How the Next Generation of Detroit Artisans Found a Home

The first factory to churn out automobiles via assembly line, the Highland Park Ford plant once testified to Detroit's manufacturing prowess. Though it's a National Historic Landmark, the abandoned factory now slides ever further into disrepair, with shattered windows, flaking ceilings, and insistent weeds splintering the cement.

A few miles north, though, the city is experiencing an industrial renaissance in the form of small-batch makers. In 2011, the Rust Belt Market took over a 15,000-square foot big-box store on the corner of Woodward Avenue and 9 Mile in Ferndale. The neighborhood has long been a haven for artists and craftspeople. Main Street is dotted with colorful murals, cafes doling out locally-roasted coffee, and shops hawking retro vinyl and vintage threads.