Hamtramck

The 2.2 square mile town of Hamtramck was once entirely surrounded by the city of Detroit. Once famous for its heavy German and Polish population, the city is now celebrated as the most ethnically diverse in the state of Michigan, with many Yemeni and Bangladeshi immigrants and a strong Muslim community. The streets are run-down, but most of the houses and businesses on them are well-kept. The small grocery stores, restaurants and shops often have signs sporting Arabic or kanji or graceful Chinese characters along with their English names.

At its peak, Hamtramck was home to some 200-300 watering holes, tucked right into neighborhoods all over town. These days it still has quite a selection of bars (though less than 100), ranging from flashy hip to restored dive. The vibrant nightlife here also offer several dance clubs, a plethora of late-night cafes and bubble tea shops, and a thriving music scene that draws both obscure and nationally touring bands.

Hamtramck's residential streets are lined with small wood-frame bungalows built in the early 20th century, most of them two-story affairs with clapboard siding, some with quaint portico entries fronted with small brick pillars. Neighborhood pride intermixes freely with poverty here, sometimes on adjacent streets and blocks--a stretch of tidy, recently-painted houses will give way without warning to a vacant and overgrown lot occupied only by bushes, weeds, and scraps of a long-demolished building.

Detroit proper lies to the south. To the north, more empty lots and decaying buildings punctuate the urban sprawl, reminders of the current state of affairs.