Flint is a working-class city in eastern Michigan that was once the birthplace of General Motors and the heart of American automobile manufacturing. The boom years built grand Art Deco buildings downtown and a cultural infrastructure — museums, theatres, a university — that still anchors the city today.
The Sloan Museum chronicles the region's automotive and industrial history, while the Flint Institute of Arts houses a surprisingly strong collection for a city this size. The University of Michigan-Flint campus adds some energy to the downtown core, and the restored Capitol Theatre hosts concerts in one of the most atmospheric movie palaces left in the Midwest. Flint's story is one of industrial rise and difficult decline, and it wears that history openly — a visit here offers an honest look at a side of America that most tourist itineraries skip entirely.
To trace the city's industrial origins, walk the two blocks of West Water Street where the Durant-Dort Carriage Company Office and Factory One sit on opposite sides of the road — General Motors was effectively born in these buildings. The Sit-Downers Memorial in Chevy Commons marks the 1936-37 strike that built the United Auto Workers and changed American labour. For a lighter visit, the year-round Flint Farmers' Market is the city's de facto town square.