EuRA: Detroit City Guide Updated: 5/25/17 Helping you feel at home abroad. Relocation Guide to Detroit, MI www.iorworld.com IOR makes every effort to ensure the information contained in this guide is as current as possible. If you notice errors, or information which is no longer accurate, please contact us immediately so we may correct the issue. i IOR Global Services • All Rights Reserved Worldwide TABLE OF CONTENTS WELCOME AND OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 1 EMERGENCY .................................................................................................................................................. 4 HOUSING ....................................................................................................................................................... 6 U.S. EDUCATION SYSTEM ............................................................................................................................ 13 SCHOOLS IN YOUR AREA ............................................................................................................................. 21 BANKING ..................................................................................................................................................... 23 PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION/DRIVING .......................................................................................................... 25 LOCAL REGISTRATION ................................................................................................................................. 27 LIVING AND SHOPPING ............................................................................................................................... 29 RECREATION ................................................................................................................................................ 31 EXPAT RESOURCES ...................................................................................................................................... 33 U.S. IDIOMS ................................................................................................................................................ 35 PUBLIC HOLIDAYS ........................................................................................................................................ 37 ii IOR Global Services • All Rights Reserved Worldwide WELCOME AND OVERVIEW Photo courtesy of Globe Images Detroit is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Michigan and is the seat of Wayne County, the most populous county in the state and the largest city on the United States-Canada border. It is a primary business, cultural, financial and transportation center in the Metro Detroit area, a region of 5.2 million people, and serves as a major port on the Detroit River connecting the Great Lakes system to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. Known as the world's traditional automotive center, "Detroit" is a metonym for the American automobile industry and an important source of popular music legacies celebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, the Motor City and Motown. Other nicknames arose in the 20th century, including City of Champions beginning in the 1930s for its successes in individual and team sports ,The D, Hockeytown (a trademark owned by the city's NHL club, the Red Wings), Rock City (after the Kiss song "Detroit Rock City"), and The 313 (its telephone area code). Detroit was founded on July 24, 1701, by the French explorer and adventurer Antoine Laumet de La Mothe Cadillac. French rule gave way to British, and in 1796 the United States took over Detroit as a result of Jay's Treaty. Detroit was incorporated as a city in 1815 and spent the decades leading up to the Civil War as the final U.S. stop on the Underground Railroad. The area also was earning a reputation for, among other things, the manufacturing of cigars and kitchen ranges. During the late 19th century, several Gilded Age mansions were built east and west of the current downtown. During this period some referred to Detroit as the Paris of the West for its architecture, and for Washington Boulevard, recently electrified by Thomas Edison. The city had grown steadily from the 1830s with the rise of shipping, shipbuilding, and manufacturing industries. Strategically located along the Great Lakes waterway, Detroit emerged as a major transportation hub. 1 IOR Global Services • All Rights Reserved Worldwide During the early part of the 20th century, dozens of companies emerged in the area committed to finding success in the new industry During World War II; the factories they built to produce cars were put to use churning out weapons for the Allied Powers. The production edge they provided helped to win the war. Commensurate with the shift of population and jobs to its suburbs or other states, the city has had to adjust its role within the larger metropolitan area. Downtown Detroit has seen an increased role as an entertainment hub in the 21st century, with the opening of three casinos, new stadiums, and a riverfront revitalization project. City of Detroit Overview • Official Website of the City of Detroit • City of Detroit Government • Population: 681,090 • Land Area: 138.75 sq mi (359.36 km2) • Detroit Recreation Department • Detroit Public Library • Weather Today in Detroit • Climate in Detroit History • Time line of Detroit history • Detroit Historical Museum • Detroit Museum of African American History What to See, Sightseeing Tours, Tourist Information • Detroit Visitors Center • Tours Tipping & Sales Tax When you eat in a restaurant in America, you are expected to leave your server a tip, as it is not included. In a bar, café, or modest restaurant, 15% of the total bill is acceptable. However, in an upscale restaurant (fine dining), a tip calculated on 20% of the total bill is the norm. More information on tipping in Detroit. 2 IOR Global Services • All Rights Reserved Worldwide Interactive Map of Detroit - Preview 3 IOR Global Services • All Rights Reserved Worldwide EMERGENCY IN CASE OF EMERGENCY DIAL 911 FOR FIRE, POLICE & AMBULANCE Language line: If the person calling 911 is unable to speak English, they can tell the operator what language they speak. The 911 Operator will have an interpreter on the line within one minute to assist with the translation. They will ask for the following information so keep this page close to your phone: NAME ADDRESS PHONE If you accidentally call 911, please do not hang up. The police will automatically be dispatched to your home to make sure there are no problems. Explain to the Operator the call was an accident. POISON CONTROL (800) 222-1222 ANIMAL POISON CONTROL (888) 426-4435 Other Important Numbers: CLOSEST CONSULATE OFFICE PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN WORK PHONE NUMBER Detroit uses the Improve Detroit mobile application to reach any City of Detroit agency or to request a City Service (such as replacing a broken street lamp or removing an abandoned vehicle). • List of Detroit Departments and Agencies • Find your Consulate in Michigan • Primary Care Physician Hospital & Clinics: General Detroit Hospital Directory General Children’s Hospital Directory Veterinary Clinics Greater Detroit • Veterinarians in Detroit • Animal Emergency Clinic • Michigan Humane Society 4 IOR Global Services • All Rights Reserved Worldwide Pharmacies There are various major pharmacy chains in Detroit, found on nearly every block on commercial streets. These pharmacies are also general stores and carry a large selection of cleaning, house care, pet care, and other supplies. Click on “Store Locator” and enter your zip (postal) code to find the pharmacy near you. Many pharmacies are open 24 hours. Check for hours of operation. • Pharmacies in Detroit • Walgreens • CVS • Meijer • Rite Aid 5 IOR Global Services • All Rights Reserved Worldwide HOUSING A lease is an agreement that outlines the obligations of the owner and the tenants of a house or apartment. It is a legally binding document, so it is important for you to know the exact terms of the lease agreement before you sign it. Please do not sign a lease without reviewing it with your IOR DS Consultant. Types of rental properties • Apartment An apartment is rented from a company or individual that owns the property. Apartment buildings are usually multistory with people over, under and beside each other with common hallways or walk ways. Apartments are often rented from a company or individual in the form of an individual lease with no bearing on the other tenants of the building (besides noise complaints, property damage, etc.) • Studio Apartments A studio apartment is basically a one room apartment with sleeping, dining and kitchen all in one room plus a full bathroom. A “convertible” or “alcove” studio may have a nook or area which can be sectioned off separately for sleeping. • Condominium A condo is a communally owned estate and the owners share the ownership of the common areas such as grounds and hallways. Condominiums may be apartment style buildings or town house type buildings, but condo owners do not usually own the land. Condo owners are required to pay monthly common maintenance charges, although these might be reflected in your rental rate (it is important to clarify this with your landlord). • Townhouse A Townhouse is a kind of structure where the individual properties are flush against each other with tiny front and back "yards” and shared walls between them. Almost always they are multistory single