DETROIT

Why I love Detroit:

Austin Black II



Austin Black II, real-estate agent and the president of City Living Detroit, a nonprofit that promotes urban living. He is seen standing in the Guardian Building Detroit: My whole life

People think of Detroit as a declining industrial town, but we have absolutely gorgeous architecture.
The Guardian Building, which is a national landmark, is especially breathtaking. I live about a mile or two from the skyscraper. It's bright and bold and art deco, made all of brick. It's just a beautiful structure inside and out, and it could never be replicated.
To me, it represents when the auto industry and Detroit as a whole were booming.
Why I love Detroit: It's one of the last cities to have a rebirth. I'm 28, and most of my friends my age own their own houses and businesses. You can't go to New York at 28 and start a business, unless you have a ton of money. A lot of us have experience in other urban areas, and we come back.
I see Detroit shifting from dependence on the auto industry, given the reality of what's going on. I think entrepreneurship and emerging technology will drive Detroit.
When I show real estate, I see young people and empty nesters coming back. It's evolving into an urban center. It's exciting to see.