--- title: Industrial Culture and Motown History in Detroit, Michigan description: In our travel series this week, we're traveling once more to Detroit, the electric city with big aspirations and a strong foundation. image: https://blog.lotuffleather.com/hubfs/detroit_2048x2048.jpg --- [** ](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/industrial-culture-and-motown-history-in-detroit-michigan#) [![black_Lotuff_logo.jpg](https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0213/4994/t/13/assets/logo.svg?10524817447150324571 "black_Lotuff_logo.jpg")](http://lotuffleather.com) ## Travel Guide:   Industrial Culture and Motown History in Detroit, Michigan By **Liz Silvia** on Jun 14, 2017   •   Topic: [Travel Guide](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/travel-guide) --- - [Tweet](https://twitter.com/share) ![Motown Museum in Detroit, Michigan](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/hs-fs/hubfs/detroit_2048x2048.jpg?width=1024&name=detroit_2048x2048.jpg "Motown Museum in Detroit, Michigan") Up in Michigan, Detroit has undergone a transformation for the better. A move away from American industrialism drove the Motor City to rock bottom, but on the way up again, it’s become a blank canvas- one of those surprising cities that’s taken it upon itself to rise from the ashes and recreate its identity. From Motown to restaurants and gorgeous outdoor spaces, Detroit is rising again to the peak of urban culture, capitalizing on its brawny industrial past and merging it with the new.  ![Rooftop views in Detroit, Michigan](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/hs-fs/hubfs/det_0c388245-c433-469f-bec3-959d01af083f_1360x.jpg?width=1024&name=det_0c388245-c433-469f-bec3-959d01af083f_1360x.jpg "Rooftop views in Detroit, Michigan") Start at the Motown Museum- where else? Operating in its current form since 1985, Hitsville, U.S.A. is where artists like Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, and the Supremes recorded their greatest hits and Motown Records founder Berry Gordy himself lived. It all still stands today as a tribute to the incredible music that was created in Studio A and the people who brought it to fruition, so visit and find out what’s going on.  ![Katoi restaurant tip jar in Detroit, Michigan](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/hs-fs/hubfs/detroir3.jpg?width=1024&name=detroir3.jpg "Katoi restaurant tip jar in Detroit, Michigan") Afterwards, drop in at Katoi, a bustling Thai spot with an entirely unassuming exterior that hides a brightly avant-garde ambiance and more than a few awesome dishes. To make it even more endearing, they have a “tip altar” where patrons are free to leave the waitstaff whatever items their hearts desire in lieu of cash. Or, there’s Rose’s Fine Food, a diner that’s traditional in appearance but not in offerings: items like maple-kimchi fried rice and ricotta-honey French toast grace the menu.  ![Diego Rivera murals in Detroit, Michigan](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/hs-fs/hubfs/detroit2.jpg?width=1024&name=detroit2.jpg "Diego Rivera murals in Detroit, Michigan") If it’s sunny, follow up with a visit to the Mies van der Rohe-designed Lafayette Park. Surrounded by apartment buildings, this green oasis has been making history since the 1950’s, when it was one of the only locations in the city to not racially segregate its inhabitants. The Detroit Institute of Art, finally, should come next on the list. Renowned for its murals by Diego Rivera that pay homage to the manufacturing and technology Detroit has always been known for, the DIA has plenty of works from around the world on display. From Oceanian to North African pieces, it’s the perfect place for visitors to see something different from the usual.   Detroit is scrappy and spirited--take our grab-and-go Leather Day Tote along for the ride. ![Lotuff Leather Day Tote in green](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/hs-fs/hubfs/dt.jpg?width=1143&name=dt.jpg "Lotuff Leather Day Tote in green")   [Shop the Day Tote](https://lotuffleather.com/blogs/blog/the-departure-detroit) *All photos courtesy of Greg Moniz and Katoi. * *Note: this article was originally published in June 2016 and was updated in June 2017.* ### Subscribe to Our Blog ### Leave a Comment ### Posts by Topic - [12 Days of Gifting (12)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/12-days-of-gifting) - [A Lotuff Life (3)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/a-lotuff-life) - [Gift Guides (2)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/gift-guides) - [Gifts with Personality (7)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/gifts-with-personality) - [Making the Best (116)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/making-the-best) - [Meet the Team (13)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/meet-the-team) - [The Essentials (112)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/the-essentials) - [The Weekender (145)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/the-weekender) - [Travel Guide (76)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/topic/travel-guide) ### Popular Posts ### Blog Archive - [May 2017 (20)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/05) - [October 2016 (18)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/10) - [March 2017 (18)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/03) - [August 2018 (18)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/08) - [August 2016 (17)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/08) - [April 2018 (17)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/04) - [May 2018 (17)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/05) - [October 2018 (17)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/10) - [September 2016 (16)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/09) - [November 2016 (16)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/11) - [April 2017 (16)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/04) - [June 2017 (16)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/06) - [March 2018 (16)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/03) - [July 2018 (16)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/07) - [February 2018 (15)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/02) - [July 2017 (14)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/07) - [June 2018 (14)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/06) - [September 2018 (14)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/09) - [March 2019 (14)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/03) - [November 2017 (13)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/11) - [November 2018 (13)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/11) - [December 2019 (13)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/12) - [February 2017 (12)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/02) - [August 2017 (12)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/08) - [January 2018 (12)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/01) - [September 2017 (11)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/09) - [October 2017 (11)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/10) - [April 2019 (10)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/04) - [June 2016 (9)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/06) - [December 2017 (9)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/12) - [December 2016 (8)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/12) - [January 2017 (8)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2017/01) - [August 2019 (8)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/08) - [December 2018 (7)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2018/12) - [May 2019 (7)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/05) - [July 2019 (6)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/07) - [September 2019 (6)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/09) - [June 2019 (5)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/06) - [October 2019 (5)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/10) - [November 2019 (5)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/11) - [January 2019 (4)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/01) - [February 2019 (4)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2019/02) - [September 2015 (3)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2015/09) - [July 2016 (3)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/07) - [May 2016 (2)](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/archive/2016/05) [Contact](https://lotuffleather.com/pages/contact) [About](https://lotuffleather.com/pages/our-story) [Stockists](https://lotuffleather.com/pages/stockists) [Terms & Conditions](https://lotuffleather.com/pages/terms-and-conditions) [Customer Service](https://lotuffleather.com/pages/customer-service) [Sitemap](https://lotuffleather.com/pages/sitemap) ![](https://blog.lotuffleather.com/hubfs/Lotuff%20Logo/logo.svg "logo.svg") [EMAIL US](mailto:info@lotuffleather.com) [  Instagram ](https://www.instagram.com/lotuffleather/) [[fa icon="twitter"] Twitter ](https://twitter.com/LotuffLeather) [[fa icon="facebook"] Facebook ](https://www.facebook.com/LotuffLeather) [[fa icon="pinterest"] Pinterest ](https://www.pinterest.com/lotuffleather/) 1 Sims Ave, Providence, RI [info@lotuffleather.com](mailto:info@lotuffleather.com) [888 763 2247](tel:18887632247) © 2026 Lotuff Leather. All Rights Reserved.