Renaissance Center, Detroit

Favorite thing: The Renaissance Center is located right on the Detroit River downtown - and it's easy to appreciate the size and flow of this waterway as you watch the barges float past. The Detroit River links Lake St. Clair with Lake Erie, and is one of the major connecting links between Detroit and the rest of the world . . . That's the Ambassador Bridge in the background.

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Favorite thing: In Detroit-speak, a Renaissance occurs when big corporations spend millions of dollars on office buildings - and receive special tax breaks for their investments. In my Western Civ class, however, the Renaissance of the 15th century was a resurgence of creativity and the humanistic spirit inspired by a renewed emphasis upon the potential for individual accomplishment.