There is a widely-held misconception that there are no good K-12 schools in Detroit. While Detroit Public Schools have certainly faced its share of woes, Detroit is not without some excellent private, charter, and even public schools where children get an well-rounded education (often with particular emphasis in the arts or sciences).

From stylish, modern new lofts in renovated high-rises to sprawling historic old mansions and 19^th-century row houses, Detroit's housing stock is as diverse as its population. For those looking to buy, trulia.com and zillow.com are good places to start. For renters, start with this list of rental properties below.* For additional help (including detailed reports and photographs of different properties to save you the time and trouble), check out Cool Places to Live, which offers personal broker services at a fraction of the cost.

The great outdoors in the middle of an urban center? Absolutely. Detroit's exceptionally large size – the major metropolitan cities of San Francisco, Manhattan, and Boston can all fit within Detroit's city limits with room to spare – allows for plenty of park space (with over 300 parks in total), and significant efforts have been underway in the last several years towards creating and maintaining green spaces for outdoor recreation and community gathering.

Some cities are full of big-box chains trying to subtly squeeze their way into local neighborhoods and national retailers in local storefronts with a smattering of independently-owned specialty shops rounding out the mix. In Detroit, it's just the opposite. Here you will find a surprising number of independently-owned clothing boutiques, record shops, sneaker stores, rare book stores, home goods stores, and stores of eccentricity. Below are some of the highlights of Detroit's most retail-rich neighborhoods.