Which is Detroit's most iconic landmark?

[RaumVogel]

My first choice is the Fisher.This is the second:

[MrMichigan]

Don't forget about the River.

[gnome]

If by iconic you mean, recognized by those outside of Michigan, EastsideAl nailed it: The Tire.

For those in Metro Detroit: The Spirit of Detroit or The Fist.

For outstate citizens who have rarely, if ever, visited Detroit: Ambassador Bridge or the view from Windsor.

[Richard]

If it was still around would it be Hudsons ?

[detroitsgwenivere]

Among the masses, I would say the Ren Cen or the The Spirit of Detroit. My pick? The Joe Louis Fist.

[cassique]

Depends if you are talking nationally or locally. Most people would recognize the RenCen as that is what they always show for nationally televised sports events and other. If we are talking for locals I would vote for the Book Tower. Always has been my favorite unique piece of architecture.

[Király]

I agree, I think the Spirit of Detroit.

Almost no people outside of Detroit know what it is. I wear my Spirit of Detroit T-shirt around Vancouver and most people who comment on it think it's some sort of meditation/Buddhist thing. The only people who have ever correctly identified it, once lived in the Detroit/Windsor area.

[313WX]

Almost no people outside of Detroit know what it is. I wear my Spirit of Detroit T-shirt around Vancouver and most people who comment on it think it's some sort of meditation/Buddhist thing. The only people who have ever correctly identified it, once lived in the Detroit/Windsor area.

To your point, most of the suburbanites I associated with back in I was in Detroit knew nothing about the Penobscot Building, Fisher Building [[heck, they barely heard of "New Center") or Book Tower.

They're far from "iconic" amongst locals. After all, we're talking about people who were raised to think "Detroit" and any thoughts about it should be avoided at all costs, except for a sports game.

[Honky Tonk]

Don't forget about the River.

If that's yours, great shot, Mr. M...

[Gistok]

They're far from "iconic" amongst locals. After all, we're talking about people who were raised to think "Detroit" and any thoughts about it should be avoided at all costs, except for a sports game.

I have to respectfully disagree with that sentiment. Oldsters may spout that they haven't been in Detroit in 30 years... and may tell younger suburbanites not to go there... but since when do young folks follow what their elders say they should do??

I think that anyone who enjoys concerts or [[as you mentioned) sporting events has been downtown many times. They may not all eat down there... but they go.

Also, with free admittance to the DIA for tri-county residents... you'd be surprised how many suburbanites come down there as well.

Even the Detroit Opera House and Detroit Symphony count a decent part of their patrons as those living within a 3 hour drive of the venues.... which means a part of 9 million households.

So there are plenty of people who come into Detroit's city center from all parts of Michigan... as well as Ohio and Ontario.

[MrMichigan]

If that's yours, great shot, Mr. M...

Not mine, but it really is.

[Meddle]

There was also the big yellow pages phone book along the Lodge.

[Meddle]

But I still say the Fisher Building. Even if you never came into town that way you know about the Golden Tower of The Fisher Building by listing to WJR.

[mtburb]

Another one was the large Marlboro Man billboard on I-94 just east of Inkster.

[night-timer]

I was kind of focusing on architectural landmarks, not the river or sculptures.

The Ren Cen for me kind of looks out of place - almost like a symbol of what Detroit should be [[or once was).

Point taken about the Fisher Building and those four joined building over the road [[forgot the name - a Secretary of State office is in there - Cadillac House?) on Grand Boulevard at Cass Avenue, as shown by Raum Vogel.

My first choice is the Fisher.This is the second:

[Lowell]

Don't forget about the River.

I second that. It defines of us from space and as the international metropolis that we are. Throw in the Ambassador Bridge and the Renaissance Center and you know exactly where you are.

[night-timer]

Detroit seen from space... good overview, not much detail or resolution:

https://www.reddit.com/r/Detroit/com...ational_space/

[Meddle]

Again, it matters how you define landmark, but it is the only place on Earth where Canada is south of the US. Of course that would be the region and not just the city itself.

[detroitsgwenivere]

I was kind of focusing on architectural landmarks, not the river or sculptures.

The question posed in the title of the thread said landmarks, do sculptures not qualify as landmarks..?

When taking out of towners on the "scenic tour" they don't know anything about Detroit spots other than the RenCen, the Spirit, the "Big Market", Heidelberg, and "prairie neighborhoods full of empty car plants". They may know about the fist, Belle Isle, the Penobscot, or the tire.

The Masonic is my favorite building [[landmark) to point out.

[Jason]

Including only buildings, the Ren Cen is probably the only iconic building.

In order for something to be iconic, it needs to be well known, have a strong visual image [[or otherwise be memorable and easy to communicate), and be associated with or representative of the subject. Something being iconic isn't necessarily the same as something being good or the best.

Obviously the old GM HQ isn't iconic or else the person who started the thread about iconic buildings would think of it more as "the four connected buildings with the SOS office".

The Ren Cen is the only building where you could go around with a photo of it and ask "what's this building?" and have most people correctly answer. The type of people who do local architecture tours, or live/work downtown know what the Guardian Building [[and Book Tower and the Penobscot Building and so on) is, but no one else does, and if they see it they just think it's a cool building. If you ask random people on the sidewalk to draw a picture of Book Tower they're going to get confused and think you're talking about a library or something.

This is a forum that's been tracking the decade long saga of the Fine Arts Building facade, and has written thousands and thousands of posts about new hockey arena minutiae. No one else cares about this stuff.