This is a two-mile stretch of lonely and disused land made beautiful.

Its long history speaks to Detroit’s industrial heritage. A railroad was laid down along this corridor in the 1830s by a precursor to the Canadian National Railway. The route saw plenty of traffic over the following century, when the city was a burgeoning industrial center.

By the 1980s, though, the railroad had closed to both pedestrian and freight traffic, and the line’s fate was uncertain. 

In 2009, the tracks were replaced by a paved greenway, much of which is below street level. The 20-foot-wide path links the city’s bustling Eastern Market district with the waterfront, and the route is a pretty spot for an afternoon amble or bike ride, streaking past colorful murals and graffiti.