“Where you headed?” asked the cheerful driver of the rental-car shuttle at the Detroit airport.

“Detroit!” I answered, equally cheerfully.

“Southfield, Birmingham or Rochester?” he asked, referring to well-to-do northern suburbs.

“No, Detroit,” I responded.

Silence,  then a shrug as if to say, “Suit yourself.”

Yet Detroit is evolving from a place feared by many Americans – and Michiganders - to a place for art. Cheap rents and an urban pioneering spirit are attracting young artists, and new restaurants, nightspots and even urban farms are serving this growing community and its hipster fans. It’s still the early days, but change is palpable, even to the casual visitor.

Read the full version of my article in the Los Angeles Times.