan this winter. But as far as tour guides go, Paul Toohey's tour of the D is clearly superior -- he saw the city with Lowell Boileau, the founder of the Detroit Yes! online forum. His read on Detroit is realistic and touching.

Excerpt:

A small downtown bar called Greenwich Time has watched its Friday night crowds dwindle over the years from three-deep at the bar to just a handful of locals. Owned by a family of Albanian-Mexican heritage, the way they see it is that they've been down so far the only way is up. Recovery is possible; life will go on. The people who drink at this bar are different to us wait-back-and-see Australians. They do not wait for polite introductions. They address you directly, ask your story, engage in raging political debates, and insist you share their food. There is good in this town, which, as Eminem said, has been to hell and back. It has a story to tell.

Read the rest of the story here.

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