Detroıt, Mıchıgan

Motor City. Motown. Hockeytown. The D. Detroit collected its nicknames the way Woodward Avenue collected skyscrapers in the 1920s, when assembly-line money rolled in faster than anyone could spend it and Art Deco giants like the Guardian Building rose along Griswold Street to prove it.

“Say Nice Things About Detroit,” urged a 1980s bumper sticker, and Detroiters still do – loudly, and often while arguing. Take the two Coney Island diners standing side by side downtown, whose rival chili dogs have split families for generations. Loyalties run deep here, and a visitor can feel like they’ve walked in halfway through the conversation.

VoiceMap’s self-guided audio tours bring you up to speed with locals who know the backstory. Find out why Joe Louis is remembered by a giant bronze fist at Hart Plaza, and why Campus Martius Park hides a beach bar a long way from any ocean. Pick your side at the Coney counter, and if the debate runs long, just hit pause. The Motor City has never been short of things to talk about.