Through most of the twentieth century, the riverfront under your feet was a wall of cement plants, rail yards, and warehouses that cut the city off from its own water. The transformation began in the 2000s, when a nonprofit conservancy, with land donated by General Motors, set out to reclaim the shoreline for the public. Cullen Plaza opened in 2007 as the first new park, and it carries a custom carousel whose seats are river creatures, sturgeon, herons, and frogs, instead of horses.
From here the Detroit Riverwalk now stretches for miles past parks, fountains, and fishing spots, repeatedly named among the best riverwalks in the country. Where freight once moved, families now stroll, with Canada visible just across the channel. Notice the carousel's river creatures—sturgeon, herons, frogs—turning as freighters pass by, with Canada visible just across the channel.